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New American Standard Bible

Numbers 11:31

Now a wind burst forth from the LORD and it brought quail from the sea, and dropped them beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side all around the camp, and about two cubits deep on the surface of the ground.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blessing;   Kibroth-Hattaavah;   Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena;   Prayer;   Quail;   Sanitation;   Trouble;   Scofield Reference Index - Quails;   Thompson Chain Reference - Birds;   Feeding the Multitude;   Meteorology;   Miracles of Loaves;   Multitude;   Quails;   Red Sea;   Wind, the;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Birds;   Desert, Journey of Israel through the;   Wind, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Manna;   Quails;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Birds;   Manna;   Measurement;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Discontent;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Food;   Journey;   Quails;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Kibroth Hattaavah;   Quail;   Sinai;   Weights and Measures;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Birds;   Kibroth-Hattaavah;   Meat;   Quail;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Day's Journey;   Moses;   Numbers, Book of;   Quail;   Weights and Measures;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Travel (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Quail,;   Wanderings of the Israelites;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Journeyings of israel from egypt to canaan;   Measures;   Quails;   Red sea;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Quails;   Weights and Measures;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Elders;   Quail;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Day's Journey;   Pentateuch;   Quail;   Spirit;   Wanderings of Israel;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Birds;   Quail;   Sanhedrin;   Vegetarianism;  

