Numbers 11:21 - Moses said, “The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot; and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month.’
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What does "Numbers 11:21" mean?
Numbers 11:21 records Moses's incredulous response to God's promise to provide meat for the Israelites for a whole month. Let's break down the meaning of his statement:
"Moses said, “The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot...": Moses is emphasizing the sheer size of the Israelite population. He is referring to the number of adult men able to fight which is a significant marker of population size. He implicitly includes the fact that there are likely at least as many women and a considerable number of children in addition to these men. By highlighting the large population, he is emphasizing the scale of the logistical challenge of feeding them.
"...and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month.’": Moses is repeating God's promise, but doing so in a way that expresses doubt and disbelief. He is underscoring the duration (a whole month) and the quantity (meat for everyone) of the proposed provision.
The overall meaning and implication is:
Moses is struggling to comprehend how it would be possible to provide enough meat to feed such a massive population for an entire month. He is not openly defying God, but he is expressing his human limitations and perspective. He's thinking logically about the practical difficulties of acquiring, preparing, and distributing such a large amount of food. His words betray a sense of overwhelming concern for the logistics of such a feat, and an implied question of feasibility.
Essentially, Moses is saying something like, "God, with all due respect, do you realize how many people you're talking about feeding meat to? This seems impossible!" He is voicing the logistical and practical difficulties of the situation, revealing the human limitations of his understanding in the face of God's power and promise.
Numbers 11:21 - Moses said, “The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot; and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month.’
What does "Numbers 11:21" mean?
Numbers 11:21 records Moses's incredulous response to God's promise to provide meat for the Israelites for a whole month. Let's break down the meaning of his statement:
"Moses said, “The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot...": Moses is emphasizing the sheer size of the Israelite population. He is referring to the number of adult men able to fight which is a significant marker of population size. He implicitly includes the fact that there are likely at least as many women and a considerable number of children in addition to these men. By highlighting the large population, he is emphasizing the scale of the logistical challenge of feeding them.
"...and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month.’": Moses is repeating God's promise, but doing so in a way that expresses doubt and disbelief. He is underscoring the duration (a whole month) and the quantity (meat for everyone) of the proposed provision.
The overall meaning and implication is:
Moses is struggling to comprehend how it would be possible to provide enough meat to feed such a massive population for an entire month. He is not openly defying God, but he is expressing his human limitations and perspective. He's thinking logically about the practical difficulties of acquiring, preparing, and distributing such a large amount of food. His words betray a sense of overwhelming concern for the logistics of such a feat, and an implied question of feasibility.
Essentially, Moses is saying something like, "God, with all due respect, do you realize how many people you're talking about feeding meat to? This seems impossible!" He is voicing the logistical and practical difficulties of the situation, revealing the human limitations of his understanding in the face of God's power and promise.