Numbers 11:34 Komentář

Hitherto things had gone pretty well in Israel; little interruption had been given to the methods of God's favour to them since the matter of the golden calf; the people seemed teachable in marshalling and purifying the camp, the princes devout and generous in dedicating the altar, and there was good hope that they would be in Canaan presently. But at this chapter begins a melancholy scene; the measures are all broken, God has turned to be their enemy, and fights against them - and it is sin that makes all this mischief. I. Their murmurings kindled a fire among them, which yet was soon quenched by the prayer of Moses (Num 11:1-3). II. No sooner was the fire of judgment quenched than the fire of sin breaks out again, and God takes occasion from it to magnify both his mercy and his justice. 1. The people fret for want of flesh (Num 11:4-9). 2. Moses frets for want of help (Num 11:10-15). Now, (1.) God promises to gratify them both, to appoint help for Moses (Num 11:16, Num 11:17), and to give the people flesh (Num 11:18-23). And, (2.) He presently makes good both these promises. For, [1.] The Spirit of God qualifies the seventy elders for the government (Num 11:24-30). [2.] The power of God brings quails to feast the people (Num 11:31, Num 11:32). Yet [3.] The justice of God plagued them for their murmurings (Num 11:33, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 11 This chapter informs us of the complaints of the people of Israel, which brought the fire of the Lord upon them, and consumed many of them; and which, at the intercession of Moses, was quenched, and the place from thence called Taberah, Num 11:1; and of the lusting of the mixed multitude after flesh, to increase which, they called to mind their food in Egypt; and to show their folly and ingratitude in so doing, the manna is described, Num 11:4; and of the uneasiness of Moses, and his complaints of the heavy burden of the people upon him, Num 11:10; and to make him easy, it is promised, that seventy of the elders of Israel should partake of his spirit, and assist in bearing the burden, Num 11:16; and that the people should have flesh to serve them a whole month, Num 11:18; at which last Moses expressed some degree of unbelief, Num 11:21; however God fulfilled his promise with respect to both. Some of the spirit of Moses was taken and given to seventy elders, who prophesied, and two men are particularly taken notice of, who did so, Num 11:24; quails in great numbers were brought by a wind to the people; but while they were eating them wrath came upon them, and they were smitten with a plague, whence the place was called Kibrothhattaavah, Num 11:31; and from thence they removed to Hazeroth, Num 11:35.

And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah,.... That is, Moses called it so, or it was called by the children of Israel, and by others in later times, by this name, which signifies "the graves of lust"; dug by lust, or which lust was the cause and occasion of, and where those that indulged it were buried, as follows: because there they buried the people that lusted; not all that lusted, for the lusting was pretty general; but all that died through their gluttony and intemperance, and the judgment of God on them; or who were the most inordinate in their lust, and encouraged others in it, and were the ringleaders in the murmur and mutiny.

How is it that the graves of lust where the people fell in their devotion to flesh remain even to this day in the wilderness? Do we not read that the stupid people gorged themselves with quails until the wrath of God came upon them?

The people are exhorted to obedience from a consideration of God's goodness to their fathers in Egypt, Deu 11:1-4, and what he did in the wilderness, Deu 11:5, and the judgment on Dathan and Abiram, Deu 11:6, and from the mercies of God in general, Deu 11:7-9. A comparative description of Egypt and Canaan, Deu 11:10-12. Promises to obedience, Deu 11:13-15. Dissuasives from idolatry, Deu 11:16, Deu 11:17. The words of God to be laid up in their hearts, to be for a sign on their hands, foreheads, gates, etc., Deu 11:18, taught to their children, made the subject of frequent conversation, to the end that their days may be multiplied, Deu 11:19-21. If obedient, God shall give them possession of the whole land, and not one of their enemies shall be able to withstand them, Deu 11:22-25. Life and death, a blessing and a curse, are set before them, Deu 11:26-28. The blessings to be put on Mount Gerizim and the curses on Mount Ebal, Deu 11:29, Deu 11:30. The promise that they should pass over Jordan, and observe these statutes in the promised land, Deu 11:31, Deu 11:32.

Kibroth-hattaavah - The graves of lust; and thus their scandalous crime was perpetuated by the name of the place. 1. St. Jude speaks of persons who were murmurers and complainers, walking after their own lusts, Jde 1:16, and seems to have this people particularly in view, whom the sacred text calls μεμψιμοιροι, complainers of their lot. They could never be satisfied; even God himself could not please them, because they were ever preferring their own wisdom to his. God will save us in his own way, or not at all; because that way, being the plan of infinite wisdom, it is impossible that we can be saved in any other. How often have we professed to pray, "Thy will be done!" And how seldom, very seldom, have our hearts and lips corresponded! How careful should we be in all our prayers to ask nothing but what is perfectly consistent with the will of God! Many times our prayers and desires are such that, were they answered, our ruin would be inevitable. "Thy will be done!" is the greatest of all prayers; and he who would pray safely and successfully, must at least have the spirit of these words in all his petitions. The Israelites asked flesh when they should not have asked for it; God yields to their murmuring, and the death of multitudes of these murmurers was the consequence! We hear of such punishments, and yet walk in the same way, presuming on God's mercy, while we continue to provoke his justice. Let us settle it in our minds as an indisputable truth, that God is better acquainted with our wants than we are ourselves; that he knows infinitely better what we need; and that he is ever more ready to hear than we are to pray, and is wont to give more than we can desire or deserve. 2. In no case has God at any time withheld from his meanest followers any of the spiritual or temporal mercies they needed. Were he to call us to travel through a wilderness, he would send us bread from heaven, or cause the wilderness to smile and blossom as the rose. How strange is it that we will neither believe that God has worked, or will work, unless we see him working!

MANNA LOATHED. (Num. 11:1-35) When the people complained it displeased the Lord, &c.--Unaccustomed to the fatigues of travel and wandering into the depths of a desert, less mountainous but far more gloomy and desolate than that of Sinai, without any near prospect of the rich country that had been promised, they fell into a state of vehement discontent, which was vented at these irksome and fruitless journeyings. The displeasure of God was manifested against the ungrateful complainers by fire sent in an extraordinary manner. It is worthy of notice, however, that the discontent seems to have been confined to the extremities of the camp, where, in all likelihood, "the mixed multitude" [see on Exo 12:38] had their station. At the intercession of Moses, the appalling judgment ceased [Num 11:2], and the name given to the place, "Taberah" (a burning), remained ever after a monument of national sin and punishment. (See on Num 11:34).

called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah--literally, "The graves of lust," or "Those that lusted"; so that the name of the place proves that the mortality was confined to those who had indulged inordinately.

From this judgment the place of encampment received the name Kibroth-hattaavah, i.e., graves of greediness, because there the people found their graves while giving vent to their greedy desires.