Numbers 11:3 kjv
And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.
Numbers 11:3 nkjv
So he called the name of the place Taberah, because the fire of the LORD had burned among them.
Numbers 11:3 niv
So that place was called Taberah, because fire from the LORD had burned among them.
Numbers 11:3 esv
So the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the LORD burned among them.
Numbers 11:3 nlt
After that, the area was known as Taberah (which means "the place of burning"), because fire from the LORD had burned among them there.
Numbers 11 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 10:1-2 | ...Nadab and Abihu... offered strange fire... fire came out from the LORD and devoured them. | God's consuming fire as direct judgment for disobedience. |
| Deut 4:24 | For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. | Emphasizes God's nature as consuming fire. |
| Deut 9:3 | ...the LORD your God is he who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them... | God's powerful fire used to consume enemies, also against rebellious Israel. |
| Psa 78:18-21 | ...they put God to the test by demanding the food they craved... so wrath came up against them. | Illustrates God's anger arising from murmuring and demanding desires. |
| Psa 78:30-31 | While the food was still in their mouths, God’s anger rose against them; he put to death the strongest... | God’s sudden judgment during their feasting (later quail event but similar theme). |
| Psa 97:3 | Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side. | God's majesty includes fire consuming adversaries. |
| Psa 106:24-27 | Then they despised the pleasant land... they grumbled in their tents... he lifted his hand and swore... | Israel's long history of complaining leading to divine judgment. |
| Isa 30:27 | ...Behold, the name of the LORD comes from afar, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke. | Depicts God’s wrath expressed through burning fire. |
| Joel 2:3 | Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. | A description of the destructiveness associated with divine judgment. |
| Nah 1:5-6 | The mountains quake before him... His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him. | God's terrible power and fire-like wrath. |
| Mal 3:2 | But who can endure the day of his coming? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. | God's purifying, yet also consuming, fire. |
| Exod 16:2 | ...the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. | Foreshadows the continued pattern of grumbling that prompts judgment. |
| Exod 17:7 | He called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel... | Naming a place based on Israel's strife and testing God. |
| Num 14:27-28 | How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling... as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do. | God explicitly responds to grumbling with severe consequences. |
| Num 16:35 | And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who offered the incense. | Another instance of God's direct fire judgment for rebellion. |
| Num 21:5-6 | And the people spoke against God and against Moses... Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people... | Consequences for speaking against God, including immediate plague/judgment. |
| Gen 28:19 | He called the name of that place Bethel... | Example of naming a place based on a significant event or revelation. |
| Jdg 2:5 | So they called the name of that place Bochim [weepers]. | Naming a place based on an emotional or spiritual event. |
| 1 Cor 10:6-10 | Now these things took place as examples for us... Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed... | New Testament warning against Israel's old testament errors, including grumbling. |
| Heb 12:29 | for our 'God is a consuming fire.' | Reiterates the nature of God, echoing Deut 4:24 in the New Testament. |
| 2 Thess 1:7-8 | ...when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire. | Divine judgment accompanied by flaming fire in the future. |
| 2 Pet 3:7 | But by the same word the heavens and earth... are stored up for fire, reserved for the day of judgment. | Future judgment associated with fire. |
| Jude 1:16 | These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires... | Describes characteristics of grumblers. |
Numbers 11 verses
Numbers 11 3 Meaning
Numbers 11:3 recounts an immediate and severe act of divine judgment. The verse states that Moses named the place "Taberah," meaning "burning," because the Lord's fire consumed part of the camp in response to the people's complaining. This act serves as a stark reminder of God's holiness and His swift reaction to His people's rebellious grumbling against His provision and leadership during their wilderness journey. The fire originated from the Lord, indicating it was not an accidental or natural event, but a direct, punitive action from God Himself.
