Chapter Text
Fire from the LORD
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.
2And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.
3And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.
The People's Complaint
4And 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?
5We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:
6But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
7And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.
8And 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.
9And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.
10Then 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 .
11And 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?
12Have 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?
13Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.
14I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.
15And 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.
The Seventy Elders
16And 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.
17And 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.
18And 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.
19Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;
20But 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?
21And 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.
22Shall 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?
23And 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.
24And 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.
25And 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.
26But 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.
27And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.
28And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.
29And 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!
30And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.
The Quail and the Plague
31And 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.
32And 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.
33And 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.
34And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted.
35And the people journeyed from Kibrothhattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth.
Summary
God instructs Moses to make two silver trumpets for calling the assembly and directing the camps to march. Different trumpet signals indicate whether the whole congregation or only the leaders should gather, and which camps should move. The cloud lifts from the tabernacle and Israel departs Sinai in marching order for the first time. Moses invites his father-in-law Hobab to journey with them.
Meaning
The silver trumpets represent God's communication with His people through appointed means. Clear signals prevent confusion, and God provides His people with unmistakable direction for both worship and warfare.
Moses' invitation to Hobab shows that Israel's blessings are not exclusive. Outsiders who align themselves with God's people share in the promises. This foreshadows the inclusion of Gentiles in God's redemptive plan.
Background
Silver trumpets were used throughout the ancient world for military and ceremonial purposes. Israel's departure from Sinai marked the end of nearly a year of receiving the Law and constructing the tabernacle. Hobab, also called Jethro, was a Midianite who had already advised Moses on governance.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-3Fire at Taberah: Judgment on Complaint
- vv. 4-9The People Crave Meat and Despise Manna
- vv. 10-15Moses' Anguished Prayer to the LORD
- vv. 16-17God Appoints Seventy Elders
- vv. 18-23God Promises Flesh for a Whole Month
- vv. 24-30The Spirit Falls; Eldad and Medad Prophesy
- vv. 31-35Quails, Plague, and Kibroth-hattaavah
Key Verses
“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.”— 11:1
Sets the theme of the entire chapter — complaint against God's provision brings swift judgment. Establishes that God hears even murmured discontent.
“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.”— 11:17
A foundational text on shared spiritual leadership and the distribution of God's Spirit. Foreshadows the broader outpouring of the Spirit in Joel 2 and Acts 2.
“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!”— 11:29
One of Moses' most magnanimous statements, revealing his selfless leadership. His wish anticipates the New Covenant promise of the Spirit poured out on all believers.
“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.”— 11:23
A powerful divine rebuke affirming God's unlimited power. Frequently cited to challenge doubt about God's ability to fulfill His promises.
People & Places
People
- Moses — Leader of Israel who intercedes for the people, laments his burden, and is given seventy elders to share the load.
- Eldad — One of two elders who remained in the camp yet received the Spirit and prophesied there rather than at the tabernacle.
- Medad — The second elder who stayed in the camp and prophesied, prompting Joshua's concern about unauthorized prophecy.
- Joshua — Son of Nun and servant of Moses who urged Moses to forbid Eldad and Medad from prophesying in the camp.
Places
- Taberah — Meaning 'a burning,' the place named after the LORD's fire consumed the outskirts of the camp in judgment against the complainers.
- Kibroth-hattaavah — Meaning 'the graves of lust,' where those who craved meat were struck by plague and buried.
- Hazeroth — The next encampment after Kibroth-hattaavah, where Israel settled following the quail judgment.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
Moses' wish in verse 29 — 'would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them' — is widely understood as a prophetic anticipation of Joel 2:28-29, where God promises to pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. This finds its ultimate fulfillment at Pentecost (Acts 2:16-18), when the Holy Spirit descends upon all believers regardless of office. The distribution of the Spirit to the seventy elders in verses 25-26 serves as a type of this broader outpouring.
Devotional
Discontent is a subtle poison. Israel had manna from heaven — miraculous daily provision — yet they wept for Egyptian cucumbers. How often do we despise present blessings while romanticizing past bondage?
Moses' raw honesty before God is striking: 'Kill me, I pray thee.' Scripture does not sanitize the weight of leadership. God's answer was not rebuke but reinforcement — seventy elders to share the burden. He meets overwhelmed servants with practical help.
Most remarkable is Moses' generous spirit toward Eldad and Medad. True spiritual maturity does not hoard God's gifts but longs for others to share in them.
Literary Style
Narrative prose with embedded dialogue, alternating between corporate complaint scenes and intimate exchanges between Moses and God. Features dramatic irony — Israel's longing for Egypt contrasted with divine provision. The naming etiologies of Taberah and Kibroth-hattaavah function as memorial markers within the travel narrative.