King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
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.
Complete Jewish Bible:
"Tell the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you will eat meat; because you cried in the ears of ADONAI, "If only we had meat to eat! We had the good life in Egypt!" All right, ADONAI is going to give you meat, and you will eat it.
Berean Standard Bible:
And say to the people: Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you will eat meat, because you have cried out in the hearing of the LORD, saying: ‘Who will feed us meat? For we were better off in Egypt!’ Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat.
American Standard Version:
And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow, and ye shall eat flesh; for ye have wept in the ears of Jehovah, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore Jehovah will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And say{H559} thou unto the people{H5971}, Sanctify{H6942} yourselves against to morrow{H4279}, and ye shall eat{H398} flesh{H1320}: for ye have wept{H1058} in the ears{H241} of the LORD{H3068}, saying{H559}, Who shall give us flesh{H1320} to eat{H398}? for it was well{H2895} with us in Egypt{H4714}: therefore the LORD{H3068} will give{H5414} you flesh{H1320}, and ye shall eat{H398}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Exodus 19:10
- And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
Acts 7:39
- To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust [him] from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
Numbers 11:1
- ¶ And [when] the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard [it]; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed [them that were] in the uttermost parts of the camp.
Exodus 16:3
- And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, [and] when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
Exodus 16:7
- And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what [are] we, that ye murmur against us?
Exodus 19:15
- And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at [your] wives.
Judges 21:2
- And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Numbers 11:18
Numbers 11:18 is a verse set within the context of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt. In this passage, God is responding to the people's complaints about their diet. The Israelites have been grumbling about the manna God has provided, longing for the variety of foods they had in Egypt, particularly meat. Their ingratitude and lack of faith in God's provision have led them to romanticize their past life as slaves, forgetting the hardships they endured.
In this verse, God commands the people through Moses to prepare themselves because the next day they will have meat to eat. This is in direct answer to their request, "Who shall give us flesh to eat?" God's instruction for the people to sanctify themselves indicates the importance of being ritually pure in order to partake in a sacred meal. The verse reflects themes of divine provision, the consequences of complaining and ingratitude, and the importance of holiness before God. It also foreshadows the miraculous provision of quail that God will soon send to satisfy the people's desire for meat, which will come in such abundance that it will test their greed and obedience to God's commands. This event serves as a lesson to the Israelites about trusting in God's care and the perils of discontent and nostalgia for a sinful past.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H559
There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָמַר
Transliteration: ʼâmar
Pronunciation: aw-mar'
Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. - Strong's Number: H5971
There are 1654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עַם
Transliteration: ʻam
Pronunciation: am
Description: from עָמַם; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock; folk, men, nation, people. - Strong's Number: H6942
There are 153 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קָדַשׁ
Transliteration: qâdash
Pronunciation: kaw-dash'
Description: a primitive root; to be (causatively, make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally); appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow, (be, keep) holy(-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify(-ied one, self), [idiom] wholly. - Strong's Number: H4279
There are 52 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מָחָר
Transliteration: mâchâr
Pronunciation: maw-khar'
Description: probably from אָחַר; properly, deferred, i.e. the morrow; usually (adverbially) tomorrow; indefinitely, hereafter; time to come, tomorrow. - Strong's Number: H398
There are 825 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָכַל
Transliteration: ʼâkal
Pronunciation: aw-kal'
Description: a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively); [idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite. - Strong's Number: H1320
There are 241 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בָּשָׂר
Transliteration: bâsâr
Pronunciation: baw-sawr'
Description: from בָּשַׂר; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of aman; body, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-) kind, [phrase] nakedness, self, skin. - Strong's Number: H1058
There are 100 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בָּכָה
Transliteration: bâkâh
Pronunciation: baw-kaw'
Description: a primitive root; to weep; generally to bemoan; [idiom] at all, bewail, complain, make lamentation, [idiom] more, mourn, [idiom] sore, [idiom] with tears, weep. - Strong's Number: H241
There are 652 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֹזֶן
Transliteration: ʼôzen
Pronunciation: o'-zen
Description: from אָזַן; broadness. i.e. (concrete) the ear (from its form in man); [phrase] advertise, audience, [phrase] displease, ear, hearing, [phrase] show. - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה. - Strong's Number: H2895
There are 33 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: טוֹב
Transliteration: ṭôwb
Pronunciation: tobe
Description: a primitive root,; to be (transitively, do or make) good (or well) in the widest sense; be (do) better, cheer, be (do, seem) good, (make) goodly, [idiom] please, (be, do, go, play) well. - Strong's Number: H4714
There are 602 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִצְרַיִם
Transliteration: Mitsrayim
Pronunciation: mits-rah'-yim
Description: dual of מָצוֹר; Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt; Egypt, Egyptians, Mizraim. - Strong's Number: H5414
There are 1816 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָתַן
Transliteration: nâthan
Pronunciation: naw-than'
Description: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.); add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield.