CHAPTER 11
. MANNA
LOATHED.
1. When the people complained it
displeased the Lord, &c.—Unaccustomed to the fatigues of
travel and wandering into the depths of a desert, less mountainous
but far more gloomy and desolate than that of Sinai, without any near
prospect of the rich country that had been promised, they fell into a
state of vehement discontent, which was vented at these irksome and
fruitless journeyings. The displeasure of God was manifested against
the ungrateful complainers by fire sent in an extraordinary manner.
It is worthy of notice, however, that the discontent seems to have
been confined to the extremities of the camp, where, in all
likelihood, "the mixed multitude" [see on ] had their station. At the intercession of Moses, the
appalling judgment ceased [Numbers 11:2],
and the name given to the place, "Taberah" (a burning),
remained ever after a monument of national sin and punishment. (See
on Numbers 11:1).
4. the mixed multitude that was
among them fell a lusting—These consisted of Egyptians. [See on
.] To dream of banquets and
plenty of animal food in the desert becomes a disease of the
imagination; and to this excitement of the appetite no people are
more liable than the natives of Egypt. But the Israelites
participated in the same feelings and expressed dissatisfaction with
the manna on which they had hitherto been supported, in comparison
with the vegetable luxuries with which they had been regaled in
Egypt.
5. We remember the fish, which we
did eat in Egypt freely—(See on ). The people of Egypt are accustomed to an almost exclusive
diet of fish, either fresh or sun-dried, during the hot season in
April and May—the very season when the Israelites were travelling
in this desert. Lower Egypt, where were the brick-kilns in which they
were employed, afforded great facilities for obtaining fish in the
Mediterranean, the lakes, and the canals of the Nile.
cucumbers—The Egyptian
species is smooth, of a cylindrical form, and about a foot in length.
It is highly esteemed by the natives and when in season is liberally
partaken of, being greatly mellowed by the influence of the sun.
melons—The watermelons
are meant, which grow on the deep, loamy soil after the subsidence of
the Nile; and as they afford a juicy and cooling fruit, all classes
make use of them for food, drink, and medicine.
leeks—by some said to
be a species of grass cresses, which is much relished as a kind of
seasoning.
onions—the same as
ours; but instead of being nauseous and affecting the eyes, they are
sweet to the taste, good for the stomach, and form to a large extent
the aliment of the laboring classes.
garlic—is now nearly if
not altogether extinct in Egypt although it seems to have grown
anciently in great abundance. The herbs now mentioned form a diet
very grateful in warm countries where vegetables and other fruits of
the season are much used. We can scarcely wonder that both the
Egyptian hangers-on and the general body of the Israelites, incited
by their clamors, complained bitterly of the want of the refreshing
viands in their toilsome wanderings. But after all their experience
of the bounty and care of God, their vehement longing for the
luxuries of Egypt was an impeachment of the divine arrangements; and
if it was the sin that beset them in the desert, it became them more
strenuously to repress a rebellious spirit, as dishonoring to God and
unbecoming their relation to Him as a chosen people.
6-9. But now . . . there is nothing
. . . beside this manna—Daily familiarity had disgusted them
with the sight and taste of the monotonous food; and, ungrateful for
the heavenly gift, they longed for a change of fare. It may be
noticed that the resemblance of the manna to coriander seed was not
in the color, but in the size and figure; and from its comparison to
bdellium, which is either a drop of white gum or a white pearl, we
are enabled to form a better idea of it. Moreover, it is evident,
from the process of baking into cakes, that it could not have been
the natural manna of the Arabian desert, for that is too gummy or
unctuous to admit of being ground into meal. In taste it is said to
have been like "wafers made with honey" (), and here to have the taste of fresh oil. The discrepancy
in these statements is only apparent; for in the latter the manna is
described in its raw state; in the former, after it was ground and
baked. The minute description given here of its nature and use was
designed to show the great sinfulness of the people, in being
dissatisfied with such excellent food, furnished so plentifully and
gratuitously.
