Numbers 11:31 kjv
And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.
Numbers 11:31 nkjv
Now a wind went out from the LORD, and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp, about a day's journey on this side and about a day's journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the ground.
Numbers 11:31 niv
Now a wind went out from the LORD and drove quail in from the sea. It scattered them up to two cubits deep all around the camp, as far as a day's walk in any direction.
Numbers 11:31 esv
Then a wind from the LORD sprang up, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the ground.
Numbers 11:31 nlt
Now the LORD sent a wind that brought quail from the sea and let them fall all around the camp. For miles in every direction there were quail flying about three feet above the ground.
Numbers 11 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 16:13 | In the evening quails came up and covered the camp... | Earlier divine provision of quails and manna. |
| Ps 78:26-29 | He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens... He rained meat on them... He let it fall in the midst of their camp... So they ate and were well filled... | Recalls quail provision and the people's satiety. |
| Ps 78:30-31 | But while the food was still in their mouths, the wrath of God rose against them... | Direct consequence: divine wrath following craving. |
| Ps 105:40 | They asked, and he brought quail... | Affirmation of God answering Israel's desire for meat. |
| Num 11:4 | The rabble... had a strong craving... | Immediately precedes 11:31, context of Israel's sin. |
| Num 11:18-20 | Say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat... not for one day... but for a whole month...’ | God's promised excessive provision due to their craving. |
| Num 11:33 | While the meat was still between their teeth... the wrath of the LORD blazed... | Immediacy of the ensuing judgment after their feasting. |
| Deut 8:3 | He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna... that he might make you know... | God's purpose for providing manna was for their spiritual growth, contrasting their demand for meat. |
| Deut 9:7-8 | Remember and do not forget how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness... also at Taberah, Massah, and Kibroth-hattaavah... | The entire wilderness journey marked by rebellion and God's wrath, including Kibroth-hattaavah (where 11:31 occurs). |
| Amos 4:9-10 | I struck you with blight and mildew... I sent among you a pestilence... yet you did not return to me. | God using nature (pestilence, wind) as instruments of judgment. |
| Hag 2:17 | I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight... yet you did not return to me. | Reminder that even seemingly natural occurrences can be divine judgment. |
| Neh 9:20-21 | You gave your good Spirit to instruct them... You withheld not your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst... | Contrasts God's gracious provision with Israel's ingratitude. |
| Job 38:22-23 | Have you entered the storehouses of the snow... for the time of trouble... | God's control over meteorological phenomena used for divine purpose, including judgment. |
| Jer 5:22 | Do you not fear me? declares the LORD... I placed the sand as the bound for the sea... | God's absolute power and sovereignty over the elements. |
| Jon 1:4 | But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea... | Demonstrates God's direct control over winds and seas. |
| Lk 12:29-30 | And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink... For all the nations of the world seek after these things... | Warning against excessive anxiety and seeking worldly provisions above God's kingdom. |
| 1 Cor 10:6 | These things happened as examples for us, that we might not desire evil things as they did. | New Testament admonition against succumbing to evil desires like Israel's craving for meat. |
| Heb 3:7-11 | Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness... | Connects Israel's wilderness rebellion and unbelief to hardened hearts. |
| Phil 3:19 | Their end is destruction, their god is their belly... | Those whose "god is their belly" often meet destructive ends, echoing the outcome at Kibroth-hattaavah. |
| 1 Jn 2:16 | For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh... is not from the Father... | General principle of sinful desire, underlying Israel's demand. |
| Jude 1:16 | These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires... | Characterizes those who resemble the grumbling Israelites driven by carnal desires. |
Numbers 11 verses
Numbers 11 31 Meaning
Numbers 11:31 describes the immediate divine response to the Israelites' insistent craving for meat in the wilderness. A wind, sent by the LORD, miraculously brought immense quantities of quails from the sea, scattering them around the camp in a thick layer, providing meat in an unprecedented and overwhelming measure, precisely as promised yet foreshadowing severe consequences for their covetousness. This swift and abundant provision highlights God's power and faithfulness to His word, even as His wrath began to stir against their rebellious complaints.
Numbers 11 31 Context
Numbers chapter 11 opens with the Israelites complaining against the LORD for various hardships, leading to a consuming fire. Their lament soon devolves into a desperate craving for meat, remembering the diverse diet they enjoyed in Egypt, a lament that reflects profound ingratitude for the manna God had miraculously provided daily. Moses, overwhelmed by their incessant grumbling and the burden of leadership, voices his own exasperation to God. In response, God promises to give the people so much meat that they would eventually loathe it, a promise indicating both abundant provision and a looming judgment. Verse 31 describes the swift, supernatural fulfillment of this promise. Historically, this event took place at a place later named Kibroth-hattaavah, "graves of craving," signaling the severe consequences that immediately followed this overwhelming provision due to the people's intense lust.
Numbers 11 31 Word analysis
- Now there went forth (וְרוּחַ֙ נָסְעָ֣ה, ve'ruach nasa'ah):
- וְרוּחַ֙ (ve'ruach): "And a wind" or "and a spirit." Here, primarily "wind" (physical force) but ruach frequently implies divine agency, power, or presence in Scripture (e.g., Gen 1:2, "Spirit of God"; Ex 10:13, "east wind"). This is no mere natural phenomenon.
