Numbers 21:5

KJV

And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for [there is] no bread, neither [is there any] water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

KJV (with Strong's)

And the people {H5971} spake {H1696} against God {H430}, and against Moses {H4872}, Wherefore have ye brought us up {H5927} out of Egypt {H4714} to die {H4191} in the wilderness {H4057}? for there is no bread {H3899}, neither is there any water {H4325}; and our soul {H5315} loatheth {H6973} this light {H7052} bread {H3899}.

Complete Jewish Bible

The people spoke against God and against Moshe: "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt? To die in the desert? There's no real food, there's no water, and we're sick of this miserable stuff we're eating!"

Berean Standard Bible

and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”

American Standard Version

And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, and there is no water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Numbers 21:5 captures a profound moment of Israelite rebellion and ingratitude during their arduous wilderness journey. Weary from travel and disillusioned by their circumstances, the people directly accused both God and Moses of leading them out of Egypt only to perish in the desert. Their complaint articulated a perceived lack of essential provisions—bread and water—and culminated in a contemptuous rejection of the manna, the miraculous "light bread" that had sustained them daily for years, revealing a deep-seated spiritual malaise and distrust in divine faithfulness.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Numbers 21:5 is situated within the latter stages of Israel's forty-year wilderness wandering, specifically after a significant victory over the Canaanite king of Arad and a strategic detour around the territory of Edom (Numbers 20:14-21:4). The immediate preceding verses (Numbers 21:1-4) describe the people's initial success in battle and their subsequent journey from Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea, a route designed to bypass Edom, which proved to be long and difficult. This verse thus marks a critical turning point where the physical hardship of the journey, coupled with their inherent impatience, erupts into open defiance, setting the stage for God's immediate judgment and the subsequent provision of the bronze serpent (Numbers 21:6-9). It echoes earlier episodes of grumbling, such as those found in [Exodus 16](/exodus/16 "Exodus 16 - Manna and Quail") and [Numbers 11](/numbers/11 "Numbers 11 - Quail and Grumbling").

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The Israelites were traversing a harsh, arid wilderness, a challenging environment that tested their endurance and faith. Their journey was not a direct path but a circuitous route dictated by divine leading and geopolitical realities. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, a leader's ability to provide for their people was paramount, and failure to do so could incite rebellion. Moses, as God's appointed leader, bore the brunt of their frustration, but their words quickly escalated to a direct affront against God Himself. The complaint about "no bread, neither is there any water" reflects a deep-seated fear of starvation and thirst, common anxieties in such a desolate landscape, yet it also ignores God's consistent miraculous provision. Their longing for the "fleshpots of Egypt" (as seen in [Exodus 16:3](/exodus/16-3 "Exodus 16:3 - Longing for Egypt")) highlights a cultural memory of perceived abundance in slavery over the perceived scarcity and hardship of freedom with God.

