EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Numbers 21:5
5They complained to God and to Moses, ‘You should not have brought us from Egypt to die here in the desert. There is nothing to eat. There is no water to drink. We do not like this bad food, manna.’
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 accepted the Israelites' promise. He put the Canaanites under their power. The Israelites destroyed them and all their towns. After that, the place was called Hormah. 4The Israelites left Hor mountain. They travelled round the edge of Edom to the Red Sea. As they travelled, the people were upset. They complained to God and to Moses, ‘You should not have brought us from Egypt to die here in the desert. There is nothing to eat. There is no water to drink. We do not like this bad food, manna.’ 6Then the Lord sent snakes among the people. They bit the people and many of the Israelites died. 7So the people came to Moses and they said, ‘We did a bad thing when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Please pray to the Lord on our behalf. Ask him to remove the snakes from us.’ So Moses prayed 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 11:1But the people started to complain about their problems. The Lord heard them and he became very angry. He sent fire. The Lord sent his fire to burn among them. It destroyed some parts of the camp at the edge.
- Numbers 14:1Then all the people started to weep loudly. And they cried all night.
- Numbers 16:13You have brought us out of a country where there is plenty of food and drink, enough for everyone. You have brought us here, where we will die in the desert. But it seems that that is not enough for you. It seems that you want to be our master as well!
- Numbers 17:12The Israelites said to Moses, ‘We will all die!
- Exodus 14:11They said to Moses, ‘Why have you brought us here, to die in the desert? Surely there were enough places in Egypt to bury dead people! You should never have brought us out of Egypt!
- Exodus 15:24Then the people complained. They spoke against Moses. They said, ‘There is nothing for us to drink!’
- Exodus 16:2When they were in the desert, all the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron.
- Exodus 17:2Because of this, the people quarrelled with Moses. They said, ‘Give us water to drink!’ Moses said to them, ‘You should not quarrel with me! You should not try to test the Lord!’
- Psalms 68:6God gives homes and a family to lonely people. He makes prisoners go free so that they are happy. But people who turn against him have to live in a hot, dry land.
- Psalms 78:19They spoke against God, and they said, ‘Can God give us food to eat here in the wilderness?
- Numbers 11:6But now our mouths are dry and we do not want to eat this food. There is not even anything to look at, except this manna.’
- Exodus 16:15When the Israelites saw these pieces, they said, ‘What is it?’ They did not understand what it was. But Moses said to them, ‘This is the bread that the Lord has given to you. It is for you to eat.
- Psalms 78:24He poured down manna like rain, so that they could eat grain that came from heaven.
- Proverbs 27:7A person who has eaten enough food will refuse honey. But even bitter food seems sweet to a hungry person.
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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