Numbers11

The Israelites complained about their hardships and the lack of meat, despising the manna provided by God. The LORD's anger was kindled, first with fire, then by promising meat for a month as a judgment. Moses, overwhelmed by the people's demands, received divine assistance as the Spirit was placed upon seventy elders to help bear the burden. Ultimately, the LORD sent vast quantities of quails, but while the people consumed them, a severe plague struck them for their lusting and complaining.
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The Burning at Taberah

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. ​
2
And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.
3
And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them. ​

The Demand for Meat and Moses’ Despair

4
And the mixt 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? ​
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 garlick: ​
6
But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
7
And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium. ​
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.
9
And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.
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. ​
11
And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? ​
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?
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.
14
I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. ​
15
And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness. ​

God Appoints Seventy Elders

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

The Spirit Rests on the Elders

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

Quail Sent and Judgment at Kibrothhattaavah

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. ​
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.
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. ​
34
And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted. ​
35
And the people journeyed from Kibrothhattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth.

Study Notes for Numbers 11

Verse 1

The initial complaint was general, indicating a pervasive lack of faith and resilience shortly after leaving Sinai. The 'fire of the LORD' is a manifestation of divine judgment against their discontent.

Verse 3

“Taberah” means “burning.” This incident establishes a pattern where murmuring against God's provision leads to immediate, severe consequence, serving as a powerful warning to the community.

Verse 4

The 'mixt multitude' (non-Israelites who joined the Exodus) often instigated trouble. Their demand for meat highlights a fundamental lack of trust in God's current sustenance (manna).

Verse 5

This detailed list of desirable Egyptian foods reveals the people's craving for variety and luxury. They romanticized their bondage, prioritizing fleshly desire over the miraculous, though plain, manna.

Verse 7

This description emphasizes the miraculous nature and consistency of the manna. Despite its divine origin, it was rejected due to boredom and ingratitude.

Verse 10

Moses’ displeasure mirrors God’s anger, showing the emotional toll of leadership. The weeping at the tent doors signifies a collective, public act of complaint and rebellion against God and His appointed leader.

Verse 11

Moses expresses extreme frustration, feeling abandoned and overwhelmed by the magnitude of the people's leadership burden. This is a moment of profound human vulnerability and questioning.

Verse 14

This confession confirms the inadequacy of human strength for divine tasks. Moses’ realization that he cannot bear the burden alone necessitates God's intervention and the establishment of shared leadership.

Verse 15

Moses’ prayer for death echoes similar despair found in other prophets (like Elijah and Jonah), revealing the intense pressure and hopelessness felt when leading a persistently rebellious people.

Verse 16

This institutionalizes a mechanism of shared governance, transitioning from Moses as the sole intermediary to a system supported by appointed leaders. This structure foreshadows the later Sanhedrin.

Verse 17

God does not diminish Moses’ spirit but shares it, demonstrating that divine empowerment is transferable and sufficient for multiple leaders. This is a foundational text regarding the distribution of the Holy Spirit for service.

Verse 20

The provision of meat becomes a judgment: they will eat until it is loathsome. This symbolizes God giving them over to the consequences of their selfish desires because they 'despised the LORD' who was present among them.

Verse 21

Moses’ calculation highlights the logistical impossibility of feeding such a massive population naturally, focusing his doubt on the sheer scale of the required miracle.

Verse 23

This rhetorical question challenges Moses' limited human perspective, serving as a powerful affirmation of God's limitless power and faithfulness to His word, regardless of human difficulty.

Verse 25

The elders ‘prophesied,’ meaning they spoke inspired words or ecstatic utterances, confirming the Spirit's presence and their divinely sanctioned authority to the community.

Verse 26

Eldad and Medad prophesying in the camp shows that the Spirit is not restricted by location or ritual adherence, emphasizing God's sovereignty in choosing whom to empower.

Verse 28

Joshua, Moses’ loyal attendant, attempts to protect Moses’ unique authority, fearing a challenge to the established leadership structure.

Verse 29

Moses demonstrates profound humility and selfless leadership, expressing the ideal that God’s empowering Spirit should be poured out upon the entire community—a hope later fulfilled in the New Testament (Acts 2).

Verse 31

The quails were provided supernaturally, carried by a wind. The abundance, piling up 'two cubits high' (approx. three feet), emphasizes the overwhelming nature of the provision, which was too much to handle.

Verse 33

The judgment was immediate, punishing the people not merely for eating meat, but for their faithless lust (craving) and contempt for God's sustained provision.

Verse 34

“Kibrothhattaavah” means “graves of craving” or “graves of lust.” This name permanently memorializes the consequences of prioritizing fleshly desire over trust and obedience to God.

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