Numbers Chapter 11

What is the meaning of Numbers 11?

Introduction to Numbers 11

Numbers 11 presents a pivotal moment in Israel’s wilderness journey that reveals profound truths about human nature and divine provision. This chapter captures the stark contrast between God’s faithful provision and the people’s persistent complaining, ultimately showcasing both divine judgment and mercy. The narrative centers around two main events: the people’s craving for meat instead of manna and Moses’ struggle with the burden of leadership.

The chapter serves as a sobering reminder of how quickly human hearts can turn from gratitude to grumbling, even in the face of miraculous provision. It also provides insight into the nature of spiritual leadership and God’s solution for supporting those He calls to shepherd His people.

Context of Numbers 11

Within the book of Numbers, this chapter follows the orderly departure from Sinai (Numbers 10) where everything seemed to be going according to divine plan. However, chapter 11 marks the beginning of a series of complaints and rebellions that would ultimately lead to Israel’s forty-year wilderness wandering. This dramatic shift from orderly obedience to open rebellion sets the tone for many of the challenges that will follow in Israel’s journey.

In the broader biblical narrative, Numbers 11 serves as a crucial lesson in understanding the relationship between God’s people and their Provider. The chapter echoes the pattern of grumbling that began in Exodus, foreshadows similar challenges in the promised land, and provides important context for New Testament teachings about contentment and spiritual leadership. The establishment of the seventy elders also creates a significant parallel with later Jewish governing bodies and provides a model for shared leadership that would influence both Jewish and Christian traditions.

This chapter also introduces themes that resonate throughout Scripture: the tension between physical appetites and spiritual satisfaction, the challenges of spiritual leadership, and the consequences of ingratitude. These themes would be revisited and developed further in both the Old and New Testaments.

Ancient Key Word Study

• תְאַוָּה (ta’avah) – “craving” (v. 4): This Hebrew word goes beyond mere desire, indicating an intense, consuming lust that dominates one’s thoughts and actions. It’s the same word used to describe Eve’s desire for the forbidden fruit, suggesting a similar pattern of choosing immediate gratification over divine wisdom.
• אֲסַפְסֻף (asafsuf) – “mixed multitude” (v. 4): This rare term appears only here in the Bible, derived from a root meaning “to collect.” It refers to the non-Israelite peoples who joined the exodus, suggesting that spiritual contamination often begins at the fringes of God’s community.
• מָן (man) – “manna” (v. 6): While commonly translated simply as “manna,” this word’s etymology is connected to the question “what is it?” (Exodus 16:15), perpetually reminding Israel of their initial wonder at God’s provision—wonder they had now lost.
• נֶפֶשׁ יְבֵשָׁה (nephesh yēvēšāh) – “dried up soul” (v. 6): This vivid phrase describes not physical but spiritual malnutrition, ironically self-imposed by rejecting God’s provision.
• רוּחַ (ruach) – “Spirit” (v. 17): Used here to describe both the Spirit upon Moses and the spiritual empowerment of the seventy elders, demonstrating divine enablement for leadership.
• שָׂלָו (sēlāv) – “quail” (v. 31): Beyond just identifying the birds, this word is connected to a root meaning “to be at ease,” perhaps a divine irony given how these birds would become instruments of judgment.
• קִבְרוֹת הַתַּאֲוָה (Kivroth-hattaavah) – “graves of craving” (v. 34): This place name serves as a permanent memorial to the dangers of unchecked desires, literally meaning “graves of the craving.”
• כָּבֵד (kaved) – “heavy” (v. 14): Used to describe Moses’ burden, this word is the same used for “glory” in other contexts, suggesting a profound connection between leadership burdens and divine glory.

Compare & Contrast

• Verse 1’s opening complaint is notably vague (“complained about their misfortunes”), using the Hebrew הִתְאֹנֵן (hit’onen) rather than more specific terms for complaint. This vagueness emphasizes the groundless nature of their dissatisfaction – they weren’t complaining about anything specific, but rather cultivating a spirit of complaint.
• The phrase “the manna was like coriander seed” (v. 7) uses כִּזְרַע גַּד (kizra gad) intentionally echoing the description in Exodus 16:31, but here adds new details, emphasizing how they had lost appreciation for something they once marveled at.
• The expression “Moses heard the people weeping” (v. 10) uses בֹּכֶה (bocheh) in its participle form, indicating continuous action – they weren’t just crying but wailing persistently, revealing the dramatic nature of their ingratitude.
• The phrase “I will take of the Spirit that is on you” (v. 17) uses אָצַלְתִּי (atzalti), suggesting not a division or reduction but a sharing or extending of the Spirit, like one flame lighting many candles without diminishing its own light.
• The description of the quail being “two cubits deep on the ground” (v. 31) uses specific measurements rather than general terms, emphasizing the supernatural abundance of the provision that would become judgment.
• The name given to the place, קִבְרוֹת הַתַּאֲוָה (Kivroth-hattaavah), is carefully constructed to combine the words for “graves” and “craving,” creating a permanent memorial to the danger of unchecked desires.
• The phrase “while the meat was yet between their teeth” (v. 33) uses טֶרֶם (terem) to emphasize the immediacy of judgment, contrasting with God’s usually patient responses to show the severity of their sin.

