A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Numbers · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Verſ. 1. ANd when the people complained, it diſpleaſed the Lord.]
The word in the originall (here tranſlated complained) may alſo be rendred as it is in the margin, were as it were complainers, and ſo may intimate that they did onelyonly ſecretly begin to murmur and mutter, and not break forth into ſuch an open complaint as afterwards they did at Kibroth Hattaavah, when they luſted for meat. Indeed many Expoſitours underſtand this and that afterwards mentioned, ver. 4. of one and the ſame murmuring, which they ſay is firſt ſummarily ſet down here, and afterwards more particularly related in the ſequele of the chapter, and eſpecially becauſe, Pſal. 78. 19, 20, 21. the fire that now devoured the people is mentioned, as the puniſhment of their luſting for fleſh, They ſaid, Can God furniſh a table in the wilderneſſe? Therefore the Lord heard this and was wroth; ſo a fire was kindled againſt Jacob, and anger alſo came up against Iſrael. But in that Pſalm it is evident that the ſeverall paſſages of their murmuring are not related hiſtorically in order, but many things are promiſcuouſly inſerted here and there. However evident it is that the murmuring for fleſh, mentioned ver. 4. was another from this, becauſe it is ſaid here that they wept again, and beſides that was done at Kibroth Hattaavah, this at Taberah. The cauſe of their preſent complaining indeed is not expreſſed, but in all likelyhood we may conceive it was becauſe they were weary of following the ark three dayes journey through the wilderneſſe together without intermiſſion, whereof there was mention made in the latter end of the former chapter ver. 33.
And the fire of the Lord burnt among them.]
That is, a fire ſent from God: but whether it brake out of the earth, or from the pillar of fire, or were poured down upon them from heaven, it is not expreſſed. And thus their fiery tongues were puniſhed with fire.
And conſumed them that were in the uttermoſt parts of the camp.]
This is aded, to let us ſee how the whole army eſcaped when God ſent a fire amongſt them, it was becauſe the fire brake out onelyonly upon the uttermoſt parts of the camp; and withall it may imply the cauſe of the puniſhment, becauſe by theſe words it ſeems probable that in the uttermoſt parts of the camp the ſinne began, amongſt thoſe that were faint and wea…y with travel, as in Deut. 25. 18. How he met thee by the way, and ſmote the hindmost of thee even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou waſt faint and weary: and he feared not God; and upon them therefore the judgement did principally fall.
Verſ. 2. And the people cried unto Moſes.]
The reaſons why they ranne to Moſes for his interceſſion may be theſe: 1. the ſudden terrour of the plague; 2. the guilt of their own conſciences ſtopping their mouthes; 3. the opinion they had of his holineſſe and ſpeciall intereſt in God; 4. becauſe their repining againſt him, who was Gods inſtrument in leading them along, they might think was now puniſht, and the…efore they come and deſire him to forgive them, and pray for them.
Verſ. 3. And he called the name of the place Taberah.]
This name impoſed upon the place where the fire brake out, ſhews that it was not the ſame where they pitched their tents after their three dayes travel, which by occaſion of the following ſtory was called Kibroth Hattaavah, but rather ſome other place in the wayes they travelled thither when they were faint and weary, a little before they came to Kibroth Hattaavah.
Verſ. 4. And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a luſting, &c.]
What this mixt multitude was, ſee in the note upon Exod. 12. 38. Amongſt them it ſeems the murmuring began, though the Iſraelites ſoon joyned with them in the ſinne. Once before they murmured for want of meat, Exod. 16. 2. when upon their murmuring the Lord gave them both manna and quails; but that was in the wilderneſſe of Sin, immediately after they were come out of Egypt, this was in the wilderneſſe of Paran, above a twelvemoneth after that, when not having any other food but manna from …eaven, which now they began to loath, they murmured, and who, ſay they, ſhall give us fleſh to eat? where by fleſh is meant fiſh as well as that which we more peculiarly call fleſh, as is evident in the following words, We remember the fiſh which we did eat in Egypt freely; and ver. 22. where Moſes objects to the Lo…d, Shall all the fiſh of the ſea be gathered for them to ſuffice them; and ſo the Apoſtle ſpeaks, 1. Cor. 15. 39. There is one kind of fleſh of men, another fleſh of beasts, another of fi…hes. Many indeed are of opinion that the Egyptians, at l…aſt ſome of them, were ſtrictly ſuperſtitious therein, uſed not to eat the fleſh of …heep, no nor leeks, onions and garlick, which they worſhipped as Gods, according to the Poet▪
Porrum & cepe nefas violar… a… frangere morſu.
