11:1 people were like those who complain of hardship In other instances where Israel complains or grumbles, the issue is either water (Exod 17:3), food (Exod 16:2–8), or the threat of violence (Num 14:2–3). The reason for their complaint in vv. 1–3 is unknown. A second complaint soon follows, having to do with the lack of meat in Israel’s diet (vv. 4–15).

the fire of Yahweh Fire was an instrument of divine punishment in other passages (16:35; Lev 10:2; 2 Kgs 1:10, 12).

11:4 riff-raff The Hebrew word used here occurs only this one time in the ot, making its meaning uncertain. It appears to be related to a word for gathering, so it probably designates a smaller group who had gathered together to complain.

Who will feed us meat? Israel’s livestock could not have fed the multitude for long (Num 11:21–22); much of the livestock was spared for sacrifices or saved for when the people entered the promised land.

11:5 we ate in Egypt Ironically, the Israelites crave the food of Egypt, gained from toil (Deut 11:10), whereas God gives them manna, food from heaven (Exod 16; Psa 78:24; 105:40).

11:6 manna Presumably God continued to send manna to the Israelites (Exod 16:13–31), but not quail (Exod 16:13).

11:7 like coriander seed Meaning, small, round, and off-white in color.

bdellium-gum A semi-transparent resin from various trees common throughout Ethiopia and sub-Saharan Africa.

11:9 the manna came down with it This highlights that the people do not have to work for the manna, just collect what has been provided for them daily.

11:11 Why have you brought trouble to your servant? Moses sees their complaint as a punishment from Yahweh. In Exod 5:22, he asks Yahweh the same question but with reference to the treatment of the people. Moses is upset about how he is being treated, and the impossibility of satisfying those who complain (Num 11:13).

11:12 I conceive all these people Moses states that he is not the parent of these people, and he will not claim responsibility for them. In doing so, Moses compares the Israelites to a nursing baby and himself to a wetnurse.

11:13 They weep The Hebrew word used here, bakhah, can describe shedding tears, whining, or nagging (compare Judg 14:16–17).

11:14 alone In Exodus 18, Moses is overwhelmed at the amount of work involved in judging cases among the people and, upon Jethro’s advice, appoints heads over the people. Only the difficult cases are transferred to Moses. Here, Moses is overwhelmed again, but this time he is commanded to appoint 70 elders who will stand by his side and assist him (Num 11:16–17).

11:15 you The pronoun “you” here is an archaic Hebrew form (ate-). In normal biblical Hebrew, that spelling is the singular feminine pronoun for “you.” However, the context here is masculine, as Moses is addressing God. The archaic spelling occurs two other places (Deut 5:27; Ezek 28:14). In Deuteronomy 5:27, the pronoun refers to Moses himself.

11:16 seventy Seventy is one of several numbers that is attributed a particular significance in the ot. For example, 70 is the number of nations Yahweh disowned at Babel and put under the authority of lesser gods (Gen 11:1–9; Deut 32:8–9; compare Deut 4:19–20). It is also the number of Jacob’s descendants who sojourned to Egypt during famine, before they became numerous and were enslaved (Exod 1:5). Here, as elders, these 70 represent the fullness of “Yahweh’s portion”—His people (compare Deut 32:9).

from the elders of Israel The institution of the elders already existed (see Exod 3:16, 18; 4:29; 12:21; 24:9). This verse refers to a select 70 who will serve more closely with Moses.

the tent of assembly Sometimes the tent of meeting and the tabernacle are two different structures, sometimes they are synonymous. Here, since the tent of meeting is outside the camp (Num 11:26–30) and the tabernacle is in the middle of the camp (ch. 2), it is likely that we are looking at an early source which views the two structures as distinct.

11:17 I will come down In a cloud or pillar of cloud (v. 25; compare Exod 13:21; 19:9; 33:9–10; Num 9:15–23).

from the spirit that is on you The Spirit will not be taken from Moses and given to the new elders. Rather, some of the ability or power given by Yahweh to Moses will be given to the new elders. The Holy Spirit frequently enables people to perform tasks in the ot (e.g., Exod 31:3; 35:31).

11:18 Sanctify yourselves The Hebrew term used here appears in earlier narratives for people and objects that are to be set apart for God and meet God (Exod 13:2; 19:10, 22–23; 28–29; Lev 8:11–12). When God met the people in Exod 19, the congregation had to wash their clothes and bathe. The procedure also served as preparation for sacrifice.

11:20 Why did we ever leave Egypt? The anger Yahweh feels toward Israel is not because of their longing for meat, but because, in their craving, they long for Egypt and thus reject the goodness, provision, and power of Yahweh.

11:21 six hundred thousand on foot Men only, not including women and children (Exod 12:37). This puts the total number of people somewhere near 2.5 million. See note on Num 1:46.

11:23 my word That is, the message Yahweh gave Moses to share with the people, saying that there will be so much meat that the people will be sick of it (v. 20).

11:25 the spirit was resting on them The Spirit is frequently connected to prophecy. The phenomenon was probably some sort of ecstatic utterance. Since the elders’ utterances are never repeated in the ot, the ability was meant to validate their authority before the rest of the Israelites.

they did not do it again These 70 elders prophesy only once, as a sign that the Spirit did indeed rest upon them, but this is a one-time occurrence.

11:26 in the camp This suggests that the tent of meeting was outside the camp, and therefore a different tent than the tabernacle.

they did not go out to the tent The reason for their absence is unknown; this does not prohibit them from receiving their designated portion of the Spirit that resides in Moses.

11:28 Moses, my lord, stop them Prophetic utterance signified divine empowerment (see v. 25). Joshua, who may have been with Moses at the tent (compare Exod 33:11), is likely concerned that they will threaten Moses’ authority. Yet Moses, willing to share authority (Num 11:14, 29), wishes that more would prophesy and have the Spirit upon them (v. 29).

11:31 quails from the west The migration route of the quail includes the eastern Mediterranean coast and the Sinai Peninsula.

two cubits on the surface of the land A cubit is approximately 18 inches. There were large piles of the quail everywhere.

11:32 homers The homer is one of the largest biblical measures of volume. During the pre-exilic period (pre-586 bc), the capacity of a homer was probably around 100 to 200 liters, roughly 3–6 bushels. A homer was equivalent to 10 ephahs (Ezek 45:11).

11:33 before it was consumed The anger of Yahweh is so strong that He punishes them immediately instead of making them loathe the meat after eating it for a whole month (Num 11:20). He casts a plague upon those who consume it, while it is yet between their teeth (i.e., from the moment they bite into it). Compare note on v. 20.

11:34 Kibroth Hattaavah The name of the place means “graves of the craving.”

the people that were greedy Meaning, those who had complained (v. 4); presumably no one else was killed.

11:35 to Hazeroth The exact location of Hazeroth is unknown, though it must be somewhere between the wilderness of Sinai and the wilderness of Paran. The events of ch. 12 take place at Hazeroth (12:16).