Parallel Translations

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then there went foorth a winde from the Lorde, and brought quailes from the Sea, and let them fall vpon the campe, a dayes iourney on this side, and a dayes iourney on the other side, round about the hoste, and they were about two cubites aboue the earth.
George Lamsa Translation
And there went forth a wind from before the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a days journey on this side and about a days journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits high upon the face of the earth.
Hebrew Names Version
There went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the eretz.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then the Lord made a powerful wind to blow in from the sea, and it blew quail into the area all around the camp. There were so many birds that the ground was covered. They were about three feet deep on the ground. There were quail in every direction as far as a man can walk in one day.
English Standard Version
Then a wind from the Lord sprang up, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the ground.
American Standard Version
And there went forth a wind from Jehovah, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the earth.
Bible in Basic English
Then the Lord sent a wind, driving little birds from the sea, so that they came down on the tents, and all round the tent-circle, about a day's journey on this side and on that, in masses about two cubits high over the face of the earth.
Contemporary English Version
Some time later the Lord sent a strong wind that blew quails in from the sea until Israel's camp was completely surrounded with birds, piled up about three feet high for miles in every direction.
Complete Jewish Bible
and Adonai sent out a wind which brought quails from across the sea and let them fall near the camp, about a day's trip away on each side of the camp and all around it, covering the ground to a depth of three feet.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought across quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the earth.
King James Version (1611)
And there went forth a winde from the Lord, and brought quailes from the sea, and let them fall by the campe, as it were a dayes iourney on this side, and as it were a dayes iourney on the other side round about the campe, and as it were two cubits high vpon the face of the earth.
Amplified Bible
Now there went forth a wind from the LORD and it brought quails from the sea, and let them fall [so they flew low] beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and on the other side, all around the camp, about two cubits (three feet) deep on the surface of the ground.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails over from the sea; and it brought them down upon the camp a day’s journey on this side, and a day’s journey on that side, round about the camp, as it were two cubits from the earth.
English Revised Version
And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the earth.
Berean Standard Bible
Now a wind sent by the LORD came up, drove in quail from the sea, and dropped them near the camp, about two cubits deep for a day's journey in every direction around the camp.
Lexham English Bible
Then a wind set out from Yahweh, and it drove quails from the west, and he spread them out on the camp about a day's journey on one side and about a day's journey on the other, all around the camp, about two cubits on the surface of the land.
Literal Translation
And a wind went forth from Jehovah and cut off quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as a day's journey here, and as a day's journey there, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the land.
New Century Version
The Lord sent a strong wind from the sea, and it blew quail into the area all around the camp. The quail were about three feet deep on the ground, and there were quail a day's walk in any direction.
New English Translation
Now a wind went out from the Lord and brought quail from the sea, and let them fall near the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and about a day's journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about three feet high on the surface of the ground.
New King James Version
Now a wind went out from the LORD, and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp, about a day's journey on this side and about a day's journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the ground.
New Living Translation
Now the Lord sent a wind that brought quail from the sea and let them fall all around the camp. For miles in every direction there were quail flying about three feet above the ground.
New Life Bible
Now a wind went out from the Lord. It brought quail from the sea, and let them fall beside the place where the tents were set up. They fell all around the tents, about as far on each side as it takes to travel in a day. They lay on the ground as deep as two cubits.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, a wind, had sprung up, from Yahweh, and cut off quails from the sea, and let them lie over the camp - as it were a days journey here and a days journey there, round about the amp, - and as it were two cubits on the face of the land.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And a wind going out from the Lord, taking quails up beyond the sea brought them, and cast them into the camp for the space of one day’s journey, on every side of the camp round about, and they flew in the air two cubits high above the ground.
Revised Standard Version
And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and it brought quails from the sea, and let them fall beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the earth.
Good News Translation
Suddenly the Lord sent a wind that brought quails from the sea, flying three feet above the ground. They settled on the camp and all around it for miles and miles in every direction.
King James Version
And there went forth a wind from the Lord , and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.
Darby Translation
And there went forth a wind from Jehovah, and drove quails from the sea, and cast them about the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and about a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the earth.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe a wynde yede forth fro the Lord, and took curlewis, and bar ouer the see, and lefte in to the tentis, in the iurney, as myche as mai be parformed in o day, bi ech part of the tentis bi cumpas; and tho flowen in the eir bi twei cubitis in `hiynesse ouer the erthe.
Young's Literal Translation
And a spirit hath journeyed from Jehovah, and cutteth off quails from the sea, and leaveth by the camp, as a day's journey here, and as a day's journey there, round about the camp, and about two cubits, on the face of the land.
World English Bible
There went forth a wind from Yahweh, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the earth.
Update Bible Version
And a wind went forth from Yahweh, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the earth.
Webster's Bible Translation
And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let [them] fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, around the camp, and as it were two cubits [high] upon the face of the earth.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And there went foorth a wynde from the Lorde, and brought quayles from the sea, & let them fall about the hoast, euen a dayes iourney rounde about on euery side of the hoast, and [they did flee in the ayre] as it were two cubites hye ouer the earth.
Christian Standard Bible®
A wind sent by the Lord came up and blew quail in from the sea; it dropped them all around the camp. They were flying three feet off the ground for about a day’s journey in every direction.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then wente out the wynde from ye LORDE, & caused quayles to come from the see, & scatred the ouer the hoost, here a dayes iourney, there a dayes iourney rounde aboute ye hoost, two cubytes hye aboue ye earth.
New Revised Standard
Then a wind went out from the Lord , and it brought quails from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, all around the camp, about two cubits deep on the ground.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now there went forth a wind from the LORD and it brought quail from the sea, and let them fall beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, all around the camp and about two cubits deep on the surface of the ground.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now there went forth a wind from Yahweh, and it brought quail from the sea, and let them fall beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, all around the camp and about two cubits over the surface of the ground.

Contextual Overview

31 Now a wind burst forth from the LORD and it brought quail from the sea, and dropped them beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side all around the camp, and about two cubits deep on the surface of the ground.32 And the people spent all that day, all night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quail (the one who gathered least gathered ten homers) and spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33 While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very severe plague. 34 So that place was named Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had been greedy. 35 From Kibroth-hattaavah the people set out for Hazeroth, and they remained at Hazeroth.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a wind: Exodus 10:13, Exodus 10:19, Exodus 15:10, Psalms 135:7

and brought: Exodus 16:13, Psalms 78:26-29, Psalms 105:40

quails: That the word selav means the quail, we have already had occasion to observe; to which we subjoin the authority of Mr. Maundrell, who visited Naplosa (the ancient Sichem), where the Samaritans live. Mr. Maundrell asked their chief priest what sort of animal he took the selav to be. He answered, they were a sort of fowls; and, by the description Mr. Maundrell perceived he meant the same kind with our quails.

a day's journey: Heb. the way of a day

and as it were two cubits: That is, as the Vulgate renders, Volabantque in aere duobus cubitis altitudine super terram, "and they flew in the air, at the height of two cubits above the ground."

