New American Standard Bible 2020
Exodus 16:3
3The sons of Israel said to them, “1If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, 2when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread until we were full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this entire assembly with hunger!”
Exodus 16:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
- New International Version (NIV)The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)and the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Context of Exodus 16:3
1Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. 2But the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The sons of Israel said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread until we were full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this entire assembly with hunger!” 4Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, so that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. 5On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.”
Read all of Exodus 16Exodus 16:3 word by word
וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֲלֵהֶ֜ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל מִֽי־יִתֵּ֨ן מוּתֵ֤נוּ בְיַד־יְהוָה֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּשִׁבְתֵּ֙נוּ֙ עַל־סִ֣יר הַבָּשָׂ֔ר בְּאָכְלֵ֥נוּ לֶ֖חֶם לָשֹׂ֑בַע כִּֽי־הוֹצֵאתֶ֤ם אֹתָ֙נוּ֙ אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה לְהָמִ֛ית אֶת־כָּל־הַקָּהָ֥ל הַזֶּ֖ה בָּרָעָֽב׃ סRead the interlinear
- The sonsבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Ifמִיmîy · who?H4310
- Ifנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- we had diedמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- by the Lord’sיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- when we satיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- by the potsסִירsîyr sîyrâh sirâh · potH5518
- of meatבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
- when we ateאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
- untilשֹׂ֫בַעώôba‛ · satietyH7648
- for you have broughtיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- into thisזֶהzeh · thisH2088
- wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- entireכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- assemblyקָהָלqâhâl · assemblyH6951
- with hungerרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
Cross-references for Exodus 16:3
- Numbers 20:3Then the people argued with Moses and spoke, saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord!
- Deuteronomy 28:67In the morning you will say, ‘If only it were evening!’ And at evening you will say, ‘If only it were morning!’ because of the terror of your heart which you fear, and the sight of your eyes which you will see.
- Joshua 7:7And Joshua said, “Oh, Lord God! Why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan, only to hand us over to the Amorites, to eliminate us? If only we had been willing to live beyond the Jordan!
- 2 Samuel 18:33Then the king trembled and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And this is what he said as he walked: “My son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”
- Lamentations 4:9Better off are those killed by the sword Than those killed by hunger; For they waste away, stricken By the lack of the produce of the field.
- Acts 26:29And Paul said, “I would wish to God that even in a short or long time not only you, but also all who hear me this day would become such as I myself am, except for these chains.”
- 1 Corinthians 4:8You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you!
- 2 Corinthians 11:1I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me.
- Numbers 11:15So if You are going to deal with me this way, please kill me now, if I have found favor in Your sight, and do not let me see my misery.”
- Numbers 14:2And all the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the entire congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or even if we had died in this wilderness!
- Job 3:1Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
- Jeremiah 20:14Cursed be the day when I was born; May the day when my mother gave birth to me not be blessed!
- Jonah 4:8And when the sun came up God designated a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint, and he begged with all his soul to die, saying, “Death is better to me than life!”
- Exodus 2:23Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage ascended to God.
- Numbers 11:4Now the rabble who were among them had greedy cravings; and the sons of Israel also wept again and said, “Who will give us meat to eat?
- Exodus 5:21And they said to them, “May the Lord look upon you and judge you, because you have made us repulsive in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us!”
Commentaries on Exodus 16:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3The flesh pots - As the Hebrews were in a state of slavery in Egypt, they were doubtless fed in various companies by their task masters in particular places, where large pots or boilers were fixed for the purpose of cooking their victuals. To these there may be a reference in this place, and the whole speech only goes to prove that they preferred their bondage in Egypt to their present state in the wilderness; for they could not have been in a state of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3By the hand of the Lord - This evidently refers to the plagues, especially the last, in Egypt: the death which befell the Egyptians appeared to the people preferable to the sufferings of famine. Flesh pots, and bread - These expressions prove that the servile labors to which they had been subjected did not involve privations: they were fed abundantly, either by the officials of Pharaoh, or more probably by the produce of their own fertile district.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3ate our fill of bread: The Israelites had been oppressed slaves in Egypt. Their complaint did not match the reality of their suffering. One danger of complaining is that it can blind people to the truth. It can make the past seem better than it really was. Faith responds differently. Faith is thankful for what God has already done and trusts him for what he will do in the future.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt--How unreasonable and absurd the charge against Moses and Aaron! how ungrateful and impious against God! After all their experience of the divine wisdom, goodness, and power, we pause and wonder over the sacred narrative of their hardness and unbelief. But the expression of feeling is contagious in so vast a multitude, and there is a feeling of solitude and despondency in the desert…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 16:3
In the dictionaries
Notes
Commentaries on Exodus 16
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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