Bible Strands
Numbers 11:6
But now our appetite is gone; there is nothing to see but this manna!”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Israelites address Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, speaking immediately after listing the foods of Egypt. Their words mark a direct complaint against the daily provision they previously received.
The words — The Hebrew נַפְשֵׁ֥/נוּ (naf.She./nu) means "our appetite" and יְבֵשָ֖ה (ye.ve.Shah) means "[is] dry," while בִּלְתִּ֖י (bil.Ti) translates to "except." These terms state a physical revulsion toward the manna before describing its coriander-like appearance in the surrounding text.
The thread — The pattern of wilderness complaint and provision recurs in Numbers 21:5, where the people again question God's leadership and declare there is no bread. The focus on manna as the sole visible food continues in Numbers 11:7, which details its gum resin-like appearance.
Why it lands — The verse states that immediate fatigue can erase long-term memory of deliverance. It asks the reader to distinguish between genuine need and the distortion of present exhaustion.
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
King James Version
But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
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!”
- 2 Samuel 13:4 and he asked Amnon, “Why are you, the son of the king, so depressed morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon replied, “I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”