Numbers 11:4

New American Standard Bible

Now 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?

Parallel Translations

Geneva Bible (1587)
And a nomber of people that was amog them, fell a lusting, and turned away, and the children of Israel also wept, and saide, Who shall giue vs flesh to eate?

George Lamsa Translation
And the mixed multitude that was among them had a strong craving; and they went about and caused the children of Israel to weep, saying, Who shall give us meat to eat?

Hebrew Names Version
The mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly: and the children of Yisra'el also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

Easy-to-Read Version
The foreigners who had joined the Israelites began wanting other things to eat. Soon all the Israelites began complaining again. The people said, "We want to eat meat!

English Standard Version
Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, "Oh that we had meat to eat!

American Standard Version
And the mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

Bible in Basic English
And the mixed band of people who went with them were overcome by desire: and the children of Israel, weeping again, said, Who will give us flesh for our food?

Contemporary English Version
One day some worthless foreigners among the Israelites became greedy for food, and even the Israelites themselves began moaning, "We don't have any meat!

Complete Jewish Bible
Next, the mixed crowd that was with them grew greedy for an easier life; while the people of Isra'el, for their part, also renewed their weeping and said, "If only we had meat to eat!

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting; and the children of Israel also wept on their part, and said: 'Would that we were given flesh to eat!

King James Version (1611)
And the mixt multitude that was among them, fell a lusting, and the children of Israel also wept againe, and said, Who shal giue vs flesh to eate?

Amplified Bible
The rabble among them [who followed Israel from Egypt] had greedy desires [for familiar and delicious food], and the Israelites wept again and said, "Who will give us meat to eat?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the mixed multitude among them lusted exceedingly; and they and the children of Israel sat down and wept and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

English Revised Version
And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

Berean Standard Bible
Meanwhile, the rabble among them had a strong craving for other food, and again the Israelites wept and said, "Who will feed us meat?

Lexham English Bible
The riff-raff that were in their midst had a strong desire; and the Israelites turned back and also wept, and they said, "Who will feed us meat?

Literal Translation
And the mixed multitude among them lusted with a great lust; and the sons of Israel also turned back and wept, and said, Who shall cause us to eat flesh?

New Century Version
Some troublemakers among them wanted better food, and soon all the Israelites began complaining. They said, "We want meat!

New English Translation
Now the mixed multitude who were among them craved more desirable foods, and so the Israelites wept again and said, "If only we had meat to eat!

New King James Version
Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: "Who will give us meat to eat?

New Living Translation
Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. "Oh, for some meat!" they exclaimed.

New Life Bible
The mixed group of people among them had strong desires. The people of Israel cried again and said, "Who will give us meat to eat?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Moreover the mixed multitude that was in their midst concealed not their lusting, - and so even the sons of Israel, fell away and wept, and said: Who will grant us to eat flesh?

Douay-Rheims Bible
For a mixt multitude of people, that came up with them, burned with desire, sitting and weeping, the children of Israel also being joined with them, and said: Who shall give us flesh to eat?

Revised Standard Version
Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving; and the people of Israel also wept again, and said, "O that we had meat to eat!

Good News Translation
There were foreigners traveling with the Israelites. They had a strong craving for meat, and even the Israelites themselves began to complain: "If only we could have some meat!

King James Version
And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

Darby Translation
And the mixed multitude that was among them lusted; and the children of Israel also wept again and said, Who will give us flesh to eat?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the comyn puple of `malis and femalis, that hadde stied with hem, brent with desire of fleischis, and sat, and wepte with the sones of Israel ioyned togidere to hem, and seide, Who schal yyue to vs fleischis to ete?

Young's Literal Translation
And the rabble who [are] in its midst have lusted greatly, and the sons of Israel also turn back and weep, and say, `Who doth give us flesh?

World English Bible
The mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

Update Bible Version
And the mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly: and the sons of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

Webster's Bible Translation
And the mixed multitude that [was] among them fell to lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And a number of people that was among them fell a lustyng, and turned them selues, and wept (euen as dyd also the chyldren of Israel) and sayd: who shall geue vs fleshe to eate?

Christian Standard Bible®
The riffraff among them had a strong craving for other food. The Israelites wept again and said, “Who will feed us meat?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then the comon sorte of people yt was amoge them, fell a lustinge, and sat & wepte wt the children of Israel, and sayde: Who wyll geue vs flesh to eate?

THE MESSAGE
The riffraff among the people had a craving and soon they had the People of Israel whining, "Why can't we have meat? We ate fish in Egypt—and got it free!—to say nothing of the cucumbers and melons, the leeks and onions and garlic. But nothing tastes good out here; all we get is manna, manna, manna."

New Revised Standard
The rabble among them had a strong craving; and the Israelites also wept again, and said, "If only we had meat to eat!

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, "Who will give us meat to eat?

Legacy Standard Bible
And the rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, "Who will give us meat to eat?

