1 The burning at Taberah quenched by Moses' prayer
4 The people lust for flesh, and loathe manna
10 Moses complains of his charge
16 God promises to divide his burden unto seventy elders, and to give the people flesh for a month
21 Moses' faith is staggered
31 Quails are given in wrath at Kibroth-hattaavah

and when Nu 10:33 20:2-5 21:5 Ex 15:23,24 16:2,3,7,9 17:2,3 De 9:22 La 3:39 1Co 10:10 Jude 1:16

complained. or, were as it were complainers. it displeased the Lord. Heb it was evil in the ears of the Lord Ge 38:10 2Sa 11:27 Jas 5:4

and the fire Nu 16:35 Le 10:2 De 32:22 2Ki 1:12 Job 1:16 Ps 78:21 106:18 Isa 30:33 33:14 Na 1:5 Mr 9:43-49 Heb 12:29

the uttermost De 25:18

2 And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.

cried Nu 21:7 Ps 78:34,35 Jer 37:3 42:2 Ac 8:24

prayer Nu 14:13-20 Ge 18:23-33 Ex 32:10-14,31,32,34 De 9:19,20 Ps 106:23 Isa 37:4 Jer 15:1 Am 7:2-6 Jas 5:16 1Jo 5:16

the fire Nu 16:45-48 Heb 7:26 1Jo 2:1,2

was quenched. Heb. sunk

3 And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.

Taberah. that is, a burning De 9:22

4 And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

the mixed Ex 12:38 Le 24:10,11 Ne 13:3

fell a lusting. Heb. lusted a lust. the children 1Co 15:33

wept again. Heb. returned and wept. who shall Ps 78:18-20 106:14 Ro 13:14 1Co 10:6

5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic:

the fish Ex 16:3 Ps 17:14 Php 3:19

the cucumbers. A species of cucumber peculiar to Egypt, smooth, of a longish cylindrical shape, and about a foot long. Prosper Alpinus says that it differs from the common sort by its size, colour, and softness; that its leaves are smaller, whiter, softer, and rounder; its fruit larger, greener, smoother, softer, sweeter, and more easy of digestion than ours. Hasselquist describes it in the same manner; and adds, that it is very little watery, but firm like a melon, sweet and cool to the taste, but not so cold as the watermelon, which is meant by the avutichim of the text.

6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

Nu 21:5 2Sa 13:4

7 And the manna was as coriander seed, and the color thereof as the color of bdellium.

the manna Ex 16:14,15,31 1Co 1:23,24 Re 2:17

colour thereof as the colour of. Heb. eye of it as the eye of Ge 2:12

8 And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.

the people Ex 16:16-18 Joh 6:27,33-58

baked it Ex 16:23

taste of it Ex 16:31

9 And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.

Ex 16:13,14 De 32:2 Ps 78:23-25 105:40

10 Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.

weep throughout Nu 14:1,2 16:27 21:5 Ps 106:25

the anger Nu 11:1 De 32:22 Ps 78:21,59 Isa 5:25 Jer 17:4

Moses Nu 12:3 20:10-13 Ps 106:32,33 139:21 Mr 3:5 10:14

11 And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favor in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?

wherefore hast thou. The complaint and remonstrance of Moses in these verses serve at once to shew the deeply distressed state of his mind, and the degradation of the minds of the people Nu 11:15 Ex 17:4 De 1:12 Jer 15:10,18 20:7-9,14-18 Mal 3:14 2Co 11:28

wherefore have Job 10:2 Ps 130:3 143:2 La 3:22,23,39,40

12 Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?

carry them Isa 40:11 Eze 34:23 Joh 10:11

as a nursing Isa 49:15,23 Ga 4:19 1Th 2:7

the land Ge 13:15 22:16,17 26:3 50:24 Ex 13:5

13 Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.

Mt 15:33 Mr 8:4 9:23

14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.

Ex 18:18 De 1:9-12 Ps 89:19 Isa 9:6 Zec 6:13 2Co 2:16

15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favor in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

kill me 1Ki 19:4 Job 3:20-22 6:8-10 7:15 Jon 4:3,8,9 Php 1:20-24 Jas 1:4

let me not Jer 15:18 20:18 Zep 3:15

my wretchedness. Two of Dr. Kennicott's manuscripts read, 'their wretchedness.' The Jerusalem Targum has the same, and adds, by way of explanation, 'who are thine own people.'

