Albert Barnes Commentary Numbers 11
Albert Barnes Commentary
Numbers 11
Albert Barnes Commentary
Numbers 11
"And the people were as murmurers, [speaking] evil in the ears of Jehovah: and when Jehovah heard it, his anger was kindled; and the fire of Jehovah burnt among them, and devoured in the uttermost part of the camp." — Numbers 11:1 (ASV)
See the marginal rendering. They murmured against the privations of the march.
The fire of the Lord — Probably lightning; compare Psalms 78:21.
In the uttermost parts — Rather, in the end. The fire did not reach far into the camp. It was quickly quenched at the intercession of Moses.
"And the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of Jehovah burnt among them." — Numbers 11:3 (ASV)
Taberah—that is, “burning”: it was not the name of a station (and accordingly is not found in the list given in Numbers 33) but the name of the spot where the fire broke out. This incident might seem to have occurred at the station called—from another, still more terrible event which shortly followed—Kibroth-hattaavah.
"And the mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt for nought; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic: but now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all save this manna to look upon. And the manna was like coriander seed, and the appearance thereof as the appearance of bdellium. The people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it. And Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled greatly; and Moses was displeased. And Moses said unto Jehovah, Wherefore hast thou dealt ill with thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favor in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? Have I conceived all this people? have I brought them forth, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing-father carrieth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers? Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat. I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favor in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness. And Jehovah 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 tent of meeting, that they may stand there with thee. 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. 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. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days, but a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you; because that ye have rejected Jehovah who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt? 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. Shall flocks and herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them? And Jehovah said unto Moses, Is Jehovah`s hand waxed short? now shalt thou see whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not. And Moses went out, and told the people the words of Jehovah: and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the Tent. And Jehovah came down in the cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and put it upon the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, but they did so no more. But there remained two 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 had not gone out unto the Tent; and they prophesied in the camp. And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Art thou jealous for my sake? would that all Jehovah`s people were prophets, that Jehovah would put his Spirit upon them! And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel. And there went forth a wind from Jehovah, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day`s journey on this side, and a day`s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the earth. And the people rose up all that day, and all the night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. While the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the people, and Jehovah smote the people with a very great plague. And the name of that place was called Kibrothhattaavah, because there they buried the people that lusted. From Kibrothhattaavah the people journeyed unto Hazeroth; and they abode at Hazeroth." — Numbers 11:4-35 (ASV)
Occurrences at Kibroth-hattavah.
(Numbers 11:4) The mixt multitude — The word in the original resembles our “riff-raff” and denotes a mob of people scraped together. It refers here to the multitude of strangers who had followed the Israelites from Egypt.
(Numbers 11:5) The natural dainties of Egypt are set forth in this passage with the fullness and relish which bespeak personal experience.
(Numbers 11:6–7) There is nothing at all ... — literally, “Nought at all have we except that our eyes are unto this manna;” i.e., “Nought else have we to expect beside this manna.” On the manna, see Exodus 16:15 note; on bdellium, see Genesis 2:12 note.
(Numbers 11:10) The weeping was general; every family wept , and in a manner public and unconcealed.
(Numbers 11:11–15) The complaint and remonstrance of Moses may be compared with that in 1 Kings 19:4 and following; Jonah 4:1–3, and contrasted with the language of Abraham (Genesis 18:23 and following). The meekness of Moses sank under vexation into despair. His language shows us how imperfect and prone to degeneracy are the best saints on earth.
(Numbers 11:16) Seventy men of the elders of Israel — Seventy elders had also gone up with Moses to the Lord on the mount (Exodus 24:1, Exodus 24:9). Seventy is accordingly the number of colleagues assigned to Moses to share his burden with him. To it, the Jews trace the origin of the Sanhedrin.
Subsequent notices (Numbers 16:25; Joshua 7:6; Joshua 8:10, 8:33; Joshua 9:11; Joshua 23:2; Joshua 24:1, 24:31) so connect the elders with the government of Israel as to point to the fact that the appointment now made was not merely temporary, though it would seem to have soon fallen into disuse. We find no traces of it in the days of the Judges and the Kings.
Elders of the people, and officers over them — In English idiom, “elders and officers of the people.” Both elders and officers appear in Egypt (Exodus 3:16; Exodus 5:6 and following): the former had headed the nation in its efforts after freedom; the latter were the subordinate, though unwilling, agents of Egyptian tyranny. The two classes no doubt were working together; and from those who belonged to either, perhaps from those who were both elders and officers, the council of Seventy was to be selected.
(Numbers 11:17) I will take of the spirit which is upon thee — Render rather "separate from the spirit," etc.; i.e., they shall have their portion in the same divine gift that you have.
(Numbers 11:25) They prophesied — i.e., under the extraordinary impulse of the Holy Spirit they uttered forth the praises of God, or declared His will. Compare the marginal references.
And did not cease — Rather, "and added not," i.e., they prophesied at this time only and not afterward. The sign was granted on the occasion of their appointment to accredit them in their office; it was not continued, because their proper function was to be that of governing not prophesying.
(Numbers 11:26) Of them that were written — i.e., enrolled among the Seventy. The expression points to a regular appointment duly recorded and permanent.
(Numbers 11:29) Enviest thou for my sake? — (Compare Mark 9:38 and following). The other members of the Seventy had been with Moses (compare Numbers 6:16, 6:24-25) when the gift of prophecy was bestowed on them. They received of the spirit that was upon him and exercised their office visibly through and for him. Eldad and Medad prophesying in the camp seemed to Joshua to be acting independently, and so establishing a separate center of authority.
(Numbers 11:31) The southeast wind, which blew from the neighboring Elanitic gulf of the Red Sea, brought the quails (Exodus 16:13).
Two cubits high — Better, “two cubits above the face of the ground:” i.e., the quails, wearied with their long flight, flew about breast high, and were easily secured by the people, who spread them all abroad for themselves (Numbers 11:32), in order to salt and dry them. The quail habitually flies with the wind, and low.
(Numbers 11:32) Ten homers — About 55 bushels. Compare Leviticus 27:16.
(Numbers 11:33) Ere it was chewed — Better, "ere it was consumed." See Numbers 11:19-20. The surfeit in which the people indulged, as described in Numbers 11:32, disposed them to sickness. God’s wrath, visiting the gluttonous through their gluttony, aggravated natural consequences into a supernatural visitation.
(Numbers 11:34, Numbers 11:35) (Kibroth-hattaavah has been identified by Palmer with the extensive remains, graves, etc., at Erweis El Ebeirig, and Hazeroth “enclosures” with Ain Hadherah.)
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