Numbers 11:2
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And the people cried out to Moses, and he prayed to the LORD, and the fire died down.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Hitherto things had gone pretty well in Israel; little interruption had been given to the methods of God's favour to them since the matter of the golden calf; the people seemed teachable in marshalling and purifying the camp, the princes devout and generous in dedicating the altar, and there was good hope that they would be in Canaan presently. But at this chapter begins a melancholy scene; the measures are all broken, God has turned to be their enemy, and fights against them - and it is sin that makes all this mischief. I. Their murmurings kindled a fire among them, which yet was soon quenched by the prayer of Moses (Num 11:1-3). II. No sooner was the fire of judgment quenched than the fire of sin breaks out again, and God takes occasion from it to magnify both his mercy and his justice. 1. The people fret for want of flesh (Num 11:4-9). 2. Moses frets for want of help (Num 11:10-15). Now, (1.) God promises to gratify them both, to appoint help for Moses (Num 11:16, Num 11:17), and to give the people flesh (Num 11:18-23). And, (2.) He presently makes good both these promises. For, [1.] The Spirit of God qualifies the seventy elders for the government (Num 11:24-30). [2.] The power of God brings quails to feast the people (Num 11:31, Num 11:32). Yet [3.] The justice of God plagued them for their murmurings (Num 11:33, etc.).
Open source ↗11:2-3 The people sought Moses’ intercession again (cp. Exod 15:25; 32:11-14), which brought an end to the fire of God’s judgment. • Taberah: Cp. Num 11:34-35; see Deut 9:22.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Intercede with the LORD so He will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses interceded for the people.
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.
Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he should ask God, who will give life to those who commit this kind of sin. There is a sin that leads to death; I am not saying he should ask regarding that sin.
Then the LORD said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before Me, My heart would not go out to this people. Send them from My presence, and let them go.
Perhaps the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to defy the living God, and He will rebuke him for the words that the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives.”
So He said He would destroy them— had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach to divert His wrath from destroying them.
Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us!”
“O Lord,” he said, “if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, my Lord, please go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our iniquity and sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”