God’s Word Translation
Numbers 11:21
21But Moses said, “Here I am with 600,000 foot soldiers around me. Yet, you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’
Numbers 11:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.
- New International Version (NIV)But Moses said, “Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’
- English Standard Version (ESV)But Moses said, "The people among whom I am number six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said, 'I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month!'
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Moses said, “The people whom I am among are six hundred thousand men on foot; yet You have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat for a whole month.’
Context of Numbers 11:21
19They won’t eat it just for one or two days, or five, or ten, or twenty days, 20but for a whole month, until it comes out of their ears and they’re sick of it. This is because they rejected the Lord who is here among them and cried in front of him, asking, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’ ” But Moses said, “Here I am with 600,000 foot soldiers around me. Yet, you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’ 22Would they have enough if all the flocks and herds were butchered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?” 23The Lord asked Moses, “Is there a limit to the Lord’s power? Now you will see whether or not my words come true.”
Read all of Numbers 11Numbers 11:21 word by word
וַיֹּאמֶר֮ מֹשֶׁה֒ שֵׁשׁ־מֵא֥וֹת אֶ֙לֶף֙ רַגְלִ֔י הָעָ֕ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י בְּקִרְבּ֑וֹ וְאַתָּ֣ה אָמַ֗רְתָּ בָּשָׂר֙ אֶתֵּ֣ן לָהֶ֔ם וְאָכְל֖וּ חֹ֥דֶשׁ יָמִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- The peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- amongקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
- sixשֵׁשׁshêsh shishshâh · sixH8337
- hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- footmenרַגְלִיraglîy · on footH7273
- I will giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- them fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
- that they may eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- a wholeיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- monthחֹ֫דֶשׁchôdesh · monthH2320
Cross-references for Numbers 11:21
- Numbers 1:46was 603,550.
- Numbers 2:32This is the total number of Israelites, counted by households. The grand total of all the troops in the camps was 603,550.
- Genesis 12:2I will make you a great nation, I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
- Exodus 12:37The Israelites left Rameses to go to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, plus all the women and children.
- Exodus 38:26This came to one-fifth of an ounce per person, for everyone counted who was at least 20 years old: 603,550 people.
Commentaries on Numbers 11:21
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4-35Verses 4-35 Occurrences at Kibroth-hattavah. Numbers 11:4 The mixt multitude - The word in the original resembles our “riff-raff,” and denotes a mob of people scraped together. It refers here to the multitude of strangers (see Exodus 12:38) who had followed the Israelites from Egypt. Numbers 11:5 The natural dainties of Egypt are set forth in this passage with the fullness and relish which bespeak personal experience. Numbers 11:6-7 There is nothing at…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-23Verses 16-23 Moses is to choose such as he knew to be elders, that is, wise and experienced men. God promises to qualify them. If they were not found fit for the employ, they should be made fit. Even the discontented people shall be gratified too, that every mouth may be stopped. See here, I. The vanity of all the delights of sense; they will cloy, but they will not satisfy. Spiritual pleasures alone will satisfy and last. As the world passes away, so do…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-30Jethro suggested that Moses should have different levels of judges (Exodus 18:13–26). He focused on practical issues like the tribal leaders who helped Moses with the registration (Numbers 1:5–15). In contrast, the group of 70 elders would give Israel spiritual guidance. They needed a share of God's Spirit. Moses already had this, and it made him the Lord's special spokesman. Their ability to lead depended on God's Spirit being with them (compare 1 Samuel…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-2321-23. Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand ... Shall the flocks and herds be slain for them, to suffice them?--The great leader, struck with a promise so astonishing as that of suddenly furnishing, in the midst of the desert, more than two millions of people with flesh for a whole month, betrayed an incredulous spirit, surprising in one who had witnessed so many stupendous miracles. But it is probable that it was only a…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 11:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 11
- 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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