Exodus 14:11 kjv
And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
Exodus 14:11 nkjv
Then they said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?
Exodus 14:11 niv
They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?
Exodus 14:11 esv
They said to Moses, "Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?
Exodus 14:11 nlt
and they said to Moses, "Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren't there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt?
Exodus 14 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 14:10 | ...when Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold... Egyptians marching after them... they cried out to the LORD. | Immediate fear and turning to God (briefly) |
| Exo 14:12 | "Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness." | Echoes the preference for slavery over risk |
| Num 14:1-4 | Then all the congregation raised a loud cry and the people wept... "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! ...Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt." | Repeated grumbling and desire to return |
| Deut 1:27 | and you grumbled in your tents and said, ‘Because the LORD hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us.’ | Accusing God of malice |
| Ps 106:7 | Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea... | Forgetting God's wonders and immediate rebellion |
| Isa 41:10 | "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." | God's reassurance against fear |
| 1 Cor 10:10 | Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. | Warning against grumbling in the New Testament |
| Jude 1:16 | These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires... | Warning against constant complaining |
| Heb 3:7-19 | "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness... their bodies fell in the wilderness." | Warning against hardened hearts and unbelief |
| Deut 8:2 | "And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart..." | Purpose of wilderness as a test |
| Exo 17:3 | But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?" | Similar accusation regarding provision |
| Ps 78:41 | They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel. | Continual testing of God |
| Phil 2:14 | Do all things without grumbling or questioning... | Call to obey without complaining |
| Matt 14:30 | But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." | Peter's similar moment of fear and sinking faith |
| Acts 7:39 | Our fathers refused to obey him, but pushed him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt... | Stephen's sermon on Israel's rebellion |
| Jer 2:6 | They did not say, ‘Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that no one passed through and where no man lived?’ | Later prophecy contrasting forgetfulness of God's provision |
| Neh 9:16-17 | "But they and our fathers acted arrogantly and stiffened their neck... refused to obey, and did not remember the wonders that you performed among them, but stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt." | Later historical recount of stubborn rebellion |
| Rom 8:31 | What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? | Contrast to their despair; God's unwavering support |
| Exo 6:6 | "Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them...'" | God's clear promise of deliverance |
| Deut 7:8 | ...it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand... | Emphasis on God's love and faithfulness |
| Psa 78:12-16 | He performed wonders before their fathers... He divided the sea and let them pass... He led them with a cloud by day... He split rocks in the wilderness... | Remembers God's miracles immediately preceding/following |
| 2 Tim 1:7 | for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. | Divine nature given to believers, contrasting human fear |
Exodus 14 verses
Exodus 14 11 Meaning
Exodus 14:11 records the Israelites' panicked and faithless outcry to Moses, as they face Pharaoh's approaching army with the Red Sea blocking their escape. Their words are a bitter, rhetorical accusation, implying Moses led them out of Egypt to die in the wilderness because Egypt supposedly lacked sufficient graves, highlighting their immediate regret for their freedom and a complete collapse of trust in God’s plan, despite witnessing His mighty acts.
Exodus 14 11 Context
Exodus 14:11 occurs at a critical juncture shortly after the Passover and the hasty departure of the Israelites from Egypt, culminating in God leading them via the pillar of cloud and fire (Exo 13:21-22) to a seemingly dead-end location by the Red Sea (Exo 14:1-2). God intentionally orchestrates this situation, hardening Pharaoh's heart to pursue them, not to destroy Israel, but to demonstrate His glory and secure a complete triumph over Egypt (Exo 14:3-4). The verse directly follows the people's realization of their dire straits (Exo 14:10), caught between the sea and Pharaoh’s rapidly approaching army. Historically, Egyptians placed immense importance on proper burial, evidenced by their elaborate tombs and mummification practices. The Israelites’ sarcastic taunt about “no graves in Egypt” plays on this cultural emphasis, accusing Moses (and by extension, God) of leading them to an undignified death, denying them a fundamental aspect of human dignity according to their worldview, especially compared to the Egyptian concern for afterlife and burial. This accusation reveals their total spiritual amnesia of God's previous miracles and their deep-seated slave mentality, quickly preferring the perceived safety of their former bondage over the uncertain path of freedom led by God. This outburst sets a recurring pattern of grumbling and lack of faith throughout their wilderness journey.
