New International Version
Exodus 16:3
3The 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.”
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.
- 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.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)“If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”
Context of Exodus 16:3
1The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 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.” 4Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. 5On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto them, Would to Godנָתַןnâthan · to give: if only!H5414
- unto them, Would to Godמִיmîy · who?H4310
- we had diedמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- by the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- when we satיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- by the fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
- potsסִירsîyr sîyrâh sirâh · potH5518
- when we did eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
- to the fullשֹׂ֫בַעώôba‛ · satietyH7648
- for ye have brought us forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: sendH3318
- into this wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- this whole assemblyקָהָלqâhâl · assemblyH6951
- with hungerרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
Cross-references for Exodus 16:3
- Numbers 20:3They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord!
- Deuteronomy 28:67In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!”—because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see.
- Joshua 7:7And Joshua said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!
- 2 Samuel 18:33The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!”
- Lamentations 4:9Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of famine; racked with hunger, they waste away for lack of food from the field.
- Acts 26:29Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”
- 1 Corinthians 4:8Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you!
- 2 Corinthians 11:1I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me!
- Numbers 11:15If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”
- Numbers 14:2All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness!
- Job 3:1After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
- Jeremiah 20:14Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed!
- Jonah 4:8When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”
- Exodus 2:23During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.
- Numbers 11:4The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat!
- Exodus 5:21and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have 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
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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