Exodus 16 3

Exodus 16:3 kjv

And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

Exodus 16:3 nkjv

And the children of Israel said to them, "Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

Exodus 16:3 niv

The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."

Exodus 16:3 esv

and the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

Exodus 16:3 nlt

"If only the LORD had killed us back in Egypt," they moaned. "There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death."

Exodus 16 verses

Exodus 16 3 Meaning

Exodus 16:3 records the profound complaint of the Israelites against Moses and Aaron, articulating their regret at leaving Egypt and their desperate fear of dying from hunger in the Wilderness of Sin. They expressed a preference for the perceived abundance and a swift, divine death in Egypt over a drawn-out starvation in the wilderness, directly blaming their leaders for their plight. This statement reveals a profound lack of faith, selective memory regarding their prior slavery, and a swift abandonment of trust in God’s provision after the Red Sea deliverance.

Exodus 16 3 Context

Exodus chapter 16 marks the Israelites' journey from Elim to the Wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Sinai, in the second month after their departure from Egypt. Having been miraculously delivered from slavery and crossing the Red Sea (Exod 14), and then having sweet water provided at Marah (Exod 15), this episode records the people's next, and more intense, outpouring of complaint. Just a few weeks into their freedom, the memory of God's mighty acts has faded in the face of perceived deprivation. This murmuring occurs before God provides manna and quail, setting the stage for one of the most significant sustained miracles of provision in the Old Testament, which addresses their specific fear of hunger. The historical context shows a transition from structured (though enslaved) living in Egypt to the unpredictable and barren environment of the desert. The Israelites, unaccustomed to such dependence on immediate divine provision, quickly succumbed to fear and despair when their basic physical needs seemed threatened, romanticizing their past bondage in Egypt and directing their frustration towards Moses and Aaron as the visible agents of their perceived misfortune.

Exodus 16 3 Word analysis

• And the children of Israel: Refers to the entire collective community, highlighting a widespread and communal discontent, not merely isolated individuals. This demonstrates a deep-seated spiritual issue within the newly freed nation.
• said unto them: Directed specifically at Moses and Aaron, the divinely appointed leaders. This shows a direct challenge to their authority, which, by extension, was a challenge to God's leadership of the nation.
• Would to God: (Hebrew: לוּ, lû) Expresses a strong, emotional, and lamenting wish, "If only" or "Would that." It conveys profound regret and a desire for an alternative reality, even a fatal one. It underscores their utter despair.
• we had died: The ultimate expression of their current distress, indicating that they perceived their present circumstances to be worse than death itself.
• by the hand of the LORD: An ironic plea. They imply a quick, "clean," or direct death from God would be preferable to what they envisioned as a slow, agonizing death by hunger. It also indicates a faint recognition of God's power, even as they challenge His goodness and care. This desire for divine judgment over their current hardship reveals the depth of their fear and misperception of God's loving hand.
• in the land of Egypt: Contrasts their idealized memory of Egypt with the desolate reality of the wilderness. They had conveniently forgotten the oppressive slavery.
• when we sat by the fleshpots: (Hebrew: סִיר הַבָּשָׂר, sir habbasar) This vivid imagery evokes a sense of comfort, abundance, and satiety from their past. The "fleshpots" suggest regular access to meat, a luxury for many. This is a highly selective and distorted memory of their lives as slaves, where their reality was hardship and forced labor. This "fleshpots" nostalgia indirectly critiques the God of Israel by suggesting Egypt, despite its bondage, provided better sustenance. This is a polemic against Yahweh as provider, implying the Egyptian agricultural system and their pagan gods of fertility were superior providers.
• and when we did eat bread to the full: (Hebrew: לֶחֶם לָשׂבַע, lechem lasova) Reinforces the idea of ample food and complete satisfaction in Egypt. Their current hunger makes their memory of the past exaggeratedly positive. It highlights the basic need they felt was now denied.
• for ye have brought us forth: A direct and bitter accusation leveled against Moses and Aaron. They displace the responsibility from God, who truly brought them out, onto their human leaders, viewing Moses and Aaron as the originators of their suffering rather than God's instruments.
• into this wilderness: The desolate, barren landscape where their current hardship is evident. For the Israelites, this represented a place of desolation, death, and lack of sustenance.
• to kill this whole assembly with hunger: The perceived evil intent of Moses and Aaron. This hyperbole expresses their ultimate fear and accusation, projecting a murderous motive onto their leaders and denying God's continued ability to sustain them. "Whole assembly" (כָּל-הַקָּהָל, kol haqqahal) emphasizes the comprehensive nature of their imagined demise.

• "Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt": This phrase reveals not only deep despair but also a shocking preference for a perceived 'easy' death over living through hardship under God's ongoing, yet challenging, provision. It's a rejection of God's active, salvific will.
• "when we sat by the fleshpots, and when we did eat bread to the full": This is a powerful expression of selective memory, a common human tendency to idealize a difficult past. They remembered the comforts of Egypt's diet, while conveniently forgetting the painful reality of their brutal slavery under Pharaoh, showcasing ingratitude and a lack of faith in the Deliverer. This contrasts their desire for physical satiation with the spiritual freedom God provided.
• "for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger": This accusatory phrase epitomizes their blame-shifting and lack of trust. By targeting Moses and Aaron, they implicitly question God's divine guidance and power, implying a malevolent intent behind their liberation, effectively denying God's benevolent plan and protection.

Exodus 16 3 Bonus section

The grumbling in Exodus 16 is part of a recurring pattern of testing in the wilderness that revealed the true nature of Israel’s heart. Despite witnessing ten plagues and the Red Sea miracle, their faith was superficial, tied to immediate physical comfort rather than deep trust in their Deliverer. Their lament about "dying by the hand of the LORD" rather than starvation also reflects a common ancient desire for a quick death by divine action, often seen as less humiliating than slow, agonizing death from natural causes or enemy action. This episode is crucial in the biblical narrative as it immediately precedes the provision of manna, establishing God’s consistent, miraculous provision in the wilderness, thereby underscoring that His people are sustained by Him, not by their own efforts or past circumstances. This reliance on God's provision ultimately prefigures the true bread of life in the New Testament.

Exodus 16 3 Commentary

Exodus 16:3 starkly illustrates the human propensity for quickly forgetting divine deliverance when new challenges arise. Fresh from the miraculous Red Sea crossing and Marah, the Israelites, within weeks, fixated on physical hunger and grumbled against their God-appointed leaders. Their lament reveals a warped nostalgia for Egypt, idealizing the "fleshpots" and "bread to the full" while conveniently suppressing the memory of bitter slavery and oppression. This grumbling wasn't just a physical complaint; it was a spiritual rebellion, an accusation against God's loving care, implicitly asserting that the comforts of their past bondage were preferable to the perceived deprivations of their newfound freedom under Yahweh’s guidance. This episode serves as a powerful biblical warning against discontent, selective memory, and the danger of losing sight of God's faithfulness in the face of temporary hardship, inviting believers to trust His sovereign plan and provision over fleeting desires. Practically, this verse encourages remembering God's past mercies, acknowledging His sovereignty, and choosing gratitude and faith over murmuring and despair when circumstances become difficult.