Exodus 14 11 Word analysis
- Then they said: (וַיֹּאמְרוּ, vayyomeru) – Indicates an immediate, collective reaction following the sight of the approaching Egyptian army. This abrupt shift from wonder (following the plagues and exodus) to despair reveals a volatile emotional state and a lack of enduring faith.
- to Moses: (אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, el-Moshe) – The complaint is directed at their human leader, implicitly challenging his divine commission and leadership, making him the direct target of their frustration rather than considering God's plan.
- Is it because there were no graves in Egypt: (הַמִבְּלִי אֵין קְבָרִים בְּמִצְרַיִם, hamib'li ein k'varim b'Mitzrayim) – A highly sarcastic and bitter rhetorical question.
- Mib'li ein: Literally "from no there being" or "because of the lack of." The double negative construction amplifies the sarcasm, implying "Surely there ARE graves in Egypt!"
- K'varim: Hebrew for "graves" or "burial places." The irony is cutting; Egyptians were renowned for their elaborate burials. The implication is that Moses specifically led them to a place where they would die without proper burial, contrasting with the detailed and culturally important Egyptian funerary rites. This expresses a profound fear of an un-dignified end. It's an insult that God (via Moses) cares so little for them.
- that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness?: (לָקַחְתָּנוּ לָמוּת בַּמִּדְבָּר, lakachtanu lamut bammidbar) – An accusation attributing murderous intent to Moses' leadership.
- Lamut: "To die." They perceive their current predicament as certain death.
- Bammidbar: "In the wilderness." The wilderness (midbar) is here seen as a place of desolation and death, not a pathway to the Promised Land or a place of divine testing and provision. This highlights their immediate and physical fear.
- Why have you dealt with us in this way: (מַה-זֹּאת עָשִׂיתָ לָּנוּ, mah-zot asita lanu) – An expression of deep betrayal and indignation. "What is this you have done to us?"
- Asita lanu: "You have done to us." Direct accusation of wronging them.
- to bring us out of Egypt?: (לְהוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם, lehotzianu miMitzrayim) – This is the most shocking part. They question and even regret their liberation. The very act of salvation they prayed for is now resented as the cause of their perceived doom. It implies they would rather have remained slaves than face this terrifying freedom. This suggests they valued physical safety, even in bondage, over spiritual liberty with a seemingly dangerous unknown.
Exodus 14 11 Bonus section
The sharp accusation in Exodus 14:11 represents an anthropocentric (human-centered) view of the crisis. Their concern is entirely about their own bodies and proper burial, demonstrating a disconnect from God's larger redemptive plan and His glory. This contrasts sharply with God's stated purpose for bringing them out (Exo 14:4), which was to demonstrate His power and receive glory over Pharaoh and Egypt. The polemic is thus not just against Moses but implicitly against God's wisdom and sovereign leading. It sets up the divine response that immediately follows, where God demonstrates that His "way" (even if seemingly leading to a dead end) is always perfect for accomplishing His purposes and bringing ultimate salvation and judgment.
Exodus 14 11 Commentary
Exodus 14:11 is a stark and deeply human cry born of terror and profound spiritual shortsightedness. It captures the initial, powerful fear of a recently liberated people facing a seemingly insurmountable obstacle immediately after a monumental deliverance. Despite having just witnessed the devastating plagues upon Egypt and the Passover's saving power, their faith rapidly collapses in the face of their first immediate physical threat. The rhetorical question about graves reflects not only their panic at a perceived ignominious death but also a sarcastic challenge to Moses' wisdom and, implicitly, God’s power and care. Their complaint underscores a pervasive theme in the wilderness narrative: the human tendency to quickly forget God's past faithfulness when faced with present trials, longing for a 'known evil' (slavery) over a 'feared unknown' (God-led freedom). This lament encapsulates a complete failure of faith and foreshadows their recurring cycle of grumbling, discontent, and preference for former bondage throughout their desert journey, revealing the profound spiritual journey of maturing faith beyond initial spectacular signs.