- נָסְעָ֣ה (nasa'ah): "went forth," "moved," "blew." Implies active motion or departure. Its use here indicates the direct, intentional commencement of the wind's activity.
- from the LORD (מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה, me'et YHWH):
- מֵאֵ֣ת (me'et): "from with" or "from the presence of." Emphasizes the immediate, direct, and purposeful source.
- יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH): The personal covenant name of God, highlighting His active involvement, sovereignty, and personal execution of judgment/provision. It's not a general "god" but the specific God of Israel.
- and it brought (וַיָּגֶ֤ז, vayyagez): "and He made fly" or "and He brought." This specific verb gazaz is related to cutting or shearing, which, when applied to flight, denotes a swift, decisive movement of flight or removal. Here, it conveys that God actively caused the quails to arrive, not that they simply migrated.
- quails (שְׂלָו֙, selav): The specific bird, Coturnix coturnix (common quail), known for its migratory patterns, which are seasonal and typically in spring/autumn, making their sudden, immense appearance unusual and miraculous.
- from the sea (מִן־הַיָּ֔ם, min-hayyam): Indicates the vast source of the birds, reinforcing the miraculous nature and immense quantity, as quails could use prevailing winds over the sea during migration.
- and let them fall (וַיִּטֹּשׁ֙, vayyittosh): "and He cast/threw down." The verb natash implies casting down with force or scattering. This wasn't a gentle landing but an overwhelming deposit, causing them to land exhaustedly or even dead.
- beside the camp (עַל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה, al-hammahaneh): "upon the camp" or "alongside the camp." Signifies the immediate vicinity where the Israelites resided, making the provision directly accessible.
- about a day's journey on this side and about a day's journey on the other side (כְּדֶ֚רֶךְ י֣וֹם לָכֵ֔ן וּכְדֶ֥רֶךְ יוֹם כֹּה֙, ke'derekh yom lakhen u'ke'derekh yom koh):
- כְּדֶ֚רֶךְ י֣וֹם (ke'derekh yom): "like a day's journey." A significant distance, approximately 15-20 miles (24-32 km) for foot travel. This denotes the immense radius of the quail fall.
- around the camp (סְבִיב֣וֹת הַמַּחֲנֶ֔ה, sevivot hammahaneh): Reinforces the comprehensive spread surrounding the entire encampment.
- and about two cubits (וּכְאַמָּתַ֖יִם, u'che'ammatayim):
- אַמָּתַ֖יִם (ammatayim): Dual form of ammah (cubit). A cubit is the length from elbow to fingertip, roughly 18-21 inches (45-53 cm). Two cubits would be approximately 3-3.5 feet (90-106 cm). This measurement, specifically above the surface, is crucial.
- above the surface of the ground (עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ, al-penei ha'aretz):
- פְּנֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ (penei ha'aretz): "face of the earth" or "surface of the ground." Clarifies that the quails were piled up, not just scattered, enabling easy gathering.
Numbers 11 31 Bonus section
The detail of the quails lying "about two cubits above the surface of the ground" has often been interpreted in two primary ways by commentators. Firstly, it could mean the quails were flying so low (breast height to a person standing) that they could be easily caught. Secondly, and more commonly understood, it describes a layer or pile of quails that covered the ground to that height. This latter interpretation reinforces the immense, almost unbelievable, quantity of birds provided, far beyond what any typical migratory flight could produce naturally, turning a natural phenomenon into an extraordinary supernatural act. Such an immense number also implies the ease of gathering for the Israelites, yet the sheer excess pointed towards the judgment to follow, transforming abundance into surfeit, a blessing into a curse because of their ungrateful, demanding hearts. The precise Hebrew term natash ("let fall," "cast") could also imply the quails were flung to the ground exhausted or even dead, making collection even easier. This miraculous delivery serves as a vivid reminder that God’s methods are not limited by natural boundaries, but also that His fulfillment of a sinful desire can be a part of His judgment.
Numbers 11 31 Commentary
Numbers 11:31 unveils the awesome, albeit terrifying, power of God responding to His people's insatiable craving. The "wind from the LORD" signifies not a natural occurrence, but a divinely commanded force, directly controlled by YHWH. The verb "brought" (vayyagez) suggests a rapid, forceful delivery of the quails, overwhelming them onto the land. The sheer quantity—covering a day's journey in every direction from the camp and piled two cubits high—was monumental, far exceeding any practical need or expectation. This abundance served dual purposes: to unequivocally fulfill God's promise to "give meat...a whole month" (Num 11:20) and to demonstrate the immense cost of rebellious covetousness. The provision was miraculous in its source ("from the sea"), its scale, and its immediate delivery. This event at Kibroth-hattaavah ('graves of craving') vividly illustrates that God, in His sovereign power, can give even what sinful hearts desire, yet in His judgment, He may do so to their detriment, proving that not all answered prayers are blessings when rooted in ungodly desires. It shows God's control extends over all creation, fulfilling His word perfectly, whether for blessing or judgment.