Numbers 21 · Verse 5

Numbers 21:5

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, King James Version

Numbers 21:5 in other translations

BSBand spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”
WEBThe 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 bread, there is no water, and our soul loathes this disgusting food!”
ASVAnd 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, and there is no water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
YLTand the people speak against God, and against Moses, ‘Why hast thou brought us up out of Egypt to die in a wilderness? for there is no bread, and there is no water, and our soul hath been weary of this light bread.'
DARBYand the people spoke against God, and against Moses, Why have ye brought us up out of Egypt that we should die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, and no water, and our soul loathes this light bread.
BBEAnd crying out against God and against Moses, they said, Why have you taken us out of Egypt to come to our death in the waste land? For there is no bread and no water, and this poor bread is disgusting to us.
WebsterAnd the people spoke against God, and against Moses, Why have ye brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul lotheth this light bread.

What does Numbers 21:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
5. our soul loatheth this light bread--that is, bread without substance or nutritious quality. The refutation of this calumny appears in the fact, that on the strength of this food they performed for forty years so many and toilsome journeys. But they had been indulging a hope of the better and more varied fare enjoyed by a settled people; and disappointment, always the more bitter as the hope of enjoyment seems near, drove them to speak against God and against Moses (1Co 10:9).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 This light bread - הקלקל hakkelokel, a word of excessive scorn; as if they had said, This innutritive, unsubstantial, cheat - stomach stuff.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 21:4-9

The children of Israel were wearied by a long march round the land of Edom. They speak discontentedly of what God had done for them, and distrustfully of what he would do. What will they be pleased with, whom manna will not please? Let not the contempt which some cast on the word of God, make us value it less. It is the bread of life, substantial bread, and will nourish those who by faith feed upon it, to eternal…

Read the full comment on Numbers 21:4-9 →

Numbers 21:5 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְדַבֵּ֣רvay.da.Berand it spokeH1696
הָעָ֗םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
בֵּֽאלֹהִים֮be.lo.Himagainst GodH430
וּבְמֹשֶׁה֒u.ve.mo.Shehand against MosesH4872
לָמָ֤הla.Mah<to> why?H4100
הֶֽעֱלִיתֻ֙נוּ֙he.'e.li.Tu.nuhave you brought up usH5927
מִמִּצְרַ֔יִםmi.mitz.Ra.yimfrom EgyptH4714
לָמ֖וּתla.Mutto dieH4191
בַּמִּדְבָּ֑רba.mid.Barin the wildernessH4057
כִּ֣יkiforH3588
אֵ֥ין'einthere notH369
לֶ֙חֶם֙le.chem[is] foodH3899
וְאֵ֣יןve.'Einand there notH369
מַ֔יִםMa.yim[is] waterH4325
וְנַפְשֵׁ֣נוּve.naf.She.nuand self ourH5315
קָ֔צָהKa.tzahit loathesH6973
בַּלֶּ֖חֶםba.Le.chem<in> the foodH3899
הַקְּלֹקֵֽל\׃ha.ke.lo.Kel<the> worthlessH7052

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Numbers 21:5

  • Psalms 78:19

    Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

  • Exodus 17:2-3

    Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? 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, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?

  • Numbers 16:41

    But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord.

  • Numbers 16:13-14

    Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us? Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.

  • Exodus 14:11

    And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

  • Exodus 16:2-3

    And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: 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, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

  • Numbers 11:1-9

    And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched. And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the Lord burnt among them. And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? …

  • Numbers 14:1-4

    And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. 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! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

  • Numbers 17:12

    And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.

  • Exodus 16:31

    And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

  • Psalms 68:6

    God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

  • Exodus 16:7-8

    And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord; for that he heareth your murmurings against the Lord: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? And Moses said, This shall be, when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
spake.
11:1-6; 14:1-4; 16:13,14,41; 17:12; Ex 14:11; 15:24; 16:2,3,7,8
Ex 17:2,3; Ps 68:6; 78:19
and our soul.
11:6-9; Ex 16:15,31; Ps 78:24,25; Pr 27:7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Numbers 21:4

    And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.

  • Numbers 21:5

    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 21:6

    And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

Read all of Numbers 21

Numbers 21:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y habló el pueblo contra Dios y Moisés: ¿Por qué nos hiciste subir de Egipto para que muramos en este desierto? que ni hay pan, ni agua, y nuestra alma tiene fastidio de este pan tan liviano.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et le peuple parla contre Dieu et contre Moïse: Pourquoi nous avez-vous fait monter hors d’Égypte, pour mourir dans le désert? car il n’y a pas de pain, et il n’y a pas d’eau, et notre âme est dégoûtée de ce pain misérable.
German
Elberfelder 1871
und das Volk redete wider Gott und wider Mose: Warum habt ihr uns aus Ägyten heraufgeführt, daß wir in der Wüste sterben? denn da ist kein Brot und kein Wasser, und unsere Seele ekelt vor dieser losen Speise.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
locutusque contra Deum et Moysen, ait: Cur eduxisti nos de Ægypto, ut moreremur in solitudine? deest panis, non sunt aquæ: anima nostra jam nauseat super cibo isto levissimo.