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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Numbers 11:31-34

NUMBERS—NOTE ON Numbers 11:31 Quail (small partridges) migrate north across the Sinai Peninsula in the spring and fall, so these were not a regular food item. There were so many quail that anyone could collect at least ten homers (v. Numbers 11:32), roughly 60 bushels (480 dry gallons or 2,200 liters)! The people’s greed was punished by a very great plague (v. Numbers 11:33). It led to many deaths, and the place was named Kibroth-hattaavah, “graves of craving” (v. Numbers 11:34).

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See also Numbers 11:31-34 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    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, Ma...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    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...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    II. THE JOURNEY STARTED: ISRAEL'S UNBELIEF, FAILURE AND PUNISHMENT 1. The Departure and the First Failure CHAPTER 10:11-36 _ 1. The cloud moves (Numbers 10:11)_ 2. The standard of the camp of Juda...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    NUMBERS 11:4 (JE). THE PEOPLE'S LUST FOR FLESH AND MOSES-' COMPLAINT OF HIS EXCESSIVE BURDEN. This section is a combination of two narratives (from J and E), relating (1) a demand of the people for fl...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    WIND. Hebrew. _ruach._ App-9. FALL. Compare Psalms 78:27; Psalms 78:28. A DAY'S JOURNEY. See App-51. CUBITS. See App-51. HIGH UPON. Hebrew. "above"; i.e. "[flying] above", so that they could be ea...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AND THERE WENT FORTH A WIND FROM THE LORD, &C.— See Exodus 16:13. As we have met with no commentator who has explained this passage so well and fully as the author of the observations, we here subjoin...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    E. BITTER EXPERIENCE AT THE GRAVES OF LUST (KIBROTH-HATTAAVAH), vv. 4-35 TEXT Numbers 11:4. And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _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, R...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    11:31 sea, (b-14) Or the west....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    JOURNEYINGS FROM SINAI TO MOAB (NUMBERS 10:11 TO NUMBERS 22:1) After a stay at Sinai of nearly a year (cp. Numbers 10:11 with Exodus 19:1) the s

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    TWO CUBITS _HIGH_ UPON THE FACE OF THE EARTH] The simplest interpretation of these words is that the quails were flying at this height (about 3 ft.) above the ground, which allowed the people to captu...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF NUMBERS IN THE DESERT NUMBERS _MARION ADAMS_ CHAPTER 11 GOD SENDS FIRE – NUMBERS 11:1-3 V1 The people started to complain about their problems. The *LORD heard the

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    AND THERE WENT FORTH A WIND. — In Psalms 78:26 we read thus: “He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.” A south-east wind would bring the quails fro...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ ר֜וּחַ נָסַ֣ע ׀ מֵ אֵ֣ת יְהוָ֗ה וַ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE STRAIN OF THE DESERT JOURNEY Numbers 11:1 THE narrative has accompanied the march of Israel but a short way from the mount of God to some spot marked for an encampment by the ark of the covenant,...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “THE GRAVES OF LUST” Numbers 11:26 It is delightful to note the proof of the nobility of Moses' nature in the answer he gave to the tidings concerning Eldad and Medad. They might not be of the design...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Here we enter upon the second section in the Book of Numbers, in which is revealed the failure of man. The first evidence was discontent, resulting unquestionably from the hardship of life. This was...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Sea; the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. The wind blew from the south-west to the west with respect to Moses, or from the south with respect to Jerusalem, Psalm lxxvii. 26. Many quails are found about...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    If, as some have thought, these quails were the same in nature and genus as the locusts, which came up at the command of GOD into the land of Egypt, the blessing was doubly grateful: that what, in the...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The previous portion of the Book of Numbers, viewed as a history, has evidently a prefatory character, however important and divinely wise. It is in a great measure preparatory for that which we have...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    We are now brought to turn our thoughts in another direction-to see the conduct of the people in the wilderness, and alas! what is it except a history of unfaithfulness and rebellion? Let us add, howe...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole 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, t...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _There went forth a wind from the Lord_ An extraordinary and miraculous wind, both for its vehemency and for its effects. _And brought quails_ So the Hebrew word, שׂלוים, _salvim_, is interpreted by J...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The burning at Taberah quenched by Moses prayer. 4 The people lust for flesh, and loth Manna. 10 Moses complayneth of his charge. 16 God diuideth his burden vnto seuentie Elders. 31 Quailes are...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    QUAILS ARE SENT...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And there went forth a wind from the Lord, a miraculous wind from the southeast, Psalms 78:26, AND BROUGHT QUAILS FROM THE SEA, from the Elanitic Gulf, the eastern branch of the Red Sea, AND LET THEM...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    COMPLAINT ANSWERED BY FIRE (vs.1-3) Israel had reason for profound thanksgiving to the Lord, as believers certainly have today. Yet now they complained (v.1) without any reason for it. It is sad when...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    AS IT WERE A DAYS JOURNEY: _ Heb._ as it were the way of a day...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    31-35 God performed his promise to the people, in giving them flesh. How much more diligent men are in collecting the meat that perishes, than in labouring for meat which endures to everlasting life!...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    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 t...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    Hitherto we have been occupied, in our study of this book, with God's mode of ordering and providing for His people in the wilderness. We have travelled over the first ten Chapter s and seen in them t...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Numbers 11:31 wind H7307 out H5265 (H8804) LORD H3068 brought H1468 (H8799) quail H7958 sea H3220 fluttering...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    YAHWEH PROVIDES MEAT FROM HEAVEN (NUMBERS 11:31). In accordance with His second promise to Moses Yahweh now sent meat from the skies. A ruach (spirit, wind) from Yahweh brought quails to the camp in h...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    TWO CUBITS HIGH UPON THE FACE OF ALL THE EARTH The correct rendering is, "about two cubits above the face of the earth," that is, within reach of the people that they might slay them for food. The st...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Numbers 11:31 Notice: I. The perpetual resurrections of easily besetting sins. (1) Look at the side from which the temptation came. It was distinctly a question of lust. Lust was strong in the people...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Complaints about the manna and the consequences. CHARACTERS: God, Moses, Eldad, Medad, Joshua. CONCLUSION: Though God graciously gives us leave to complain to Him when there is cause, yet...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Numbers 11:7. _The manna._ See Exodus 14:15. and 31. _Bdellium._ See Genesis 2:12; Exodus 28:19....

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _They gathered the quails._ THE QUAILS I. Israel’s complaint. 1. Its object was food. 2. Its nature was intense. “Fell a lusting.” 3. It was general. 4. It was accompanied with tears. A faint, w...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES Numbers 11:1. “_And when the people complained,”_ etc. Margin: “the people were, as it were, complainers.” _Speaker’s Comm_.: “And the people were as those that complai...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION KIBROTH HATTAAVAH (Numbers 11:4). NUMBERS 11:4 THE MIXED MULTITUDE. Hebrew, _ha_-_saphsuph, _the gathered; the rift-raft, or rabble, which had followed the fortunes of Israel out of Egypt...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    This time let's turn to Numbers chapter eleven. In reading Numbers eleven through twenty, I see a pattern emerging, a pattern of chronic complaining, as the people are now complaining against the Lord...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Exodus 10:13; Exodus 10:19; Exodus 15:10; Exodus 16:13; Psalms 105:40

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    A wind from the Lord — An extraordinary and miraculous wind both for its vehemency and for its effects. Quails — God gave them quails once before, Exodus 16:13, but neither in the same quantity, nor w...

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    How could God bring judgment on the people for eating the quail that He provided? PROBLEM: God miraculously provided quail for the people to eat. However, the wrath of the Lord was aroused against th...

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