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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Numbers 11:4–15. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
These verses represent things sadly unhinged and out of order in Israel, both the people and the prince uneasy.
I.Here is the people fretting, and speaking against God himself (as it is interpreted, Psa 78:19), notwithstanding his glorious appearances both to them and for them. Observe,
1.Who were the criminals.
(1.)The mixed multitude began, they fell a lusting, Num 11:4. The rabble that came with them out of Egypt, expecting only the land of promise, but not a state of probation in the way to it. They were hangers on, who took hold of the skirts of the Jews, and would go with them only because they knew not how to live at home, and were disposed to seek their fortunes (as we say) abroad. These were the scabbed sheep that infected the flock, the leaven that leavened the whole lump. Note, A few factious, discontented, ill-natured people, may do a great deal of mischief in the best societies, if great care be not taken to discountenance them. Such as these are an untoward generation, from which it is our wisdom to save ourselves, Act 2:40.
(2.)Even the children of Israel took the infection, as we are informed, Num 11:4. The holy seed joined themselves to the people of these abominations. The mixed multitude here spoken of were not numbered with the children of Israel, but were set aside as a people God made no account of; and yet the children of Israel, forgetting their own character and distinction, herded themselves with them and learned their way, as if the scum and outcasts of the camp were to be the privy-counsellors of it. The children of Israel, a people near to God and highly privileged, yet drawn into rebellion against him! O how little honour has God in the world, when even the people which he formed for himself, to show forth his praise, were so much a dishonour to him! Therefore let none think that their external professions and privileges will be their security either against Satan's temptations to sin or God's judgments for sin. See Co1 10:1, Co1 10:2, Co1 10:12.
2.What was the crime: they lusted and murmured. Though they had been lately corrected for this sin, and many of them overthrown for it, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and the smell of the fire was still in their nostrils, yet they returned to it. See Pro 27:22.
(1.)They magnified the plenty and dainties they had had in Egypt (Num 11:5), as if God had done them a great deal of wrong in taking them thence. While they were in Egypt they sighed by reason of their burdens, for their lives were made bitter to them with hard bondage; and yet now they talk of Egypt as if they had all lived like princes there, when this serves as a colour for their present discontent. But with what face can they talk of eating fish in Egypt freely, or for nought, as if it cost them nothing, when they paid so dearly for it with their hard service? They remember the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick (precious stuff indeed to be fond of!), but they do not remember the brick-kilns and the task-masters, the voice of the oppressor and the smart of the whip. No, these are forgotten by these ungrateful people.
(2.)They were sick of the good provision God had made for them, Num 11:6. It was bread from heaven, angels' food. To show how unreasonable their complaint was, it is here described, Num 11:7-9. It was good for food, and pleasant to the eye, every grain like an orient pearl; it was wholesome food and nourishing; it was not to be called dry bread, for it tasted like fresh oil; it was agreeable (the Jews say, Wisd. 16:20) to every man's palate, and tasted as he would have it; and, though it was still the same, yet, by the different ways of dressing it, it yielded them a grateful variety; it cost them no money, nor care, for it fell in the night, while they slept; and the labour of gathering it was not worth speaking of; they lived upon free quarter, and yet could talk of Egypt's cheapness and the fish they ate there freely. Nay, which was much more valuable than all this, the manna came from the immediate power and bounty of God, not from common providence, but from special favour. It was, as God's compassion, new every morning, always fresh, not as their food who live on shipboard. While they lived on manna, they seemed to be exempted from the curse which sin has brought on man, that in the sweat of his face should he eat bread. And yet they speak of manna with such scorn, as if it were not good enough to be meat for swine: Our soul is dried away. They speak as if God dealt hardly with them in allowing them no better food. At first they admired it (Exo 16:15): What is this? "What a curious precious thing is this!" But now they despised it. Note, Peevish discontented minds will find fault with that which has no fault in it but that it is too good for them. It is very provoking to God to undervalue his favours, and to put a but upon our common mercies. Nothing but manna! Those that might be very happy often make themselves very miserable by their discontents.
