Psalm 78:27
New International Version
He rained meat down on them like dust, birds like sand on the seashore.

New Living Translation
He rained down meat as thick as dust— birds as plentiful as the sand on the seashore!

English Standard Version
he rained meat on them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas;

Berean Standard Bible
He rained meat on them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea.

King James Bible
He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

New King James Version
He also rained meat on them like the dust, Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;

New American Standard Bible
When He rained meat upon them like the dust, Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas,

NASB 1995
When He rained meat upon them like the dust, Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas,

NASB 1977
When He rained meat upon them like the dust, Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas,

Legacy Standard Bible
Then He rained meat upon them like the dust, Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas,

Amplified Bible
He rained meat upon them like the dust, And winged birds (quail) like the sand of the seas.

Christian Standard Bible
He rained meat on them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the seas.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He rained meat on them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the seas.

American Standard Version
He rained flesh also upon them as the dust, And winged birds as the sand of the seas:

Contemporary English Version
and it brought birds that covered the ground, like sand on the beach.

English Revised Version
He rained flesh also upon them as the dust, and winged fowl as the sand of the seas:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He rained meat down on them like dust, birds like the sand on the seashore.

Good News Translation
and to his people he sent down birds, as many as the grains of sand on the shore;

International Standard Version
He caused meat to rain on them like dust and winged birds as the sand of the sea.

Majority Standard Bible
He rained meat on them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea.

NET Bible
He rained down meat on them like dust, birds as numerous as the sand on the seashores.

New Heart English Bible
He rained also flesh on them as the dust; winged birds as the sand of the seas.

Webster's Bible Translation
He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

World English Bible
He also rained meat on them as the dust, winged birds as the sand of the seas.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And He rains on them flesh as dust, "" And as sand of the seas—winged bird,

Young's Literal Translation
And He raineth on them flesh as dust, And as sand of the seas -- winged fowl,

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will rain flesh upon them as the dust, birds of feather as the sand of the seas.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he rained upon them flesh as dust: and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he rained down flesh upon them, as if it were dust, and feathered birds, as if they were the sand of the sea.

New American Bible
He rained meat upon them like dust, winged fowl like the sands of the sea,

New Revised Standard Version
he rained flesh upon them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He rained flesh also upon them like dust, and feathered fowls like the sands of the sea:

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
He sent flesh down for them like dust, and birds of the wing like the sand of the sea
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
He caused flesh also to rain upon them as the dust, And winged fowl as the sand of the seas;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he rained upon them flesh like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the seas.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
I Will Open My Mouth in Parables
26He stirred the east wind from the heavens and drove the south wind by His might. 27He rained meat on them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea. 28He felled them in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings.…

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.

Numbers 11:31-32
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. / All 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.

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.”

Psalm 105:40
They asked, and He brought quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

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.

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.

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.

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 6:11
Give us this day our daily bread.

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 16:12
“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.’”

Numbers 11:4-6
Meanwhile, the rabble among them had a strong craving for other food, and again the Israelites wept and said, “Who will feed us meat? / We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt, along with the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. / But now our appetite is gone; there is nothing to see but this manna!”

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 23:5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Matthew 14:19-21
And He directed the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He spoke a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. / They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. / About five thousand men were fed, besides women and children.


Treasury of Scripture

He rained flesh also on them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

he rained

Exodus 16:12,13
I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God…

Numbers 11:18,19,32
And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat…

feathered fowls.

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Psalm 78
1. An exhortation both to learn and to preach, the law of God
9. The story of God's wrath against the incredulous and disobedient
67. The Israelites being rejected, God chose Judah, Zion, and David.














He rained
The imagery of rain in this context is significant, as it suggests an abundant and generous provision from God. In Hebrew, the word used here is "מָטַר" (matar), which often denotes a divine act of provision. This reflects God's sovereignty and His ability to provide for His people in miraculous ways, reminiscent of the manna from heaven. The use of "rained" emphasizes the ease and effortlessness with which God can meet the needs of His people.

meat on them
The "meat" refers to the quail that God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness, as recorded in Exodus 16 and Numbers 11. This provision was a direct response to the Israelites' complaints about their lack of food. The Hebrew word for meat, "בָּשָׂר" (basar), signifies not just physical sustenance but also God's attentiveness to the desires and needs of His people, even when they grumble or lack faith.

like dust
The comparison to "dust" highlights the sheer abundance of the provision. Dust is ubiquitous and innumerable, suggesting that God's provision was not just sufficient but overwhelmingly plentiful. This serves as a reminder of God's limitless resources and His willingness to lavishly provide for His people, even when they are undeserving.

and winged birds
The "winged birds" specifically refer to the quail that God sent to the Israelites. The Hebrew word "עוֹף" (oph) encompasses all flying creatures, but in this context, it is understood to mean quail. This detail underscores the miraculous nature of the event, as quail are not typically found in such abundance in the wilderness, further demonstrating God's control over nature.

like the sand of the sea
This phrase is a common biblical metaphor for something that is innumerable or vast. The comparison to "sand of the sea" reinforces the idea of God's abundant provision. In the Hebrew Bible, this phrase often signifies God's promises and blessings, as seen in His covenant with Abraham (Genesis 22:17). Here, it serves to remind the reader of God's faithfulness and the fulfillment of His promises, even in the face of human doubt and rebellion.

(27) No doubt there is poetical hyperbole here, but for the enormous numbers of quails that are now caught, see the article quoted above.

Verse 27. - He rained flesh also upon them. With the expression, "rained flesh," comp. Exodus 16:4, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven;" and see also Genesis 19:24 and Exodus 9:23. As dust; i.e. "as thick as dust" (Prayer book Version). The quails lay "as it were two cubits high" for the distance of a day's journey round about each encampment (see Numbers 11:31). And feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea. The commonest image of multiplicity (Genesis 22:17; Deuteronomy 33:19; Joshua 11:4; Judges 7:12, etc.).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He rained
וַיַּמְטֵ֬ר (way·yam·ṭêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4305: To rain

meat
שְׁאֵ֑ר (šə·’êr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7607: Flesh, as living, for, food, food of any kind, kindred by blood

on them
עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם (‘ă·lê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

like dust,
כֶּעָפָ֣ר (ke·‘ā·p̄ār)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6083: Dust, clay, earth, mud

and winged
כָּנָֽף׃ (kā·nāp̄)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3671: An edge, extremity, a wing, a flap, a quarter, a pinnacle

birds
ע֣וֹף (‘ō·wp̄)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5775: Flying creatures

like the sand
וּֽכְח֥וֹל (ū·ḵə·ḥō·wl)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2344: Sand

of the sea.
יַ֝מִּ֗ים (yam·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin


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OT Poetry: Psalm 78:27 He rained also flesh on them as (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 78:26
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