VW-Edition Bible (2010)

1Now the people murmured, and it was evil in the ears of Jehovah; for Jehovah heard it, and His anger burned. And the fire of Jehovah burned among them, and consumed those in the outskirts of the camp. 2And the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses made intercession unto Jehovah, the fire was quenched. 3And he called the name of the place Taberah, because the fire of Jehovah had burned among them.  4And the mixed multitude who were among them lusted after their lusts; and the children of Israel turned back and wept, saying: Who will give us flesh to eat? 5We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; 6but now our soul is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes! 7Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like the appearance of bdellium. 8The people went about and gathered it, ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar, cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it; and its taste was like the taste of juicy oil. 9And when the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna fell on it. 10And Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of Jehovah burned greatly; and it was evil in the eyes of Moses. 11And Moses said to Jehovah, Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your eyes, to lay the burden of all these people on me? 12Have I conceived all these people? Have I begotten them, that You say to me, Carry them in your bosom, as a supporting father carries a nursing child, to the land which You have sworn to their fathers? 13Where would I get flesh to set before all these people? For they weep upon me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat. 14I am not able to bear all these people alone, because they are too heavy for me. 15If You are dealing with me like this, please kill and destroy me, if I have found favor in Your eyes; and do not let me see my distress! 16And Jehovah said to Moses: Gather unto Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tent of meeting, and they shall stand there with you. 17And I will come down and speak with you there. And I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will lay upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you not bear it yourself alone. 18And you shall say to the people, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat flesh; for you have wept in the ears of Jehovah, saying, Who will give us flesh to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt. Therefore Jehovah will give you flesh, and you shall eat. 19You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, 20but to a month of days, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised Jehovah who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, Why have we come up out of Egypt? 21And Moses said, The people whom I am among are six hundred thousand footmen; yet You have said, I will give them flesh, and they shall eat for a month of days. 22Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to provide enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to provide for them? 23And Jehovah said to Moses, Is the hand of Jehovah shortened? Now you shall see whether My word shall come to pass unto you or not. 24And Moses went out and spoke unto the people the words of Jehovah, and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and had them stand around the tent. 25And Jehovah came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and laid upon the seventy men of the elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they did not do so again. 26But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those enrolled, but had not gone out to the tent; and they prophesied in the camp. 27And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp. 28And Joshua the son of Nun, minister to Moses, a youth, answered and said, Moses my lord, stop them! 29And Moses said to him, Are you jealous for my sake? Oh, that all the people of Jehovah were prophets and that Jehovah would put His Spirit upon them! 30And Moses withdrew into the camp, he and the elders of Israel. 31And a wind went forth from Jehovah, and it brought quail from the sea and left them near the camp, about a day's journey here and about a day's journey there, all around the camp, about two cubits above the surface of the ground. 32And the people arose all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33And while the flesh was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of Jehovah burned against the people, and Jehovah struck the people with a very great plague. 34And he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who lusted. 35From Kibroth Hattaavah the people journeyed to Hazeroth, and camped at Hazeroth.


Matthew Henry - Concise Commentary
 1   Here is the people's sin; they complained. See the sinfulness of sin, which takes occasion from the commandment to be provoking. The weakness of the law discovered sin, but could not destroy it; checked, but could not conquer it. They complained. Those who are of a discontented spirit, will always find something to quarrel or fret about, though the circumstances of their outward condition be ever so favourable. The Lord heard it, though Moses did not. God knows the secret frettings and murmurings of the heart, though concealed from men. What he noticed, he was much displeased with, and he chastised them for this sin. The fire of their wrath against God burned in their minds; justly did the fire of God's wrath fasten on their bodies; but God's judgments came on them gradually, that they might take warning. It appeared that God delights not in punishing; when he begins, he is soon prevailed with to let it fall.

