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Texts -- Numbers 11:1-22 (NET)

Context
The Israelites Complain
11:1 When the people complained , it displeased the Lord . When the Lord heard it, his anger burned , and so the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outer parts of the camp . 11:2 When the people cried to Moses , he prayed to the Lord , and the fire died out . 11:3 So he called the name of that place Taberah because there the fire of the Lord burned among them.
Complaints about Food
11:4 Now the mixed multitude who were among them craved more desirable foods, and so the Israelites wept again and said , “If only we had meat to eat ! 11:5 We remember the fish we used to eat freely in Egypt , the cucumbers , the melons , the leeks , the onions , and the garlic . 11:6 But now we are dried up , and there is nothing at all before us except this manna !” 11:7 (Now the manna was like coriander seed , and its color like the color of bdellium . 11:8 And the people went about and gathered it, and ground it with mills or pounded it in mortars ; they baked it in pans and made cakes of it. It tasted like fresh olive oil . 11:9 And when the dew came down on the camp in the night , the manna fell with it.)
Moses’ Complaint to the Lord
11:10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families , everyone at the door of his tent ; and when the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly , Moses was also displeased . 11:11 And Moses said to the Lord , “Why have you afflicted your servant ? Why have I not found favor in your sight , that you lay the burden of this entire people on me? 11:12 Did I conceive this entire people ? Did I give birth to them, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your arms , as a foster father bears a nursing child,’ to the land which you swore to their fathers ? 11:13 From where shall I get meat to give to this entire people , for they cry to me, ‘Give us meat , that we may eat !’ 11:14 I am not able to bear this entire people alone , because it is too heavy for me! 11:15 But if you are going to deal with me like this , then kill me immediately . If I have found favor in your sight then do not let me see my trouble .”
The Response of God
11:16 The Lord said to Moses , “Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel , whom you know are elders of the people and officials over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting ; let them take their position there with you. 11:17 Then I will come down and speak with you there , and I will take part of the spirit that is on you, and will put it on them, and they will bear some of the burden of the people with you, so that you do not bear it all by yourself . 11:18 “And say to the people , ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow , and you will eat meat , for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord , saying , “Who will give us meat to eat , for life was good for us in Egypt ?” Therefore the Lord will give you meat , and you will eat . 11:19 You will eat , not just one day , nor two days , nor five days , nor ten days , nor twenty days , 11:20 but a whole month , until it comes out your nostrils and makes you sick , because you have despised the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying , “Why did we ever come out of Egypt ?”’” 11:21 Moses said , “The people around me are 600,000 on foot ; but you say , ‘I will give them meat , that they may eat for a whole month .’ 11:22 Would they have enough if the flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? If all the fish of the sea were caught for them, would they have enough ?”

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Moses

    [isbe] MOSES - mo'-zez, mo'-ziz (mosheh; Egyptian mes, "drawn out," "born"; Septuagint Mouse(s)). The great Hebrew national hero, leader, author, law-giver and prophet. I. LIFE 1. Son of Levi 2. Foundling Prince 3. Friend of the Pe...
    [nave] MOSES A Levite and son of Amram, Ex. 2:1-4; 6:20; Acts 7:20; Heb. 11:23. Hidden in an ark, Ex. 2:3. Discovered and adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh, Ex. 2:5-10. Learned in all the wisdom of Egypt, Acts 7:22. His loyalt...

  • SEVENTY DISCIPLES

    [isbe] SEVENTY DISCIPLES - The account of the designation and mission of these is found only in Luke 10. Some have therefore sought to maintain that we have here only a confused variant of the appointment of the Twelve; but this is...

  • Exodus

    [ebd] the great deliverance wrought for the children of Isreal when they were brought out of the land of Egypt with "a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm" (Ex 12:51; Deut. 26:8; Ps 114; 136), about B.C. 1490, and four hundre...

  • EXODUS, THE BOOK OF, 2

    [isbe] EXODUS, THE BOOK OF, 2 - II. Structure of the Book According to the Scriptures and According to Modern Analyses. In the following section (a) serves for the understanding of the Biblical text; (b) is devoted to the discussio...

