English Standard Version
Numbers 21:5
5And 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."
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!”
- 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.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)and they began to speak against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!”
Context of Numbers 21:5
3And the Lord heeded the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites, and they devoted them and their cities to destruction. So the name of the place was called Hormah. 4From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 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." 6Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents 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 11:1And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp.
- Numbers 14:1Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night.
- Numbers 16:13Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also make yourself a prince over us?
- Numbers 17:12And the people of Israel said to Moses, "Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.
- 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 in bringing us out of Egypt?
- Exodus 15:24And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"
- Exodus 16:2And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness,
- Exodus 17:2Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?"
- Psalms 68:6God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
- Psalms 78:19They spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the wilderness?
- Numbers 11:6But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at."
- Exodus 16:15When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.
- Psalms 78:24and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven.
- Proverbs 27:7One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter 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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Commentaries