(3.)They could not be satisfied unless they had flesh to eat. They brought flocks and herds with them in great abundance out of Egypt; but either they were covetous, and could not find in their hearts to kill them, lest they should lessen their flocks (they must have flesh as cheap as they had bread, or they would not be pleased), or else they were curious, beef and mutton would not please them; they must have something more nice and delicate, like the fish they did eat in Egypt. Food would not serve; they must be feasted. They had feasted with God upon the peace-offerings which they had their share of; but it seems God did not keep a table good enough for them, they must have daintier bits than any that came to his altar. Note, It is an evidence of the dominion of the carnal mind when we are solicitous to have all the delights and satisfactions of sense wound up to the height of pleasurableness. Be not desirous of dainties, Pro 23:1-3. If God gives us food convenient, we ought to be thankful, though we do not eat the fat and drink the sweet.
(4.)They distrusted the power and goodness of God as insufficient for their supply: Who will give us flesh to eat? taking it for granted that God could not. Thus this question is commented upon, Psa 78:19, Psa 78:20, Can he provide flesh also? though he had given them flesh with their bread once, when he saw fit (Exo 16:13), and they might have expected that he would do it again, and in mercy, if, instead of murmuring, they had prayed. Note, It is an offence to God to let our desires go beyond our faith.
(5.)They were eager and importunate in their desires; they lusted a lust, so the word is, lusted greatly and greedily, till they wept again for vexation. So childish were the children of Israel, and so humoursome, that they cried because they had not what they would have and when they would have it. They did not offer up this desire to God, but would rather be beholden to any one else than to him. We should not indulge ourselves in any desire which we cannot in faith turn into prayer, as we cannot when we ask meat for our lust, Psa 78:18. For this sin the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly against them, which is written for our admonition, that we should not lust after evil things as they lusted, Co1 10:6.
(6.)Flesh is good food, and may lawfully be eaten; yet they are said to lust after evil things. What is lawful of itself becomes evil to us when it is what God does not allot to us and yet we eagerly desire it.
II.Moses himself, though so meek and good a man, is uneasy upon this occasion: Moses also was displeased. Now,
1.It must be confessed that the provocation was very great. These murmurings of theirs reflected great dishonour upon God, and Moses laid to heart the reproaches cast on himself; they knew that he did his utmost for their good, and that he neither did nor could do any thing without a divine appointment; and yet to be thus continually teased and clamoured against by an unreasonable ungrateful people would break in upon the temper even of Moses himself. God considered this, and therefore we do not find that he chided him for his uneasiness.
2.Yet Moses expressed himself otherwise than became him upon this provocation, and came short of his duty both to God and Israel in these expostulations.
(1.)He undervalues the honour God had put upon him, in making him the illustrious minister of his power and grace, in the deliverance and guidance of that peculiar people, which might have been sufficient to balance the burden.
(2.)He complains too much of a sensible grievance, and lays too near his heart a little noise and fatigue. If he could not bear the toil of government, which was but running with the footman, how would he bear the terrors of war, which was contending with horses? He might easily have furnished himself with considerations enough to enable him to slight their clamours, and make nothing of them.
(3.)He magnifies his own performances, that all the burden of the people lay upon him; whereas God himself did in effect ease him of all the burden. Moses needed not to be in care to provide quarters for them, or victuals; God did all. And, if any difficult case happened, he needed not to be in any perplexity, while he had the oracle to consult, and in it the divine wisdom to direct him, the divine authority to back him and bear him out, and almighty power itself to dispense rewards and punishments.
(4.)He is not so sensible as he ought to be of the obligation he lay under, by virtue of the divine commission and command, to do the utmost he could for his people, when he suggests that because they were not the children of his body therefore he was not concerned to take a fatherly care of them, though God himself, who might employ him as he pleased, had appointed him to be a father to them.
