Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Now a wind went out from the LORD and drove quail in from the sea. It scattered them up to two cubits deep all around the camp, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. New Living Translation Now the LORD sent a wind that brought quail from the sea and let them fall all around the camp. For miles in every direction there were quail flying about three feet above the ground. English Standard Version Then a wind from the LORD sprang up, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the ground. Berean Standard Bible Now a wind sent by the LORD came up, drove in quail from the sea, and brought them near the camp, about two cubits above the surface of the ground, for a day’s journey in every direction around the camp. King James Bible And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. New King James Version Now a wind went out from the LORD, and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and about a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the ground. New American Standard Bible Now a wind burst forth from the LORD and it brought quail from the sea, and dropped them beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side all around the camp, and about two cubits deep on the surface of the ground. NASB 1995 Now there went forth a wind from the LORD and it brought quail from the sea, and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp and about two cubits deep on the surface of the ground. NASB 1977 Now there went forth a wind from the LORD, and it brought quail from the sea, and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits deep on the surface of the ground. Legacy Standard Bible Now there went forth a wind from Yahweh, and it brought quail from the sea, and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp and about two cubits over the surface of the ground. Amplified Bible Now there went forth a wind from the LORD and it brought quails from the sea, and let them fall [so they flew low] beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and on the other side, all around the camp, about two cubits (three feet) deep on the surface of the ground. Christian Standard Bible A wind sent by the LORD came up and blew quail in from the sea; it dropped them all around the camp. They were flying three feet off the ground for about a day’s journey in every direction. Holman Christian Standard Bible A wind sent by the LORD came up and blew quail in from the sea; it dropped them at the camp all around, three feet off the ground, about a day’s journey in every direction. American Standard Version And there went forth a wind from Jehovah, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the earth. Contemporary English Version Some time later the LORD sent a strong wind that blew quails in from the sea until Israel's camp was completely surrounded with birds, piled up about a meter high for many kilometers in every direction. English Revised Version And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the earth. GOD'S WORD® Translation The LORD sent a wind from the sea that brought quails and dropped them all around the camp. There were quails on the ground about three feet deep as far as you could walk in a day in any direction. Good News Translation Suddenly the LORD sent a wind that brought quails from the sea, flying three feet above the ground. They settled on the camp and all around it for miles and miles in every direction. International Standard Version Just then, a wind burst forth from the LORD, who brought quails from the sea and spread them all around the camp, about a day's journey in each direction, completely encircling the camp about two cubits deep on top of the ground! Majority Standard Bible Now a wind sent by the LORD came up, drove in quail from the sea, and brought them near the camp, about two cubits above the surface of the ground, for a day’s journey in every direction around the camp. NET Bible Now a wind went out from the LORD and brought quail from the sea, and let them fall near the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and about a day's journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about three feet high on the surface of the ground. New Heart English Bible A wind from the LORD went out and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, around the camp, and about three feet above the ground. Webster's Bible Translation And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, around the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. World English Bible A wind from Yahweh went out and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day’s journey on this side, and a day’s journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the earth. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd a spirit has journeyed from YHWH, and cuts off quails from the sea, and leaves [them] by the camp, as a day’s journey here and as a day’s journey there, around the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the land. Young's Literal Translation And a spirit hath journeyed from Jehovah, and cutteth off quails from the sea, and leaveth by the camp, as a day's journey here, and as a day's journey there, round about the camp, and about two cubits, on the face of the land. Smith's Literal Translation And a spirit removed from Jehovah and it will divide out the quails from the sea, and will cast upon the camp, as the way of a day hither, and the way of a day thither, round about the camp, and as two cubits upon the face of the earth. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd a wind going out from the Lord, taking quails up beyond the sea brought them, and cast them into the camp for the space of one day's journey, on every side of the camp round about, and they flew in the air two cubits high above the ground. Catholic Public Domain Version Then a wind, going out from the Lord and moving forcefully across the sea, brought quails and cast them into the camp, across a distance of one day’s journey, in every part of the camp all around, and they flew in the air two cubits high above the ground. New American Bible There arose a wind from the LORD that drove in quail from the sea and left them all around the camp site, to a distance of a day’s journey and at a depth of two cubits upon the ground. New Revised Standard Version Then a wind went out from the LORD, and it brought quails from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, about two cubits deep on the ground. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd there went forth a wind from before the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side and about a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits high upon the face of the earth. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And the Spirit moved on from before LORD JEHOVAH and brought up quails from the sea and poured them on the camp a day’s journey here and a day’s journey there around the camp, and there were about two cubits on the face of the ground. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought across quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the earth. Brenton Septuagint Translation And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails over from the sea; and it brought them down upon the camp a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on that side, round about the camp, as it were two cubits from the earth. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Quail and the Plague31Now a wind sent by the LORD came up, drove in quail from the sea, and brought them near the camp, about two cubits above the surface of the ground, for a day’s journey in every direction around the camp. 32All that day and night, and all the next day, the people stayed up gathering the quail. No one gathered less than ten homers, and they spread them out all around the camp.… Cross References Exodus 16:13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. Psalm 78:26-29 He stirred the east wind from the heavens and drove the south wind by His might. / He rained meat on them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea. / He felled them in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings. ... Psalm 105:40 They asked, and He brought quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. John 6:31-33 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” / Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. / For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Exodus 16:12 “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’” 1 Corinthians 10:3-4 They all ate the same spiritual food / and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Psalm 78:23-25 Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of the heavens. / He rained down manna for them to eat; He gave them grain from heaven. / Man ate the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance. John 6:49-51 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. / This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. / I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.” Exodus 16:4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions. Nehemiah 9:20-21 You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold Your manna from their mouths, and You gave them water for their thirst. / For forty years You sustained them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell. Deuteronomy 8:3 He humbled you, and in your hunger He gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your fathers had known, so that you might understand that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Matthew 4:4 But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” John 6:58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever.” Psalm 78:19-20 They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness? / When He struck the rock, water gushed out and torrents raged. But can He also give bread or supply His people with meat?” John 6:26-27 Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. / Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.” Treasury of Scripture And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high on the face of the earth. a wind Exodus 10:13,19 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts… Exodus 15:10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Psalm 135:7 He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries. and brought Exodus 16:13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. Psalm 78:26-29 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind… Psalm 105:40 The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. quails. Jump to Previous Camp Cubits Day's Earth High Journey Quail Quails Round Sea Side Surface WindJump to Next Camp Cubits Day's Earth High Journey Quail Quails Round Sea Side Surface WindNumbers 11 1. The burning at Taberah quenched by Moses' prayer4. The people crave meat, and loathe manna 10. Moses complains of his charge 16. God promises to divide his burden unto seventy elders, 18. and to give the people meat for a month 21. Moses' faith is staggered 31. Quails are given in wrath at Kibroth Hattaavah Now a wind went out from the LORD The Hebrew word for "wind" is "רוּחַ" (ruach), which can also mean "spirit" or "breath." This indicates the divine origin and power behind the event. The "wind" is not merely a natural phenomenon but a direct intervention by God. In the biblical narrative, God's control over nature is a recurring theme, demonstrating His sovereignty and ability to provide for His people. The "wind" signifies God's response to the Israelites' complaints, showing both His provision and His authority. and drove quail in from the sea It brought them down all around the camp to a depth of two cubits above the ground for a day's journey in every direction And let them fall.