Numbers 21:5 kjv
And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
Numbers 21:5 nkjv
And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread."
Numbers 21:5 niv
they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!"
Numbers 21:5 esv
And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food."
Numbers 21:5 nlt
and they began to speak against God and Moses. "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?" they complained. "There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!"
Numbers 21 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 15:24 | And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? | People murmured shortly after crossing the Red Sea. |
| Exo 16:2 | ...the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: | Grumbling over lack of food before Manna was given. |
| Exo 16:3 | And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt...for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill us... | Wishing for death in Egypt, similar complaint here. |
| Exo 17:3 | And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt...? | Grumbling over water, challenging Moses' leadership. |
| Num 11:1 | And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it... | Early complaint leading to fire from the Lord. |
| Num 11:4-6 | ...the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish...cucumbers...melons...but now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes. | Despising manna, longing for Egyptian food. |
| Num 14:2-3 | And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt!... | Rebellion after report from spies, similar sentiment. |
| Num 14:27-30 | How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel...Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness. | God's judgment on murmuring, dying in the wilderness. |
| Num 16:11 | ...ye gather yourselves together against the Lord: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him? | Murmuring against God's appointed leaders. |
| Deut 8:2-3 | And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness...to make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. | God's purpose in the wilderness, trust beyond physical. |
| Psa 78:18-20 | And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust...they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?... | Israelites' unbelief and challenging God's power. |
| Psa 78:24-25 | And had rained down manna upon them for to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full. | Description of Manna as heavenly, plentiful food. |
| Psa 106:24-25 | Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord. | Murmuring linked to despising God's promises and land. |
| Psa 107:4-5 | They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. | Reflects genuine hardship but also contrast with their complaint. |
| Psa 107:8-9 | Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!...for he satisfieth the longing soul... | Call to praise for God's provision, in contrast. |
| 1 Cor 10:9 | Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. | NT warning against testing God, connecting to Num 21. |
| 1 Cor 10:10 | Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. | NT warning against murmuring, directly paralleled. |
| Phil 2:14 | Do all things without murmurings and disputings: | General command against murmuring in the New Covenant. |
| Jude 1:16 | These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts... | Describes the character of ungodly murmurers. |
| John 6:31-33 | Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. | Jesus redefines Manna as foreshadowing Him, the True Bread. |
| John 6:48-51 | I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread... | Contrasts physical manna with the life-giving nature of Christ. |
Numbers 21 verses
Numbers 21 5 Meaning
This verse captures the Israelites' renewed complaint against God and Moses. They voiced a questioning accusation, asking why they were brought out of Egypt only to perish in the wilderness due to a perceived lack of basic provisions like ordinary bread and water. Crucially, their complaint culminated in expressing utter disgust and revulsion for the manna, God's miraculous daily provision, which they disparagingly called "this light bread." This profound ingratitude reveals a deep-seated spiritual rebellion, a failure of trust, and a yearning for the perceived comforts of their past slavery over God's sustained miraculous care.
Numbers 21 5 Context
This complaint in Numbers 21:5 occurs relatively late in the Israelites' forty-year wilderness journey. Prior to this, the narrative describes a victory against the king of Arad, resulting in the complete destruction of their cities (Num 21:1-3). Following this success, the Israelites began to bypass the land of Edom, which involved taking a longer, more circuitous route (Num 21:4). This "much way" or challenging detour led to deep frustration among the people. The exhaustion and weariness of the journey, coupled with the recurring discomforts of wilderness life, reignited their deep-seated pattern of distrust and grumbling against divine leadership and provision, echoing similar rebellions earlier in their history.
Numbers 21 5 Word analysis
- spake against (Hebrew: dābar `al, דָּבַר עַל): This is stronger than a simple complaint. It signifies speaking against someone or something, indicating accusation, contention, and a direct challenge to authority. It conveys a rebellious spirit, not just hardship.
- God (Hebrew: Elohim, אֱלֹהִים): The complaint is primarily directed at their divine Liberator and Sustainer. This indicates a direct challenge to His sovereignty, power, and faithfulness, accusing Him of negligence and malevolence.