10-15. Moses said unto the Lord,
Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant, &c.—It is
impossible not to sympathize with his feelings although the tone and
language of his remonstrances to God cannot be justified. He was in a
most distressing situation—having a mighty multitude under his
care, with no means of satisfying their clamorous demands. Their
conduct shows how deeply they had been debased and demoralized by
long oppression: while his reveals a state of mind agonized
and almost overwhelmed by a sense of the undivided responsibilities
of his office.
16, 17. the Lord said unto Moses,
Gather unto me seventy men of the elders— (Exodus 3:16;
Exodus 5:6; Exodus 24:9;
Exodus 18:21; Exodus 18:24;
Leviticus 4:15). An order of seventy was
to be created, either by a selection from the existing staff of
elders or by the appointment of new ones, empowered to assist him by
their collective wisdom and experience in the onerous cares of
government. The Jewish writers say that this was the origin of the
Sanhedrin, or supreme appellate court of their nation. But there is
every reason to believe that it was only a temporary expedient,
adopted to meet a trying exigency.
17. I will come down—that is,
not in a visible manner or by local descent, but by the tokens of the
divine presence and operations.
and I will take of the spirit
which is upon thee—"The spirit" means the gifts and
influences of the Spirit (Numbers 27:18;
Joel 2:28; John 7:39;
1 Corinthians 14:12), and by "taking
the spirit of Moses, and putting it upon them," is not to be
understood that the qualities of the great leader were to be in any
degree impaired but that the elders would be endowed with a portion
of the same gifts, especially of prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:12) —that is, an extraordinary penetration in discovering
hidden and settling difficult things.
18-20. say thou unto the people,
Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow, and ye shall eat flesh—that
is, "prepare yourselves," by repentance and submission, to
receive to-morrow the flesh you clamor for. But it is evident that
the tenor of the language implied a severe rebuke and that the
blessing promised would prove a curse.
21-23. Moses said, The people, among
whom I am, are six hundred thousand . . . Shall the flocks and herds
be slain for them, to suffice them?—The great leader, struck
with a promise so astonishing as that of suddenly furnishing, in the
midst of the desert, more than two millions of people with flesh for
a whole month, betrayed an incredulous spirit, surprising in one who
had witnessed so many stupendous miracles. But it is probable that it
was only a feeling of the moment—at all events, the incredulous
doubt was uttered only to himself—and not, as afterwards, publicly
and to the scandal of the people. (See on ). It was, therefore, sharply reproved, but not punished.
24. Moses . . . gathered the seventy
men of the elders of the people, &c.—The tabernacle was
chosen for the convocation, because, as it was there God manifested
Himself, there His Spirit would be directly imparted—there the
minds of the elders themselves would be inspired with reverential awe
and their office invested with greater respect in the eyes of the
people.
25. when the spirit rested upon
them, they prophesied, and did not cease—As those elders were
constituted civil governors, their "prophesying" must be
understood as meaning the performance of their civil and sacred
duties by the help of those extraordinary endowments they had
received; and by their not "ceasing" we understand, either
that they continued to exercise their gifts uninterruptedly the first
day (see 1 Samuel 19:24), or that
these were permanent gifts, which qualified them in an eminent degree
for discharging the duty of public magistrates.
26-29. But there remained two of the
men in the camp—They did not repair with the rest to the
tabernacle, either from modesty in shrinking from the assumption of a
public office, or being prevented by some ceremonial defilement.
They, however, received the gifts of the Spirit as well as their
brethren. And when Moses was urged to forbid their prophesying, his
answer displayed a noble disinterestedness as well as zeal for the
glory of God akin to that of our Lord ().
