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Selected Verse: Numbers 11:10 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Nu 11:10	Strong Concordance	Then Moses [04872] heard [08085] the people [05971] weep [01058] throughout their families [04940], every man [0376] in the door [06607] of his tent [0168]: and the anger [0639] of the LORD [03068] was kindled [02734] greatly [03966]; Moses [04872] also was displeased [07489] [05869].
	King James	Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant, &c.--It is impossible not to sympathize with his feelings although the tone and language of his remonstrances to God cannot be justified. He was in a most distressing situation--having a mighty multitude under his care, with no means of satisfying their clamorous demands. Their conduct shows how deeply they had been debased and demoralized by long oppression: while his reveals a state of mind agonized and almost overwhelmed by a sense of the undivided responsibilities of his office.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant, &c.--It is impossible not to sympathize with his feelings although the tone and language of his remonstrances to God cannot be justified. He was in a most distressing situation--having a mighty multitude under his care, with no means of satisfying their clamorous demands. Their conduct shows how deeply they had been debased and demoralized by long oppression: while his reveals a state of mind agonized and almost overwhelmed by a sense of the undivided responsibilities of his office.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
When Moses heard the people weep, "according to their families, every one before the door of his tent," i.e., heard complaining in all the families in front of every tent, so that the weeping had become universal throughout the whole nation (cf. Zac 12:12.), and the wrath of the Lord burned on account of it, and the thing displeased Moses also, he brought his complaint to the Lord. The words "Moses also was displeased," are introduced as a circumstantial clause, to explain the matter more clearly, and show the reason for the complaint which Moses poured out before the Lord, and do not refer exclusively either to the murmuring of the people or to the wrath of Jehovah, but to both together. This follows evidently from the position in which the clause stands between the two antecedent clauses in Num 11:10 and the apodosis in Num 11:11, and still more evidently from the complaint of Moses which follows. For "the whole attitude of Moses shows that his displeasure was excited not merely by the unrestrained rebellion of the people against Jehovah, but also by the unrestrained wrath of Jehovah against the nation" (Kurtz). But in what was the wrath of Jehovah manifested? It broke out against the people first of all when they had been satiated with flesh (Num 11:33). There is no mention of any earlier manifestation. Hence Moses can only have discovered a sign of the burning wrath of Jehovah in the fact that, although the discontent of the people burst forth in loud cries, God did not help, but withdrew with His help, and let the whole storm of the infuriated people burst upon him. Num 11:11-14 In Moses' complaint there is an unmistakeable discontent arising from the excessive burden of his office. "Why hast Thou done evil to Thy servant? and why have I not found favour in Thy sight, to lay upon me the burden of all this people?" The "burden of all this people" is the expression which he uses to denote "the care of governing the people, and providing everything for it" (C. a. Lap.). This burden, which God imposed upon him in connection with his office, appeared to him a bad and ungracious treatment on the part of God. This is the language of the discontent of despair, which differs from the murmuring of unbelief, in the fact that it is addressed to God, for the purpose of entreating help and deliverance from Him; whereas unbelief complains of the ways of God, but while complaining of its troubles, does not pray to the Lord its God. "Have I conceived all this people," Moses continues, "or have I brought it forth, that Thou requirest me to carry it in my bosom, as a nursing father carries the suckling, into the promised land?" He does not intend by these words to throw off entirely all care for the people, but simply to plead with God that the duty of carrying and providing for Israel rests with Him, the Creator and Father of Israel (Exo 4:22; Isa 63:16). Moses, a weak man, was wanting in the omnipotent power which alone could satisfy the crying of the people for flesh. עלי יבכּוּ, "they weep unto me," i.e., they come weeping to ask me to relieve their distress. "I am not able to carry this burden alone; it is too heavy for me." Num 11:15 "If Thou deal thus with me, then kill me quite (הרג inf. abs., expressive of the uninterrupted process of killing; see Ewald, 280, b.), if I have found favour in Thine eyes (i.e., if Thou wilt show me favour), and let me not see my misfortune." "My misfortune:" i.e., the calamity to which I must eventually succumb.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

When Moses heard the people weep, "according to their families, every one before the door of his tent," i.e., heard complaining in all the families in front of every tent, so that the weeping had become universal throughout the whole nation (cf. Zac 12:12.), and the wrath of the Lord burned on account of it, and the thing displeased Moses also, he brought his complaint to the Lord. The words "Moses also was displeased," are introduced as a circumstantial clause, to explain the matter more clearly, and show the reason for the complaint which Moses poured out before the Lord, and do not refer exclusively either to the murmuring of the people or to the wrath of Jehovah, but to both together. This follows evidently from the position in which the clause stands between the two antecedent clauses in Num 11:10 and the apodosis in Num 11:11, and still more evidently from the complaint of Moses which follows. For "the whole attitude of Moses shows that his displeasure was excited not merely by the unrestrained rebellion of the people against Jehovah, but also by the unrestrained wrath of Jehovah against the nation" (Kurtz). But in what was the wrath of Jehovah manifested? It broke out against the people first of all when they had been satiated with flesh (Num 11:33). There is no mention of any earlier manifestation. Hence Moses can only have discovered a sign of the burning wrath of Jehovah in the fact that, although the discontent of the people burst forth in loud cries, God did not help, but withdrew with His help, and let the whole storm of the infuriated people burst upon him.