Reciprocal: Psalms 106:15 - he gave Jonah 1:4 - the Lord 1 Corinthians 10:6 - lust

Cross-References

Genesis 10:19
The territory of the Canaanite extended from Sidon going toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; and going toward Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
Genesis 11:2
And it came about, as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.
Genesis 11:3
Then they said to one another, "Come, let's make bricks and fire them thoroughly." And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.
Genesis 11:4
And they said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let's make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of all the earth."
Genesis 11:5
Now the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the men had built.
Genesis 11:26
Terah lived seventy years, and fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Genesis 11:28
Haran died during the lifetime of his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
Genesis 12:4
So Abram went away as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
Genesis 15:7
And He said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it."
Genesis 24:10
Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and went out with a variety of good things of his master's in his hand; so he set out and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And there went forth a wind from the Lord,.... Both an east wind and a south wind, according to Psalms 78:26; either first one wind, and then another; one to bring the quails, or whatever are meant, to a certain point, and then the other to bring them to the camp of Israel; or a southeast wind, as the Jewish writers interpret it: however, it was not a common wind, but what was immediately raised by the Lord for the following purpose:

and brought quails from the sea; the Red sea, from the coasts of it, not out of it. Josephus t says, there were great numbers of this sort of fowl about the gulf of Arabia; and Diodorus Siculus u says, near Rhinocalura, a place not far from those parts, quails in flocks were brought from the sea, which the people caught and lived upon. After Job Ludolphus, who has wrote a learned dissertation on locusts, many are of opinion with him, that locusts are intended here, and think that what is hereafter related best agrees with them; it is pretty difficult to determine which is most correct; there are learned advocates, and much to be said, for both w:

and let [them] fall by the camp: the camp of Israel, and round about it on all sides, as follows; which agrees well enough with locusts, which are usually brought by a wind, as the locusts of Egypt were by an east wind, which fall, rest, and settle on the earth, and sometimes in heaps, one upon another; and these, whatever they were, fell as thick as rain, and were as dust, and as the sand of the sea. The Jewish writers, who understand them of quails, interpret this not of their falling to the ground, but of their flying low, two cubits from the earth, about the breast of a man, so that they had no trouble in taking them; so the Targum of Jonathan, Jarchi, Ben Gersom, and Abendana; but this seems to be without any foundation:

as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp; on the north side, and on the south side, as the Targum of Jonathan explains it; but it doubtless means on all sides, since they fell round about the camp; and from thence they lay thick upon the ground, a day's journey every way; which some compute at sixteen, others at twenty miles on which space there must be a prodigious number of quails or locusts; and it is certain the latter do come in great numbers, so as to darken the air, and to cover a country, as they did Egypt; and the quails also, in some countries, have been taken in great numbers; in Italy, on the coast of Antium, within a month, in the space of five miles, 100,000 quails were taken every day x:

and as it were two cubits [high] upon the face of the earth; as they fell they lay one upon another, the height of two cubits; which it is thought better agrees with locusts than with quails, since the quails, by lying one upon another such a depth, must be suffocated; whereas the locusts, through the length of their feet, and the thinness of their wings, would not.

t Antiqu. l. 3. c. 1. sect. 5. u Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 55. w Vid. Calmet's Dictionary in the word "Quails", & Scheuchzer. Physica Sacr. in loc. Bishop of Clogher's Chronology, p. 375, 376. Shaw's Travels, p. 189. x Blond. ltal. Illustrat. p. 314. apud Huet. Alnetan. Quaest. l. 2. c. 12. sect. 17.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Occurrences at Kibroth-hattavah.

Numbers 11:4

The mixt multitude - The word in the original resembles our “riff-raff,” and denotes a mob of people scraped together. It refers here to the multitude of strangers (see Exodus 12:38) who had followed the Israelites from Egypt.

Numbers 11:5

The natural dainties of Egypt are set forth in this passage with the fullness and relish which bespeak personal experience.

Numbers 11:6-7

There is nothing at all ... - literally, “Nought at all have we except that our eyes are unto this manna;” i. e. “Nought else have we to expect beside this manna.” On the manna see Exodus 16:15 note; on bdellium see Genesis 2:12 note.

Numbers 11:10

The weeping was general; every family wept (compare Zechariah 12:12), and in a manner public and unconcealed.

