Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth, so that You should tell me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries an infant,' to the land that You swore to give their fathers? Did I conceive all these people?This phrase reflects Moses' deep frustration and sense of overwhelming responsibility. The Hebrew word for "conceive" is "הָרָה" (harah), which literally means to become pregnant or to bear. Moses uses this metaphor to express the absurdity of the situation, as if he were the parent responsible for the birth and nurturing of the entire nation of Israel. This highlights the immense burden of leadership that Moses feels, as he is expected to care for and guide the Israelites as a parent would for their children. Historically, this reflects the cultural understanding of leadership in ancient Israel, where leaders were often seen as shepherds or caretakers of their people. Did I give them birth
The phrase continues the metaphor of parenthood, with "birth" translating from the Hebrew "יָלַד" (yalad), meaning to bring forth or to bear. Moses is rhetorically questioning his role, emphasizing that he did not bring the Israelites into existence, and thus should not be solely responsible for their welfare. This reflects a common theme in the Old Testament, where leaders often feel inadequate or overwhelmed by the tasks God has set before them. It also underscores the idea that God is the true parent and provider for His people, not Moses. that You should say to me
Here, Moses is addressing God directly, indicating a personal and intimate conversation with the Divine. The phrase "that You should say to me" suggests a direct command or expectation from God, which Moses feels is unreasonable given his human limitations. This interaction is a reminder of the close relationship between God and His chosen leaders, where open and honest communication is encouraged. It also reflects the biblical theme of divine calling, where God often asks His servants to undertake tasks that seem beyond their capabilities. ‘Carry them in your bosom
The imagery of carrying someone "in your bosom" is tender and nurturing, akin to a mother carrying her child. The Hebrew word "חֵיק" (cheq) refers to the lap or bosom, symbolizing closeness and care. Moses is expressing the impossibility of such an intimate and personal level of care for such a large group of people. This phrase highlights the compassionate nature expected of leaders, as well as the deep love and care God has for His people, which He desires to be reflected in His servants. as a nurse carries an infant
The comparison to a nurse carrying an infant further emphasizes the nurturing role Moses is expected to play. The Hebrew word "אֹמֵן" (omen) can mean a nurse or a guardian, someone who provides sustenance and protection. This metaphor underscores the dependency of the Israelites on Moses, much like an infant depends entirely on a caregiver. It also reflects the biblical principle of servant leadership, where leaders are called to serve and care for those they lead, mirroring God's care for His people. to the land that You swore to give their fathers?
This phrase points to the covenantal promise God made to the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give their descendants the Promised Land. The Hebrew word for "swore" is "נִשְׁבַּע" (nishba), indicating a solemn oath or promise. Moses is reminding God of His covenant, highlighting the faithfulness of God to His promises. This serves as a reassurance to the Israelites and to Moses himself that despite the current challenges, God’s promises are sure and will be fulfilled. It also emphasizes the continuity of God's plan throughout generations, showcasing His unchanging nature and commitment to His people. Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe leader of the Israelites, chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt and through the wilderness. In this verse, Moses is expressing his frustration and feeling of inadequacy in bearing the burden of leading the Israelites. 2. The IsraelitesThe people of God, who were delivered from slavery in Egypt and are now journeying through the wilderness to the Promised Land. They are often depicted as grumbling and complaining, which adds to Moses' burden. 3. The WildernessThe setting for this event, representing a place of testing and reliance on God. It is a physical and spiritual journey for the Israelites. 4. The Promised LandThe land God swore to give to the forefathers of the Israelites. It symbolizes God's faithfulness and the fulfillment of His promises. 