  • Trouble

    [nave] TROUBLE. Borrowing Matt. 6:25-34; Mark 5:35, 36; John 14:1; John 16:6, 7; Phil. 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:7 See: Affliction; Suffering. Instances of Israelites at the Red Sea, Ex. 14:10-12; about water, Ex. 15:23-25; 17:2, 3; Num. 2...

  • Prayer

    [isbe] PRAYER - prar (deesis, proseuche, (enteuxis; for an excellent discussion of the meaning of these see Thayer's Lexicon, p. 126, under the word deesis; the chief verbs are euchomai, proseuchomai, and deomai, especially in Luke...
    [nave] PRAYER. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Answer to, Promised; Answered, Instances of Answered; Confession in; Importunity in, Instances of Importunity in; Intercessor...

  • Complaint

    [nave] COMPLAINT of Israelites against Moses, Ex. 5:21; 15:24; 16:2, 3; Num. 16:2, 3, 13, 14, 41; 20:2-4. Against God Ex. 5:22, 23; Ex. 16:8, 12; Num. 14:26-37 Num. 17:10, 11. Job 15:11-13; Job 33:12, 13; Job 34:37; Psa. 37:1; Ps...

  • WRATH, (ANGER)

    [isbe] WRATH, (ANGER) - rath, roth, rath ('aph, from 'anaph, "to snort," "to be angry"; orge, thumos, orgizomai): Designates various degrees of feeling, such as sadness (Ps 85:4), a frown or turning away of the face in grief or ang...

  • SANHEDRIN

    [isbe] SANHEDRIN - san'-he-drin (canhedhrin, the Talmudic transcription of the Greek sunedrion): 1. Name: The Sanhedrin was, at and before the time of Christ, the name for the highest Jewish tribunal, of 71 members, in Jerusalem, a...
    [smith] (from the Greek sunedrion , "a council-chamber" commonly but in correctly Sanhedrim), the supreme council of the Jewish people in the time of Christ and earlier. The origin of this assembly is traced in the Mishna to the sev...

  • ELDAD

    [isbe] ELDAD - el'-dad ('eldadh, "God has loved"): One of the 70 elders chosen by Moses at the command of Yahweh to share "the burden of the people" (Nu 11:16-25). Eldad and his companion Medad were not present with the rest at the...
    [smith] (favored of God) and Me?dad (love), two of the seventy elders to whom was communicated the prophetic power of Moses. (Numbers 11:16,26) (B.C. 1490.) Although their names were upon the last which Moses had drawn up, (Numbers 1...

  • Inspiration

    [nave] INSPIRATION. Ex. 19:6; Ex. 25:21, 22 Deut. 5:31. Num. 11:16-26, 28, 29 Ex. 28:3; 31:3, 6; 35:31; 36:1; Deut. 34:9; Job 32:8; Isa. 51:16; Jer. 1:9; Luke 1:15. Luke 12:12 Matt. 10:19; Mark 13:11; Luke 21:14, 15. 2 Tim. 3:16; ...

  • Prophet

    [ebd] (Heb. nabi, from a root meaning "to bubble forth, as from a fountain," hence "to utter", comp. Ps. 45:1). This Hebrew word is the first and the most generally used for a prophet. In the time of Samuel another word, ro'eh, "s...

  • MANNA

    [ebd] Heb. man-hu, "What is that?" the name given by the Israelites to the food miraculously supplied to them during their wanderings in the wilderness (Ex. 16:15-35). The name is commonly taken as derived from man, an expression ...
    [isbe] MANNA - man'-a (man; manna): The Hebrew man is probably derived, as Ebers suggests, from the Egyptian mennu, "food." In Ex 16:15, we have a suggested source of the name, "They said one to another, What is it?" i.e. manhu, wh...
    [smith] (what is this?) (Heb. man). The most important passages of the Old Testament on this topic are the following: (Exodus 16:14-36; Numbers 11:7-9; 11:5,16; Joshua 5:12; Psalms 78:24; 25) From these passages we learn that the man...

