John Calvin Commentary Numbers 11

And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord.¹¹ The ambiguous meaning of the participle¹² causes translators to twist this passage into a variety of meanings.

Since the Hebrew root און, aven, sometimes means trouble and labor, sometimes fatigue, sometimes iniquity, and sometimes falsehood, some translate it, “The people were, as it were, complaining or murmuring.” Others (though this seems more off the mark) insert the adverb unjustly, as if Moses said that their complaint was unjust when they expostulated with God.

Others render it, “being sick (nauseantes),” but this sounds overly artificial; others, “lying, or acting treacherously.” Some derive it from the root תואנה, thonah, and thus explain it as “seeking occasion,” which I reject as far-fetched.

To me, the word “fainting” (fatiscendi) seems most suitable, for they faltered, as if overcome by weariness. It is probable that no other crime is alleged against them than that, abandoning the desire to proceed, they fell into lethargy and inactivity, which was to turn their back on God and repudiate the promised inheritance.

This meaning fits very well, and thus the proper meaning of the word is retained. Thus, Ezekiel calls by the name תאנים, theunim, those fatigues by which people destroy and overwhelm themselves by undertaking too much work.

Still, I do not deny that, when they were in a state of despondency, they uttered words of reproach against God—especially since Moses says that this displeased God’s ears, and not His eyes. Yet the origin of the evil was, as I have stated, that they fainted from weariness, so that they refused to follow God any further.

And the Lord heard it. He declares more plainly that the people broke forth into open complaints; and it is probable that they even cast reproaches upon God, as we infer from the severity of this punishment.

Although some understand the word fire metaphorically for vengeance, it is more correct to take it literally, according to the natural meaning of the word, i.e., that a part of the camp burned with a conflagration sent from God.

Still, a question arises: what was that part or extremity of the camp that the fire seized? Some think that the punishment began with the leaders themselves, whose crime was more atrocious. Others suppose that the fire raged among the common people, from whose midst the murmuring arose. But I rather conjecture, though it is uncertain, that God kindled the fire in some extreme part to awaken their terror, so that there might be room for pardon, since it is soon added that He was content with the punishment of a few.

It must, however, be remarked that because the people were conscious of their sin, the door was shut against their prayers. Therefore, they cry to Moses rather than to God. We may infer that, being devoid of repentance and faith, they dreaded to look upon God.

This is the consequence of a guilty conscience: to seek rest in our anxiety, and yet to flee from God, who alone can calm our trouble and alarm. From the fact that God is appeased by Moses' intercession, we gather that temporal punishment is often remitted for the wicked, although they still remain exposed to the judgment of God.

When he says that the fire of the Lord was sunk down,¹³ for this is the proper meaning of the word שקע, shakang, he indicates the way it was extinguished and in which God’s mercy openly manifested itself. As also, on the other hand, it is called the fire of God, as having been plainly kindled by Him, lest anyone should suppose it was an accidental conflagration.

A name was also given to the place, which would be a memorial for posterity of both the crime and its punishment, for Tabera means a burning, or combustion.

And the mixed multitude that was among them. A new murmuring of the people is recorded here, for we gather from many circumstances that this account is different from the one that precedes. Although, as evil begets evil, it is probable that after they had begun to be affected by the disease of impatience, they spitefully invented grounds for increased weariness and annoyance.

Yet there was something monstrous in this madness: when they had just been so severely chastised, and part of the camp was even still almost smoking, and when God was hardly appeased, they gave way to the indulgence of lust, by which they brought upon themselves a still more severe punishment. Unquestionably, when they again provoked God by their iniquity, the remains of the fire were still before their eyes, from which it appears how greatly they were blinded by their obstinate wickedness.

He states, indeed, that the murmuring first began among the strangers, or mixed multitude, who had mingled themselves with the Israelites, as we have seen elsewhere. But he adds that the whole people also were led into imitation of their ungodly complainings. From this we are taught that the wicked and sinful should be avoided, lest they corrupt us by their bad example, since the contagion of vice easily spreads.