--Better, and scattered them (or, spread them out). Comp. 1Samuel 30:16 : "They were spread abroad upon all the earth," or, over all the ground. Round about.--See Note on Numbers 11:24. As it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.--Or, about two cubits over (or, above) the ground. Had the quails lain upon the earth in a heap for any considerable time, life could only have been preserved by miraculous interference with the ordinary laws of nature, and the Israelites were not allowed to eat of that which had died of itself. Quails commonly fly low, and when wearied with a long flight might fly only about breast-high. On the other hand, the more obvious interpretation of the words is that the quails were spread over the ground, and covered it in some places to the height of two cubits. They were probably taken and killed immediately on their descent, as the following verse seems to indicate, and then spread out and dried and hardened in the sun. Some think that the word which is here rendered quails denotes cranes. Verse 31. - A wind from the Lord. A wind Divinely sent for this purpose. In Psalm 78:26 it is said to have been a wind from the east and south, i.e., a wind blowing up the Red Sea and across the Gulf of Akabah. And brought quails from the sea. On the "quails" (Hebrew, salvim - probably the common quail) see Exodus 16:13. The Septuagint has in both places ἡ ὀρτυγομήτρα, "the quail-mother," the sense of which is uncertain. These birds, which migrate in spring in vast numbers, came from the sea, but it does not follow that the camp was near the sea. They may have been following up the Gulf of Akabah, and been swept far inland by the violence of the gale. Let them fall by the camp. Rather, "threw them down on the camp." יִּטַשׁ עַל הַמַּחֲגֶה. Septuagint, ἐπέβαλεν ἐπὶ τὴν παρεμβολήν. Either the sudden cessation of the gale, or a violent eddying of the wind, threw the exhausted birds in myriads upon the camp (cf. Psalm 78:21, 28). Two cubits high upon the face of the earth. The word "high" is not in the original, but it probably gives the true meaning. The Septuagint, ὡσεὶ δίπηχυ ἀπο τῆς γῆς, is somewhat uncertain. The Targums assert that the quails "flew upon the face of the ground, at a height of two cubits;" and this is followed by the Vulgate ("volabant in acre duobus cubitis altiludine super terram") and by many commentators. This idea, however, although suggested by the actual habits of the bird, and adopted in order to avoid the obvious difficulty of the statement, is inconsistent with the expressions used here and in Psalm 78. If the birds were "thrown" upon the camp, or "rained" upon it like sand, they could not have been flying steadily forward a few feet above the ground. It is certainly impossible to take the statement literally, for such a mass of birds would have been perfectly unmanageable; but if we suppose that they were drifted by the wind into heaps, which in places reached the height of two cubits, that will satisfy the exigencies of the text: anything like a uniform depth would be the last thing to be expected under the circumstances.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Now a windוְר֜וּחַ (wə·rū·aḥ) Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit sent by מִן־ (min-) Preposition Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of the LORD יְהוָ֗ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel came up, נָסַ֣ע ׀ (nā·sa‘) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5265: To pull up, the tent-pins, start on a, journey drove in וַיָּ֣גָז (way·yā·ḡāz) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 1468: To shear off, passing rapidly quail שַׂלְוִים֮ (śal·wîm) Noun - feminine plural Strong's 7958: The quail from מֵאֵ֣ת (mê·’êṯ) Preposition-m | Direct object marker Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case the sea, הַיָּם֒ (hay·yām) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin and dropped וַיִּטֹּ֨שׁ (way·yiṭ·ṭōš) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5203: To pound, smite, to disperse, to thrust off, down, out, upon them near עַל־ (‘al-) Preposition Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against the camp, הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֜ה (ham·ma·ḥă·neh) Article | Noun - common singular Strong's 4264: An encampment, an army about two cubits וּכְאַמָּתַ֖יִם (ū·ḵə·’am·mā·ṯa·yim) Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - fd Strong's 520: A mother, a cubit, a door-base deep עַל־ (‘al-) Preposition Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against for a day’s י֣וֹם (yō·wm) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 3117: A day journey כְּדֶ֧רֶךְ (kə·ḏe·reḵ) Preposition-k | Noun - common singular construct Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action in every direction כֹּ֗ה (kōh) Adverb Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now around סְבִיב֖וֹת (sə·ḇî·ḇō·wṯ) Adverb Strong's 5439: A circle, neighbour, environs, around the camp. הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה (ham·ma·ḥă·neh) Article | Noun - common singular Strong's 4264: An encampment, an army Links Numbers 11:31 NIVNumbers 11:31 NLT Numbers 11:31 ESV Numbers 11:31 NASB Numbers 11:31 KJV Numbers 11:31 BibleApps.com Numbers 11:31 Biblia Paralela Numbers 11:31 Chinese Bible Numbers 11:31 French Bible Numbers 11:31 Catholic Bible OT Law: Numbers 11:31 There went forth a wind from Yahweh (Nu Num.) |