Numbers 11 3 Context
Numbers chapter 11 opens with the people of Israel, newly encamped at Taberah after a year at Mount Sinai, complaining. While the exact nature of their initial "complaining" in verse 1 is not specified beyond being "displeasing in the hearing of the Lord," it signals a return to the rebellious murmuring seen in Exodus. The immediate divine response is a fiery judgment that consumed the outskirts of the camp. Moses then intercedes, and the fire ceases. Verse 3 concludes this episode by documenting the renaming of the place "Taberah," a perpetual reminder of God's immediate judgment against their unholy dissatisfaction. This incident sets the stage for the more extensive complaints about food (manna vs. meat) and leadership that follow later in the chapter and throughout the wilderness journey. Historically, it reflects the early challenges of governing a vast, newly freed nation whose trust in God and His appointed leaders was often tenuous.
Numbers 11 3 Word analysis
So he called the name: Implies Moses acted on divine instruction or in recognition of a pivotal event. This act of naming served as a memorial, ensuring the event and its spiritual lesson would not be forgotten.
of the place: Refers to the specific geographical location where the fiery judgment occurred, distinguishing it from the entire camp.
Taberah: (תַּבְעֵרָה, Tav'erah) - Derived from the Hebrew root בָּעַר (ba'ar), which means "to burn" or "to consume." The name itself is an active declaration of what happened there, forever associating the location with divine judgment by fire. It serves as a literal memorial.
because the fire: (אֵשׁ, 'esh) - More than just ordinary fire, this is divine fire, sent by God. It denotes holiness, judgment, and sometimes purification or manifestation of God's presence.
of the LORD: (יְהוָה, YHWH) - The covenant name of God, emphasizing that this was a direct, personal act by the sovereign God of Israel. It was not a natural disaster but a supernatural demonstration of His power and authority.
burned: (בָּעֲרָה, ba'arah) - The verb form of the root for "Taberah," reinforcing the immediate and active nature of the fire.
among them: (בָּם, bam) - Indicates the precise location of the judgment – within the camp itself, affecting the people directly, specifically at the "outskirts of the camp" (Num 11:1), those likely furthest from the tabernacle or most easily caught in complaining. This shows God's precision in judgment.
"he called the name of the place Taberah": This phrase highlights the practice in ancient Israel of naming locations to commemorate significant historical or divine events, ensuring that the memory and lessons of those events would be preserved for future generations.
"the fire of the LORD burned among them": This specific phrasing emphasizes the divine origin and nature of the judgment. It was not merely a fire, but the Lord's fire, underscoring the direct and sovereign hand of God in the consequence for the people's rebellion. This contrasts with other fires which might be accidental or of human origin, identifying it distinctly as a manifestation of God's wrath or holiness.
Numbers 11 3 Bonus section
The location "Taberah" is believed to have been close to Kibroth Hattaavah (graves of craving), indicating that these instances of judgment for complaining might have occurred geographically near each other, forming a cluster of painful reminders of Israel's spiritual failures and God's unwavering response. The fire of the LORD here is a foretaste of future divine judgments and even foreshadows the consuming fire of the Day of the Lord or the Great White Throne Judgment where God's ultimate justice will be meted out. This early lesson aimed to cultivate awe and fear of the Lord among His people, serving as a deterrent against future murmuring.
Numbers 11 3 Commentary
Numbers 11:3 succinctly records a critical moment of divine discipline in the wilderness journey. The naming of the place "Taberah," meaning "burning," encapsulates the essence of the event: a direct and decisive act of God's holy fire consuming those who complained. This judgment was a sharp, early warning to Israel, occurring shortly after leaving Sinai, that God would not tolerate their rebellious grumbling. It showcased God's character as a "consuming fire" (Deut 4:24, Heb 12:29) – holy, powerful, and swift in His response to sin. This wasn't merely about personal comfort but demonstrated a profound lack of trust and dissatisfaction with God's perfect leading and provision, provoking His righteous anger. It underscores the severity with which God views disobedience and complaint among His covenant people.