NUMBERS CHAPTER 11 The murmuring of the people, for which the fire breaketh in upon them, NUMBERS 11:1. Moses prayeth to God; the fire is quenched, NUMBERS 11:2. The name of the place, and why called, NUMBERS 11:3. The people murmur again, and lust after flesh, NUMBERS 11:4. Manna described, NUMBERS... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PEOPLE, the murmurers being penitent, or others for fear. UNTO MOSES, whom they knew to be very prevalent with God.... [ Continue Reading ]
TABERA, from this fire; as it was called _Kibroth-hattaa-vah_ from another occasion, NUMBERS 11:34,35 NUMBERS 33:16; as it is no new thing in Scripture for persons and places to have two names. Both these names were imposed as monuments of the people's sin, and of God's just judgment. See DEUTERONOM... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MIXT MULTITUDE, consisting of Egyptians or other people, which being affected with God's miraculous works in Egypt, and thereupon believing the promise of God to carry them to a land of milk and honey, for their own advantage joined themselves to the Israelites, EXODUS 12:38, an now, finding the... [ Continue Reading ]
FREELY; either without price, for fish was very plentiful, and fishing was there free; or with a very small price; for _nothing_ is sometimes put for a _little_, as 1 THESSALONIANS 18:20 ACTS 27:33; and _none_ for _few_, as JEREMIAH 8:6 1 CORINTHIANS 2:8. And this is the more probable, because the E... [ Continue Reading ]
OUR SOUL; either, 1. OUR LIFE, as the soul signifies, GENESIS 9:5 PSALMS 33:19 JOB 36:14; or, 2. OUR BODY, which is oft signified by the soul, as PSALMS 16:10 PSALMS 35:12, PSALMS 105:18. So Leviticus 19:28, Leviticus 21:1... [ Continue Reading ]
AS CORIANDER SEED; not for colour, for that is black, but for shape and figure. BDELLIUM is either, 1. The gum of a tree, of a white and bright colour; or rather, 2. A gem or precious stone, as the Hebrew doctors take it; and particularly a _pearl_, as some render it, wherewith the _manna_ doth ma... [ Continue Reading ]
Or, _of the most excellent oil_; or, _of the flour of oil_; or, as others, _of cakes or paste made with the best oil_, the word _cakes_ being easily supplied out of the foregoing member of the verse; or, which is not much differing, _like wafers made with honey_, as it is said EXODUS 16:31. The natu... [ Continue Reading ]
And then the dew fell again upon it and covered it, as we see EXODUS 16:13,14; so the manna lay hid as it were between two beds of dew. Hence the phrase of _hidden manna_ REVELATION 2:17.... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE DOOR OF HIS TENT; to note, that they were not ashamed of their sin. MOSES WAS DISPLEASED; partly, for their great unthankfulness; partly, foreseeing the dreadful judgments coming upon them, and partly, for his own burden expressed in the following verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
Why didst thou not hear my prayer, when I desired thou wouldst excuse me, and commit the care and government of this unruly people to some other person? See EXODUS 3:11, EXODUS 4:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVE I BEGOTTEN THEM; are they my children, that I should be obliged to provide food and all things for their necessity and desire? AS A NURSING-FATHER BEARETH THE SUCKING-CHILD; which expression shows the tender care and affection that governors by the command of God ought to have towards their peo... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THIS PEOPLE, i.e. the burden of providing for and satisfying of them. OBJECT. How was he alone, when there were others added to help him, EXODUS 18:21,24 ? ANSW. Those were only assistant to him in civil causes and smaller matters, but the harder and greater affairs, such as this unquestionably... [ Continue Reading ]
Heb. _my evil_, i.e. my intolerable anguish and torment, arising from the insuperable difficulty of my office and work of ruling this people, and from the dread of their utter extirpation which they will bring upon themselves, and the dishonour which thence will accrue to God and to religion; as if... [ Continue Reading ]
Of whom see EXODUS 3:16, EXODUS 5:6 LEVITICUS 4:15 DEUTERONOMY 16:18. WHOM THOU KNOWEST TO BE THE ELDERS; whom thou by experience discernest to be elders not only in years, and name, and place, but also in wisdom, and gravity, and authority with the people.... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL COME DOWN, not by local motion, but by my powerful presence and operation. See GENESIS 11:5 EXODUS 34:5. WILL PUT IT UPON THEM, i.e. I will give the same Spirit to them which I have given to thee. But as the Spirit was not conveyed to them from or through Moses, but immediately from God, so t... [ Continue Reading ]