31-35. There went forth a wind from
the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, c.—These migratory
birds (see on ) were on
their journey from Egypt, when "the wind from the Lord," an
east wind (Psalms 78:26) forcing
them to change their course, wafted them over the Red Sea to the camp
of Israel.
let them fall a day's
journey—If the journey of an individual is meant, this space
might be thirty miles if the inspired historian referred to the whole
host, ten miles would be as far as they could march in one day in the
sandy desert under a vertical sun. Assuming it to be twenty miles
this immense cloud of quails (Psalms 78:26) covered a space of forty miles in diameter. Others reduce
it to sixteen. But it is doubtful whether the measurement be from the
center or the extremities of the camp. It is evident, however, that
the language describes the countless number of these quails.
as it were two cubits
high—Some have supposed that they fell on the ground above each
other to that height—a supposition which would leave a vast
quantity useless as food to the Israelites, who were forbidden to eat
any animal that died of itself or from which the blood was not poured
out. Others think that, being exhausted with a long flight, they
could not fly more than three feet above the earth, and so were
easily felled or caught. A more recent explanation applies the
phrase, "two cubits high," not to the accumulation of the
mass, but to the size of the individual birds. Flocks of large
red-legged cranes, three feet high, measuring seven feet from tip to
tip, have been frequently seen on the western shores of the Gulf of
Akaba, or eastern arm of the Red Sea [STANLEY;
SHUBERT].
32. people stood up—rose up in
eager haste—some at one time, others at another; some, perhaps
through avidity, both day and night.
ten homers—ten asses'
loads; or, "homers" may be used indefinitely (as in Exodus 8:14;
Judges 15:16); and "ten"
for many: so that the phrase "ten homers" is equivalent to
"great heaps." The collectors were probably one or two from
each family; and, being distrustful of God's goodness, they gathered
not for immediate consumption only, but for future use. In eastern
and southern seas, innumerable quails are often seen, which, when
weary, fall down, covering every spot on the deck and rigging of
vessels; and in Egypt they come in such myriads that the people knock
them down with sticks.
spread them all abroad for
themselves round about the camp—salted and dried them for
future use, by the simple process to which they had been accustomed
in Egypt.
33. while the flesh was yet between
their teeth, ere it was chewed—literally, "cut off";
that is, before the supply of quails, which lasted a month (), was exhausted. The probability is, that their stomachs,
having been long inured to manna (a light food), were not prepared
for so sudden a change of regimen—a heavy, solid diet of animal
food, of which they seem to have partaken to so intemperate a degree
as to produce a general surfeit, and fatal consequences. On a former
occasion their murmurings for flesh were raised () because they were in want of food. Here they proceeded,
not from necessity, but wanton, lustful desire; and their sin, in the
righteous judgment of God, was made to carry its own punishment.
34. called the name of that place
Kibrothhattaavah—literally, "The graves of lust," or
"Those that lusted"; so that the name of the place proves
that the mortality was confined to those who had indulged
inordinately.
35. Hazeroth—The extreme
southern station of this route was a watering-place in a spacious
plain, now Ain-Haderah.
CHAPTER 11
. MANNA LOATHED.
1. When the people complained it displeased the Lord, &c.—Unaccustomed to the fatigues of travel and wandering into the depths of a desert, less mountainous but far more gloomy and desolate than that of Sinai, without any near prospect of the rich country that had been promised, they fell into a state of vehement discontent, which was vented at these irksome and fruitless journeyings. The displeasure of God was manifested against the ungrateful complainers by fire sent in an extraordinary manner. It is worthy of notice, however, that the discontent seems to have been confined to the extremities of the camp, where, in all likelihood, "the mixed multitude" [see on ] had their station. At the intercession of Moses, the appalling judgment ceased [Numbers 11:2], and the name given to the place, "Taberah" (a burning), remained ever after a monument of national sin and punishment. (See on Numbers 11:1).
4. the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting—These consisted of Egyptians. [See on .] To dream of banquets and plenty of animal food in the desert becomes a disease of the imagination; and to this excitement of the appetite no people are more liable than the natives of Egypt. But the Israelites participated in the same feelings and expressed dissatisfaction with the manna on which they had hitherto been supported, in comparison with the vegetable luxuries with which they had been regaled in Egypt.