O ſanctas gentes quibus ha… naſcuntur in hortis
Numina! lanatis animalibus abſtinet omnis
Menſa, nefas illic foetum jugulare capellae.
But however the Iſraelites did uſe to eat of them freely, and wanting them now, therefore they murmured againſt Moſes and againſt the Lord.
Verſ. 6. But now our ſoul is dryed away.]
That is, we languiſh and pine away, having nothing to cat that will either nouriſh us or ſatisfie our appetite: for the ſoul is often put for the body, or the whole man, or for the appetite or deſire after meat drink and other things.
Verſ. 7. And the manna was as coriander-ſeed, &c.]
See the note upon Exod. 16. 31. it was therefore pleaſant to the eye, delightfull to the taſte, and was fit to be dreſſed ſeverall wayes, and therefore not to be thus loathed and deſpiſed.
Verſ. 10. Then Moſes heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the doore of his tent.]
That is, openly, as deſiring to make known their diſcontent, and to ſtirre up diſcontent in others alſo that ſhould heare their complaints.
Verſ. 15. And let me not ſee my wretchedneſſe.]
That is, let me not ſee my ſelf ſlain by the people in a ſhamefull and diſgracefull manner, or rather let me not live to ſee my ſelf thus miſerable: for it is all one as if he had ſaid that it were better for him to be killed out of hand, then living to ſee ſo many heart-breaking miſeries continually befalling him day after day.
Verſ. 16. And the Lord ſaid unto Moſes, Gather unto me ſeventy men, &c.]
Though the ſpeech of Moſes to the Lord in the foregoing verſes were ſo full of diſtemper & paſſion, yet the Lord commiſerating his condition commands him here to chuſe and gather together ſeventy choice men of the elders of Iſrael, whom he knew to be elders of the people, and officers over them, that is, whom he knew to be not onelyonly elders in regard of their years, but alſo men of ſingular gravitie and wiſdome, and for that choſen to be governours over the people; and theſe were by Gods appointment (which the better to teſtifie they were to be preſented before the tabernacle) to undertake the government as helpers to Moſes, that ſo his burthen might be the leſſe. Indeed once before upon Jethroes counſel there were certain men choſen to be rulers and judges over the people, for the caſe of Moſes, Exod. 18. 25, 26. But thoſe were onelyonly choſen to determine of ſmall matters, but theſe now were to be judges in the greateſt and moſt difficult cauſes, both of religion and civil affairs, which were formerly wholly referred to Moſes, and were therefore choſen amongſt thoſe that were already in thoſe inferiour places of government, becauſe by reaſon of their experience therein they were the fitter to be imployed in the weightier works. And this many conceive was the originall of that great councel of the Jews, which they called their Sanhedrin, and was continued amongſt them till Herods dayes.
Verſ. 17. And I will take of the ſpirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them.]
That is, I will give of the ſame ſpirit to them, which I have given to thee. It is not to be thought, that there was now any impairing of Moſes gifts, as ſome conceive; for how could the joyning of theſe with him be then any advantage to him, or where do we find any thing in the following ſtory that argues the leaſt abatement in the gifts of Moſes? but becau…e the Lord intended to give the ſame gifts to them, which he had given to Moſes, as if ſome part of Moſes ſpirit dwelt now in them, therefore is this expreſſion here uſed, I will take of the ſpirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them.
Verſ. 18. Sanctifie your ſelves against to morrow, and ye ſhall eat fleſh, &c.]