Contextual Overview

⁴ Now 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?⁵ "We remember the fish which we used to eat for free in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; ⁶ but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna!" ⁷ Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. ⁸ The people would roam about and gather it and grind it between two millstones, or pound it in the mortar, and boil it in the pot and make loaves with it; and its taste was like the taste of cake baked with oil. ⁹ When the dew came down on the camp at night, the manna would come down with it. ¹⁰ Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, each one at the entrance of his tent; and the anger of the LORD became very hot, and Moses was displeased. ¹¹ So Moses said to the LORD, "Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have put the burden of all this people on me? ¹² "Was it I who conceived all this people? Or did I give birth to them, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your arms, as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers'? ¹³ "Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, 'Give us meat so that we may eat!'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the mixed: Exodus 12:38, Leviticus 24:10, Leviticus 24:11, Nehemiah 13:3

fell a lusting: Heb. lusted a lust

the children: 1 Corinthians 15:33

wept again: Heb. returned and wept

Who shall: Psalms 78:18-20, Psalms 106:14, Romans 13:14, 1 Corinthians 10:6

Reciprocal: Exodus 16:3 - flesh Exodus 17:2 - the people Leviticus 25:20 - General Numbers 11:18 - ye have wept Numbers 33:16 - Kibrothhattaavah Deuteronomy 9:7 - from the day Deuteronomy 9:22 - Kibrothhattaavah Deuteronomy 12:20 - I will Deuteronomy 29:11 - stranger 2 Samuel 23:15 - longed 1 Chronicles 11:17 - longed Psalms 78:19 - Can God Psalms 105:40 - asked Proverbs 27:7 - full Malachi 1:12 - The table Matthew 4:3 - command 1 John 2:16 - the lust of the flesh Revelation 18:14 - thy soul

Cross-References

Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of mankind, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

Genesis 11:8
So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth; and they stopped building the city.

Genesis 11:9
Therefore it was named Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

Genesis 11:11
and Shem lived five hundred years after he fathered Arpachshad, and he fathered other sons and daughters.

Genesis 11:13
and Arpachshad lived 403 years after he fathered Shelah, and he fathered other sons and daughters.

Deuteronomy 1:28
'Where can we go up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, by saying, "The people are bigger and taller than we; the cities are large and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we saw the sons of the Anakim there."'

Deuteronomy 4:27
"The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD drives you.

Deuteronomy 9:1
"Hear, Israel! You are crossing the Jordan today, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, cities that are great and fortified to heaven,

2 Samuel 8:13
So David made a name for himself when he returned from killing eighteen thousand Arameans in the Valley of Salt.

Psalms 92:9
For, behold, Your enemies, LORD, For, behold, Your enemies will perish; All who do injustice will be scattered.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the mixed multitude that [was] among them fell a lusting,.... These came out of Egypt with them, Exodus 12:38; having either contracted affinity with them, or such intimacy of conversation, that they could not part, or being proselyted to the Jewish religion, at least in pretence; these were not only Egyptians, but a mixture of divers people, who having heard or seen the wonderful things done for Israel, joined them in hopes of sharing the blessings of divine goodness with them; so the Targum of Jonathan calls them proselytes, that were gathered among them: these "lusted a lusting" t, as the words may be rendered; not after women, as some Jewish writers u think, even after such that were near akin to them, with whom they were forbidden to marry, and therefore desired to have those laws dissolved; but they lusted after eating flesh taken in a proper sense, as the latter part of the verse and the whole context show:

and the children of Israel also wept again; they lusted after flesh likewise, following the example of the mixed multitude; thus evil communication corrupts good manners, 1 Corinthians 15:33; and a little leaven leavens the whole lamp, 1 Corinthians 5:6; wicked men prove great snares to, and do much mischief among good men, when they get into their societies, Jeremiah 5:26: and because the Israelites could not have what they would to gratify their lusts, they wept as children do, when they cannot have what they are desirous of; and they wept "again", for it seems they had wept before, either when they complained, Numbers 11:1; or at Rephidim, where they wanted water, Exodus 17:1, as here flesh, or before that when they wanted bread, Exodus 16:3;

and said, who shall give us flesh to eat? shall Moses, or even the Lord himself? from lusting they fell to unbelief and distrust of the power and providence of God; for so the Psalmist interprets this saying of theirs, Psalms 78:19.

t התאוו תאוח "concupiverunt concupiscentiam", Pagninus: Montanus, Drusius. u Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 15. fol. 219. 1.

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 11:4. The mixed multitude — האספסף hasaphsuph, the collected or gathered people. Such as came out of Egypt with the Israelites; and are mentioned Exodus 12:38. This mongrel people, who had comparatively little of the knowledge of God, feeling the difficulties and fatigues of the journey, were the first to complain; and then we find the children of Israel joined them in their complainings, and made a common cause with these demi-infidels.