At the same time, we are also warned that it does not at all help to excuse us that others are the instigators of our sin. It by no means profited the Israelites that they fell through the influence of others, inasmuch as it was their own lust that carried them away. In the first place, therefore, we must beware that our corrupt desires do not tempt us, and we must put a restraint upon ourselves; and then, that the profane despisers of God do not add fuel to the fire.

A question here occurs: is it sinful to long for flesh? For if so, all our appetites must likewise be condemned. I answer that God was not angry because the desire for flesh affected the Israelites; but, first, their disobedience displeased Him, because they longed to eat flesh, as it were, against His will, when He would have them content with the manna alone; and then their intemperance and violent passion.

For this reason Moses says that they lusted a lust,¹⁴ indicating that they abandoned all self-control, so as to go beyond all bounds. In the third place, their ingratitude displeased Him. This is alluded to here but openly condemned in the Psalm, where the Prophet reproves them because God had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, so as to supply them with the corn of heaven, and the bread of angels, (Psalms 78:23–25), and yet, even so, they were not restrained from despising so excellent a benefit and abandoning themselves to lawless intemperance.

The rule of moderation, and of a sober and frugal life, which Paul prescribes, is well known: that we should

know both how to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. (Philippians 4:12)

Well known, too, is his admonition, that we should

make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. (Romans 13:14)

All improper longing is, therefore, to be repressed, so that we should desire nothing which is not lawful, and, secondly, that our appetites should not be excessive. Hence, when he refers elsewhere to this occurrence (1 Corinthians 10:6), he warns us to fear the judgment of God, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, thus distinguishing wild and uncontrolled appetites from such as are moderate and well regulated.

When they ask, Who shall give us flesh to eat? they seek to have it elsewhere than from God, who abundantly supplied them with food, though it was of a different kind. We see, then, that they rebelled with a brutal and blind impetuosity. For necessity was laid upon them by God, that they should eat nothing but manna; against this they struggled like fierce and stubborn beasts, as if they would make God the servant of their lust.

We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt. By this comparison with their former way of life, they depreciate the present grace of God. And yet, they enumerate no delicacies when they speak of leeks, onions, and garlic. Some, therefore, explain it thus: when such great abundance and variety was commonly found, how painful and grievous it must be for us to be deprived of greater delicacies!

My own opinion is that these lowly people, who had been accustomed to living on humble fare, praised their accustomed food as if it had been the greatest of luxuries. Surely, rustics and artisans value their pork and beef, their cheese and curds, their onions and cabbage, as much as most of the rich value their sumptuous fare.

Scornfully, therefore, the Israelites magnify things that, in themselves, are but of little value, in order to further stimulate their depraved appetite, already sufficiently excited. Still, there is no doubt that those who had been accustomed to a diet of herbs and fish would have considered themselves happy with that kind of food.

Moreover, to make the matter more invidious, they generally say that they ate gratis¹⁵ what cost them very little, although such a phrase is common in all languages. For even secular writers testify that all that seashore abounds with fish.¹⁶ The fisheries of the Nile are also very productive and a part of the wealth of Egypt, while the country is so well watered that it produces an abundance of vegetables and fruits.¹⁷

And the manna was as coriander seed. Moses had already referred to this in Exodus 16;¹⁸ but he now repeats it, in order more fully to condemn their perverse desire; for what could be more unbecoming and intolerable than to reject a food delightful both in appearance and taste? For the same reason the Prophet, in Psalm 78, records that people were not satisfied with angels’ food and corn from heaven. Here, instead of saying that it was white, he calls it the color of Bedola,¹⁹ a precious stone, whether a pearl or some other kind. Its very appearance, then, was designed to give them pleasure; and, since without much labor, either by grinding or crushing it, they could make it into various kinds of food, all of a sweet and pleasant taste, their ingratitude in complaining was all the more shameful, as if God treated them with little generosity concerning their food.