Numbers 11:1

Soon the people began to complain about their hardship in the hearing of the LORD, and when He heard them, His anger was kindled, and fire from the LORD blazed among them and consumed the outskirts of the camp.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The people, in the wilderness, complain about their hardship in the hearing of the LORD; the complaint reaches God directly, not merely Moses.

The words — mit'oneNim (כְּמִתְאֹנְנִים), "like those who complain," is a noun form of the same root behind Exodus 6:9's "shortness of spirit," marking this as a recognized pattern rather than a one-time outburst.

The thread — The complaint-to-fire sequence recurs in Numbers 21:5 (speaking against God and Moses) and Numbers 16:35 (fire consuming the 250 men), and the fire-from-heaven motif appears in 2 Kings 1:12.

Why it lands — The verse presents complaint as an act that reaches God's ear and provokes His anger, not as a private feeling; the reader is asked to weigh what they are actually doing when they grumble.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיְהִ֤יva/y.Hiand/ it was הָעָם֙ha./'Amthe/ people כְּמִתְאֹ֣נְנִ֔יםke./mit.'O.ne.Nimlike/ [those who] complain רַ֖עra'trouble בְּאָזְנֵ֣יbe./'a.ze.Neiin/ [the] ears of יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahweh וַיִּשְׁמַ֤עva/i.yish.Ma'and/ he heard יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahweh וַיִּ֣חַרva/i.Yi.charand/ it burned אַפּ֔וֹ'a.P/oanger/ his וַתִּבְעַר־va./tiv.'ar-and/ it burnedבָּם֙ba/mamong <the>/ themאֵ֣שׁ'esh[the] fire of יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahweh וַתֹּ֖אכַלva./To.khaland/ it consumed בִּקְצֵ֥הbi/k.Tzehin/ [the] outskirt[s] of הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃Ha./ma.cha.Nehthe/ camp

King James Version

And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

Cross-references

Numbers 21:5 and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”
Numbers 16:35 And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.
2 Kings 1:12 Again Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men.
Exodus 16:9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole congregation of Israel, ‘Come before the LORD, for He has heard your grumbling.’”
Leviticus 10:2 So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died in the presence of the LORD.
1 Corinthians 10:10 And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.
Exodus 16:2 And there in the desert the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
Exodus 16:7 and in the morning you will see the LORD’s glory, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. For who are we, that you should grumble against us?”
Exodus 17:2 So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?”
Numbers 20:2 Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered against Moses and Aaron.