Numbers 11 Unique Insights

The Talmud (Sanhedrin 17a) provides fascinating insight into the selection of the seventy elders, suggesting they were chosen through a lottery system. Moses was instructed to select six men from each of the twelve tribes, totaling seventy-two. Two were then providentially excluded, paralleling Moses’ own humility when he said, “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets.” This selection process would later influence the formation of the Sanhedrin and even early Christian leadership structures.

The chapter contains a unique prophetic element in Moses’ response to Joshua’s concern about Eldad and Medad prophesying in the camp. His reply, “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets,” foreshadows Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28-29) about the Spirit being poured out on all flesh, which finds its fulfillment at Pentecost.

The Midrash Rabbah provides an interesting perspective on the manna, suggesting that its taste adapting to each person’s desire was actually a spiritual test. Those who appreciated it discovered infinite flavors, while those who complained only tasted its basic form. This interpretation adds depth to the New Testament’s use of manna as a type of Messiah (John 6:31-35), the true bread from heaven who satisfies all spiritual hunger.

The seemingly excessive amount of quail (a day’s journey in each direction) has puzzled many commentators. The Jewish historian Josephus suggests this was meant to demonstrate that God’s power to provide was not limited, making the people’s lack of faith even more inexcusable.

Numbers 11 Connections to Yeshua

The episode of the seventy elders receiving the Spirit powerfully foreshadows Yeshua’s empowerment of His disciples. Just as Moses shared his spiritual authority with the seventy, Yeshua would later send out seventy disciples (Luke 10:1), empowered by the same Spirit. This parallel emphasizes the continuity of God’s method of working through Spirit-empowered leadership.

The people’s rejection of manna in favor of meat presents a profound type of humanity’s tendency to reject spiritual food in favor of physical satisfaction. Yeshua directly referenced this chapter when teaching about Himself as the true bread from heaven (John 6:48-51), contrasting the temporary satisfaction of physical food with the eternal life He offers. The people’s complaint about the manna being “worthless food” parallels how many would later reject Messiah, failing to recognize God’s provision of spiritual sustenance.

Numbers 11 Scriptural Echoes

Numbers 11 finds numerous echoes throughout Scripture, creating a rich tapestry of interconnected themes and lessons:

• The complaint about meat echoes the earlier grumbling at Marah (Exodus 15:22-27) and will be referenced in Psalm 78:17-31) as an example of testing God.
• Moses’ intercession prefigures Christ’s high priestly role (Hebrews 7:25) and provides a model for spiritual leadership.
• The Spirit’s distribution among the seventy elders finds its ultimate fulfillment in the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) and the Spirit’s gifting of the church.
• Paul would later reference this episode when warning against craving evil things (1 Corinthians 10:6).

Numbers 11 Devotional

This chapter challenges us to examine our own hearts regarding God’s provision in our lives. How often do we, like the Israelites, focus on what we lack rather than celebrating what God has provided? The manna represents God’s daily sufficient grace – are we learning to trust in His provision, or are we constantly craving something different?

Moses’ emotional prayer about the burden of leadership reminds us that even the greatest spiritual leaders face moments of overwhelming pressure. This should encourage us to pray for our spiritual leaders and recognize their need for support and encouragement. Moreover, it teaches us that admitting our limitations and need for help is not a sign of failure but of wisdom.

The chapter also warns us about the danger of letting our appetites control our spiritual lives. The graves of craving stand as a sobering reminder that getting what we demand isn’t always best for us. Instead, we’re called to trust in God’s wisdom and timing, believing that His provision, while perhaps not what we crave, is exactly what we need.

Did You Know

• The word used for “craving” in this chapter appears only four times in the entire Torah, with three of those occurrences in this single chapter, emphasizing its significance as a cautionary tale about unchecked desires.
• The seventy elders established here became the biblical foundation for the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court that would continue until the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.
• The description of manna tasting like “cakes baked with oil” connects to ancient Near Eastern culinary practices where honey and oil were considered the finest flavoring agents.
• The “mixed multitude” mentioned in verse 4 likely included Egyptians who had witnessed the plagues and chosen to join Israel in the exodus, showing how God’s plan always included provision for gentiles to join His people.
• The quail mentioned were likely migrating from Africa to Europe, a pattern that continues to this day along the same route through the Sinai Peninsula.
• The two-cubit depth of quail mentioned would have been about three feet deep, demonstrating the supernatural abundance of God’s provision turned judgment.
• The name Kibroth-hattaavah (graves of craving) remained a geographical location that would have been known to the original readers of Numbers, serving as a perpetual reminder of this event.
• The phrase “month of days” used to describe how long they ate the quail is a unique Hebrew expression found nowhere else in Scripture.
• Moses’ complaint about “nursing” the people uses maternal imagery that would later be echoed by Paul in his description of pastoral care (1 Thessalonians 2:7).
• The prophetic gift given to the seventy elders was, according to rabbinic tradition, temporary and specific to that occasion, highlighting its purpose in validating their authority rather than establishing them as ongoing prophets.