Numbers 11

Numbers 11

The big picture

Numbers 11 opens in verse 1 with “And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD : and the LORD heard it; and his…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 18 with “And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat…”, and closes in verse 35 with “And the people journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth.” Repeated or prominent terms include people, LORD, Moses, camp, flesh. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.

Scripture beside the summary

Numbers · King James Version · 35

Numbers 11:1-7

1–7: When the people complained, it displeased the LORD : and the LORD heard…

Numbers 11:1–7 opens with “And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD : and the LORD heard it; and his anger…” and reaches “And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on The people gathering quail while Moses stands overwhelmed and the appointed elders share the burden, with particular weight carried by LORD, fire, burnt.

Context that brings the passage to life

This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.

“And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD : and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the…” The line’s distinctive content terms include LORD, anger, burnt. Its relationship to verses 2 shows what work it does in this passage.

Numbers 11:1-7

King James Version

1And 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.

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.

Numbers 11:8-14

8–14: The people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat…

Numbers 11:8–14 opens with “And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and…” and reaches “I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on The people gathering quail while Moses stands overwhelmed and the appointed elders share the burden, with particular weight carried by people, Moses, fell.

Context that brings the passage to life

This block contains 3 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.

“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…” The line’s distinctive content terms include taste, baked, beat. Its relationship to verses 9 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.” The line’s distinctive content terms include fell, camp, manna. Its relationship to verses 8 and 10 shows what work it does in this passage.

Numbers 11:8-14

King James Version

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.

Numbers 11:15-21

15–21: If thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have…

Numbers 11:15–21 opens with “And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy…” and reaches “And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on The people gathering quail while Moses stands overwhelmed and the appointed elders share the burden, with particular weight carried by days, flesh, LORD.

Context that brings the passage to life

This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.

“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…” The line’s distinctive content terms include deal, favour, hand. Its relationship to verses 16 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders…” Naming Gather and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“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…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

Numbers 11:15-21

King James Version

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.

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.

Numbers 11:22-28

22–28: Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or…

Numbers 11:22–28 opens with “Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the…” and reaches “And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on The people gathering quail while Moses stands overwhelmed and the appointed elders share the burden, with particular weight carried by Moses, LORD, camp.

Context that brings the passage to life

This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.

“Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD’s hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

Numbers 11:22-28

King James Version

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.

Numbers 11:29-35

29–35: Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the…

Numbers 11:29–35 opens with “And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’s people were…” and reaches “And the people journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on The people gathering quail while Moses stands overwhelmed and the appointed elders share the burden, with particular weight carried by people, camp, LORD.

Context that brings the passage to life

This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.

“And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’s people were prophets, and that the…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.” Naming Israel and Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

Numbers 11:29-35

King James Version

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.

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 Kibroth-hattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted.

35And the people journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth.

Details worth noticing

35verses in this reading
5major movements
11verses with speech
9questions in the KJV text

The opening image

Numbers 11:1 begins with “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…”

Where the chapter turns

Numbers 11:18 forms a natural hinge: “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…”

The final note

Numbers 11:35 leaves the reader with “And the people journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth.”

A word trail through the chapter

The words people, LORD, Moses, camp, flesh, gathered help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.

How will Abram's story answer Babel?

The builders seek to make their own name; God promises to make Abram's name great and to bless other families through him.

What obstacles frame the coming promise?

The family has not reached Canaan, and Sarai has no child.

KJV words made clear

unto
to
thee
you
thou
you
thy
your
spake
spoke

Text first

Where readers differ

The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.

The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.

Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.