 4   Man, having forsaken his proper rest, feels uneasy and wretched, though prosperous. They were weary of the provision God had made for them, although wholesome food and nourishing. It cost no money or care, and the labour of gathering it was very little indeed; yet they talked of Egypt's cheapness, and the fish they ate there freely; as if that cost them nothing, when they paid dearly for it with hard service! While they lived on manna, they seemed exempt from the curse sin has brought on man, that in the sweat of his face he should eat bread; yet they speak of it with scorn. Peevish, discontented minds will find fault with that which has no fault in it, but that it is too good for them. Those who might be happy, often make themselves miserable by discontent. They could not be satisfied unless they had flesh to eat. It is evidence of the dominion of the carnal mind, when we want to have the delights and satisfaction of sense. We should not indulge in any desire which we cannot in faith turn into prayer, as we cannot when we ask meat for our lust. What is lawful of itself becomes evil, when God does not allot it to us, yet we desire it.

 10   The provocation was very great; yet Moses expressed himself otherwise than became him. He undervalued the honour God had put upon him. He magnified his own performances, while he had the Divine wisdom to direct him, and Almighty power to dispense rewards and punishments. He speaks distrustfully of the Divine grace. Had the work been much less he could not have gone through it in his own strength; but had it been much greater, through God strengthening him, he might have done it. Let us pray, Lord, lead us not into temptation.

 16   Moses is to choose such as he knew to be elders, that is, wise and experienced men. God promises to qualify them. If they were not found fit for the employ, they should be made fit. Even the discontented people shall be gratified too, that every mouth may be stopped. See here, I. The vanity of all the delights of sense; they will cloy, but they will not satisfy. Spiritual pleasures alone will satisfy and last. As the world passes away, so do the lusts of it. 2. What brutish sins gluttony and drunkenness are! they make that to hurt the body which should be its health. Moses objects. Even true and great believers sometimes find it hard to trust God under the discouragements of second causes, and against hope to believe in hope. God here brings Moses to this point, The Lord God is Almighty; and puts the proof upon the issue, Thou shalt see whether my word shall come to pass or not. If he speaks, it is done.

 24   We have here the fulfilment of God's word to Moses, that he should have help in the government of Israel. He gave of his Spirit to the seventy elders. They discoursed to the people of the things of God, so that all who heard them might say, that God was with them of a truth. Two of the elders, Eldad and Medad, went not out unto the tabernacle, as the rest, being sensible of their own weakness and unworthiness. But the Spirit of God found them in the camp, and there they exercised their gift of praying, preaching, and praising God; they spake as moved by the Holy Ghost. The Spirit of God is not confined to the tabernacle, but, like the wind, blows where He listeth. And they that humble themselves shall be exalted; and those who are most fit for government, are least ambitious of it. Joshua does not desire that they should be punished, but only restrained for the future. This motion he made out of zeal for what he thought to be the unity of the church. He would have them silenced, lest they should occasion a schism, or should rival Moses; but Moses was not afraid of any such effects from that Spirit which God had put upon them. Shall we reject those whom Christ has owned, or restrain any from doing good, because they are not in every thing of our mind? Moses wishes all the Lord's people were prophets, that he would put his Spirit upon all of them. Let the testimony of Moses be believed by those who desire to be in power; that government is a burden. It is a burden of care and trouble to those who make conscience of the duty of it; and to those who do not, it will prove a heavier burden in the day of account. Let the example of Moses be followed by those in power; let them not despise the advice and assistance of others, but desire it, and be thankful for it. If all the present number of the Lord's people were rendered prophets, or ministers, by the Spirit of Christ, though not all agreed in outward matters, there is work enough for all, in calling sinners to repentance, and faith in our Lord Jesus.

 31   God performed his promise to the people, in giving them flesh. How much more diligent men are in collecting the meat that perishes, than in labouring for meat which endures to everlasting life! We are quick-sighted in the affairs of time; but stupidity blinds us as to the concerns of eternity. To pursue worldly advantages, we need no arguments; but when we are to secure the true riches, then we are all forgetfulness. Those who are under the power of a carnal mind, will have their lusts fulfilled, though it be to the certain damage and ruin of their precious souls. They paid dearly for their feasts. God often grants the desires of sinners in wrath, while he denies the desires of his own people in love. What we unduly desire, if we obtain it, we have reason to fear, will be some way or other a grief and cross to us. And what multitudes there are in all places, who shorten their lives by excess of one kind or other! Let us seek for those pleasures which satisfy, but never surfeit; and which will endure for evermore.