(5.)He takes too much to himself when he asks, Whence should I have flesh to give them (Num 11:13), as if he were the housekeeper, and not God. Moses gave them not the bread, Joh 6:32. Nor was it expected that he should give them the flesh, but as an instrument in God's hand; and if he meant, "Whence should God have it for them?" he too much limited the power of the Holy One of Israel.
(6.)He speaks distrustfully of the divine grace when he despairs of being able to bear all this people, Num 11:14. 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.
(7.)It was worst of all passionately to wish for death, and desire to be killed out of hand, because just at this time his life was made a little uneasy to him, Num 11:15. Is this Moses? Is this the meekest of all the men on the earth? The best have their infirmities, and fail sometimes in the exercise of that grace for which they are most eminent. But God graciously overlooked Moses's passion at this time, and therefore we must not be severe in our animadversions upon it, but pray, Lord, lead us not into temptation.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Prosperity has a way of bringing about the downfall and complete dissolution of the unwary. Thus the Jews, who from the beginning enjoyed the favor of God, repeatedly turned to the law of the kingdom of the Gentiles. When they were in the desert, after receiving manna, they kept recalling onions!
We would be censured along with those who dwelled in the desert and who desired the disgusting food of vice and filthiness after having eaten the heavenly manna, and we would seem to complain like them: “It was well with us in Egypt, when we sat over pots of flesh and ate onions and garlic and cucumbers and melons.” Although this manner of speaking first referred to that people, nonetheless we see it now daily fulfilled in our life and profession. For everyone who has first renounced this world and then returns to his former pursuits and his erstwhile desires proclaims that in deed and in intention he is the same as they were, and he says, “It was well with me in Egypt.”
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Summary
Numbers 11:5 vividly portrays the Israelites' profound discontent and spiritual amnesia in the wilderness, as they nostalgically recall the diverse and seemingly abundant diet of Egypt—fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic—contrasting it sharply with the monotonous manna provided by God. This verse encapsulates their deep spiritual weariness and selective memory, revealing a dangerous human tendency to idealize a past of servitude for the sake of physical comforts, thereby devaluing divine provision, miraculous liberation, and the true freedom found in God's presence.
Context
Literary Context
Numbers 11 immediately follows the detailed instructions for the tabernacle's construction and the orderly departure from Mount Sinai in Numbers 10. This chapter marks a fresh wave of Israelite complaining, beginning with a general malaise described as "evil in the ears of the LORD" Numbers 11:1. This grumbling quickly escalates from a general weariness to a specific, intense craving for the foods of Egypt. The "mixed multitude," non-Israelites who joined the exodus, are identified as instigators of this craving Numbers 11:4, but their discontent soon infects the entire congregation. This lament for Egyptian delicacies, particularly the rich variety of vegetables and fish, stands in stark contrast to the divine provision of manna, which had miraculously sustained them daily since Exodus 16. The narrative swiftly moves from this complaint to God's response, providing quail in abundance but also sending a severe plague, illustrating the dire consequences of their ingratitude and fleshly desires.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Israelites had endured approximately 430 years of brutal slavery in Egypt Exodus 12:40. While their lives were marked by harsh labor, oppression, and the murder of their male infants, the Nile River valley was exceptionally fertile, providing a wide array of agricultural products. Fish was a common staple, and vegetables like cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic were integral components of the Egyptian diet. The phrase "eat freely" (KJV) or "without cost" (NIV/ESV) does not imply they were not slaves, but rather that these foods were readily available and consumed to their fill, perhaps in stark contrast to the perceived scarcity or monotony of the wilderness diet. Their recollection is a highly selective memory, focusing solely on the physical comforts while conveniently forgetting the brutal servitude, the cries for deliverance, and the miraculous liberation God had wrought on their behalf. This longing for the "fleshpots of Egypt" Exodus 16:3 reveals a profound spiritual amnesia and a failure to appreciate their newfound freedom and divine sustenance.