SANCTIFY YOURSELVES, i.e. prepare yourselves, either to receive the miraculous blessings of God, the flesh you desire; or rather, PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD, O ISRAEL, in the way of his judgments, and to receive the punishment which God will inflict upon you; for it is evident, from NUMBERS 18:20, that... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
TILL IT COME OUT AT YOUR NOSTRILS; which meat loathed and violently vomited up frequently doth; AND IT BE LOATHSOME UNTO YOU, being glutted with the abundance of it. Thus God destroys them by granting their desires, and turns even their blessings into curses; whilst he deals much more favourably wit... [ Continue Reading ]
SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND FOOTMEN, fit for war, EXODUS 12:37, besides women, children, &c. That Moses speaks this as doubting or distrusting God's words is evident enough from NUMBERS 11:22,23. And that Moses was not remarkably punished for this as he was afterward for the same sin, NUM 20 next to God's... [ Continue Reading ]
Will they be sufficient for them? or where shall they have more?... [ Continue Reading ]
WAXED SHORT, i.e. less able to work such great and glorious miracles as I have done.... [ Continue Reading ]
MOSES WENT OUT OF THE TABERNACLE, into which he entered to receive God's answers from the mercy-seat, NUMBERS 7:89. THE SEVENTY MEN, either they are called seventy from the stated number, though two of them were lacking, NUMBERS 11:26, as the apostles are called _the twelve_, MATTHEW 26:20, when one... [ Continue Reading ]
RESTED UPON THEM, i.e. not only moved them for a time, but took up his settled abode with them, because the use and end of this gift was not temporary, but perpetual; they prophesied, i.e. discoursed of the word and works of God in a singular and marvellous manner, as the prophets did. So this word... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE CAMP; not going to the tabernacle, as the rest did; either modestly declining that high employment from a tremble sense of their own insufficiency, as Saul did, 1 SAMUEL 10:22; or not having sufficient or seasonable notice to repair thither; or, being detained in the camp and in their dwellin... [ Continue Reading ]
Fearing lest his authority should be diminished by their prophesying; and thereby, as by the signal given at this time, taking authority to themselves without his knowledge and consent.... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE OF HIS YOUNG MEN, or one of his choice ministers, a _chosen_ or excellent person; which may be emphatically added, to note that even great and good men may mistake and misjudge about the works of God. Or, _from his youth_, as the words will bear, and the Chaldee, Syriac, &c. render it. So it may... [ Continue Reading ]
ENVIEST THOU; art thou grieved because the gifts and graces of God are imparted to others besides me? Compare 1 THESSALONIANS 3:26. He saith PROPHETS, not _rulers_, for that he knew was absurd and impossible.... [ Continue Reading ]
Among the people, to exercise the gifts and authority now or formerly received.... [ Continue Reading ]
A WIND FROM THE LORD, i.e. an extraordinary and miraculous wind, both for its vehemency and for its effect QUAILS; a delicious and very nourishing food, which, considering their greedy appetite, and the newness and plenty of it, disposed them to surfeits and other distemper of body, and prepared the... [ Continue Reading ]
STOOD UP, or rather _rose up_, which word is oft used for attempting or beginning to do any business. ALL NIGHT; some at one time, and some at the other, and some, through their greediness or diffidence, at both times. TEN HOMERS, i.e. ten ass loads; which if it seem incredible, you must consider,... [ Continue Reading ]
CHEWED, Heb. _cut off_, to wit, from their mouths, which is here understood, and expressed JOEL 1:5, i.e. ere it was taken away, as the flocks are said to be _cut off from the fold_, HABAKKUK 3:17, when they are lost and perished. The sense is, before they had done eating their quails, which lasted... [ Continue Reading ]
KIBROTH-HATTAAVAH, Heb. _The graves of lust_, i.e. of the men that lusted, as it here follows. The abstract for the concrete, which is frequent; as _poverty_, 2 KINGS 24:14, pride, PSALMS 36:11, _deceit, sins_, PROVERBS 13:6, &c., dreams, JEREMIAH 27:9, are put for men who are poor, or proud, or _de... [ Continue Reading ]
Of which place SEE POOLE ON "NUMBERS 33:17" SEE POOLE ON "DEUTERONOMY 1:1".... [ Continue Reading ]