New American Standard Bible 1995
Numbers 21:5
5The people spoke against God and Moses, “1Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no 2food and no water, and 34we loathe this miserable 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 heard the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites; then they utterly destroyed them and their cities. Thus the name of the place was called Hormah. 4Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey. The people spoke against God and 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 miserable food.” 6The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and you; intercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents 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
- The peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- spokeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- against Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- and Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- Whyמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
- have you broughtעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: establishH5927
- us up out of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- to dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- in the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- For thereאַ֫יִן'ayin · nothingH369
- foodלֶ֫חֶםlechem · foodH3899
- waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
- we loatheקוּץqûts · to loatheH6973
- this miserableקְלֹקֵלqelôqêl · worthlessH7052
Cross-references for Numbers 21:5
- Numbers 11:1Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the Lord; and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.
- Numbers 14:1Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.
- Numbers 16:13Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, but you would also lord it over us?
- Numbers 17:12Then the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish, we are dying, we are all dying!
- Exodus 14:11Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt?
- Exodus 15:24So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”
- Exodus 16:2The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
- Exodus 17:2Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?”
- Psalms 68:6God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
- Psalms 78:19Then they spoke against God; They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
- Numbers 11:6but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna.”
- Exodus 16:15When the sons 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 which the Lord has given you to eat.
- Psalms 78:24He rained down manna upon them to eat And gave them food from heaven.
- Proverbs 27:7A sated man loathes honey, But to a famished man 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
Notes
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
New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Commentaries