- Moses: As God's appointed human leader and intermediary, Moses bore the brunt of their discontent. Speaking against Moses was an indirect attack on God's chosen authority.
- Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt: This rhetorical question is a grave indictment. It denies the redemptive purpose of the Exodus, viewing their liberation not as freedom, but as a trap leading to destruction. It suggests they regretted their salvation from slavery.
- to die in the wilderness?: This hyperbole reflects deep despair and fear. It reveals a profound lack of trust in God's continuous care and protection, despite His miracles. They envisioned a purposeless death rather than a divinely guided journey to the Promised Land.
- for there is no bread, neither is there any water: This is an assertion that ignores the continuous miracle of the manna, provided daily, and previous instances of supernatural water provision (e.g., Exod 17, Num 20). It indicates spiritual blindness or wilful disregard for God's provision.
- our soul loatheth (Hebrew: qūts, קוּץ): This word means "to feel disgust, abhorrence, sick of, to loathe." It conveys an intense, visceral repulsion, an emotional nausea. This isn't just "we don't like it anymore"; it's a profound feeling of being repelled by it.
- this light bread (Hebrew: ha-leḥem ha-qeloqel, הַלֶּחֶם הַקְּלֹקֵל): Literally "the contemptible bread" or "the despicable bread." "Light" in this context refers to its perceived insignificance, its lack of variety or flavor according to their carnal desires, making it feel trivial and despised. This term is an ultimate insult to the manna, God's miraculous provision. They are expressing disdain for the very means of their daily survival, calling God's grace "worthless."
Words-group by words-group analysis
- spake against God, and against Moses: This phrase signifies open rebellion against both divine and divinely-appointed human authority. It reveals a lack of submission and respect for the leadership ordained by God.
- Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?: This group of words conveys accusation, resentment, and a profound failure of faith. They perceived their deliverance as a pathway to death, preferring the bondage of Egypt to the challenges of the journey under God's guidance.
- for there is no bread, neither is there any water: This statement functions as a justification for their rebellion, based on perceived scarcity. However, it's a deceptive and ungrateful complaint, given the consistent divine provision of manna and water whenever genuinely needed. It highlights their selective memory and focus on discomfort.
- and our soul loatheth this light bread: This expression reveals the core of their spiritual ailment. It demonstrates extreme ingratitude and contempt for God's miraculous and life-sustaining gift. Their "soul" or inner being was spiritually sick, causing them to despise divine grace and supernatural sustenance in favor of their earthly appetites and worldly comforts.
Numbers 21 5 Bonus section
The "light bread" (manna) symbolized God's daily faithfulness and humility. It was uniform, simple, and required daily dependence on God. The Israelites' contempt for it reveals their spiritual preference for the sensual and the familiar over the spiritual and the divine. This echoes throughout Scripture as a caution against despising the ordinary means of grace and God's sufficient, yet often unglamorous, provision. Their intense "loathing" signifies a rejection not just of the food, but of the way of life God called them to—a life of simple trust and daily reliance, which felt burdensome to their ungrateful hearts.
Numbers 21 5 Commentary
Numbers 21:5 strikingly illustrates the enduring spiritual infirmity of the wilderness generation: their cycle of forgetfulness, discontent, and rebellion against God despite overwhelming evidence of His miraculous presence and faithful provision. Their specific complaint—loathing the manna as "light bread"—was not born of genuine physical deprivation, for the manna provided adequate nutrition for forty years. Rather, it stemmed from spiritual weariness, a craving for earthly comforts and variety, and an ungrateful heart that despised divine simplicity. This outburst reveals a deeper crisis of faith, showing that mere physical freedom from Egypt was insufficient; their hearts remained spiritually enslaved, preferring the illusory security of their past bondage to the true freedom found in trusting God's journey for them. This intense murmuring quickly provoked God's judgment but also set the stage for His further demonstration of grace through the bronze serpent, prefiguring Christ's redemptive work.