Numbers 11:20
in Numbers 11but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and makes you nauseous—because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have cried out before Him, saying, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
but a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you; because that ye have rejected Jehovah who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?
KJV
But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?
⋯
This verse in Numbers 11
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow
on Numbers 11:18-20
The word that readied the nation to meet God at Exodus 19:10 returns, “Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow”, and the meat comes as a sentence. Verse 20 names the offence, “you have rejected the LORD, who is among you”, and Psalm 78:29 says “He gave them what they craved.”
This site's exposition
because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you
The LORD who is among you names the presence dwelling at the tabernacle in the middle of the camp, as Numbers 5:3 describes it. Wishing for Egypt rejects the God who lives among them. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown say the sin was made to carry its own punishment.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But even a whole month,....
(2.) What brutish sins (and worse than brutish) gluttony and drunkenness are; they put a force upon nature, and make that the sickness of the body which should be its health; they are sins that are their own punishments, and yet not the worst that attend them. (3.) What a righteous thing it is with God to make that loathsome to men which they have inordinately lusted after.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow, and ye shall eat flesh--that is, "prepare yourselves," by repentance and submission, to receive to-morrow the flesh you clamor for. But it is evident that the tenor of the language implied a severe rebuke and that the blessing promised would prove a curse.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עַ֣ד׀ | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| חֹ֣דֶשׁ | chodesh | a month of | H2320 → | 284 times |
| יָמִ֗ים | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| עַ֤ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יֵצֵא֙ | yetze' | it will come out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| מֵֽאַפְּכֶ֔ם | meapekhem | from nose your | H639 → | 276 times |
| וְהָיָ֥ה | vehayah | and it will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לָכֶ֖ם | lakhem | for <the> you | ||
| לְזָרָ֑א | lezara' | <into> a loathsome thing | H2214 → | |
| יַ֗עַן | yaan | because | H3282 → | |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מְאַסְתֶּ֤ם | meastem | you have rejected | H3988 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֔ם | bekirbekhem | [is] in midst your | H7130 → | 227 times |
| וַתִּבְכּ֤וּ | vativku | and you have wept | H1058 → | 114 times |
| לְפָנָיו֙ | lefanav | <to> before him | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָ֥מָּה | lamah | <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| זֶּ֖ה | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| יָצָ֥אנוּ | yatzanu | did we come out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ | mimitzrayim | from Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
עַ֣ד׀until
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
חֹ֣דֶשׁa month of
chodeshH2320 →284 times
יָמִ֗יםdays
yamimH3117 →2304 times
עַ֤דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
אֲשֶׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יֵצֵא֙it will come out
yetze'H3318 →1067 times
מֵֽאַפְּכֶ֔םfrom nose your
meapekhemH639 →276 times
וְהָיָ֥הand it will become
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
לָכֶ֖םfor <the> you
lakhem
לְזָרָ֑א<into> a loathsome thing
lezara'H2214 →
יַ֗עַןbecause
yaanH3282 →
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
מְאַסְתֶּ֤םyou have rejected
meastemH3988 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֔ם[is] in midst your
bekirbekhemH7130 →227 times
וַתִּבְכּ֤וּand you have wept
vativkuH1058 →114 times
לְפָנָיו֙<to> before him
lefanavH6440 →2123 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
לָ֥מָּה<to> why?
lamahH4100 →752 times
זֶּ֖הthis
zehH2088 →1180 times
יָצָ֥אנוּdid we come out
yatzanuH3318 →1067 times
מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃from Egypt
mimitzrayimH4714 →641 times
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
Exodus 16:8And Moses added, “The LORD will give you meat to eat this evening and bread to fill you in the morning, for He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? Your grumblings…
it leads to
- Romans 13:2
Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
- 1 Samuel 8:7
And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as…
- Luke 10:16
Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:8
Anyone, then, who rejects this command does not reject man but God, the very One who gives you His Holy Spirit.
- Romans 13:2
Through
Psalms 106:15So He granted their request, but sent a wasting disease upon them.
it leads to
- Numbers 11:31–34
Now a wind sent by the LORD came up, drove in quail from the sea, and brought them near the camp, about two cubits above the surface of the ground, for a day’s journey…
- Numbers 11:31–34
Through
Numbers 21:5and 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!”
it leads to
- Psalms 78:19
They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness?
- Exodus 17:2–3
So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?”
- Psalms 78:19
Through
1 Samuel 10:19But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions, and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 12:12
But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was…
- 1 Samuel 12:12
Where this verse is studied
About Numbers
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.