Exodus 16:9

THE MESSAGE

Moses instructed Aaron: "Tell the whole company of Israel: ‘Come near to God . He's heard your complaints.'"

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Moshe said to Aharon, "Tell all the congregation of the children of Yisra'el, 'Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your murmurings.'"

King James Version
And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the Lord : for he hath heard your murmurings.

Lexham English Bible
And Moses said to Aaron, "Say to all the community of the Israelites, ‘Come near before Yahweh because he has heard your grumblings.'"

New Century Version
Then Moses said to Aaron, "Speak to the whole community of the Israelites, and say to them, ‘Meet together in the presence of the Lord , because he has heard your grumblings.'"

New English Translation
Then Moses said to Aaron, "Tell the whole community of the Israelites, ‘Come before the Lord , because he has heard your murmurings.'"

Amplified Bible
Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to all the congregation of Israel, 'Approach the LORD, because He has heard your murmurings.'"

New American Standard Bible
Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, 'Come forward before the LORD, for He has heard your grumblings.'"

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Moses sayd to Aaron, Say vnto all the Congregation of the children of Israel, Draw neere before the Lorde: for he hath heard your murmurings.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Come near before Yahweh, for He has heard your grumblings.'"

Contemporary English Version
Moses turned to Aaron and said, "Bring the people together, because the Lord has heard their complaints."

Complete Jewish Bible
Moshe said to Aharon, "Say to the whole community of Isra'el, ‘Come close, into the presence of Adonai , for he has heard your grumblings.'"

Darby Translation
And Moses spoke to Aaron, Say to all the assembly of the children of Israel, Come near into the presence of Jehovah; for he has heard your murmurings.

Easy-to-Read Version
Then Moses said to Aaron, "Tell the whole community of Israelites to come together before the Lord , because he has heard their complaints."

English Standard Version
Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord , for he has heard your grumbling.'"

George Lamsa Translation
And Moses said to Aaron, Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD; for he has heard your murmurings.

Good News Translation
Moses said to Aaron, "Tell the whole community to come and stand before the Lord , because he has heard their complaints."

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your complaints.’”

Literal Translation
And Moses spoke to Aaron, Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, Come near before Jehovah; for He has heard your murmurings.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Moses sayde vnto Aaron: Speake vnto the whole multitude of ye children of Israel: Come forth before the LORDE, for he hath herde youre murmuringes.

American Standard Version
And Moses said unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before Jehovah; for he hath heard your murmurings.

Bible in Basic English
And Moses said to Aaron, Say to all the people of Israel, Come near before the Lord for he has given ear to your outcry.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Moyses spake vnto Aaron: say vnto al the congregation of the children of Israel, come foorth before the Lord: for he hath hearde your grudgynges.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Moses said unto Aaron: 'Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel: Come near before the LORD; for He hath heard your murmurings.'

King James Version (1611)
And Moses spake vnto Aaron, Say vnto all the Congregation of the children of Israel, Come neere before the Lord: for hee hath heard your murmurings.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Moses said to Aaron, Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before God; for he has heard your murmuring.

English Revised Version
And Moses said unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Moses said to Aaron, "Tell the whole congregation of Israel, 'Come before the LORD, for He has heard your grumbling.'"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Moises seide to Aaron, Seie thou to al the congregacioun of the sones of Israel, Neiye ye bifore the Lord, for he herde youre grutchyng.

Young's Literal Translation
And Moses saith unto Aaron, `Say unto all the company of the sons of Israel, Come ye near before Jehovah, for He hath heard your murmurings;'

Update Bible Version
And Moses said to Aaron, Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, Come near before Yahweh; for he has heard your murmurings.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Moses spoke to Aaron, Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.

World English Bible
Moses said to Aaron, "Tell all the congregation of the children of Israel, 'Come near before Yahweh, for he has heard your murmurings.'"

New King James Version
Then Moses spoke to Aaron, "Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, "Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your complaints."'

New Living Translation
Then Moses said to Aaron, "Announce this to the entire community of Israel: ‘Present yourselves before the Lord , for he has heard your complaining.'"

New Life Bible
Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to all the people of Israel, ‘Come near to the Lord, for He has heard your complaining.'"

New Revised Standard
Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, ‘Draw near to the Lord , for he has heard your complaining.'"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Moses said unto Aaron, Say unto all the assembly of the sons of Israel, Draw near, before Yahweh, - for he hath heard your murmurings.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Moses also said to Aaron: Say to the whole congregation of the children of Israel: Come before the Lord; for he hath heard your murmuring.

Revised Standard Version
And Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, 'Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your murmurings.'"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, 'Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your grumblings.'"

