Berean Standard Bible
Exodus 16:3
3“If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!”
Exodus 16:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
- New International Version (NIV)The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)and the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Context of Exodus 16:3
1On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt, the whole congregation of Israel set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai. 2And there in the desert the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!” 4Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions. 5Then on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”
Read all of Exodus 16Exodus 16:3 word by word
וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֲלֵהֶ֜ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל מִֽי־יִתֵּ֨ן מוּתֵ֤נוּ בְיַד־יְהוָה֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּשִׁבְתֵּ֙נוּ֙ עַל־סִ֣יר הַבָּשָׂ֔ר בְּאָכְלֵ֥נוּ לֶ֖חֶם לָשֹׂ֑בַע כִּֽי־הוֹצֵאתֶ֤ם אֹתָ֙נוּ֙ אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה לְהָמִ֛ית אֶת־כָּל־הַקָּהָ֥ל הַזֶּ֖ה בָּרָעָֽב׃ סRead the interlinear
- If onlyמִיmîy · who?H4310
- If onlyנָתַןnâthan · to give: if only!H5414
- we had diedמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- by the LORD’sיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- ·בֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- ·יִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- ·אָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- ·אֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
- There we satיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- byעַל‛al · uponH5921
- potsסִירsîyr sîyrâh sirâh · potH5518
- of meatבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
- and ateאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- our fillשֹׂ֫בַעώôba‛ · satietyH7648
- of breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
- butכִּיkîy · forH3588
- you have broughtיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: sendH3318
- usאֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- thisזֶהzeh · thisH2088
- desertמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- to starveרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
- wholeכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- assemblyקָהָלqâhâl · assemblyH6951
Cross-references for Exodus 16:3
- Numbers 20:3The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished with our brothers before the LORD!
- Deuteronomy 28:67In the morning you will say, ‘If only it were evening!’ and in the evening you will say, ‘If only it were morning!’—because of the dread in your hearts of the terrifying sights you will see.
- Joshua 7:7“O, Lord GOD,” Joshua said, “why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be destroyed? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!
- 2 Samuel 18:33The king was shaken and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he walked, he cried out, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
- Lamentations 4:9Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce.
- Acts 26:29“Short time or long,” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains.”
- 1 Corinthians 4:8Already you have all you want. Already you have become rich. Without us, you have become kings. How I wish you really were kings, so that we might be kings with you!
- 2 Corinthians 11:1I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness, but you are already doing that.
- Numbers 11:15If this is how You are going to treat me, please kill me right now—if I have found favor in Your eyes—and let me not see my own wretchedness.”
- Numbers 14:2All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!
- Job 3:1After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
- Jeremiah 20:14Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me never be blessed.
- Jonah 4:8As the sun was rising, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint and wished to die, saying, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
- Exodus 2:23After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.
- Numbers 11:4Meanwhile, the rabble among them had a strong craving for other food, and again the Israelites wept and said, “Who will feed us meat?
- Exodus 5:21“May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!”
Commentaries on Exodus 16:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3The flesh pots - As the Hebrews were in a state of slavery in Egypt, they were doubtless fed in various companies by their task masters in particular places, where large pots or boilers were fixed for the purpose of cooking their victuals. To these there may be a reference in this place, and the whole speech only goes to prove that they preferred their bondage in Egypt to their present state in the wilderness; for they could not have been in a state of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3By the hand of the Lord - This evidently refers to the plagues, especially the last, in Egypt: the death which befell the Egyptians appeared to the people preferable to the sufferings of famine. Flesh pots, and bread - These expressions prove that the servile labors to which they had been subjected did not involve privations: they were fed abundantly, either by the officials of Pharaoh, or more probably by the produce of their own fertile district.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3ate our fill of bread: The Israelites had been oppressed slaves in Egypt. Their complaint did not match the reality of their suffering. One danger of complaining is that it can blind people to the truth. It can make the past seem better than it really was. Faith responds differently. Faith is thankful for what God has already done and trusts him for what he will do in the future.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt--How unreasonable and absurd the charge against Moses and Aaron! how ungrateful and impious against God! After all their experience of the divine wisdom, goodness, and power, we pause and wonder over the sacred narrative of their hardness and unbelief. But the expression of feeling is contagious in so vast a multitude, and there is a feeling of solitude and despondency in the desert…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 16:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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