18 'And unto the people thou dost say, Sanctify yourselves for to-morrow, and ye have eaten flesh (for ye have wept in the ears of Jehovah, saying, Who doth give us flesh? for we 'had' good in Egypt)—and Jehovah hath given to you flesh, and ye have eaten. 19 Ye do not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days;— 20 unto a month of days, till that it come out from your nostrils, and it hath become to you an abomination; because that ye have loathed Jehovah, who 'is' in your midst, and weep before Him, saying, Why is this?—we have come out of Egypt!' 21 And Moses saith, 'Six hundred thousand footmen 'are' the people in whose midst I 'am'; and Thou, Thou hast said, Flesh I give to them, and they have eaten, a month of days! 22 Is flock and herd slaughtered for them, that one hath found for them?—are all the fishes of the sea gathered for them—that one hath found for them?' 23 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Is the hand of Jehovah become short? now thou dost see whether My word meeteth thee or not.'
24 And Moses goeth out, and speaketh unto the people the words of Jehovah, and gathereth seventy men of the elders of the people, and causeth them to stand round about the tent, 25 and Jehovah cometh down in the cloud, and speaketh unto him, and keepeth back of the Spirit which 'is' on him, and putteth on the seventy men of the elders; and it cometh to pass at the resting of the Spirit on them, that they prophesy, and do not cease. 26 And two of the men are left in the camp, the name of the one 'is' Eldad, and the name of the second Medad, and the spirit resteth upon them, (and they are among those written, and have not gone out to the tent), and they prophesy in the camp; 27 and the young man runneth, and declareth to Moses, and saith, 'Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.' 28 And Joshua son of Nun, minister of Moses, 'one' of his young men, answereth and saith, 'My lord Moses, restrain them.' 29 And Moses saith to him, 'Art thou zealous for me? O that all Jehovah's people were prophets! that Jehovah would put His Spirit upon them!' 30 And Moses is gathered unto the camp, he and the elders of Israel.
31 And a spirit hath journeyed from Jehovah, and cutteth off quails from the sea, and leaveth by the camp, as a day's journey here, and as a day's journey there, round about the camp, and about two cubits, on the face of the land. 32 And the people rise all that day, and all the night, and all the day after, and gather the quails—he who hath least hath gathered ten homers—and they spread them out for themselves round about the camp. 33 The flesh is yet between their teeth—it is not yet cut off—and the anger of Jehovah hath burned among the people, and Jehovah smiteth among the people—a very great smiting; 34 and 'one' calleth the name of that place Kibroth-Hattaavah, for there they have buried the people who lust.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 11:18-34
Commentary on Numbers 11:16-23
(Read Numbers 11:16-23)
Moses is to choose such as he knew to be elders, that is, wise and experienced men. God promises to qualify them. If they were not found fit for the employ, they should be made fit. Even the discontented people shall be gratified too, that every mouth may be stopped. See here, I. The vanity of all the delights of sense; they will cloy, but they will not satisfy. Spiritual pleasures alone will satisfy and last. As the world passes away, so do the lusts of it. 2. What brutish sins gluttony and drunkenness are! they make that to hurt the body which should be its health. Moses objects. Even true and great believers sometimes find it hard to trust God under the discouragements of second causes, and against hope to believe in hope. God here brings Moses to this point, The Lord God is Almighty; and puts the proof upon the issue, Thou shalt see whether my word shall come to pass or not. If he speaks, it is done.
Commentary on Numbers 11:24-30
(Read Numbers 11:24-30)
We have here the fulfilment of God's word to Moses, that he should have help in the government of Israel. He gave of his Spirit to the seventy elders. They discoursed to the people of the things of God, so that all who heard them might say, that God was with them of a truth. Two of the elders, Eldad and Medad, went not out unto the tabernacle, as the rest, being sensible of their own weakness and unworthiness. But the Spirit of God found them in the camp, and there they exercised their gift of praying, preaching, and praising God; they spake as moved by the Holy Ghost. The Spirit of God is not confined to the tabernacle, but, like the wind, blows where He listeth. And they that humble themselves shall be exalted; and those who are most fit for government, are least ambitious of it. Joshua does not desire that they should be punished, but only restrained for the future. This motion he made out of zeal for what he thought to be the unity of the church. He would have them silenced, lest they should occasion a schism, or should rival Moses; but Moses was not afraid of any such effects from that Spirit which God had put upon them. Shall we reject those whom Christ has owned, or restrain any from doing good, because they are not in every thing of our mind? Moses wishes all the Lord's people were prophets, that he would put his Spirit upon all of them. Let the testimony of Moses be believed by those who desire to be in power; that government is a burden. It is a burden of care and trouble to those who make conscience of the duty of it; and to those who do not, it will prove a heavier burden in the day of account. Let the example of Moses be followed by those in power; let them not despise the advice and assistance of others, but desire it, and be thankful for it. If all the present number of the Lord's people were rendered prophets, or ministers, by the Spirit of Christ, though not all agreed in outward matters, there is work enough for all, in calling sinners to repentance, and faith in our Lord Jesus.
Commentary on Numbers 11:31-35
(Read Numbers 11:31-35)
God performed his promise to the people, in giving them flesh. How much more diligent men are in collecting the meat that perishes, than in labouring for meat which endures to everlasting life! We are quick-sighted in the affairs of time; but stupidity blinds us as to the concerns of eternity. To pursue worldly advantages, we need no arguments; but when we are to secure the true riches, then we are all forgetfulness. Those who are under the power of a carnal mind, will have their lusts fulfilled, though it be to the certain damage and ruin of their precious souls. They paid dearly for their feasts. God often grants the desires of sinners in wrath, while he denies the desires of his own people in love. What we unduly desire, if we obtain it, we have reason to fear, will be some way or other a grief and cross to us. And what multitudes there are in all places, who shorten their lives by excess of one kind or other! Let us seek for those pleasures which satisfy, but never surfeit; and which will endure for evermore.