Num 11:11-14

In Moses' complaint there is an unmistakeable discontent arising from the excessive burden of his office. "Why hast Thou done evil to Thy servant? and why have I not found favour in Thy sight, to lay upon me the burden of all this people?" The "burden of all this people" is the expression which he uses to denote "the care of governing the people, and providing everything for it" (C. a. Lap.). This burden, which God imposed upon him in connection with his office, appeared to him a bad and ungracious treatment on the part of God. This is the language of the discontent of despair, which differs from the murmuring of unbelief, in the fact that it is addressed to God, for the purpose of entreating help and deliverance from Him; whereas unbelief complains of the ways of God, but while complaining of its troubles, does not pray to the Lord its God. "Have I conceived all this people," Moses continues, "or have I brought it forth, that Thou requirest me to carry it in my bosom, as a nursing father carries the suckling, into the promised land?" He does not intend by these words to throw off entirely all care for the people, but simply to plead with God that the duty of carrying and providing for Israel rests with Him, the Creator and Father of Israel (Exo 4:22; Isa 63:16). Moses, a weak man, was wanting in the omnipotent power which alone could satisfy the crying of the people for flesh. עלי יבכּוּ, "they weep unto me," i.e., they come weeping to ask me to relieve their distress. "I am not able to carry this burden alone; it is too heavy for me."

Num 11:15

"If Thou deal thus with me, then kill me quite (הרג inf. abs., expressive of the uninterrupted process of killing; see Ewald, 280, b.), if I have found favour in Thine eyes (i.e., if Thou wilt show me favour), and let me not see my misfortune." "My misfortune:" i.e., the calamity to which I must eventually succumb.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
In the door of his tent - To note they were not ashamed of their sin.

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¹⁵ And if thou deal [06213] thus with me, kill [02026] me, I pray thee, out of hand [02026], if I have found [04672] favour [02580] in thy sight [05869]; and let me not see [07200] my wretchedness [07451].

¹⁶ Doubtless [03588] thou art our father [01], though Abraham [085] be ignorant [03808] [03045] of us, and Israel [03478] acknowledge [05234] us not: thou, O LORD [03068], art our father [01], our redeemer [01350]; thy name [08034] is from everlasting [05769].

²² And thou shalt say [0559] unto Pharaoh [06547], Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068], Israel [03478] is my son [01121], even my firstborn [01060]:

¹¹ And Moses [04872] said [0559] unto the LORD [03068], Wherefore hast thou afflicted [07489] thy servant [05650]? and wherefore have I not found [04672] favour [02580] in thy sight [05869], that thou layest [07760] the burden [04853] of all this people [05971] upon me?
¹² Have I conceived [02029] all this people [05971]? have I begotten [03205] them, that thou shouldest say [0559] unto me, Carry [05375] them in thy bosom [02436], as a nursing father [0539] beareth [05375] the sucking child [03243], unto the land [0127] which thou swarest [07650] unto their fathers [01]?
¹³ Whence [0370] should I have flesh [01320] to give [05414] unto all this people [05971]? for they weep [01058] unto me, saying [0559], Give [05414] us flesh [01320], that we may eat [0398].
¹⁴ I am not able [03201] to bear [05375] all this people [05971] alone [0905], because it is too heavy [03515] for me.

³³ And while the flesh [01320] was yet [02962] between their teeth [08127], ere it was chewed [03772], the wrath [0639] of the LORD [03068] was kindled [02734] against the people [05971], and the LORD [03068] smote [05221] the people [05971] with a very [03966] great [07227] plague [04347].

¹⁰ Then Moses [04872] heard [08085] the people [05971] weep [01058] throughout their families [04940], every man [0376] in the door [06607] of his tent [0168]: and the anger [0639] of the LORD [03068] was kindled [02734] greatly [03966]; Moses [04872] also was displeased [07489] [05869].

¹² And the land [0776] shall mourn [05594], every [04940] family [04940] apart [0905]; the family [04940] of the house [01004] of David [01732] apart, and their wives [0802] apart; the family [04940] of the house [01004] of Nathan [05416] apart, and their wives [0802] apart;