Numbers 11 32

Numbers 11:32 kjv

And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

Numbers 11:32 nkjv

And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp.

Numbers 11:32 niv

All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers. Then they spread them out all around the camp.

Numbers 11:32 esv

And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten homers. And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp.

Numbers 11:32 nlt

So the people went out and caught quail all that day and throughout the night and all the next day, too. No one gathered less than fifty bushels ! They spread the quail all around the camp to dry.

Numbers 11 verses

Numbers 11 32 Meaning

Numbers 11:32 describes the Israelites' immense and tireless effort in gathering the quails God miraculously provided in the wilderness, emphasizing that even those who gathered the least collected an extraordinarily vast quantity, which they then spread out around their camp. This event highlights both the divine abundance of God's provision and the human greed and excess in receiving it, setting the stage for subsequent judgment.

Numbers 11 32 Context

Numbers 11:32 is situated amidst Israel's complaints and God's subsequent response in the wilderness. The immediate preceding context details the Israelites, especially "the mixed multitude," growing weary of manna and developing an intense craving for meat (Num 11:4-6). Their lamentations prompt Moses' own weariness and complaint to God. God then promises to provide meat "a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord" (Num 11:18-20). Moses, doubting how such a vast amount of meat could be provided, is rebuked by God who asks, "Is the LORD's hand waxed short?" (Num 11:23). Following this, a wind sent from the LORD brings an enormous quantity of quails from the sea, dropping them around the camp (Num 11:31).

Historically and culturally, the Israelites were a newly freed nation, wandering in a desolate wilderness, a land naturally scarce of sustained resources for such a large population. Their survival was entirely dependent on divine intervention (manna, water from rock). This dependence, however, often gave way to human impatience, ingratitude, and a desire to return to the perceived 'goodness' of Egypt (Num 11:5), ignoring their bondage. The incident underscores the stark contrast between God's generous provision and the people's insatiable appetites, setting the stage for divine judgment in the very next verse (Num 11:33), where a plague strikes them because of their excessive lust.

Numbers 11 32 Word analysis

• And the people rose (וַיָּקֻמוּ הָעָם - wayyāqūmū hā'ām):
  • wayyāqūmū: Verb, "and they rose" or "and they stood up." Root qum (קָם).
  • Significance: Denotes an immediate, decisive, and collective action. It suggests eagerness and enthusiasm to gather the desired meat, in contrast to their earlier complaints and perceived lethargy regarding the manna.
• all that day, and all the night, and all the next day (כָּל הַיּוֹם הַהוּא וְכָל הַלַּיְלָה וְכֹל יוֹם הַמָּחֳרָת - kāl hayyōm hahū wᵉḵāl hallaylāh wᵉḵōl yōm hammāḥorāt):
  • This phrase emphasizes the relentless, non-stop, and exhaustive nature of their gathering. It speaks to an almost obsessive focus, driven by the intensity of their craving for meat. Their pursuit was not just for sustenance but for extreme indulgence, highlighting their excessive desire (lust) that overshadowed prudent behavior or rest.
• and they gathered (וַיִּלְקְטוּ - wayyilqeṭū):
  • wayyilqeṭū: Verb, "and they gathered," or "they collected." Root laqat (לָקַט).
  • Significance: While laqat can mean "to glean" or gather sparingly, here, in context with the immense quantity, it implies a vigorous, all-consuming collection far beyond what was gathered for the manna (Exod 16). It shows active participation in satisfying their own lust.
• the quails (אֶת הַשְּׂלָו - ’et hašśělāw):
  • hašśělāw: Noun, "the quail" or "quails."
  • Significance: The specific type of bird known for migratory patterns over the Sinai. Their arrival in such quantities demonstrates God's absolute power over nature, fulfilling His promise and demonstrating His might even in judgment. It signifies the direct fulfillment of their fleshly desire.
• he that gathered least (הַמַּמְעִיט לָקַט - hammam'îṭ lāqaṭ):
  • hammam'îṭ: Participle, "the one causing to be little," "the least." Root ma'aṭ (מָעַט).
  • Significance: This hyperbolic phrase intensifies the description. It underscores the incredible abundance of the quails and, more importantly, the extraordinary, minimum effort from the gatherers. Even the least engaged person collected an enormous amount, signaling both divine excess in provision and human excess in acquisition.
• gathered ten homers (עֲשָׂרָה חֳמָרִים - ʿăśārāh ḥomārîm):
  • ḥomārîm: Noun, "homers," a dry measure of capacity. One homer is approximately 220 liters or about 6 US bushels. For context, it was the load for a donkey.
  • Significance: Ten homers is an immense quantity – possibly over two tons in weight, depending on the density calculation. This staggering minimum illustrates the sheer volume of quails available and, more crucially, the extreme, excessive amount the Israelites took. It wasn't just enough; it was grotesquely more than could be eaten or even preserved reasonably, revealing profound gluttony and a lack of trust in God's daily provision.
• and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp (וַיִּשְׁטְחוּ לָהֶם שָׁטוֹחַ סָבִיב לַמַּחֲנֶה - wayyišṭᵉḥû lāhem šāṭôaḥ sāḇîḇ lammaḥăneh):
  • wayyišṭᵉḥû lāhem šāṭôaḥ: "and they spread them out for themselves, spreading out." Root shaṭaḥ (שָׁטַח). The repetition of the root ("infinitive absolute") emphasizes the intensity and thoroughness of the action.
  • sāḇîḇ lammaḥăneh: "round about the camp."
  • Significance: Spreading was typically for drying and preservation. This act confirms their intent for long-term storage, beyond immediate hunger. The sheer quantity necessitated spreading them "round about the camp," implying that vast areas surrounding their settlement were covered in quail. This visual testifies to both the boundless supply by God and the Israelites' immense accumulation fueled by their ravenous craving. It sets the scene for God's impending judgment upon their indulgence.

Numbers 11 32 Bonus section

The Hebrew verb for "spread them abroad" (שׁטח - shaṭaḥ) in conjunction with the infinitive absolute "spreading" (שָׁטוֹחַ - shāṭoaḥ) intensifies the action, signifying not just a simple laying out, but a widespread, deliberate act of covering ground. This wasn't a neat stack; it was an enormous distribution of quail across the landscape surrounding their dwelling place. This immense visible evidence of their excess acted as a poignant prelude to the swift divine judgment, making the link between their unrestrained appetite and its fatal consequence abundantly clear (Num 11:33). It teaches that God can satisfy desires abundantly, even when the desire itself is born of discontent and covetousness, and that such indulgence can itself be the mechanism of divine discipline.

Numbers 11 32 Commentary

Numbers 11:32 graphically portrays the immediate aftermath of God's quail provision, meticulously detailing the Israelites' response. Their tireless activity, "all that day, and all the night, and all the next day," indicates not simple hunger satisfaction, but an intense, driven obsession with gathering the meat. The staggering figure of "ten homers" as the minimum collected by any individual underscores the unprecedented scale of God's supply, but simultaneously highlights the grotesque greed of the people. They gathered far more than could be consumed, extending to the act of spreading them out "round about the camp" for preservation, a desperate attempt to hoard against a perceived future scarcity or to fully satisfy their unchecked craving. This scene, therefore, serves as a profound biblical lesson: God answers prayer, but sometimes He grants desires in a way that exposes the heart of the petitioner, ultimately bringing the requested "meat" and simultaneously delivering "leanness into their soul" (Ps 106:15) due to their lustful disobedience.