  • Presumption

    [nave] PRESUMPTION. Ex. 5:2; Ex. 14:11, 12; Ex. 17:7; Num. 15:30; Num. 16:41; Num. 21:5; Deut. 29:19, 20; 1 Kin. 20:28; 1 Kin. 22:24; Job 15:25; Psa. 19:13; Psa. 131:1; Prov. 18:12, 13; Prov. 25:6, 7; Isa. 5:18-25; Isa. 10:15; Isa...

  • Maa

    [nave] MAA. Ex. 16:4-35; Num. 11:6-10; Deut. 8:3, 16; Josh. 5:12; Neh. 9:20; Psa. 78:24; John 6:31, 49, 58. Preserved in the ark of the testimony, Ex. 16:33; Heb. 9:4. Figurative John 6:48-51; 1 Cor. 10:3; Rev. 2:17.

  • Coriander

    [ebd] Heb. gad, (Ex. 16:31; Num. 11:7), seed to which the manna is likened in its form and colour. It is the Coriandrum sativum of botanists, an umbelliferous annual plant with a round stalk, about two feet high. It is widely cult...
    [isbe] CORIANDER - kor-i-an'-der (gadh; korion): The fruit of the Coriandrum Sativum (Natural Order Umbelliferae), a plant indigenous around the Mediterranean and extensively cultivated. The fruits are aromatic and stomatic-carmina...
    [smith] The plant called Coriandrum sativum is found in Egypt, Persia and India, and has a round tall stalk; it bears umbelliferous white or reddish flowers, from which arise globular, grayish, spicy seed-corns, marked with fine stri...
    [nave] CORIANDER, a spice, Ex. 16:31; Num. 11:7.

  • Taberah

    [ebd] burning, a place in the wilderness of Paran, where the "fire of the Lord" consumed the murmuring Israelites (Num. 11:3; Deut. 9:22). It was also called Kibroth-hattaavah (q.v.).
    [isbe] TABERAH - tab'-e-ra, ta-be'-ra (tabh`erah, "burning"): A wilderness camp of the Israelites, the site of which is unidentified. Here, it is recorded, the people complained against Yahweh, who destroyed many of them by fire. T...
    [smith] the name of a place in the wilderness of Paran. (Numbers 11:3; 9:22) It has not been identified.
    [nave] TABERAH, a place in the wilderness where the Israelites were punished for their complaints, Num. 11:3; Deut. 9:22.

  • Bdellium

    [ebd] occurs only in Gen. 2:12, where it designates a product of the land of Havilah; and in Num. 11:7, where the manna is likened to it in colour. It was probably an aromatic gum like balsam which exuded from a particular tree (B...
    [isbe] BDELLIUM - del'-i-um (bedholach): The word occurs twice in the Pentateuch: (1) in Gen 2:12, in conjunction with gold and onyx, as a product of the land of HAVILAH (which see), and (2) in Nu 11:7, where the manna is likened t...
    [smith] (bedolach). (Genesis 2:12; Numbers 11:7) It is quite impossible to say whether bedolach denotes a mineral or an animal production or a vegetable exudation. Bdellium is an odoriferous exudation from a tree which is perhaps the...
    [nave] BDELLIUM, Gen. 2:12; Num. 11:7.

  • Garlic

    [ebd] (Heb. shum, from its strong odour), mentioned only once (Num. 11:5). The garlic common in Eastern countries is the Allium sativum or Allium Ascalonicum, so called from its having been brought into Europe from Ascalon by the ...
    [isbe] GARLIC - gar'-lik (shum, used only in plural shumim; compare Arabic thum): One of the delights of Egypt for which the Israelites in the Wilderness longed (Nu 11:5); we know from other sources that, though originally a produc...
    [smith] (Numbers 11:5) is the Allium sativum of Linnaeus, which abounds in Egypt.
    [nave] GARLIC, Num. 11:5.