16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.

seventy Ge 46:27 Ex 4:29 24:1,9 Eze 8:11 Lu 10:1,17

officers De 1:15 16:18 31:28

17 And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.

I will come Nu 11:25 12:5 Ge 11:5 18:21 Ex 19:11,20 34:5 Joh 3:13

talk with Nu 12:8 Ge 17:3,22 18:20-22,33

I will take Nu 27:18 1Sa 10:6 2Ki 2:9,15 Ne 9:20 Isa 44:3 59:20,21 Joe 2:28 Joh 7:39 Ro 8:9 1Co 2:12 12:4-11 1Th 4:8 1Pe 1:22 Jude 1:19

they shall Ex 18:22 Ac 6:3,4

18 And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.

sanctify Ge 35:2 Ex 19:10,15 Jos 7:13

ye have wept Nu 11:1,4-6 Ex 16:3-7 Jud 21:2

it was well Nu 11:4,5 14:2,3 Ac 7:39

19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;

About a year before this, the people had been thus feasted for one day; but now such plenty was to be afforded them for a whole month, and they should use it so greedily, that at last they should entirely loathe the food for which they had so inordinately craved.

20 But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

whole month. Heb. month of days Ex 16:8,13

and it Nu 21:5 Ps 78:27-30 106:15 Pr 27:7

despised 1Sa 2:30 2Sa 12:10 Mal 1:6 Ac 13:41 1Th 4:8

21 And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.

Nu 1:46 2:32 Ge 12:2 Ex 12:37 38:26

22 Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?

There is certainly a considerable measure of weakness and unbelief manifested in these complaints and questions of Moses; but his conduct appears at the same time so very simple, honest, and affectionate, that we cannot but admire it, while we wonder that he had not stronger confidence in that God, whose stupendous miracles he had so often witnessed in Egypt. 2Ki 7:2 Mt 15:33 Mr 6:37 8:4 Lu 1:18,34 Joh 6:6,7,9

23 And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD's hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

Is the Lord's. That is, 'Is the power of the Lord diminished?' That power which has been so signally displayed on your behalf, and which is as unchangeable as it is unlimited. Ge 18:14 Ps 78:41 Isa 50:2 59:1 Mic 2:7 Mt 19:26 Lu 1:37

thou shalt Nu 23:19 2Ki 7:2,17-19 Jer 44:28,29 Eze 12:25 24:14 Mt 24:35

24 And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle.

gathered Nu 11:16,26

25 And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

came down Nu 11:17 12:5 Ex 34:5 40:38 Ps 99:7 Lu 9:34,35

took Nu 11:17 2Ki 2:15 Jas 1:17

gave it. From this place, Origen and Theodoret take occasion to compare Moses to a lamp, at which seventy others were lighted, without any diminution of its lustre. They prophesied. By prophesying here we are to understand, their performing those civil and sacred functions for which they were qualified; exhorting the people to quiet and peaceable submission, and to trust and confidence in the providence of God. 1Sa 10:5,6,10 19:20-24 Jer 36:5,6 Joe 2:28,29 Ac 2:17,18 11:28 21:9-11 1Co 11:4,5 14:1-3,32 2Pe 1:21

26 But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.

went not out Ex 3:11 4:13,14 1Sa 10:22 20:26 Jer 1:6 36:5

27 And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.

28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.

Joshua Ex 17:9

My Lord Mr 9:38,39 Lu 9:49,50 Joh 3:26

29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

Enviest 1Co 3:3,21 13:4 Php 2:3 Jas 3:14,15 4:5 5:9 1Pe 2:1

would Ac 26:29 1Co 14:5 Php 1:15-18

that the Mt 9:37,38 Lu 10:2

30 And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

31 And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

a wind Ex 10:13,19 15:10 Ps 135:7

and brought Ex 16:13 Ps 78:26-29 105:40

quails. That the word selav means the quail, we have already had occasion to observe; to which we subjoin the authority of Mr. Maundrell, who visited Naplosa, (the ancient Sichem,) where the Samaritans live. Mr. Maundrell asked their chief priest what sort of animal he took the selav to be. He answered, they were a sort of fowls; and by the description Mr. Maundrell perceived he meant the same kind with our quails. a day's journey. Heb. the way of a day, and as it were two cubits. That is, 'and they flew in the air, at the height of two cubits above the ground.'

32 And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

homers Ex 16:36 Eze 45:11

33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.

and while Ps 78:30,31 106:14,15

smote Nu 16:49 25:9 De 28:27

34 And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted.

Kibroth-hattaavah. that is, the graves of lust Nu 33:16 De 9:22 1Co 10:6

35 And the people journeyed from Kibrothhattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth.

journeyed Nu 33:17

unto Hazeroth Nu 12:16 De 1:1

abode at. Heb they were in