* **Key Themes:** The verse powerfully encapsulates several recurring themes throughout the Pentateuch. Central is the theme of **Complaint and Rebellion**, a persistent pattern in Israel's wilderness narrative, demonstrating their spiritual immaturity and lack of trust in God's leadership and provision. This directly links to the theme of **Lack of Faith** or **Unbelief**, as their questioning of God's motives ("Wherefore have ye brought us up... to die?") reveals a fundamental distrust in His good intentions and omnipotence. Furthermore, their contempt for the manna, labeling it "light bread" that their "soul loatheth," underscores the theme of **Ingratitude and Despising Divine Provision**. Despite God's sustained, miraculous care, they focused on the monotony and perceived inadequacy of His gifts, failing to appreciate the life-sustaining miracle that prevented their demise in the wilderness, a provision that had been faithful since [Exodus 16:4](/exodus/16-4 "Exodus 16:4 - God Provides Manna"). This ingratitude often led to severe consequences, as seen in the subsequent judgment of the fiery serpents in [Numbers 21:6](/numbers/21-6 "Numbers 21:6 - The Fiery Serpents").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Spake against (Hebrew, _davar_):** While _davar_ simply means "to speak" or "to say," when coupled with the preposition "against" (בְּ, _be_), it carries a strong connotation of accusation, complaint, or even rebellion. It signifies not merely expressing an opinion but voicing a direct challenge or opposition. Here, the people's words are not a humble petition but an open act of defiance and disrespect towards both human and divine authority, indicating a deep-seated bitterness and resentment.
* **Loatheth (Hebrew, _qatsar_):** This verb literally means "to be short," but in a figurative sense, it conveys impatience, vexation, or disgust. When applied to the "soul" (נֶפֶשׁ, _nephesh_), it describes a profound weariness and revulsion. The people's "soul loatheth" the manna, indicating not just a dislike for its taste or texture, but a deep-seated spiritual and emotional repugnance for God's daily provision, reflecting a heart that is utterly fed up and ungrateful.
* **Light bread (Hebrew, _qelōqēl_):** This adjective, derived from a root meaning "to be light" or "to be swift," carries the sense of being despised, worthless, contemptible, or vile. It is a derogatory term used by the Israelites to describe the manna, which God had miraculously provided. By calling it "light bread," they were not referring to its weight but to its perceived insignificance, worthlessness, and the contempt they felt for it, despite its miraculous origin and life-sustaining properties. This term starkly contrasts with the divine miracle it represented.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And the people spake against God, and against Moses":** This opening clause immediately establishes the direct targets of the Israelites' discontent. Their grumbling is not merely among themselves but is openly voiced as an accusation against their divinely appointed leader, Moses, and, more significantly, against God Himself. This dual accusation reveals a profound spiritual rebellion, as challenging Moses' authority was tantamount to challenging God's authority, given Moses' role as God's prophet and mediator.
* **"Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?":** This rhetorical question is a bitter accusation, laden with hyperbole and despair. It implies that God's (and Moses') true intention in delivering them from Egyptian bondage was not liberation but rather a slow, agonizing death in the desert. This statement demonstrates a complete lack of faith in God's redemptive purpose and His power to sustain them, reducing their glorious Exodus to a fatal trap.
* **"for [there is] no bread, neither [is there any] water;":** This clause articulates the immediate, perceived physical deprivations that fueled their complaint. While God had consistently provided both manna for bread and water from the rock throughout their journey, the people's current hardship led them to declare an absolute lack. This highlights their short-sightedness and failure to remember God's past faithfulness, focusing only on their present discomfort and perceived scarcity.
* **"and our soul loatheth this light bread.":** This final clause reveals the depth of their ingratitude and spiritual sickness. "Light bread" refers to the manna, the miraculous, daily provision from God. To "loathe" it signifies a profound disgust and contempt. Despite its supernatural origin and its role in sustaining their lives for decades, the monotony of the manna had bred contempt, revealing a heart that despised God's faithful, albeit consistent, provision.

#### Literary Devices
Numbers 21:5 is rich with literary devices that amplify its dramatic and theological impact. The most prominent is **Hyperbole**, evident in the people's declaration, "Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?" This exaggerated statement expresses their extreme despair and frustration, painting a picture of imminent death despite God's continuous provision. It is a dramatic overstatement of their current suffering. Another significant device is **Irony**. The people complain about "no bread" while simultaneously despising the very "light bread" (manna) that God has miraculously provided daily. They also complain of "no water," despite God's repeated provision of water from rocks (e.g., [Exodus 17:6](/exodus/17-6 "Exodus 17:6 - Water from the Rock") and [Numbers 20:11](/numbers/20-11 "Numbers 20:11 - Water from the Rock at Meribah")). This highlights the ironic contrast between God's faithful sustenance and the people's ungrateful rejection of it. Furthermore, the verse employs **Repetition** of a thematic pattern, as this complaint echoes numerous prior instances of grumbling against God and Moses throughout the wilderness narrative (e.g., [Exodus 15:24](/exodus/15-24 "Exodus 15:24 - Murmuring at Marah"), [Exodus 16:2-3](/exodus/16-2 "Exodus 16:2-3 - Murmuring for Food"), [Numbers 11:4-6](/numbers/11-4 "Numbers 11:4-6 - Craving Meat and Despising Manna")), underscoring Israel's persistent spiritual rebellion.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Numbers 21:5 stands as a stark testament to the human propensity for ingratitude and rebellion, even in the face of divine faithfulness. The Israelites' complaint against God and Moses, and their contempt for the manna, reveal a profound lack of faith and a spiritual amnesia regarding God's past deliverances and consistent provision. This episode underscores the theological truth that true spiritual sustenance is often despised when it becomes mundane, and that impatience with God's timing or methods can quickly devolve into open defiance. It highlights the danger of focusing on perceived lack rather than acknowledging abundant grace, demonstrating how a heart of discontent can blind one to God's daily miracles and lead to severe consequences. This pattern of human rebellion and divine response is a recurring motif throughout redemptive history, serving as a warning against testing God's patience and despising His grace.

