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Numbers 10:33
And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days' journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them.

Numbers 20:2-5
And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron…

Numbers 21:5
And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? forthere is no bread, neitheris there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

complained.

Genesis 38:10
And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.

2 Samuel 11:27
And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

James 5:4
Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

and the fire

Numbers 16:35
And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

Leviticus 10:2
And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

Deuteronomy 32:22
For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

the uttermost

Deuteronomy 25:18
How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee,even allthat were feeble behind thee, when thouwast faint and weary; and he feared not God.

in the hearing of the LORD
This phrase emphasizes God's omnipresence and His awareness of human actions and attitudes. It serves as a reminder that nothing is hidden from God, and He is attentive to the cries and complaints of His people. This concept is echoed in other scriptures, such asPsalm 139, which speaks of God's intimate knowledge of our thoughts and words.

and when He heard them, His anger was kindled
God's response to the Israelites' complaints is one of righteous anger. This reflects His holiness and justice, as well as the seriousness of ingratitude and rebellion against His divine plan. The anger of God is a theme found throughout the Old Testament, illustrating the consequences of disobedience and lack of faith.

and fire from the LORD blazed among them
The fire represents God's judgment and serves as a physical manifestation of His anger. In the Old Testament, fire is often associated with God's presence and power, as seen in the burning bush (Exodus 3) and the pillar of fire that guided the Israelites (Exodus 13:21). This event underscores the severity of the Israelites' sin and the immediate consequences of their actions.

and consumed the outskirts of the camp
The consumption of the camp's outskirts signifies both a warning and a merciful limitation of God's judgment. It serves as a call to repentance for the Israelites, allowing them to recognize their wrongdoing and turn back to God. The sparing of the entire camp demonstrates God's patience and willingness to forgive, foreshadowing the ultimate redemption through Jesus Christ, who intercedes on behalf of humanity.

• The Israelites had barely set out from Sinai (Numbers 10:11-12), yet their hearts quickly shifted from gratitude to grumbling—just as they had done at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:11-12) and in the Wilderness of Sin (Exodus 16:2-3).

• Scripture treats complaining as sin, not merely unpleasant speech (Philippians 2:14;1 Corinthians 10:6-10). It reveals distrust in God’s provision and timing, despite His clear, recent acts of deliverance.

• Nothing escapes God’s notice (Psalm 94:9;Hebrews 4:13). Their words reached His ears, underscoring that all murmuring is ultimately directed at Him, not just human leaders (Exodus 16:8).

• The phrase reminds us that our private conversations and attitudes are fully exposed before the One who redeems and sustains us.

• Divine anger here is righteous and just, flowing from the holiness of God who had covenanted to bless Israel, yet demanded their trust (Deuteronomy 32:10-11, 16-19).

• The same God who is “slow to anger” (Exodus 34:6) does, after patient warnings, act decisively when rebellion persists (Hebrews 12:28-29).

• Fire often accompanies God’s manifest presence, whether to purify (Leviticus 9:24) or to judge (Genesis 19:24;2 Kings 1:10-12).

• This outbreak underscores that divine displeasure is not abstract; it can have tangible, shocking consequences that halt sin’s spread (Numbers 16:35).

• The “outskirts” (or outer edge) shows mercy mixed with judgment: the center, where the tabernacle and many homes were, was spared, giving Israel space to repent (Lamentations 3:22-23).

• Moses’ intercession in later verses (Numbers 11:2) ends the plague, illustrating both the seriousness of sin and the power of a mediator—foreshadowing Christ’s ultimate mediation (1 Timothy 2:5).

Numbers 11:1 records a literal historical moment when Israel’s habitual complaining triggered God’s righteous anger, expressed through consuming fire at the camp’s edge. The verse teaches that grumbling is a serious offense before the Lord who hears every word, that His holiness demands judgment, and that His mercy provides room for repentance through a mediator. The passage calls believers to cultivate gratitude and trust, remembering that the same holy God still listens and responds today.

(1)And when the people complained . . . --Better,And the people were as those who complained(ormurmured),(which was)evil in the ears of the Lord. The LXX. has, "And the people murmured sinfully before the Lord." Comp.1Corinthians 10:10 : "Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured."

And consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.-Better,and devoured at the extremity of the camp.Most commentators have remarked, and justly, upon the great severity of the Divine judgments which were inflicted after the giving of the Law, as compared with those which were inflicted before it. Reference may be made in illustration of this point toExodus 14:11-14;Exodus 15:24-25;Exodus 16:2-8;Exodus 17:3-7. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews argues from the just recompense of reward which every transgression and disobedience received under the Law, the impossibility of the escape of those who neglect the great salvation of the Gospel. SeeHebrews 2:2-3. Comp. alsoHebrews 10:28-29;Hebrews 12:25. . . .

1. Lightning, as apparently inJob 1:16; for lightning to the unscientific is the fiery bolt, even as thunder is the angry voice, of God (cf.1 Samuel 12:18, 19).

2. A miraculous outburst of flame from the Presence in the tabernacle, such as slew Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:2), and afterwards the 250 men who offered incense (chapter 16:35).

3. A miraculous descent of fire from heaven, as apparently in2 Kings 1:10-12 (cf.Revelation 13:13). Of these the second seems to be excluded by the fact that the conflagration was in the outskirts of the camp furthest removed from the tabernacle. If we suppose the fire to have been natural, we may further suppose that it set alight to the dry bushes and shrubs which abound in parts of the desert, and which blaze with great fury when the flame is driven by the wind. It is, however, at least as likely that a wholly supernatural visitation of God is here intended. What is most important to notice is this, that the punishment in this case followed hard and sore upon the sin, whereas before they came to Sinai the Lord had passed over similar murmurings without any chastisement (Exodus 15:24;Exodus 16:2). The reason of this difference was twofold. In the first place, they had now had abundant opportunity to become acquainted with the power and goodness of the Lord, and had solemnly entered into covenant with him, and he had taken up his abode among them; wherefore their responsibilities grew with their privileges, their dangers kept pace with their advantages. In the second place, they had while at Sinai committed an act of national apostasy (Exodus 32), the punishment of which, although suspended (verse 14), was only suspended (verse 34), and was always capable of being revived; Israel was plainly warned that he was under sentence, and that any disobedience would awake the terrors of the Lord against him.Andconsumed... in the uttermost parts of the camp. Probably setting fire to the outer line of tents, or some pitched outside the line, and consuming the people that were in them. The Targum of Palestine affirms that it "destroyed some of the wicked in the outskirts of the house of Dan, with whom was a graven image;" but this attempt to shift the responsibility, and to alter the character of the sin, is clearly worthless, and only suggested by occurrences wholly unconnected with the present (seeJudges 18).

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