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Texts -- Numbers 11:8-35 (NET)

Context
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 ?” 11:23 And the Lord said to Moses , “Is the Lord’s hand shortened ? Now you will see whether my word to you will come true or not !” 11:24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord . He then gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and had them stand around the tabernacle . 11:25 And the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to them, and he took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and put it on the seventy elders . When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied , but did not do so again .
Eldad and Medad
11:26 But two men remained in the camp ; one’s name was Eldad , and the other’s name was Medad . And the spirit rested on them. (Now they were among those in the registration , but had not gone to the tabernacle .) So they prophesied in the camp . 11:27 And a young man ran and told Moses , “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp !” 11:28 Joshua son of Nun , the servant of Moses , one of his choice young men , said , “My lord Moses , stop them!” 11:29 Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for me? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets , that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” 11:30 Then Moses returned to the camp along with the elders of Israel .
Provision of Quail
11:31 Now a wind went out from the Lord and brought quail from the sea , and let them fall near the camp , about a day’s journey on this side , and about a day’s journey on the other side , all around the camp , and about three feet high on the surface of the ground . 11:32 And the people stayed up all that day , all that night , and all the next day , and gathered the quail . The one who gathered the least gathered ten homers , and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp . 11:33 But while the meat was still between their teeth , before they chewed it, the anger of the Lord burned against the people , and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague . 11:34 So the name of that place was called Kibroth Hattaavah , because there they buried the people that craved different food. 11:35 The people traveled from Kibroth Hattaavah to Hazeroth , and they stayed at Hazeroth .

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...
    [smith] (Heb. Mosheh , "drawn," i.e. from the water; in the Coptic it means "saved from the water"), the legislator of the Jewish people, and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion. The immediate pedigree of Moses is a...
    [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...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Eldad

    [ebd] whom God has loved, one of the seventy elders whom Moses appointed (Num. 11:26, 27) to administer justice among the people. He, with Medad, prophesied in the camp instead of going with the rest to the tabernacle, as Moses ha...
    [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...
    [nave] ELDAD, prophesies in the camp of the Israelites, Num. 11:26-29.

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Medad

    [ebd] love, one of the elders nominated to assist Moses in the government of the people. He and Eldad "prophesied in the camp" (Num. 11:24-29).
    [isbe] MEDAD - me'-dad (medhadh, "affectionate"): One of the 70 elders on whom the spirit of the Lord came in the days of Moses enabling them to prophesy. Medad and one other, Eldad, began to prophesy in the camp, away from the oth...
    [nave] MEDAD, one of the seventy elders who did not go to the tabernacle with Moses, but prophesied in the camp, Num. 11:26-29.

  • 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; ...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Kibroth-hattaavah

    [ebd] the graves of the longing or of lust, one of the stations of the Israelites in the wilderness. It was probably in the Wady Murrah, and has been identified with the Erweis el-Ebeirig, where the remains of an ancient encampmen...
    [isbe] KIBROTH-HATTAAVAH - kib-roth-ha-ta'-a-va, kib-roth (qibhroth ha-ta'awah "the graves of greed"): A desert camp of the Israelites, one day's journey from the wilderness of Sinai. There the people lusted for flesh to eat, and, ...
    [nave] KIBROTH-HATTAAVAH, a station where the Israelites were miraculously fed with quails, Num. 11:31-35; 33:16, 17; Deut. 9:22.

  • LAW OF MOSES

    [smith] It will be the object of this article to give a brief analysis of the substance of this law, to point out its main principles, and to explain the position which it occupies in the progress of divine revelation. In order to do...

  • Sanitation

    [nave] SANITATION. Carcasses Lev. 5:2; Lev. 10:4, 5; Lev. 11:24-28, 31-40; Lev. 22:4, 6; Num. 9:6, 10; Num. 19:11-16; Num. 31:19; Deut. 21:22, 23 Childbirth Lev. 12:3; Ezek. 16:4 Circumcision See: Circumcision. Contagion Le...

  • 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...

  • Government

    [nave] GOVERNMENT Paternal functions of, Gen. 41:25-57. Civil service school provided by, Dan. 1:3-20. Maintains a system of public instruction, 2 Chr. 17:7-9. Executive departments in. See: Cabinet; King; Ruler; Statecraft. Ju...

  • Quail

    [isbe] QUAIL - kwal (selaw; ortugometra; Latin Coturnix vulgaris): A game bird of the family Coturnix, closely related to "partridges" (which see). Quail and partridges are near relatives, the partridge a little larger and of brigh...
    [nave] QUAIL Miracle of, in the wilderness of Sin, Ex. 16:13; at Kibroth-hattaavah, Num. 11:31, 32; Psa. 105:40.

  • Blessing

    [nave] BLESSING For blessing before eating, See: Prayer, Thanksgiving Before Taking Food. See also Benedictions. Responsive Blessings of the Law Deut. 28:1-14 For the responsive Curses of the law, See: Curse. Divine, Contingent...

  • Intolerance

    [nave] INTOLERANCE, religious. Exemplified by Cain, Gen. 4:8; Joshua, Num. 11:24-28; James and John, Mark 9:38, 39; Luke 9:49; the Jews, in persecuting Jesus, See: Jesus, History of; and in persecuting the disciples, Acts 4:1-3, 15-...
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Arts

Questions

  • The indwelling of the Holy Spirit in Old Testament times was selective and temporary. He was nevertheless working in the lives of people to do much of the same type of thing as seen in John 16:8-11, though the object of faith...
  • 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; Main Thing—Christ Preached

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 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 ...
  • 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...
  • 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...
  • "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...
  • 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...
  • 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 context of this section is significant as usual. Verses 1-8 deal with people who ministered to Yahweh in various ways for the people, and verses 15-22 concern the delivery of God's revelations to His people. Verses 9-14 c...
  • 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...
  • 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...
  • 7:1 We have already read of two dreams that Nebuchadnezzar had (2:1; 4:5). Now God gave one to Daniel. It too was a vision from God that came to Daniel as he slept."In referring to the experience as a dream' (sing.) Daniel wa...
  • 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...
  • 2:28-29 After this, namely, after the deliverance from the northern invader just described, God promised to pour out His Spirit on all mankind without gender, age, class, or position distinction.29In Old Testament times God g...
  • 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...
  • 9:38 This is the only place where the synoptic writers mentioned John speaking out alone. John spoke for the other disciples in the house (v. 33).Evidently the exorcist was a believer in Jesus though not one of the Twelve or ...
  • 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...
  • All the Gospels contain instances of Jesus giving the Great Commission to His disciples, but evidently He did not just give it once. The contexts are different suggesting that He repeated these instructions on at least four s...
  • The writer next noted the parallel ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus in Judea. John the Baptist readily confessed Jesus' superiority to him even though they were both doing the same things. This was further testimony t...
  • Luke introduced the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry with His baptism with the Spirit (Luke 3:21-22). He paralleled this with the beginning of Jesus' heavenly ministry with the Spirit baptism of His disciples (Acts 2:1-4)...
  • 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...
  • These verses contain the first prophetic oracle of the book. The only other one in which God speaks is in 21:5-8.1:7 "Behold"(Gr. idou) indicates special divine intervention. This verse summarizes the main features of the rev...
  • 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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