Chapter 11:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Leviticus Deuteronomy
Numbers 11
The punishment of the murmurers stopt by the prayer of
Moses, ver. 1-3. The fresh murmuring of the people, ver. 4-6. The
description of manna, ver. 7-9. The murmuring of Moses, ver. 10-16. God's answer, ver. 16-23. The appointment of the seventy
elders, ver. 24-30. Quails sent with a plague, ver. 31-35.
Verse 1. 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 of milk and
honey, which they thirsted after. The fire of the Lord - A fire sent
from God in an extraordinary manner, possibly from the pillar of
cloud and fire, or from heaven. The uttermost parts - Either
because the sin began there among the mixed multitude, or in
mercy to the people, whom he would rather awaken to repentance
than destroy; and therefore he sent it into the skirts and not the
midst of the camp.
Verse 2. The people - The murmurers, being penitent; or others for fear.
Verse 3. Taberah - This fire; as it was called Kibroth-hattaavah from
another occasion, ver. 34, 35, and chap. xxxiii, 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.
Verse 4. 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 into Canaan, and
were so few that they would scarce have served them for a month.
Verse 5. 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 upon cheap terms.
Verse 6. Our soul - Either our life, as the soul signifies, Gen. ix, 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.
Verse 7. 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, which is white, Exod.
xvi, 14, and in its figure which is round.
Verse 8. 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 Exod. xvi, 31. The
nature and use of Manna is here thus particularly described, to
shew the greatness of their sin in despising such excellent food.
Verse 10. In the door of his tent - To note they were not ashamed of
their sin.
Verse 11. 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.
Verse 12. Have I begotten them? - Are they my children, that I should be
obliged to provide food and all things for their necessity and
desire?
Verse 14. 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.
Verse 15. My wretchedness - Hebrew. 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.
Verse 16. 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 judgment among
them, consisted of seventy men.
Verse 17. 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 impaired in Moses. The
spirit is here put for the gifts of the spirit, and particularly for the
spirit of prophecy, whereby they were enabled, as Moses had been
and still was, to discern hidden and future things, and resolve
doubtful and difficult cases, which made them fit for government.
It is observable, that God would not, and therefore men should
not, call any persons to any office for which they were not
sufficiently qualified.
Verse 18. 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. Sanctifying is often
used for preparing, as Jer. vi, 4; xii, 3. In the ears of the Lord -
Not secretly in your closets, but openly and impudently in the
doors of your tents, calling heaven and earth to witness.
Verse 20. 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 providence after so
long and large experience of it. Who is among you - Who is
present and resident with you to observe all your carriage, and to
punish your offenses. This is added as a great aggravation of the
crime, to sin in the presence of the judge. Why came we forth out
of Egypt? - Why did God do us such an injury? Why did we so
foolishly obey him in coming forth?
Verse 21. 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, chap. xx, 12, may be imputed
to the different circumstances of this and that sin: this was the first
offense of the kind, and therefore more easily passed by; that was
after warning and against more light and experience. This seems
to have been spoken secretly: that openly before the people; and
therefore it was fit to be openly and severely punished to prevent
the contagion of that example.
Verse 24. 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, Matt.
xxvi, 20, when one of that number was absent. Round the
tabernacle - Partly that the awe of God might be imprinted upon
their hearts, that they might more seriously undertake and more
faithfully manage their high employment, but principally, because
that was the place where God manifested himself, and therefore
there he would bestow his spirit upon them.
Verse 25. 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 marvelous manner, as the prophets did. So this
word is used, 1 Sam. x, 5, 6 Joel ii, 28; 1 Cor. xiv, 3. Yet were
they not hereby constituted teachers, but civil magistrates, who
together with the spirit of government, received also the spirit of
prophesy, as a sign and seal both to themselves and to the people,
that God had called them to that employment. They did not cease
- Either for that day, they continued in that exercise all that day,
and, it may be, all the night too, as it is said of Saul, 1 Sam. xix,
24, or, afterwards also, to note that this was a continued gift
conferred upon them to enable them the better to discharge their
magistracy; which was more expedient for them than for the
rulers of other people, because the Jews were under a theocracy or
the government of God, and even their civil controversies were
decided out of that word of God which the prophets expounded.
Verse 26. 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 by Moses, who
by God's direction nominated the fittest persons.
Verse 27. Told Moses - Fearing lest his authority should be diminished
by their prophesying; and thereby taking authority to themselves
without his consent.
Verse 28. 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 esteem might be
lessened.
Verse 29. 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 honour.
Verse 30. Into the camp - Among the people, to exercise the gifts and
authority now received.
Verse 31. 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, Exod. xvi, 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 of it where, by
the reports of ancient Heathen writers, they were then in great
numbers, and, no doubt, were wonderfully increased by God's
special providence for this very occasion. Two cubits high - Not
as if the quails did cover all the ground two cubits high for a day's
journey on each side of the camp, for then there had been no place
left where they could spread them all abroad round about the
camp; but the meaning is, that the quails came and fell down
round about the camp for a whole day's journey on each side of it,
and that in all that space they lay here and there in great heaps,
which were often two cubits high.
Verse 32. 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,
1. That the gatherers here were not all the people, which could not
be without great inconveniences, but some on the behalf of all,
while the rest were exercised about other necessary things. So the
meaning is not, that every Israelite had so much for his share, but
that every collector gathered so much for the family, or others by
whom he was intrusted.
2. That the people did not gather for their present use only, but for
a good while to come, and being greedy and distrustful of God's
goodness, it is not strange if they gathered much more than they
needed.
3. That the word, rendered homers, may signify heaps, as it doth,
Exod. viii, 14 Judg. xv, 16 Hab. iii, 15, and ten, is often put for
many, and so the sense is, that every one gathered several heaps.
If yet the number seems incredible, it must be farther known,
4. That Heathen and other authors affirm, in those eastern and
southern countries quails are innumerable, so that in one part of
Italy, within the compass of five miles, there were taken about an
hundred thousand of them every day for a month together. And
Atheneus relates, that in Egypt, a country prodigiously populous,
they were in such plenty, that all those vast numbers of people
could not consume them, but were forced to salt and keep them
for future use. They spread them - That so they might dry, salt and
preserve them for future use, according to what they had seen in
Egypt.
Verse 33. Chewed - Hebrew. 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, Exod. xvi, 12. Because
this was a far greater sin, and aggravated with worse
circumstances; proceeding not from necessity, as that did, when as
yet they had no food, but from mere wantonness, when they had
Manna constantly given them; committed after large experience
of God's care and kindness, after God had pardoned their former
sins, and after God had in a solemn and terrible manner made
known his laws to them.
Verse 34. Kibroth-hattaavah - Hebrew. 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.
Chapter 11:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Leviticus Deuteronomy
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
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