5. We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely—(See on ). The people of Egypt are accustomed to an almost exclusive diet of fish, either fresh or sun-dried, during the hot season in April and May—the very season when the Israelites were travelling in this desert. Lower Egypt, where were the brick-kilns in which they were employed, afforded great facilities for obtaining fish in the Mediterranean, the lakes, and the canals of the Nile.
cucumbers—The Egyptian species is smooth, of a cylindrical form, and about a foot in length. It is highly esteemed by the natives and when in season is liberally partaken of, being greatly mellowed by the influence of the sun.
melons—The watermelons are meant, which grow on the deep, loamy soil after the subsidence of the Nile; and as they afford a juicy and cooling fruit, all classes make use of them for food, drink, and medicine.
leeks—by some said to be a species of grass cresses, which is much relished as a kind of seasoning.
onions—the same as ours; but instead of being nauseous and affecting the eyes, they are sweet to the taste, good for the stomach, and form to a large extent the aliment of the laboring classes.
garlic—is now nearly if not altogether extinct in Egypt although it seems to have grown anciently in great abundance. The herbs now mentioned form a diet very grateful in warm countries where vegetables and other fruits of the season are much used. We can scarcely wonder that both the Egyptian hangers-on and the general body of the Israelites, incited by their clamors, complained bitterly of the want of the refreshing viands in their toilsome wanderings. But after all their experience of the bounty and care of God, their vehement longing for the luxuries of Egypt was an impeachment of the divine arrangements; and if it was the sin that beset them in the desert, it became them more strenuously to repress a rebellious spirit, as dishonoring to God and unbecoming their relation to Him as a chosen people.
6-9. But now . . . there is nothing . . . beside this manna—Daily familiarity had disgusted them with the sight and taste of the monotonous food; and, ungrateful for the heavenly gift, they longed for a change of fare. It may be noticed that the resemblance of the manna to coriander seed was not in the color, but in the size and figure; and from its comparison to bdellium, which is either a drop of white gum or a white pearl, we are enabled to form a better idea of it. Moreover, it is evident, from the process of baking into cakes, that it could not have been the natural manna of the Arabian desert, for that is too gummy or unctuous to admit of being ground into meal. In taste it is said to have been like "wafers made with honey" (), and here to have the taste of fresh oil. The discrepancy in these statements is only apparent; for in the latter the manna is described in its raw state; in the former, after it was ground and baked. The minute description given here of its nature and use was designed to show the great sinfulness of the people, in being dissatisfied with such excellent food, furnished so plentifully and gratuitously.
10-15. Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant, &c.—It is impossible not to sympathize with his feelings although the tone and language of his remonstrances to God cannot be justified. He was in a most distressing situation—having a mighty multitude under his care, with no means of satisfying their clamorous demands. Their conduct shows how deeply they had been debased and demoralized by long oppression: while his reveals a state of mind agonized and almost overwhelmed by a sense of the undivided responsibilities of his office.
16, 17. the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders— (Exodus 3:16; Exodus 5:6; Exodus 24:9; Exodus 18:21; Exodus 18:24; Leviticus 4:15). An order of seventy was to be created, either by a selection from the existing staff of elders or by the appointment of new ones, empowered to assist him by their collective wisdom and experience in the onerous cares of government. The Jewish writers say that this was the origin of the Sanhedrin, or supreme appellate court of their nation. But there is every reason to believe that it was only a temporary expedient, adopted to meet a trying exigency.
17. I will come down—that is, not in a visible manner or by local descent, but by the tokens of the divine presence and operations.
and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee—"The spirit" means the gifts and influences of the Spirit (Numbers 27:18; Joel 2:28; John 7:39; 1 Corinthians 14:12), and by "taking the spirit of Moses, and putting it upon them," is not to be understood that the qualities of the great leader were to be in any degree impaired but that the elders would be endowed with a portion of the same gifts, especially of prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:12) —that is, an extraordinary penetration in discovering hidden and settling difficult things.
18-20. say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow, and ye shall eat flesh—that is, "prepare yourselves," by repentance and submission, to receive to-morrow the flesh you clamor for. But it is evident that the tenor of the language implied a severe rebuke and that the blessing promised would prove a curse.
21-23. Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand . . . Shall the flocks and herds be slain for them, to suffice them?—The great leader, struck with a promise so astonishing as that of suddenly furnishing, in the midst of the desert, more than two millions of people with flesh for a whole month, betrayed an incredulous spirit, surprising in one who had witnessed so many stupendous miracles. But it is probable that it was only a feeling of the moment—at all events, the incredulous doubt was uttered only to himself—and not, as afterwards, publicly and to the scandal of the people. (See on ). It was, therefore, sharply reproved, but not punished.