  • Mortar

    [ebd] (Heb. homer), cement of lime and sand (Gen. 11:3; Ex. 1:14); also potter's clay (Isa. 41:25; Nah. 3:14). Also Heb. 'aphar, usually rendered "dust," clay or mud used for cement in building (Lev. 14:42, 45). Mortar for pulveri...
    [isbe] MORTAR - mor'-ter (medhokhah (Nu 11:8), makhtesh (Prov 27:22)): A hollowed stone or vessel in which grain or other substance was pounded or beaten with a pestle. The Israelites used a mortar in which to beat the manna in the...
    [smith] "a wide-mouthed vessel in form of an inverted bell, in which substances are pounded or bruised with a pestle." --Webster. The simplest and probably most ancient method of preparing corn for food was by pounding it between two...
    [nave] MORTAR 1. An instrument for pulverizing grains, Num. 11:8; Prov. 27:22. See: Grinding; Mill. 2. A cement, Ex. 1:14. Bitumen or tar used as, in building tower of Babel, Gen. 11:3. Used to plaster houses, Lev. 14:42, 45. ...
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Arts

Questions

  • The following material from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia should be helpful here: III. Significant numbers Numbers are also used with a symbolical or theological significance. One is used to convey th...

Sermon Illustrations

We Get Accustomed to Our Blessings; Danger of Taking Your Blessings for Granted; The Pull of Sin

