King James Version
Numbers 21:5
5And 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.
Numbers 21:5 in other versions
- 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.”
- 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 hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah. 4And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 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. 6And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And 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
- 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 when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.
- Numbers 14:1And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
- Numbers 16:13Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?
- Numbers 17:12And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.
- Exodus 14:11And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
- Exodus 15:24And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
- Exodus 16:2And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:
- Exodus 17:2Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?
- Psalms 68:6God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
- Psalms 78:19Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
- Numbers 11:6But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
- Exodus 16:15And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.
- Psalms 78:24And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.
- Proverbs 27:7The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every 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
King James Version — Public Domain except in the United Kingdom (Crown rights)
Commentaries