Numbers 11:7

And the manna [was] as coriander seed,.... Not in colour, for that is black or darkish, whereas the manna was white, as is generally observed; of which [See comments on Exodus 16:31]; however it

But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes. But now ... there is nothing ... besides this manna.

As coriander seed; not for colour, for that is black, but for shape and figure. Bdellium is either, 1. The gum of a tree, of a white and bright colour; or rather, 2. A gem or precious stone, as the Hebrew doctors take it; and particularly a pearl, as some render it, wherewith the manna doth manifestly agree both in its colour, which is white, , and in its figure, which is round. See more on .

Numbers 11:7 And the manna [was] as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.Ver. 7. And the manna.] There was therefore no such cause they should so loathe it. Was as coriander seed.] Small, but full of sweetness and nourishment. This might be some cause of Moses’ undecayedness. As the colour of bdellium.] A kind of transparent and precious gum.

(7) And the manna was . . . —The design of the description of the manna in this place (comp. Exodus 16:14; Exodus 16:31, and Notes in loc.; also Article Manna, in “Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible”) was probably to exhibit in its just light the sinfulness of the Israelites in repining at the merciful provision which God had made for the supply of their wants. The dissatisfaction of the Israelites with the sweet bread of heaven, and their craving after the more savoury and more stimulating food of Egypt may be regarded as typical of man’s natural repugnance to the spiritual food which is provided in the Gospel, and his restless cravings after the pleasures of the world.

Verse 7. The manna was as coriander seed] Probably this short description is added to show the iniquity of the people in murmuring, while they had so adequate a provision. But the baseness of their minds appears in every part of their conduct. About the bdellium of the ancients the learned are not agreed; and I shall not trouble the reader with conjectures. See Clarke on Genesis 2:12. Concerning the manna, see the notes on Exodus 16:1-36.

4–34. (I) The Manna and Quails. J . (II) The burden of the people too heavy for Moses. J . (III) The Spirit of ecstasy upon the elders. E . These verses should be studied in the following order: (I) Numbers 11:4-10; Numbers 11:13; Numbers 11:18-24 a (to ‘the words of the Lord’), 31–34. (II) Numbers 11:11-12; Numbers 11:14-15. (III) Numbers 11:16-17 a, 24b–30. It will be seen that the narratives (II) and (III) have no real connexion with (I). In the process of compilation two sentences were lost. The words ‘And Moses said unto Jehovah’ in Numbers 11:11 a are required for both narratives, and must be added for (I) at the beginning of Num 11:13. Similarly Numbers 11:18 (as Numbers 11:16) must begin ‘And Jehovah said unto Moses, say thou &c.’ If this is done, two distinct narratives emerge, and a fragment of a third: (I) The people being weary of manna murmured for flesh. Jehovah was angry and warned them that they would loathe the flesh when it came. Moses was incredulous that such a miracle could be performed. But a wind brought a mass of quails, and a plague was the result. (II) Moses found the care and guidance of the people a burden too heavy to bear, and prayed that he might die. (III) Jehovah took some of Moses’ spirit and put it upon seventy elders, so that they were filled with prophetic frenzy, including two who were not with the others in front of the Tent. Joshua wished Moses to forbid them, but he refused. (I) Numbers 11:4-10; Numbers 11:13; Numbers 11:18-24 a, 31–34. Manna and Quails. In Exodus 16 there is a more complete narrative of the manna, from P , where Numbers 11:35 (‘they did eat the manna … until they came into the borders of the land of Canaan’) shews that manna was not sent on two distinct occasions, but that the two narratives are parallel accounts. In the present chapter the sending of the manna is not related (see on Numbers 11:6). But it must not be concluded from this that our narrative is the sequel to that in Exodus 16; for (I) a description of the manna is given, as though it were a new phenomenon, in Numbers 11:7-9 as well as in Exodus 16:14; Exodus 16:31, and there are considerable differences in the two accounts; and (2) the laying of the pot of manna ‘before the Testimony’ (Exodus 16:34) shews that that narrative belongs to a time after the Testimony (i.e. the Decalogue) was given at Sinai. Thus both in P and J it is related that manna was sent after the departure from the mountain. Moreover, while P has this very full parallel account of the manna, it also has fragmentary references to the quails embedded in it. See Exodus 16:8 a (‘in the evening flesh to eat’), 12 (‘at even ye shall eat flesh’), 13a (‘at even the quails came up and covered the camp’). (II) Numbers 11:11-12; Numbers 11:14-15.

7. Manna — See Exodus 16:14-15, and Joshua 5:12, notes. The coriander is found in Egypt, Persia, and India. It has a round, tall stalk, white or reddish flowers, and grayish, spicy seeds used by confectioners and druggists.