The originall word doth ſometimes ſignifie to prepare, and ſo might intend that they ſhould prepare themſelves for the receiving of the fleſh which God would give them the next day in abundance. But being rendred ſanctified, it muſt needs be meant of a religious preparing themſelves, but may be ſpoken either ironically, onelyonly thereby to glance at the ſordid baſeneſſe of their ſpirits, and their indiſpoſition to receive any ſuch proviſion from God, as if he ſhould have ſaid, God will make you a feaſt to morrow, and you are in a goodly temper for ſuch a buſineſſe; or elſe as a ſerious exhortation▪ that they ſhould addreſſe themſelves to receive with pure and good hearts this mercy of God, being alſo legally prepared according to thoſe times by waſhing their garments. For becauſe the working of ſuch miracles was a ſigne of Gods ſpeciall preſence, therefore before ſuch miraculous works they were called upon thus to ſanctifie themſelves.
Verſ. 21. And Moſes ſaid, The people amongſt whom I am are ſix hundred thouſand footmen, &c.]
See chap. 2. 32.
Verſ. 23. And the Lord ſaid unto Moſes, Is the Lords hand waxed ſhort, &c.]
God here winks at Moſes his diſtruſt▪ and bears with his weakneſſe; but when he was not inſtructed and bettered by Gods patience, and the experience he had day…y of Gods al-ſufficiencie, he is afterwards puniſhed. See Numb. 20. 12. And the Lord ſpake unto Moſes and to Aaron, becauſe ye believe me not to ſancti…ie me in the eyes of the children of Iſrael, therefore ye ſhall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them, and that eſp…cially becauſe then too he ſhewed his diſtruſt before the people.
Verſ. 24. And gathered the ſeventy men of the elders of the people and ſet them round about the tabernacle.]
That is, he appointed them to come before the Lord at the doore of the tabernacle, though two of them, ver. 20. did not come as they were appointed. Now this preſenting them before the tabernacle was both to put them in mind that God had ſet them apart to this work of government, and therefore they ſhould be carefull to carry themſelves uprightly and well, as they would anſwer it before his tribunal who had put them in their places, and beſtowed his ſpirit upon them to make them fit for their employments; as alſo, to teach the people to acknowledge them in their places, as ſet over them by God.
Verſ. 25. They prophecied and did not ceaſe.]
They were not now created prophets, but had onelyonly at this time a gift of prophecy wrought in them by the ſpirit, that it might be a ſeal both to them and to the people that God had called them to this office, and would furniſh them with ſuch gifts as were requiſite for their places, as it was with Saul being newly anointed King, …. Sam. 10. 10▪ And the ſpirit of God came upon him, and he prophe…ied among them. And by prophecying here is meant, either that they foretold things to come, or rather that they ſpake unto the people concerning the wonderfull works and ſecret myſteries of Gods truth, and that in ſuch a manner that they might be eaſily diſcerned to ſpeak as men inſpired with the ſpirit of God: for thus this word prophecying is ſometime uſed for declaring the word of God unto the people▪ 1. Cor. 14. 3. Exod. 7. 1. And Aaron thy brother ſhall be thy Prophet. Gen. 20. 7. Now therefore restore the man his wife, for he is a Prophet; and for ſetting forth the praiſes of God in ſongs and pſa ms, as 1. Chron. 25. 13. Thus theſe men prophecyed and did not ceaſe, that is, they continued all the day prophecying without intermiſſion, as is alſo expreſly mentioned of Saul, 1. Sam. 19. 24. And prophecyed b…fore Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day, and all that night: and this is added becauſe their continuing ſo long in this ſupernaturall work did much adde to the confirmation of their calling.
Verſ. 26. But there remained two of the men in the camp, &c.]
Severall reaſons may be conceived why theſe two men came not with the reſt being inrolled by Moſes amongſt the ſeventy that were now to be joyned in commiſſion, as aſſiſtants to him; for either they might not be found when warning was given, or rather, as Sa…l afterwards did, 1. Sam. 10. 22. they might hide themſelves▪ or forbear to go, not as contemning Gods command (for then it is not likely that they ſhould have had the ſame gift of the ſpirit with the others) but as diſtruſting their own ſufficiency. However Gods ſecret providence was the chief cauſe of it, who had determined by this means to make the miracle the more remarkable, that all the people might plainly ſee they were called of God.
Verſ. 28. My lord Moſes forbid them.]
