Christian Standard Bible
Numbers 21:5
5The people spoke against God and Moses: “Why have you led us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”
Numbers 21:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
- New International Version (NIV)they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.”
Context of Numbers 21:5
3The Lord listened to Israel’s request and handed the Canaanites over to them, and Israel completely destroyed them and their cities. So they named the place Hormah. 4Then they set out from Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea to bypass the land of Edom, but the people became impatient because of the journey. The people spoke against God and Moses: “Why have you led us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!” 6Then the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit them so that many Israelites died. 7The people then came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede with the Lord so that he will take the snakes away from us.” And Moses interceded for the people.
Read all of Numbers 21Numbers 21:5 word by word
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר הָעָ֗ם בֵּֽאלֹהִים֮ וּבְמֹשֶׁה֒ לָמָ֤ה הֶֽעֱלִיתֻ֙נוּ֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם לָמ֖וּת בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין לֶ֙חֶם֙ וְאֵ֣ין מַ֔יִם וְנַפְשֵׁ֣נוּ קָ֔צָה בַּלֶּ֖חֶם הַקְּלֹקֵֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- against Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- and against Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- Wherefore have ye brought us upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: establishH5927
- out of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- to dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- in the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- no breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · foodH3899
- waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
- and our soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
- loathethקוּץqûts · to loatheH6973
- this lightקְלֹקֵלqelôqêl · worthlessH7052
Cross-references for Numbers 21:5
- Numbers 11:1Now the people began complaining openly before the Lord about hardship. When the Lord heard, his anger burned, and fire from the Lord blazed among them and consumed the outskirts of the camp.
- Numbers 14:1Then the whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that night.
- Numbers 16:13Is it not enough that you brought us up from a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? Do you also have to appoint yourself as ruler over us?
- Numbers 17:12Then the Israelites declared to Moses, “Look, we’re perishing! We’re lost; we’re all lost!
- Exodus 14:11They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?
- Exodus 15:24The people grumbled to Moses, “What are we going to drink?”
- Exodus 16:2The entire Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
- Exodus 17:2So the people complained to Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why are you complaining to me?” Moses replied to them. “Why are you testing the Lord?”
- Psalms 68:6God provides homes for those who are deserted. He leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a scorched land.
- Psalms 78:19They spoke against God, saying, “Is God able to provide food in the wilderness?
- Numbers 11:6But now our appetite is gone; there’s nothing to look at but this manna!”
- Exodus 16:15When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” because they didn’t know what it was. Moses told them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.
- Psalms 78:24He rained manna for them to eat; he gave them grain from heaven.
- Proverbs 27:7A person who is full tramples on a honeycomb, but to a hungry person, any bitter thing is sweet.
Commentaries on Numbers 21:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5This light bread - הקלקל hakkelokel, a word of excessive scorn; as if they had said, This innutritive, unsubstantial, cheat - stomach stuff.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5This light bread - i. e. “this vile, contemptible bread.”Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-9Verses 4-9 The children of Israel were wearied by a long march round the land of Edom. They speak discontentedly of what God had done for them, and distrustfully of what he would do. What will they be pleased with, whom manna will not please? Let not the contempt which some cast on the word of God, make us value it less. It is the bread of life, substantial bread, and will nourish those who by faith feed upon it, to eternal life, whoever may call it light…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-9The "vow to the LORD" (21:2–3) and the resulting victory did not stop Israel from criticizing God and Moses. The long journey was a punishment for similar complaints (14:26–35).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. our soul loatheth this light bread--that is, bread without substance or nutritious quality. The refutation of this calumny appears in the fact, that on the strength of this food they performed for forty years so many and toilsome journeys. But they had been indulging a hope of the better and more varied fare enjoyed by a settled people; and disappointment, always the more bitter as the hope of enjoyment seems near, drove them to speak against God and…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 21:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 21
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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