Numbers 11:3

_AND THE PEOPLE CRIED UNTO MOSES; AND WHEN MOSES PRAYED UNTO THE LORD, THE FIRE WAS QUENCHED._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

1-3 Here is the people's sin; they complained. See the sinfulness of sin, which takes occasion from the commandment to be provoking. The weakness of the law discovered sin, but could not destroy it; checked, but could not conquer it. They complained. Those who are of a discontented spirit, will always find something to quarrel or fret about, though the circumstances of their outward condition be ever so favourable. The Lord heard it, though Moses did not. God knows the secret frettings and murmurings of the heart, though concealed from men. What he noticed, he was much displeased with, and he chastised them for this sin. The fire of their wrath against God burned in their minds; justly did the fire of God's wrath fasten on their bodies; but God's judgments came on them gradually, that they might take warning. It appeared that God delights not in punishing; when he begins, he is soon prev...

TABERAH - i. e. “burning:” not the name of a station, and accordingly not found in the list given in Numbers 33, but the name of the spot where the fire broke out. This incident might seem (compare Numbers 11:34) to have occurred at the station called, from another still more terrible event which shortly followed, Kibroth-hattaavah....

EXPOSITION THE PLACE OF BURNING (Numbers 11:1). NUMBERS 11:1 AND WHEN THE PEOPLE COMPLAINED, it DISPLEASED THE LORD. There is no "when" in the original. It is literally, "And_ _the people were as complainers evil in the ears of the Lord." This may be paraphrased as in the A.V.; or it may be rendered as in the Septuagint, ἧν ὁ λαὸς γογγύζων πονηρὰ_ _ἔυαντι κυρίου_ _(cf. 1 Corinthians 10:10), where πονηρά_ _means the wicked things they uttered in their discontent; or the "evil" may mean the hardships they complained of. The Targums

AND HE CALLED THE NAME OF THE PLACE TABERAH,.... That is, "burning": Moses called it so; or it may be rendered impersonally, it was called s so in later times by the people: BECAUSE THE FIRE OF THE LORD BURNT AMONG THEM; to perpetuate the, memory of this kind of punishment for their sins, that it might be a terror and warning to others; and this history is indeed recorded for our caution in these last days, that we murmur not as these Israelites did, and were destroyed of the destroyer, 1 Corinthians 10:10. s ויקרא "et vocatum est", Tigurine version, Fagius, Piscator....

Numbers 11:1. _And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD:_ Interpreters cannot make out what they had to complain of. The curse of labour had been removed; they did not earn their bread with the sweat of their face, for it fell from heaven every day. They were at no expense for clothing; and though they journeyed, their feet did not swell. I suppose that they complained of the weather. It was too cold; it was too hot; it was too wet; it was too dry. They complained when they stood still; they were much too long in a place. They complained when they marched; they moved too often. In fact, they were very like ourselves; they often complained most when they had least to complain of. Discontent is chronic to our humanity; and I do not believe that the poorest are the most discontented. It is often the very reverse. When a man is put in a place where be has nothing to compla

II. THE JOURNEY STARTED: ISRAEL'S UNBELIEF, FAILURE AND PUNISHMENT 1. The Departure and the First Failure CHAPTER 10:11-36 _ 1. The cloud moves (Numbers 10:11)_ 2. The standard of the camp of Judah (Numbers 10:14) 3. The standard of the camp of Reuben (Numbers 10:18) 4. The standard of the camp of Ephraim (Numbers 10:22) 5. The standard of the camp of Dan (Numbers 10:25) 6.The first failure (N

( JE). THE CHASTISEMENT OF THE PEOPLE AT TABERAH. The occasion was discontent at some hardship, the nature of which is not explained. The agency by which the discontent was punished was probably lightning (_cf._ Exodus 9:23; Job 1:16; 2 Kings 1:10). The place is unknown. NUMBERS 11:1. Render, And the people were as mourners at misfortune. Numbers 11:3. Taberah: _ i.e._ Burning, from the Heb. root _ba_-'_ ar_, to burn....

HE CALLED: i.e. Moses called. THE PLACE. that place. TABERAH. Hebrew "burning"....

NAME OF THE PLACE TABERAH— The reason of the name _Taberah,_ or _burning,_ is given, as usual, in the next clause; _because the fire of the Lord burnt among them:_ see 1 Corinthians 10:11 where the apostle applies this part of the sacred history for the instruction of Christians. REFLECTIONS.—From the mercies they had experienced, and their promising beginnings, we might have expected a gracious issue to their journey; but, alas! what a change is here! 1. A spirit of murmuring is among them; why or wherefore it is hard to guess. They had every blessing their hearts could reasonably desire; and such extraordinary instances of God's love to them, as should have made them rejoice with joy unspeakable. But a discontented spirit will never be without cause of murmuring, even in the midst of mercies. God heard their repinings; for to him our mos