This Joſhua ſpake of envious zeal for his Maſter Moſes, as appears by Moſes anſwer, verſ. 29. envieſt thou for my ſake? yet not ſo much, as I conceive, becauſe the eminency of theſe through their gifts of proph…cie would obſcure the eminencie of his maſter Moſes (for then he had as much reaſon to have ſpoken againſt the other as againſt theſe two) as becauſe they did it as it were of their private authority without any dependency upon Moſes, which was manifeſt in the other, becauſe by Moſes appointment they came and received this gift and authority from God, whereas theſe two by ſtaying away ſeemed to refuſe to have any dependency upon him.
Verſ. 31. And there went forth a wind from the Lord and brought quails from the ſea, &c.]
That is, God by his almighty power did cauſe a ſtrong wind to blow from the ſeaward, and therewith brought a multitude of quails amongſt thm, and round about the camp. What ſea it is that is here meant is not of any great conſequence to know; yet moſt probable it is that they came from the red ſea, becauſe that lay Southward of the Iſraelites camp at preſent, and the Pſalmiſt ſaith that theſe quails were brought in with a Southeaſt wind, Pſal. 78. 26. He cauſed an Eaſt wind to blow in the heaven, and by his power he brought in the Southwind. He rained fleſh alſo upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like the ſand of the ſea. Once before the Lord did thus miraculouſly f…ed them with quails, Exod. 16. 13. But that was in the wilderneſſe of Sinne, in the ſecond monethmonth after their departure out of Egypt; but this was in the wilderneſſe of Paran, about a year after that.
Verſ. 31. And as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.]
Moſt Expoſitours underſtand this of their flying but two cubits above the ground, whereby it came to paſſe that they were eaſily taken. But I think it unqueſtionable that the quails lay upon the ground two cubits thick: firſt, becauſe of the clauſe before, where there is mention of letting them fall by the camp; ſecondly, becauſe of that phraſe. Pſal. 78. 27. He rained fleſh upon them as duſt, &c. thirdly, becauſe the Iſraelites are ſaid to gather them, not to catch them; fourthly, becauſe otherwiſe this ſhould not ſet forth the miraculous abundance of them, which is plainly the drift of this deſcription of the miracle. And yet I think not that the ground was all over covered two cubits thick, as farre as a dayes journey reached round about the camp (for where then did they ſpread them abroad, when they had gathered them) but that they lay here and there ſcattered, the heaps being in many places two cubits thick.
Verſ. 32. He that gathered least gathered ten homers.]
That is, a hundred buſhels: for an ephah was near the ſame with our buſhel, and an homer contained ten ephahs, Ezek. 45. 11, 14. The ephah and the bath ſhall be of one meaſure, that the bath may contain the tenth part of an homer, and the ephah the tenth part of an homer: and indeed hereby we may ſee how miraculouſly abundant this flight of quails was, which makes the Pſalmiſt ſay that God rained fleſh upon them as duſt, and feathered fouls as the ſand of the ſea, Pſal. 78. 27.
And they ſpread them all abroad for themſelves round about the camp.]
To preſerve them from putrifying: to which end it is likely that they uſed art alſo in ſalting and drying them, or elſe they were as miraculouſly preſerved as ſent, for they eat of them a monethmonth together.
Verſ. 33. And while the fleſh was yet between their teeth, &c.]
It is evident in the twentieth verſe of this chapter that the people did eat of theſe quails a monethmonth together ere the wrath of the Lord brake out againſt them; and therefore we may well conceive that it is thus expreſly noted that the wrath of the Lord was kindled againſt the people, and that he ſmote them with a very great plague, while the fleſh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, to imply, firſt, the inſatiable greedineſſe of the people, who after a moneths feeding on theſe quails were ſtill ſo eager upon them; ſecondly, how opportunely the Lord puniſhed them, that they might ſee the Lord puniſhed them for luſting after fleſh, and for their murmuring againſt Moſes becauſe they had it not, he made the very fleſh they had deſired to be the cauſe of their deſtruction, and while they were glutting themſelves with theſe dainties they luſted after, his wrath brake forth upon them; and thirdly, how fully he made good what he had before threatned, verſ. 20. that they ſhould eat fleſh till it came out of their noſtrils, and it became loathſome unto them. What this great plague was wherewith God ſmote them, it is not expreſſed; but it may ſeem probable by the expreſſions here uſed that the Lord cauſed them to ſurfet of this their feeding without fear, and ſo hereof many of them dyed.