Exodus 16:3
in Exodus 16“If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and the children of Israel said unto them, Would that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Exodus 16
Commentary
10 notes on this verseAlthough this manner of speaking first referred to that people, nonetheless we see it now daily fulfilled in our life and profession. For everyone who has first renounced this world and then returns to his former pursuits and his erstwhile desires proclaims that in deed and in intention he is the same as they were, and he says, "It was well with me in Egypt."I fear that there will be found as many such people as we read there were multitudes of sinners in the time of Moses.
This site's exposition
had died by the LORD’s hand
The memory has been rewritten in a month. Exodus 2:23 has these people crying out under their bondage. Here the same bondage is remembered as pots of meat and bread to the full.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On Abstinence · Written before 523.
proposed
The Jews ate flesh in the wilderness, and it is written concerning them that, "While the flesh was yet between their teeth the anger of God had dominion over them," not because they had eaten flesh, but because with lust they had asked to eat …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
If Moses only had brought them out of Egypt, he could not thus have fed them; they must therefore own that that was the Lord's doing, because this was so, and both were marvellous in their eyes; yet, long afterwards, they needed to be told that Moses gave them not this bread from heaven, John vi.
And the children of Israel said unto them,....
Never was there such an open house kept as God kept in the wilderness for forty years together, nor such free and plentiful entertainment given. The feast which Ahasuerus made, to show the riches of his kingdom, and the honour of his majesty, was nothing to this, Esth. i.
They invidiously charge Moses with a design to starve them when he brought them out of Egypt; whereas what he had done was both by order from God and with a design to promote their welfare. Note, It is no new thing for the greatest kindnesses to be misinterpreted and basely represented as the greatest injuries. The worst colours are sometimes put upon the best actions.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
By the hand of the Lord - This evidently refers to the plagues, especially the last, in Egypt: the death which befell the Egyptians appeared to the people preferable to the sufferings of famine. Flesh pots, and ... bread - These expressions prove that the servile labors to which they had been subjected did not involve privations: they were fed abundantly, either by the officials of Pharaoh, or more probably by the produce of their own fertile district.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
And though we may lament they should tempt God in the wilderness and freely admit their sin in so doing, we can be at no loss for a reason why those who had all their lives been accustomed to walk by sight should, in circumstances of unparalleled difficulty and perplexity, find it hard to walk by faith.
The flesh pots - As the Hebrews were in a state of slavery in Egypt, they were doubtless fed in various companies by their task masters in particular places, where large pots or boilers were fixed for the purpose of cooking their victuals. To these there may be a reference in this place, and the whole speech only goes to prove that they preferred their bondage in Egypt to their present state in the wilderness; for they could not have been in a state of absolute want, as they had brought an abundance of flocks and herds with them out of Egypt.
The words behind it
30 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲלֵהֶ֜ם | ʾalehem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| מִֽי־ | mi- | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| יִתֵּ֨ן | yiten | will he give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| מוּתֵ֤נוּ | mutenu | died we | H4191 → | 839 times |
| בְיַד־ | veyad- | by [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בְּאֶ֣רֶץ | beeretz | in [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| מִצְרַ֔יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| בְּשִׁבְתֵּ֙נוּ֙ | beshivtenu | when sat we | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | at | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| סִ֣יר | sir | [the] pot of | H5518 → | 34 times |
| הַבָּשָׂ֔ר | habasar | the meat | H1320 → | 270 times |
| בְּאָכְלֵ֥נוּ | beakhelenu | when ate we | H398 → | 810 times |
| לֶ֖חֶם | lechem | food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| לָשֹׂ֑בַע | lasoa' | to abundance | H7648 → | |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הוֹצֵאתֶ֤ם | hotzetem | you have brought out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אֹתָ֙נוּ֙ | ʾotanu | <obj.> us | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמִּדְבָּ֣ר | hamidbar | the wilderness | H4057 → | 270 times |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| לְהָמִ֛ית | lehamit | to put to death | H4191 → | 839 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַקָּהָ֥ל | hakahal | the assembly | H6951 → | |
| הַזֶּ֖ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| בָּרָעָֽב׃ ס | baraav | by <the> hunger | H7458 → |
וַיֹּאמְר֨וּand they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
אֲלֵהֶ֜םto them
ʾalehemH413 →5510 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
מִֽי־who?
mi-H4310 →423 times
יִתֵּ֨ןwill he give
yitenH5414 →2011 times
מוּתֵ֤נוּdied we
mutenuH4191 →839 times
בְיַד־by [the] hand of
veyad-H3027 →1618 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בְּאֶ֣רֶץin [the] land of
beeretzH776 →2504 times
מִצְרַ֔יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
בְּשִׁבְתֵּ֙נוּ֙when sat we
beshivtenuH3427 →1079 times
עַל־at
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
סִ֣יר[the] pot of
sirH5518 →34 times
הַבָּשָׂ֔רthe meat
habasarH1320 →270 times
בְּאָכְלֵ֥נוּwhen ate we
beakhelenuH398 →810 times
לֶ֖חֶםfood
lechemH3899 →298 times
לָשֹׂ֑בַעto abundance
lasoa'H7648 →
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
הוֹצֵאתֶ֤םyou have brought out
hotzetemH3318 →1067 times
אֹתָ֙נוּ֙<obj.> us
ʾotanuH853 →10935 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמִּדְבָּ֣רthe wilderness
hamidbarH4057 →270 times
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
לְהָמִ֛יתto put to death
lehamitH4191 →839 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַקָּהָ֥לthe assembly
hakahalH6951 →
הַזֶּ֖ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
בָּרָעָֽב׃ סby <the> hunger
baraavH7458 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 28:67In the morning you will say, ‘If only it were evening!’ and in the evening you will say, ‘If only it were morning!’—because of the dread in your hearts of the terrifying sights you…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 28:34
You will be driven mad by the sights you see.
- Job 7:3–4
So I am allotted months of futility, and nights of misery are appointed me.
- Revelation 9:6
In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, but death will escape them.
- Deuteronomy 28:34
Through
Exodus 17:3But the people thirsted for water there, and they grumbled against Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt—to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
it leads to
- Exodus 16:2–3
And there in the desert they all grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
- Exodus 15:24
So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”
- Exodus 16:2–3
Through
Lamentations 4:9Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce.
it leads to
- Leviticus 26:39
Those of you who survive in the lands of your enemies will waste away in their iniquity and will decay in the sins of their fathers.
- Ezekiel 24:23
Your turbans will remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins, and you will groan among yourselves.
- Jeremiah 16:4
“They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried, but will lie like dung on the ground. They will be finished off by sword and famine, and their corpses will…
- Leviticus 26:39
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies13
About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony; John Cassian, CONFERENCE 3.7.6-7; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On Abstinence.