Complained — Or, murmured, the occasion whereof seems to be their last three days journey in a vast howling wilderness, and thereupon the remembrance of their long abode in the wilderness, and the fear of many other tedious journeys, whereby they were like to be long delayed from coming to the land... [ Continue Reading ]
The people — The murmurers, being penitent; or others for fear.... [ Continue Reading ]
Taberah — This fire; as it was called Kibroth — hattaavah from another occasion, Numbers 11:34, and Numbers 33:16. It is no new thing in scripture for persons and places to have two names. Both these names were imposed as monuments of the peoples sin and of God's just judgment.... [ Continue Reading ]
Israel also — Whose special relation and obligation to God should have restrained them from such carriage. Flesh — This word is here taken generally so as to include fish, as the next words shew. They had indeed cattle which they brought out of Egypt, but these were reserved for breed to be carried... [ Continue Reading ]
Freely — Either without price, for fish was very plentiful, and fishing was there free, or with a very small price. And this is the more probable because the Egyptians might not taste of fish, nor of the leeks and onions, which they worshipped for Gods, and therefore the Israelites, might have them... [ Continue Reading ]
Our soul — Either our life, as the soul signifies, Genesis 9:5, or our body, which is often signified by the soul. Dried away — Is withered and pines away; which possibly might be true, through envy and discontent, and inordinate appetite.... [ Continue Reading ]
As coriander — seed — Not for colour, for that is black, but for shape and figure. Bdellium — Is either the gum of a tree, of a white and bright colour, or rather a gem or precious stone, as the Hebrew doctors take it; and particularly a pearl wherewith the Manna manifestly agrees both in its colour... [ Continue Reading ]
Fresh oil — Or, of the most excellent oil; or of cakes made with the best oil, the word cakes being easily supplied out of the foregoing member of the verse; or, which is not much differing, like wafers made with honey, as it is said Exodus 16:31. The nature and use of Manna is here thus particularl... [ Continue Reading ]
In the door of his tent — To note they were not ashamed of their sin.... [ Continue Reading ]
Not found favour — Why didst thou not hear my prayer, when I desired thou wouldest excuse me, and commit the care of this unruly people to some other person.... [ Continue Reading ]
Have I begotten them? — Are they my children, that I should be obliged to provide food and all things for their necessity and desire?... [ Continue Reading ]
To bear — The burden of providing for and satisfying them. Alone — Others were only assistant to him in smaller matters; but the harder and greater affairs, such as this unquestionably was, were brought to Moses and determined by him alone.... [ Continue Reading ]
My wretchedness — Heb. my evil, my torment, arising from the insuperable difficulty of my office and work of ruling this people, and from the dread of their utter extirpation, and the dishonour which thence will accrue to God and to religion, as if, not I only, but God also were an impostor.... [ Continue Reading ]
To be elders — Whom thou by experience discernest to be elders not only in years, and name, but also in wisdom and authority with the people. And according to this constitution, the Sanhedrim, or great council of the Jews, which in after — ages sat at Jerusalem, and was the highest court of the judg... [ Continue Reading ]
I will come down — By my powerful presence and operation. I will put it on them — That is, I will give the same spirit to them which I have given to thee. But as the spirit was not conveyed to them from or through Moses, but immediately from God, so the spirit or its gifts were not by this means imp... [ Continue Reading ]
Sanctify themselves — Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel, in the way of his judgments. Prepare yourselves by true repentance, that you may either obtain some mitigation of the plague, or, whilst your bodies are destroyed by the flesh you desire and eat, your souls may be saved from the wrath of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
At your nostrils — Which meat violently vomited up frequently doth. Thus God destroys them by granting their desires, and turns even their blessings into curses. Ye have despised the Lord — You have lightly esteemed his bounty and manifold blessings, you have slighted and distrusted his promises and... [ Continue Reading ]
Six hundred thousand footmen — Fit for war, besides women and children. That Moses speaks this as distrusting God's word is evident; and that Moses was not remarkably punished for this as he was afterward for the same sin, Numbers 20:12, may be imputed to the different circumstances of this and that... [ Continue Reading ]
Moses went out — Out of the tabernacle, into which he entered to receive God's answers from the mercy — seat. The seventy men — They are called seventy from the stated number, though two of them were lacking, as the Apostles are called the twelve, Matthew 26:20, when one of that number was absent. R... [ Continue Reading ]
Rested on them — Not only moved them for a time, but took up his settled abode with them, because the use and end of this gift was perpetual. They prophesied — Discoursed of the word and works of God in a marvellous manner, as the prophets did. So this word is used, 1 Samuel 10:5; Joel 2:28; 1 Corin... [ Continue Reading ]
In the camp — Not going to the tabernacle, as the rest did, either not having seasonable notice to repair thither: or, being detained in the camp by sickness, or some urgent occasion, not without God's special providence, that so the miracle might be more evident. Were written — In a book or paper b... [ Continue Reading ]
Told Moses — Fearing lest his authority should be diminished by their prophesying; and thereby taking authority to themselves without his consent.... [ Continue Reading ]
One of his young men — Or, one of his choice ministers, which may be emphatically added, to note that even great and good men may mistake about the works of God. Forbid them — He feared either schism, or sedition, or that by their usurpation of authority, independently upon Moses, his power and este... [ Continue Reading ]
Enviest thou for my sake — Art thou grieved because the gifts and graces of God are imparted to others besides me? Prophets — He saith prophets, not rulers, for that he knew was absurd and impossible. So we ought to be pleased, that God is glorified and good done, tho' to the lessening of our own ho... [ Continue Reading ]
Into the camp — Among the people, to exercise the gifts and authority now received.... [ Continue Reading ]
A wind from the Lord — An extraordinary and miraculous wind both for its vehemency and for its effects. Quails — God gave them quails once before, Exodus 16:13, but neither in the same quantity, nor with the same design and effect as now. From the sea — Principally from the Red — sea, and both sides... [ Continue Reading ]
Stood up — Or rather rose up, which word is often used for beginning to do any business. All that night — Some at one time, and some at the other, and some, through greediness or diffidence, at both times. Ten homers — That is, ten ass loads: which if it seem incredible, you must consider, That the... [ Continue Reading ]
Chewed — Heb. cut off, namely from their mouths. A very great plague — Probably the pestilence. But the sense is, before they had done eating their quails, which lasted for a month. Why did God so sorely punish the peoples murmuring for flesh here, when he spared them after the same sin, Exodus 16:1... [ Continue Reading ]
Kibroth — hattaavah — Heb. the graves of lust, that is, of the men that lusted, as it here follows. And it notes that the plague did not seize upon all that eat of the quails, for then all had been destroyed, but only upon those who were inordinate both in the desire and use of them.... [ Continue Reading ]