Key Themes
Numbers 11:5 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes prominent in the book of Numbers and the Pentateuch. It exemplifies the recurring theme of Israel's rebellion and unfaithfulness in the wilderness, a persistent pattern of grumbling against God and Moses despite overwhelming evidence of divine care and miraculous provision Numbers 14:22. It highlights the danger of selective memory and idealizing the past, where the profound hardships of slavery are conveniently forgotten in favor of nostalgic recollections of superficial physical comforts. Furthermore, the verse underscores the tension between fleshly desires and spiritual obedience, demonstrating how immediate gratification and earthly cravings can overshadow trust in God's perfect, albeit sometimes challenging, provision. This episode ultimately serves as a stark warning about testing God's patience and the severe consequences of persistent ingratitude and unbelief, setting the stage for further judgments and the prolonging of their wilderness journey towards the Promised Land, a journey that required faith in God's daily provision, much like the journey of the early church in Acts 4.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This verb (H2142) signifies "to mark (so as to be recognized), i.e., to remember; by implication, to mention." In this context, it denotes a vivid, collective recollection, not merely a passive memory but an active, almost obsessive dwelling on past experiences. The Israelites' "remembering" is not an act of grateful reflection on God's past deliverance but a selective, distorted recall of perceived comforts, fueling their present discontent and highlighting their spiritual amnesia regarding the true nature of their Egyptian bondage.
The adverb (H2600) means "gratis, i.e., devoid of cost, reason or advantage; without a cause (cost, wages), causeless, to cost nothing." When the Israelites claim they ate "freely" in Egypt, it does not suggest they were not slaves, but rather that these foods were readily available and consumed without the effort, anxiety, or perceived "cost" associated with their current wilderness existence. This word underscores their skewed perception, where the immense "cost" of slavery (oppression, forced labor, and infanticide) was conveniently forgotten in favor of perceived dietary abundance.
This collective noun (H1710) for "fish" highlights a significant component of the Egyptian diet. Egypt, with its abundant Nile River and extensive irrigation canals, was renowned for its fish. For the Israelites, fish would have been a common and accessible protein source. Its inclusion here, alongside the various vegetables, emphasizes the comprehensive nature of their "lost" diet and the perceived lack of variety in the wilderness, even though manna was described as having a taste like "wafers with honey" Exodus 16:31 and could be prepared in various ways.
Verse Breakdown
"We remember the fish,"
This opening phrase immediately establishes the Israelites' nostalgic and discontented longing for their past life in Egypt. The use of "we remember" indicates a collective, shared sentiment of dissatisfaction, implying that this craving was widespread among the congregation. It sets the tone for a lament focused on material comforts rather than spiritual blessings or the miraculous freedom God had granted them.
"which we did eat in Egypt freely;"
This clause clarifies the source of their remembered diet and adds a crucial element of their distorted perception. The word "freely" (as discussed above) suggests a perception of effortless abundance and unhindered consumption, contrasting sharply with their current reality of daily manna gathering. It highlights their selective memory, where the harsh realities of slavery are overshadowed by the perceived ease of food acquisition, demonstrating a profound ingratitude for their liberation.
"the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:"
This detailed enumeration provides the specific items of their craving, painting a vivid picture of the rich and varied diet they associated with Egypt. These were common staples in the Egyptian diet, providing not just sustenance but also flavor, texture, and variety. The meticulous list underscores the intensity of their longing and their focus on sensory gratification, suggesting a deep dissatisfaction with the simple, albeit miraculous, manna, which they had come to despise as "worthless food" Numbers 21:5.