Numbers 11:11-15

The complaint and remonstrance of Moses may be compared with that in 1 Kings 19:4 ff; Jonah 4:1-3, and contrasted with the language of Abraham (Genesis 18:23 ff) The meekness of Moses (compare Numbers 12:3) sank under vexation into despair. His language shows us how imperfect and prone to degeneracy are the best saints on earth.

Numbers 11:16

Seventy men of the elders of Israel - Seventy elders had also gone up with Moses to the Lord in the mount Exodus 24:1, Exodus 24:9. Seventy is accordingly the number of colleagues assigned to Moses to share his burden with him. To it, the Jews trace the origin of the Sanhedrim. Subsequent notices Numbers 16:25; Joshua 7:6; Joshua 8:10, Joshua 8:33; Joshua 9:11; Joshua 23:2; Joshua 24:1, Joshua 24:31 so connect the elders with the government of Israel as to point to the fact that the appointment now made was not a merely temporary one, though it would seem to have soon fallen into desuetude. We find no traces of it in the days of the Judges and the Kings.

Elders of the people, and officers over them - In English idiom, “elders and officers of the people.” Both elders and officers appear in Egypt (Exodus 3:16; Exodus 5:6 ff): the former had headed the nation in its efforts after freedom; the latter were the subordinate, though unwilling, agents of Egyptian tyranny. The two classes no doubt were working together; and from those who belonged to either, perhaps from those who were both eiders and officers, the council of Seventy was to be selected.

Numbers 11:17

I will take of the spirit which is upon thee - Render rather separate from the spirit, etc.; i. e. they shall have their portion in the same divine gift which thou hast.

Numbers 11:25

They prophesied - i. e. under the extraordinary impulse of the Holy Spirit they uttered forth the praises of God, or declared His will. Compare the marginal references.

And did not cease - Rather, and added not, i. e. they prophesied at this time only and not afterward. The sign was granted on the occasion of their appointment to accredit them in their office; it was not continued, because their proper function was to be that of governing not prophesying.

Numbers 11:26

Of them that were written - i. e. enrolled among the Seventy. The expression points to a regular appointment duly recorded and permanent.

Numbers 11:29

Enviest thou for my sake? - (Compare Mark 9:38 ff) The other members of the Seventy had been with Moses (compare Numbers 6:16, Numbers 6:24-25) when the gift of prophecy was bestowed on them. They received “of the spirit that was upon him,” and exercised their office visibly through and for him. Eldad and Medad prophesying in the camp seemed to Joshua to be acting independently, and so establishing a separate center of authority.

Numbers 11:31

The southeast wind, which blew from the neighboring Elanitic gulf of the Red Sea, brought the quails Exodus 16:13.

Two cubits high - Better, “two cubits above the face of the ground:” i. e. the quails, wearied with their long flight, flew about breast high, and were easily secured by the people, who spread them all abroad for themselves Numbers 11:32, in order to salt and dry them. The quail habitually flies with the wind, and low.

Numbers 11:32

Ten homers - About 55 bushels. Compare Leviticus 27:16.

Numbers 11:33

Ere it was chewed - Better, ere it was consumed. See Numbers 11:19-20. The surfeit in which the people indulged, as described in Numbers 11:32, disposed them to sickness. God’s wrath, visiting the gluttonous through their gluttony, aggravated natural consequences into a supernatural visitation.

Numbers 11:34, Numbers 11:35

(Kibroth-hattaavah has been identified by Palmer with the extensive remains, graves, etc., at Erweis El Ebeirig, and Hazeroth “enclosures” with Ain Hadherah.)

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 11:31. A wind from the Lord — An extraordinary one, not the effect of a natural cause. And brought quails, a bird which in great companies visits Egypt about the time of the year, March or April, at which the circumstance marked here took place. Mr. Hasselquist, the friend and pupil of the famous Linnaeus, saw many of them about this time of the year, when he was in Egypt. See his Travels, p. 209.

Two cubits high upon the face of the earth. — We may consider the quails as flying within two cubits of the ground; so that the Israelites could easily take as many of them as they wished, while flying within the reach of their hands or their clubs. The common notion is, that the quails were brought round about the camp, and fell there in such multitudes as to lie two feet thick upon the ground; but the Hebrew will not bear this version. The Vulgate has expressed the sense, Volabantque in aere duobus cubitis altitudine super terram. "And they flew in the air, two cubits high above the ground."


 
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