* [Exodus 16:3](/exodus/16-3 "Exodus 16:3 - Israel's Complaint for Food")
* [Numbers 11:4-6](/numbers/11-4 "Numbers 11:4-6 - The Rabble Craves Meat")
* [Psalm 78:17-20](/psalm/78-17 "Psalm 78:17-20 - Israel's Rebellion and God's Patience")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Numbers 21:5 serves as a potent mirror for our own hearts, revealing the insidious nature of discontent and ingratitude. Like the Israelites, we often find ourselves in "wilderness" seasons—periods of hardship, monotony, or delayed gratification—where our patience wears thin, and our focus shifts from God's faithfulness to our perceived lack. This verse challenges us to examine our attitudes when life is difficult or when God's provisions seem less exciting than we desire. Do we, like Israel, complain against God and His appointed leaders, questioning His wisdom and love? Do we despise the "light bread" of His consistent, daily grace—the mundane blessings, the faithful presence, the simple truths of His Word—because we crave something more dramatic or palatable? Our response to the ordinary reveals the true state of our faith. This passage calls us to cultivate a spirit of profound thankfulness, recognizing God's hand in every provision, no matter how small or consistent, and to trust in His sovereign plan even when the path is arduous and the destination seems distant. It is a call to remember His past faithfulness and to believe that He who has delivered us will also sustain us to the end.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what "wilderness" seasons of my life do I tend to complain against God or His provision?**
* **What are the "light bread" provisions in my life that I might be despising or taking for granted?**
* **How does my attitude during difficult times reflect my trust (or lack thereof) in God's character and faithfulness?**
* **What specific steps can I take to cultivate a heart of deeper gratitude, even for the mundane blessings?**

### FAQ
**Why did the people complain about "no bread" when God was providing manna?**

Answer: The complaint "no bread" was a hyperbole born out of their deep discontent and weariness, rather than an absolute lack. God was indeed providing manna daily (Exodus 16), but the Israelites had grown utterly sick of it, calling it "light bread" that their "soul loatheth." This indicates that their complaint was not about the absence of food, but about the monotony and perceived inadequacy of the food God *was* providing. They craved variety, the "fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic" they remembered from Egypt ([Numbers 11:5](/numbers/11-5 "Numbers 11:5 - Craving Egyptian Food")). Their grumbling was a spiritual issue—a lack of faith and gratitude—rather than a physical one, as God's provision was constant and miraculous.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Numbers 21:5, with its depiction of Israel's rejection of God's provision, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the New Testament. The "light bread" that the Israelites despised was the manna, a miraculous, life-sustaining food given by God in the wilderness. Jesus Himself explicitly connects this manna to Himself, declaring, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst" ([John 6:35](/john/6-35 "John 6:35 - Jesus, the Bread of Life")). Just as Israel rejected the physical manna, a type of true spiritual sustenance, so too did many in Jesus' day reject Him, the true "bread from heaven" ([John 6:32-33](/john/6-32 "John 6:32-33 - The True Bread from Heaven")). Their grumbling against God and Moses foreshadows the world's grumbling and rejection of Christ, who came to offer eternal life. Furthermore, the immediate consequence of this complaint in Numbers 21 was the plague of fiery serpents, leading to the miraculous healing through looking at the bronze serpent on a pole ([Numbers 21:6-9](/numbers/21-6 "Numbers 21:6-9 - The Bronze Serpent")). Jesus directly interprets this event as a type of His own crucifixion and the salvation it brings: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life" ([John 3:14-15](/john/3-14 "John 3:14-15 - The Son of Man Lifted Up")). Thus, Israel's sin of ingratitude and rebellion in Numbers 21:5 sets the stage for God's gracious provision of a remedy that ultimately points to the saving work of Christ on the cross, the ultimate answer to humanity's spiritual sickness and thirst.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Psalms 78:19

Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

Numbers 16:41

¶ But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.

Exodus 17:2

Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?

Exodus 17:3

And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore [is] this [that] thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?

Numbers 16:13

[Is it] a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?

Numbers 16:14

Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.

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.