24. Moses . . . gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, &c.—The tabernacle was chosen for the convocation, because, as it was there God manifested Himself, there His Spirit would be directly imparted—there the minds of the elders themselves would be inspired with reverential awe and their office invested with greater respect in the eyes of the people.
25. when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease—As those elders were constituted civil governors, their "prophesying" must be understood as meaning the performance of their civil and sacred duties by the help of those extraordinary endowments they had received; and by their not "ceasing" we understand, either that they continued to exercise their gifts uninterruptedly the first day (see 1 Samuel 19:24), or that these were permanent gifts, which qualified them in an eminent degree for discharging the duty of public magistrates.
26-29. But there remained two of the men in the camp—They did not repair with the rest to the tabernacle, either from modesty in shrinking from the assumption of a public office, or being prevented by some ceremonial defilement. They, however, received the gifts of the Spirit as well as their brethren. And when Moses was urged to forbid their prophesying, his answer displayed a noble disinterestedness as well as zeal for the glory of God akin to that of our Lord ().
31-35. There went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, c.—These migratory birds (see on ) were on their journey from Egypt, when "the wind from the Lord," an east wind (Psalms 78:26) forcing them to change their course, wafted them over the Red Sea to the camp of Israel.
let them fall a day's journey—If the journey of an individual is meant, this space might be thirty miles if the inspired historian referred to the whole host, ten miles would be as far as they could march in one day in the sandy desert under a vertical sun. Assuming it to be twenty miles this immense cloud of quails (Psalms 78:26) covered a space of forty miles in diameter. Others reduce it to sixteen. But it is doubtful whether the measurement be from the center or the extremities of the camp. It is evident, however, that the language describes the countless number of these quails.
as it were two cubits high—Some have supposed that they fell on the ground above each other to that height—a supposition which would leave a vast quantity useless as food to the Israelites, who were forbidden to eat any animal that died of itself or from which the blood was not poured out. Others think that, being exhausted with a long flight, they could not fly more than three feet above the earth, and so were easily felled or caught. A more recent explanation applies the phrase, "two cubits high," not to the accumulation of the mass, but to the size of the individual birds. Flocks of large red-legged cranes, three feet high, measuring seven feet from tip to tip, have been frequently seen on the western shores of the Gulf of Akaba, or eastern arm of the Red Sea [STANLEY; SHUBERT].
32. people stood up—rose up in eager haste—some at one time, others at another; some, perhaps through avidity, both day and night.
ten homers—ten asses' loads; or, "homers" may be used indefinitely (as in Exodus 8:14; Judges 15:16); and "ten" for many: so that the phrase "ten homers" is equivalent to "great heaps." The collectors were probably one or two from each family; and, being distrustful of God's goodness, they gathered not for immediate consumption only, but for future use. In eastern and southern seas, innumerable quails are often seen, which, when weary, fall down, covering every spot on the deck and rigging of vessels; and in Egypt they come in such myriads that the people knock them down with sticks.
spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp—salted and dried them for future use, by the simple process to which they had been accustomed in Egypt.
33. while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed—literally, "cut off"; that is, before the supply of quails, which lasted a month (), was exhausted. The probability is, that their stomachs, having been long inured to manna (a light food), were not prepared for so sudden a change of regimen—a heavy, solid diet of animal food, of which they seem to have partaken to so intemperate a degree as to produce a general surfeit, and fatal consequences. On a former occasion their murmurings for flesh were raised () because they were in want of food. Here they proceeded, not from necessity, but wanton, lustful desire; and their sin, in the righteous judgment of God, was made to carry its own punishment.
34. called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah—literally, "The graves of lust," or "Those that lusted"; so that the name of the place proves that the mortality was confined to those who had indulged inordinately.
35. Hazeroth—The extreme southern station of this route was a watering-place in a spacious plain, now Ain-Haderah.