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • This chapter records how Abram, though threatened with major conflict with Lot because of their herdsmen's strife, magnanimously gave his nephew his choice of what land he wanted. Lot took an area that was very fertile, thoug...
  • 12:37-39 The record of Israel's sojourn in the wilderness really begins here.Rameses is probably the same city as Raamses, also called Avaris (v. 37; cf. 1:11). It was the city from which the Israelites left Egypt, and it lay...
  • Again the Israelites complained because there was no water to drink when they camped at Rephidim (cf. 15:24). At Marah there was bad water, but now there was none.". . . the supreme calamity of desert travellers befell them--...
  • Whereas the Israelites had feared the possibility of having to battle the Egyptians (14:10) they now did engage in battle with the Amalekites."The primary function of this section in its present location is the demonstration ...
  • Moses did not identify Nadab and Abihu's exact offense in the text. However the "strange fire"seems most likely to have been an incense offering presented apart from God's command. It may have involved assuming the role of th...
  • To formulate a statement that summarizes the teaching of this book it will be helpful to identify some of the major revelations in Numbers. These constitute the unique values of the book.The first major value of Numbers is th...
  • I. Experiences of the older generation in the wilderness chs. 1-25A. Preparations for entering the Promised Land from the south chs. 1-101. The first census and the organization of the people chs. 1-42. Commands and rituals t...
  • The Israelites had been at Mt. Sinai for almost one year (Exod. 19:1; Num. 10:11). All that Moses recorded as occurring between Exodus 19:1 and Numbers 10:11 took place during those twelve months.Even though this region conta...
  • The end of chapter 10 is the high point of the Book of Numbers spiritually. The beginning of chapter 11 records the beginning of the spiritual decline of Israel that resulted in God's judging the nation. He postponed the fulf...
  • Archaeologists have not determined the location of Taberah (v. 3). It must have been an insignificant spot geographically since Moses did not include it in the list of Israel's encampments in chapter 33 (cf. 33:16-17). It was...
  • The "rabble"(v. 4) were the non-Israelites who had come out of Egypt with God's people (Exod. 12:38). It did not take them long to become discontented with conditions in the desert and to complain about their bland diet of ma...
  • Perhaps it was God's exaltation of Moses by bestowing the gift of prophecy on the elders that provoked the envy of Miriam and Aaron. God reminded the people of Moses' special endowment with the Spirit when He blessed the elde...
  • The spies reported that the land was indeed as fruitful as they had heard (v. 27), "nevertheless . . ."(v. 28). Everything the spies said from this word on was uncalled for.116Their commission had been to view the land and to...
  • 14:1-4 God had just proved His supernatural power to the Israelites three times since the nation had left Sinai (chs. 11-12). There was no excuse for this failure to trust Him to lead them victoriously into Canaan.14:5-9 Mose...
  • The fact that God granted the people pardon in response to Moses' intercession is another indication of His grace (vv. 20-21).The failure of the Israelites would not frustrate God's purpose to manifest His glory throughout th...
  • "As the laws increase and the constraints grow, the people seem less willing or less capable of following them. At this point in the narrative we see that the whole order of the priesthood is thrown open to direct confrontati...
  • Here begins the fourth and last leg of the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.1. From Egypt to Sinai (Exod. 12-19)2. From Sinai to Kadesh (Num. 11-12)3. From Kadesh back to Kadesh--38 years of wilderness wand...
  • The Israelites next traveled to the southeast around the southern border of Edom. They took "the way of the Red Sea"(v. 4), a road to the town of Elath that stood at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqabah.182This route took t...
  • Another preparation for entering Canaan involved appointing a new leader to take Moses' place.God foretold that Moses would die without entering the land (cf. 20:1-13). Graciously He allowed His servant to see the Promised La...
  • Forty-two stations appear in the list. Eighteen do not appear elsewhere in the record of the journey (vv. 13, 19-29), and four mentioned previously are absent in this chapter (cf. 11:3; 21:19). Obviously this is a selective l...
  • The Book of Numbers is a lesson in the importance of trust and obedience. The Israelites frequently failed to trust and obey God in the hours of their trials, and consequently God postponed His blessing. Most of them never en...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • 78:12-20 In his historical review Asaph began with the plagues in Egypt (v. 12). He drew broad strokes on his verbal canvas tracing God's faithfulness to the generation that left Egypt in the Exodus (vv. 12-16). Each verse in...
  • 106:6 The psalmist confessed that Israel had been unfaithful to God. This was true of his own generation as it had been true of former generations. This confession introduced a review of specific iniquities and wickedness.106...
  • 6:1 Why did Isaiah date this passage since he did not date most of his others?70Probably he did so because King Uzziah had been the best king of Judah since Solomon. Nevertheless during the last part of his reign he suffered ...
  • How is it clear that Yahweh and not the idols directs world history? Yahweh alone can predict the future and then bring it to pass (41:21-29). Since Yahweh is the God of Israel, does He have any regard for the Gentile nations...
  • These two chapters begin with an introduction of the Servant (Messiah) and His mission. That the Servant of the Servant Songs is the same person as the Anointed One (Messiah) of chapter 11 is clear from what Isaiah wrote abou...
  • 8:7-8 The Lord then brought Ezekiel, in his vision, to some entrance to the temple courtyard. There Ezekiel saw a hole in the wall.143At the Lord's command, Ezekiel dug in the wall and discovered an entrance.8:9-10 Also follo...
  • Having given His essential response to the people's repentance, the Lord now explained what He would do in more detail. This section is chiastic with the focus of emphasis on verses 21-24. Verses 19 and 26-27 promise a restor...
  • 4:6 The angel announced a word of explanation from Yahweh that Zechariah was to pass on to Zerubbabel, the descendant of David who was the leader of the first group of returnees from exile.88He was to tell him, "not by might ...
  • Jesus' genealogy and virgin birth prove His legal human qualification as Israel's King. His baptism was the occasion of His divine approval. His temptation demonstrated His moral fitness to reign. The natural question a thoug...
  • Jesus had previously fed 5,000 men, but that was near the northeast coast of Galilee, where the people were Jews (14:13-21). Now He fed 4,000 men on the east coast of Galilee, where the people were mainly Gentiles.15:32-33 Ma...
  • The theme of discipleship training continues in this section of verses. The 70 disciples that Jesus sent out contrast with the three men Luke just finished presenting (9:57-62). This was a second mission on which Jesus sent a...
  • Jesus' claim to be the Bread of Life that had come down from heaven was something His hearers found hard to accept. Consequently Jesus clarified what He meant further.6:41-42 Some of Jesus' hearers had known Him all His life....
  • Paul continued dealing with the subject of going to idol temples to participate in pagan feasts in this section. In it he gave a warning to the believer who considered himself strong, the one who knew there were really no god...
  • Though idolatry was the cause of Israel's failure and the focus of Paul's warning to this church, four other evil characteristics of Israel also seem to have marked the Corinthians. These characteristics also resulted in the ...
  • These persecuted Christians did not need to fear their adversaries or death since they would live forever with Jesus Christ. "Behold"signals an oracular declaration (cf. 2:22; 3:8, 9, 20).96The devil would incite their foes t...
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