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?

NUMBERS 11:20KJV
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Numbers 11:20 (KJV)

What does Numbers 11:20 mean?

Numbers 11:20 describes how God tells the Israelites they will eat meat for a whole month, so much that it will become disgusting to them, as a response to their complaints and rejection of Him after being brought out of Egypt. The verse highlights that their dissatisfaction was not just about food, but about despising the LORD who was present among them.

In this verse, God is speaking through Moses to the Israelites, who have been complaining about their hardships and longing for the food they had in Egypt. God’s response is not just to provide meat, but to do so in overwhelming abundance, turning their craving into something repulsive. The verse shows the seriousness of their ingratitude and how their complaints were seen as a rejection of God’s presence and care.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 11:20

  • "Despised" (מָאַס, ma'as): This word means to reject or treat with contempt. Here, it emphasizes that the Israelites' complaints were more than just grumbling about food—they were rejecting the LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH) Himself, who was living among them.
  • "Nostrils" (אַף, aph): The Hebrew word for "nostrils" is often used for both literal and figurative senses. In this verse, it paints a vivid picture of the meat becoming so excessive that it is forced out through their noses, underlining the overwhelming and unpleasant consequence of their demand.
  • "Loathsome" (זָרָה, zarah): This word means to be detestable or disgusting. It shows that what the people craved would ultimately become something they could not stand, highlighting the danger of unchecked desires.
  • "Among" (קֶרֶב, qerev): This word means "in the midst of." It stresses that the LORD was not distant but present with the Israelites, making their rejection even more serious.

Why Numbers 11:20 matters

  • Numbers 11:20 clears up the misunderstanding that the Israelites’ complaint was only about food; the verse shows their deeper issue was rejecting God’s presence and care.
  • The verse emphasizes how God sometimes gives people what they demand to teach them a lesson about their true needs and the consequences of their desires.
  • This verse connects to the larger story of Israel’s journey, showing a pattern of complaint and God’s response, and helps explain why this generation faced such serious consequences in the wilderness.

Where else these words appear

“because” Hebrew H3282 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 22:16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
  • 1 Kings 21:29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.
  • Ezekiel 12:12 And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.

“despised” Hebrew H3988 · used in 69 verses

  • Leviticus 26:15 And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant:
  • Job 31:13 If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
  • Isaiah 41:9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.

“wept” Hebrew H1058 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 21:16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
  • Judges 21:2 And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
  • Esther 8:3 And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.