3 and the sons of Israel say unto them, `Oh that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt, in our sitting by the flesh-pot, in our eating bread to satiety -- for ye have brought us out unto this wilderness to put all this assembly to death with hunger.'
Better have been the pierced of a sword Than the pierced of famine, For these flow away, pierced through, Without the increase of the field.
And the rabble who `are' in its midst have lusted greatly, and the sons of Israel also turn back and weep, and say, `Who doth give us flesh? We have remembered the fish which we do eat in Egypt for nought, the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick;
and the people strive with Moses, and speak, saying, `And oh that we had expired when our brethren expired before Jehovah! and why have ye brought in the assembly of Jehovah unto this wilderness to die there, we and our beasts? and why hast thou brought us up out of Egypt to bring us in unto this evil place? no place of seed, and fig, and vine, and pomegranate; and water there is none to drink.
and all the sons of Israel murmur against Moses, and against Aaron, and all the company say unto them, `O that we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wilderness, O that we had died!
O that ye were bearing with me a little of the folly, but ye also do bear with me:
Already ye are having been filled, already ye were rich, apart from us ye did reign, and I would also ye did reign, that we also with you may reign together,
And it cometh to pass, about the rising of the sun, that God appointeth a cutting east wind, and the sun smiteth on the head of Jonah, and he wrappeth himself up, and asketh his soul to die, and saith, `Better `is' my death than my life.' And God saith unto Jonah: `Is doing good displeasing to thee, because of the gourd?' and he saith, `To do good is displeasing to me -- unto death.'
Cursed `is' the day in which I was born, The day that my mother bare me, Let it not be blessed! Cursed `is' the man who bore tidings `to' my father, saying, `Born to thee hath been a child -- a male,' Making him very glad! Then hath that man been as the cities, That Jehovah overthrew, and repented not, And he hath heard a cry at morning, And a shout at time of noon. Because he hath not put me to death from the womb, And my mother is to me -- my grave, And her womb a pregnancy age-during. Why `is' this? from the womb I have come out, To see labour and sorrow, Yea, consumed in shame are my days!
And it cometh to pass during these many days, that the king of Egypt dieth, and the sons of Israel sigh because of the service, and cry, and their cry goeth up unto God, because of the service;
Because it hath not shut the doors Of the womb that was mine! And hide misery from mine eyes.
And the king trembleth, and goeth up on the upper chamber of the gate, and weepeth, and thus he hath said in his going, `My son! Absalom my son; my son Absalom; oh that I had died for thee, Absalom, my son, my son.'
And Joshua saith, `Ah, Lord Jehovah, why hast Thou at all caused this people to pass over the Jordan, to give us into the hand of the Amorite to destroy us? -- and oh that we had been willing -- and we dwell beyond the Jordan!
`And He doth humble thee, and cause thee to hunger and doth cause thee to eat the manna (which thou hast not known, even thy fathers have not known), in order to cause thee to know that not by bread alone doth man live, but by every produce of the mouth of Jehovah man doth live.
And all the company of the sons of Israel murmur, on the morrow, against Moses and against Aaron, saying, `Ye -- ye have put to death the people of Jehovah.'
and if thus Thou art doing to me -- slay me, I pray Thee; slay, if I have found grace in thine eyes, and let me not look on mine affliction.'
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Exodus 16
Commentary on Exodus 16 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 16
This chapter gives us an account of the victualling of the camp of Israel.
Exd 16:1-12
The host of Israel, it seems, took along with them out of Egypt, when they came thence on the fifteenth day of the first month, a month's provisions, which, by the fifteenth day of the second month, was all spent; and here we have,
Exd 16:13-21
Now they begin to be provided for by the immediate hand of God.
Exd 16:22-31
We have here,
Exd 16:32-36
God having provided manna to be his people's food in the wilderness, and to be to them a continual feast, we are here told,