Literary Devices
Numbers 11:5 employs several literary devices to convey the depth of the Israelites' discontent and the spiritual implications of their complaint. Irony is profoundly present, as the people remember eating "freely" in a land where they were brutally enslaved, highlighting their spiritual blindness and selective memory. This starkly contrasts with their actual freedom and God's miraculous, daily provision. The verse also uses Enumeration (or Listing) through the detailed cataloging of specific foods (cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, garlic). This exhaustive list emphasizes the breadth and intensity of their cravings, underscoring their perceived deprivation and the monotony of the manna. The Contrast between the desired Egyptian diet and the divinely provided manna is central to the passage's theme, setting up the tension between human fleshly desire and faithful reliance on divine provision. Furthermore, there's an element of Hyperbole in their lament, as their intense longing for these specific foods suggests an exaggerated sense of loss, overlooking the miraculous nature and sufficiency of the manna, which sustained millions for forty years.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Numbers 11:5 serves as a profound theological statement on the human propensity for discontent and ungratefulness, even in the face of miraculous divine provision. The Israelites' longing for the "fleshpots of Egypt" reveals a spiritual amnesia, where the bitterness of slavery is forgotten in favor of idealized physical comforts. This act of grumbling is not merely about food; it is a profound lack of trust in God's ability and willingness to sustain them, a rejection of His sovereign care and liberating power. Their desire for the familiar, even if it meant returning to bondage, highlights the insidious nature of idolatry—prioritizing created comforts over the Creator and His perfect, liberating plan. This episode underscores the constant spiritual battle between fleshly desires and faithful obedience, serving as a timeless warning against allowing immediate gratification to eclipse a deeper reliance on God and His ultimate purposes.
Reflection and Application
Numbers 11:5 stands as a powerful mirror reflecting our own human tendencies toward discontent and ungratefulness. Like the Israelites, we often idealize past circumstances, forgetting the difficulties and focusing only on perceived comforts, leading us to complain about God's present provisions. This verse challenges us to examine our hearts: Are we truly grateful for God's daily grace, or are we constantly yearning for something "more" or "different," even if it means sacrificing spiritual freedom for fleeting physical satisfaction? It calls us to cultivate a spirit of contentment and trust, recognizing that God's provision, though sometimes seemingly monotonous or challenging, is always sufficient and perfectly suited for our journey. Our longing for "Egypt's delicacies" can distract us from the miraculous journey God has us on, hindering our spiritual growth and obscuring the blessings of His presence. True spiritual maturity involves learning to trust God's wisdom and provision even when it doesn't align with our immediate desires, finding satisfaction in Him alone.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did the Israelites complain about food when God was providing manna?
The Israelites complained about food, specifically longing for the diverse diet of Egypt, despite God's miraculous provision of manna, due to a complex interplay of spiritual discontent, lack of faith, and physical weariness. While manna was a supernatural, daily provision that sustained them perfectly, it was also monotonous in its consistency. They grew weary of its singular nature, losing sight of its divine origin and sufficiency. Their "mixed multitude" Numbers 11:4, a group of non-Israelites who joined the exodus, instigated the craving for meat and the varied produce of Egypt, and this discontent quickly spread throughout the entire congregation. This complaint stemmed from a profound spiritual amnesia and selective memory, where they idealized the physical comforts of Egypt ("freely" eating diverse foods) while conveniently forgetting the brutal slavery, oppression, and cries for deliverance they endured there. Their focus shifted from God's liberating power and faithful provision to their own immediate physical desires, revealing a deep-seated ingratitude and a testing of God's patience.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Numbers 11:5, with its depiction of Israel's craving for earthly food over divine provision, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus, the true "Bread of Life." The manna, though miraculous and heavenly in origin, was a temporary, physical sustenance that ultimately could not prevent death John 6:49. The Israelites' rejection of this heavenly bread for the "fleshpots of Egypt" foreshadows humanity's persistent tendency to seek satisfaction in worldly pleasures and physical comforts rather than in God's ultimate spiritual provision. Jesus, however, declares Himself to be the bread that gives eternal life, stating, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst" John 6:35. Unlike the perishable food of Egypt or even the manna, Christ offers spiritual nourishment that truly satisfies the deepest longings of the soul, leading to eternal life John 6:51. The Israelites' grumbling highlights their spiritual blindness to God's perfect care and their preference for slavery's comforts over freedom's challenges; conversely, Christ's perfect obedience and self-sacrifice provide the ultimate antidote to human discontent, offering true freedom from the slavery of sin and the tyranny of our fleshly desires Romans 8:2-4, and leading us into abundant life in Him John 10:10. He is the ultimate provision, far surpassing any earthly delicacy.