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.

complained. Hebrew were as complainers, Psalms 78:19 . In this word another inverted nun (, n), to mark the fact of the People's turning back in their hearts. See note on Numbers 10:35 .
it displeased the LORD. Hebrew "was evil in the ears of Jehovah". Some codices, with Targum of Onkelos, The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel Septuagint, and Syriac, read "eyes" instead of "ears".
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
the fire. Those before the Law not punished, Exodus 14:11-15 ; Exodus 15:24-26 ; Exodus 16:2-4 , Exodus 16:9 , Exodus 16:20 , Exodus 16:27 , Exodus 16:28 ; Exodus 17:2-4 . Punished after Law given. Exodus 32:27-35 . Compare Romans 4:15 .

2.

And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.

3.

And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.

he called: i.e. Moses called.
the place = that place.
Taberah. Hebrew "burning".

4.

And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

multitude = camp followers. See Exodus 12:38 .
fell a lusting. Hebrew Figure of speech Polyptoton, App-6 . = "lusted a lusting", emphatic for lusted exceedingly. Psalms 106:14 ; Psalms 78:18-20 .
children = sons.
Who shall give? Figure of speech Erotesis ( App-6 ).

5.

We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:

the fish. Six items given of Egypt's food: seven of Canaan's, in Deuteronomy 8:8 . See App-10 .
freely = gratuitously.
and. Note Figure of speech Polysyndeton in this verse ( App-6 ), to emphasize the six items. See Numbers 11:8 .

6.

But our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

our soul is. Hebrew. nephesh = we [are]. App-13 .

7.

And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.

manna. Compare John 6:31-33 . 1 Corinthians 10:3 .
colour. Hebrew "eye", put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6 , for that which it distinguishes. Exodus 16:14 , Exodus 16:31 .

8.

And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.

9.

And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.

dew fell. Manna between the two dews, compare Exodus 16:13 , Exodus 16:14 .

10.

Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.

man. Hebrew. 'ish. App-14 .
door = entrance.
Moses also was displeased = it was evil in Moses' eyes, as in Numbers 11:1 .

11.

And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?

Wherefore, &c. Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .

12.

Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?

bosom. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6 .
as = even as.

13.

Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.

Whence, &c. Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .

14.

I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.

it is = the burden is. The Ellipsis to be supplied according to App-6 .

15.

And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

my wretchedness. Should be "thy evil", evil being put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6 . One of the eighteen emendations of the Sopherim. See App-33 .
wretchedness. Hebrew. ra'a'. See App-44 , put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6 , for punishment due, see above.

16.

And the LORD 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 tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.

said. See note on Numbers 3:40 .
to be = "that [they] be".
tabernacle = tent. Hebrew. ohel . App-40 .

17.

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.

take of = withdraw.
spirit. Hebrew. ruach, spirit, put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6 , for the gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Compare 1 Corinthians 12:4 . See App-9 .

18.

And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.

sanctify = separate. See note on "holy". Exodus 3:5 .

19.

Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;

nor. Figure of speech Paradiastole, App-6 , for emphasis.

20.

But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

whole month = a month of days.

21.

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.

them. Some codices have a reading called Sever ( App-34 ), which reads "unto you".

22.

Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?

23.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD's hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

Is . . . ? &c. Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .
hand. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), for power exercised by it.

24.

And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle.

People. Some codices, with The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel and Vulgate, read "Israel".
tabernacle. Hebrew. 'ohel, tent. See App-40 .

25.

And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

spake. See note on Numbers 1:1 .
did not cease. So the Vulgate; but Hebrew =. "did not add" (so Septuagint and Syriac), i.e. did not add any more, or again, after that day. Compare Exodus 11:6 . Deuteronomy 5:22 .Job 38:11 . 1 Samuel 19:24 .

26.

But there remained two of the 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 went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.

men. Hebrew, plural of 'ish or 'enosh. App-14 .
them = the seventy.
written = enrolled. See note on Exodus 17:14 .
went not out. Compare 1 Samuel 10:22 .
in the camp. Compare Psalms 139:7 .

27.

And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.

a. Hebrew the, viz. the young man, to be described later.

28.

And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.

29.

And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

Enviest thou . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 . Art thou jealous for me?
would God. "God" should be in italics. Figure of speech Eonismos. App-6 .
put His spirit. This is the definition of a true prophet. Compare Numbers 11:17 , and Numbers 12:6 .

30.

And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

31.

And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

wind. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 .
fall. Compare Psalms 78:27 , Psalms 78:28 .
a day's journey. See App-51 .
cubits. See App-51 .
high upon. Hebrew = "above"; i.e. "[flying] above", so that they could be easily caught. It does not say "deep".

32.

And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

homers. See Leviticus 27:16 , and App-51 .

33.

And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.

flesh. Compare Psalms 78:27-31 .

34.

And he called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted.

Kibroth-hattaavah. Hebrew graves of lust.

35.

And the people journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth.