Numbers 11 10

Numbers 11:10 kjv

Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.

Numbers 11:10 nkjv

Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of the LORD was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased.

Numbers 11:10 niv

Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents. The LORD became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled.

Numbers 11:10 esv

Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the LORD blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased.

Numbers 11:10 nlt

Moses heard all the families standing in the doorways of their tents whining, and the LORD became extremely angry. Moses was also very aggravated.

Numbers 11 verses

Numbers 11 10 Meaning

Numbers 11:10 depicts a critical moment where the Israelites, despite God's constant provision, openly and publicly expressed deep discontent. They were weeping throughout their family units, positioned defiantly at the entrance of their tents, lamenting their conditions and longing for Egypt. This widespread, public, and collective act of ingratitude provoked God's intense anger and caused significant distress and anguish for Moses, who perceived their actions as gravely wrong and detrimental.

Numbers 11 10 Context

Numbers chapter 11 opens with a fresh wave of discontent among the Israelites after they had complained, leading to divine fire at Taberah. Despite God's ongoing miraculous provision of manna, the mixed multitude and then all the Israelites develop an intense craving for meat, remembering the fish and produce of Egypt. This lament, expressed through collective weeping by families at their tent doors, signifies a profound and defiant rejection of God's present provision and His leadership. They are not merely hungry but are despising the manna (Num 11:6) and longing for a return to Egypt's bondage, overlooking the freedom and covenant with God. Moses, serving as the mediator, feels the immense pressure of their grievances, culminating in his personal anguish described in this verse and his subsequent cry to God (Num 11:11-15). This scene directly precedes God's judgment by sending quail and the subsequent plague at Kibroth Hattaavah (Num 11:31-34), illustrating the grave consequences of their faithlessness and rebellion.

Numbers 11 10 Word analysis

• Then Moses heard (va-yishma Mosheh): Indicates a direct auditory perception by Moses. As their leader, he was the primary recipient of the people's collective wailing, signifying the depth of his responsibility and burden. It highlights his mediatorial role between God and the people.
• the people (ha'am) weeping (bochim): Ha'am refers to the entire Israelite community, emphasizing the widespread nature of the lament. Bochim (weeping) is stronger than mere grumbling; it implies a deep, emotional expression of sorrow, lament, and distress, yet here, it is directed against God and His provision.
• throughout their families (le-mishpechotav): The root mishpachah refers to family units or clans. This indicates that the weeping was organized and comprehensive, pervading the entire social structure of Israel. It was not isolated individual complaints but a widespread, communal act.
• each person (ish) at the door (petach) of his tent (ohelo): Ish means 'man' or 'person', signifying that every individual participated. Petach ohel (tent door) was a semi-private space, yet here, it becomes a public forum for their display of discontent, turning what should have been a space of family order into one of public rebellion. This was an open act of defiance.
• and the anger (af) of the LORD (Adonai) burned (charah) greatly (me'od): Af literally means 'nostril' and often refers to wrath or anger. Charah means 'to glow' or 'to burn,' denoting intense heat. Me'od means 'very' or 'greatly'. This vivid anthropomorphic imagery depicts God's righteous indignation as an intense, blazing fire, a divine response to their ingratitude and defiance.
• and in Moses' eyes (b'einei Mosheh) it was evil (ra): Ra encompasses a range of meanings from 'bad', 'evil', 'distressing', 'unpleasant', to 'calamitous'. For Moses, their actions were not merely annoying but deeply distressing, morally wrong, harmful, and spiritually offensive to God. It highlights Moses' empathetic connection to God's perspective and his distress over the moral corruption among the people.

Numbers 11 10 Bonus section

The deep-seated nature of the Israelites' lament, reaching every family, implies that the initial complaint from the "rabble" (Num 11:4) quickly spread like a contagion through the entire camp. The contrast between God's miraculous manna (food of angels, Psa 78:25) and the people's longing for "flesh" (meat), cucumber, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic from Egypt (Num 11:5), signifies not just a dietary preference but a spiritual malaise: despising heavenly provision for worldly gratification. This specific instance of rebellion at Kibroth Hattaavah (Graves of Craving) served as a profound historical precedent for Israel's recurring cycle of unfaithfulness and its consequences throughout the Old Testament narratives. It foreshadows their deeper spiritual idolatry and their tendency to reject God's guidance and provision.

Numbers 11 10 Commentary

Numbers 11:10 is a pivotal verse capturing the spiritual decay of Israel in the wilderness and the profound burden placed upon Moses. The people's weeping was a demonstration of a spiritual malady – an ingratitude that bordered on rebellion. They had seen God's miracles and lived by His daily provision, yet they fixated on what they lacked, demonstrating a perverse nostalgia for the perceived abundance of their past enslavement in Egypt rather than valuing their present freedom and relationship with God. Their public display of grief at their tent doors underscored the corporate nature of their discontent and their defiance, not just complaining to Moses but implicitly against God Himself. This deep-seated unfaithfulness ignited God's "great anger," which is always a righteous response to sin and a rejection of His goodness. Concurrently, Moses experienced the gravity of their sin as "evil" and deeply distressing. This verse beautifully portrays the divine wrath in response to human rebellion, and the immense pressure borne by God's chosen leader who also perceives the depth of their spiritual depravity and its perilous consequences. It serves as a somber reminder of how quickly murmuring can escalate into a grievous offense, incurring divine displeasure.