Contextual Overview

¹On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt, the whole company of Israel moved on from Elim to the Wilderness of Sin which is between Elim and Sinai. The whole company of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron there in the wilderness. The Israelites said, "Why didn't God let us die in comfort in Egypt where we had lamb stew and all the bread we could eat? You've brought us out into this wilderness to starve us to death, the whole company of Israel!" ⁴ God said to Moses, "I'm going to rain bread down from the skies for you. The people will go out and gather each day's ration. I'm going to test them to see if they'll live according to my Teaching or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they have gathered, it will turn out to be twice as much as their daily ration." ⁶Moses and Aaron told the People of Israel, "This evening you will know that it is God who brought you out of Egypt; and in the morning you will see the Glory of God . Yes, he's listened to your complaints against him. You haven't been complaining against us, you know, but against God ." ⁸ Moses said, "Since it will be God who gives you meat for your meal in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, it's God who will have listened to your complaints against him. Who are we in all this? You haven't been complaining to us—you've been complaining to God !" ⁹ Moses instructed Aaron: "Tell the whole company of Israel: ‘Come near to God . He's heard your complaints.'" ¹⁰ When Aaron gave out the instructions to the whole company of Israel, they turned to face the wilderness. And there it was: the Glory of God visible in the Cloud. ¹¹ God spoke to Moses, "I've listened to the complaints of the Israelites. Now tell them: ‘At dusk you will eat meat and at dawn you'll eat your fill of bread; and you'll realize that I am God , your God.'"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Come near: Numbers 16:16

heard: Exodus 16:2, Exodus 16:8

Reciprocal: Exodus 15:24 - General Numbers 11:1 - And when Luke 12:20 - God

Cross-References

Genesis 16:5
Sarai told Abram, "It's all your fault that I'm suffering this abuse. I put my maid in bed with you and the minute she knows she's pregnant, she treats me like I'm nothing. May God decide which of us is right."

Genesis 16:6
"You decide," said Abram. "Your maid is your business." Sarai was abusive to Hagar and Hagar ran away.

Ecclesiastes 10:4
If a ruler loses his temper against you, don't panic; A calm disposition quiets intemperate rage.

Ephesians 5:21
Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.

Titus 2:9
Guide slaves into being loyal workers, a bonus to their masters—no back talk, no petty thievery. Then their good character will shine through their actions, adding luster to the teaching of our Savior God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Moses spake unto Aaron,.... Who was his prophet and spokesman to the people:

say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel; to the heads of them, to as many as could conveniently hear him, and were to report what he said to the rest:

come near before the Lord; who was in the pillar of cloud, which from the first appearance of it never removed from them, nor the Lord from that; though some have thought, that before the tabernacle was built, there was some small tent or little tabernacle where the Shechinah was; but for this there is no foundation, there is for the other suggested:

for he hath heard your murmurings; which is repeated again and again, to observe to them the evil of it, and what notice the Lord took of it, though he indulged them in so gracious a manner he did.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 16:9. Come near before the Lord — This has been supposed to refer to some particular place, where the Lord manifested his presence. The great tabernacle was not yet built, but there appears to have been a small tabernacle or tent called the Tabernacle of the Congregation, which, after the sin of the golden calf, was always placed without the camp; see Exodus 33:7: And Moses took the Tabernacle and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it The Tabernacle of the Congregation; and it came to pass that every one that sought the Lord went out unto the Tabernacle of the Congregation, which was without the camp. This could not be that portable temple which is described Exodus 26:1-37, c., and which was not set up till the first day of the first month of the second year, after their departure from Egypt, (Exodus 40:1-2,) which was upwards of ten months after the time mentioned in this chapter and notwithstanding this, the Israelites are commanded (Exodus 16:34) to lay up an omer of the manna before the testimony, which certainly refers to an ark, tabernacle, or some such portable shrine, already in existence. If the great tabernacle be intended, the whole account of laying up the manna must be introduced here by anticipation, Moses finishing the account of what was afterwards done, because the commencement of those circumstances which comprehended the reasons of the fact itself took place now. Exodus 16:34; Exodus 16:34.

But from the reasonings in the preceding verses it appears that much infidelity still reigned in the hearts of the people; and in order to convince them that it was God and not Moses that had brought them out of Egypt, he (Moses) desired them to come near, or pay particular attention to some extraordinary manifestation of the Lord. And we are told in the tenth verse, that "as Aaron spake unto them, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold the glory of the Lord appeared, and the Lord spake unto Moses," &c. Is not this passage explained by Exodus 19:9, "And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear, when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever?" May we not conclude that Moses invited them to come near before the Lord, and so witness his glory, that they might be convinced it was God and not he that led them out of Egypt, and that they ought to submit to him, and cease from their murmurings? It is said, Exodus 19:17, that Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God. And in this instance there might have been a similar though less awful manifestation of the Divine presence.