Numbers 11 20

Numbers 11:20 kjv

But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

Numbers 11:20 nkjv

but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the LORD who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, "Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?" ' "

Numbers 11:20 niv

but for a whole month?until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it?because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?"?'?"

Numbers 11:20 esv

but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before him, saying, "Why did we come out of Egypt?"'"

Numbers 11:20 nlt

You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it. For you have rejected the LORD, who is here among you, and you have whined to him, saying, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?"'"

Numbers 11 verses

Numbers 11 20 Meaning

Numbers 11:20 reveals God's severe judgment upon the Israelites for their intense craving for meat, lamenting their escape from Egypt, and consequently despising Him. God promises to provide them with meat in such abundance that it would become repugnant, serving as a consequence for their rejection of His very presence and His redemptive act. This experience would lead to extreme disgust, making them regret their demand.

Numbers 11 20 Context

Numbers chapter 11 opens with the Israelites complaining, described as "grumbling" and "crying." Their initial complaint against God regarding their hardship incurred divine fire. Despite this, a deeper rebellion, stirred by a "rabble" or "mixed multitude" (Num 11:4) among them, quickly led to an insatiable craving for meat, having grown weary of the manna God miraculously provided. They began to weep openly, lamenting their departure from the perceived material comforts of Egyptian slavery and questioning God's wisdom in leading them out. This grievance deeply grieved Moses, leading him to express his despair to God. Numbers 11:20 is God's direct and stern response to this widespread and persistent murmuring, explicitly linking their craving for meat and regret over leaving Egypt to a profound rejection of Him who was uniquely present among them. It sets the stage for the dramatic, yet disciplinary, provision of quails and the ensuing plague, emphasizing God's wrath against a faithless and ungrateful people.

Numbers 11 20 Word analysis

• but for a whole month (עַד־חֹ֕דֶשׁ יָמִ֑ים - ad-chodesh yamim): This phrase emphasizes the duration and intensity of the judgment. Chodesh (month, new moon) indicates a full cycle of time, not a momentary experience. The judgment will not be fleeting but prolonged, designed to embed a lasting memory of divine discipline and the consequence of unchecked desires.
• until it comes out at your nostrils (עַד אֲשֶׁר־יֵצֵ֥א לָכֶ֖ם מֵאַפְּכֶ֑ם - ad asher yetzei lakem me'apchem): This vivid, almost grotesque, imagery signifies extreme overindulgence and ultimate revulsion. It suggests an unbearable, nauseating fullness, beyond mere satiety, to the point of sickness and regurgitation through the most direct anatomical opening connected to their intake. It paints a picture of being physically ill from their desired meat.
• and becomes loathsome to you (וְהָיָ֥ה לָכֶ֖ם לְזָרָֽא - vehayah lakem lezara): The Hebrew word zara conveys intense disgust, abhorrence, or even nausea. It denotes a turning of the stomach and a deep aversion. This is the desired outcome of God's judgment: the very object they coveted beyond measure will become an object of deep disgust, teaching them the folly of their desire.
• because you have rejected the Lord (יַ֕עַן כִּֽי־מְאַסְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־יְהוָה֙ - ya'an ki me'astem et-YHWH): Ma'astem (rejected, despised, scorned) is a strong verb indicating a deep spiritual rebellion. Their sin was not merely craving meat but rejecting God Himself. This elevates their physical hunger to a profound spiritual apostasy. They found God's provision and presence insufficient and unworthy of their allegiance.
• who is among you (אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֑ם - asher beqirbəkem): Beqirb (in your midst, within you) underscores the egregious nature of their rejection. God was not distant; He manifested His presence tangibly through the pillar of cloud and fire, through the Tabernacle, and through His direct provision of manna. Their contempt was for a present, immanent God, heightening the severity of their sin.
• and have wept before Him (וַתִּבְכּ֣וּ לְפָנָ֗יו - vativku lefanav): Their weeping was not repentance or sorrow for sin, but self-pitying lament and a defiant craving, aimed at God rather than to Him in submission. It was an accusatory weeping, demonstrating a profound lack of gratitude and trust.
• saying, ‘Why did we ever come out of Egypt?’ (לֵאמֹ֑ר לָ֧מָּה זֶּ֣ה יָצָאנוּ מִמִּצְצְרָֽיִם - lemor lamah zeh yatsanu mimitzrayim): This question represents the pinnacle of their unbelief and rejection of God's redemptive work. They preferred the guaranteed food of slavery over the miraculous freedom and provision of God, displaying a complete dismissal of His purpose and a nostalgic idealization of their bondage. It is an indictment of God's act of deliverance.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "rejected the Lord who is among you": This phrase encapsulates the central offense. It wasn't just discontent; it was a profound personal affront to the living, present God. They effectively said, "We do not want You or Your way, even though You are here with us." This shows a lack of value for God's immanent holiness and saving power.
• "have wept before Him, saying, ‘Why did we ever come out of Egypt?’": This coupling reveals their corrupted state of heart. Their lament was rebellious, seeking to revert to spiritual and physical bondage. It represents the failure to appreciate true freedom and to trust in God's leading, choosing immediate, tangible satisfaction over eternal deliverance and divine companionship.

Numbers 11 20 Bonus section

The episode recorded in Numbers 11, culminating in this verse and its fulfillment, becomes known as Kibroth Hattaavah, meaning "graves of craving." This name itself serves as a perpetual memorial to the perils of greed and dissatisfaction with God's perfect provision. The "mixed multitude" (Num 11:4) are noted as initiating the strong cravings, suggesting that outside influences or weaker members can easily corrupt the spiritual purity of the community. God's disciplinary act here prefigures a spiritual truth found in the New Testament: living according to the flesh leads to death (Rom 8:13), while pursuing "godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Tim 6:6). This passage powerfully reminds us that even desirable things can become destructive when sought outside of God's will and purpose.

Numbers 11 20 Commentary

Numbers 11:20 lays bare God's righteous indignation in response to Israel's unholy craving and blatant rejection. It highlights that God, though patient, is just and will hold His people accountable. Their desire for meat, innocent in itself, became sinful when it was borne of discontent, expressed in rebellious weeping, and ultimately rooted in a deep-seated contempt for God's provision and presence. God grants their desire, not out of blessing, but as a punitive measure, to expose the hollowness of their carnal cravings and demonstrate that true satisfaction is found only in Him. This act serves as a profound lesson that desiring worldly things above God or His purposes often leads to their bitterest and most repulsive fulfillment. It illustrates that "leanness into their soul" (Ps 106:15) accompanies receiving desires wrongly.