5. GodThe sovereign Lord who called Moses to lead His people. He is the one who provides guidance, strength, and sustenance for the journey. Teaching Points The Burden of LeadershipLeadership often comes with heavy burdens and responsibilities. Like Moses, leaders may feel overwhelmed and inadequate. It is important to seek God's guidance and strength in these times. Dependence on GodMoses' cry to God reflects a deep dependence on divine help. Believers are encouraged to rely on God for strength and wisdom, especially when facing overwhelming tasks. Shared ResponsibilityJust as Moses needed to share the burden of leadership, we are reminded of the importance of community and delegation. In the body of Christ, we are called to support one another. God's FaithfulnessDespite the challenges, God remains faithful to His promises. The journey to the Promised Land is a testament to God's unwavering commitment to His people. Prayer and Honest Communication with GodMoses' honest prayer shows that we can bring our frustrations and concerns to God. He invites us to communicate openly with Him, trusting in His understanding and provision. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Moses' expression of frustration in Numbers 11:12 reflect the challenges of leadership, and what can we learn from his response? 2. In what ways can we apply the principle of shared responsibility in our own communities or churches, as seen in Moses' leadership? 3. How does the concept of God's faithfulness in leading the Israelites to the Promised Land encourage us in our personal journeys of faith? 4. Reflect on a time when you felt overwhelmed by a task or responsibility. How can Moses' example guide you in seeking God's help and relying on His strength? 5. How do the additional scriptures (Exodus 18, Deuteronomy 1, Matthew 11:28-30, 1 Peter 5:7) enhance our understanding of God's provision and care for those who are burdened? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 18Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, advises him to delegate responsibilities, highlighting the burden of leadership and the need for support. Deuteronomy 1Moses recounts the burden of leadership and the appointment of leaders to help him, emphasizing the need for shared responsibility. Matthew 11:28-30Jesus invites those who are weary and burdened to come to Him for rest, offering a parallel to Moses' need for divine assistance. 1 Peter 5:7Encourages believers to cast their anxieties on God, reflecting Moses' need to rely on God's strength rather than his own. People Eldad, Israelites, Joshua, Medad, Moses, NunPlaces Egypt, Hazeroth, Kibroth-hattaavah, Paran, TaberahTopics Arms, Beareth, Begotten, Birth, Bosom, Breast, Bring, Carries, Carrieth, Carry, Child, Conceive, Conceived, Fathers, Forefathers, Forth, Ground, Hast, Infant, Nurse, Nursing, Nursing-father, Oath, Promised, Sayest, Shouldest, Shouldst, Sucking, Suckling, Swarest, Swear, Swore, Sworest, SwornDictionary of Bible Themes Numbers 11:12 1215 God, feminine descriptions
5126 arm
5428 nurse
5655 birth
7258 promised land, early history
8205 childlikeness Numbers 11:4-34 4438 eating Numbers 11:10-12 4207 land, divine gift Numbers 11:10-15 8726 doubters Numbers 11:10-17 8614 prayer, answers Numbers 11:11-15 5265 complaints Library April 12. "They were as it Were, Complainers" (Num. xi. 1).
"They were as it were, complainers" (Num. xi. 1). There is a very remarkable phrase in the book of Numbers, in the account of the murmuring of the children of Israel in the wilderness. It reads like this: "When the people, as it were, murmured." Like most marginal readings it is better than the text, and a great world of suggestive truth lies back of that little sentence. In the distance we may see many a vivid picture rise before our imagination of people who do not dare to sin openly and unequivocally, …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth Exposition of Chap. Iii. (ii. 28-32. )
Ver. 1. "And it shall come to pass, afterwards, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." The communication of the Spirit of God was the constant prerogative of the Covenant-people. Indeed, the very idea of such a people necessarily requires it. For the Spirit of God is the only inward bond betwixt Him and that which is created; a Covenant-people, therefore, without such an inward …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament The Deaf Stammerer Healed and Four Thousand Fed.
^A Matt. XV. 30-39; ^B Mark VII. 32-VIII. 9. ^b 32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech [The man had evidently learned to speak before he lost his hearing. Some think that defective hearing had caused the impediment in his speech, but verse 35 suggests that he was tongue-tied]; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 33 And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue [He separated …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Baptist's Testimony.
"There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light.... John beareth witness of Him, and crieth, saying, This was He of whom I said, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for He was before me. For of His fulness we all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. …
Marcus Dods—The Expositor's Bible: The Gospel of St. John, Vol. I Third Sunday after Epiphany
Text: Romans 12, 16-21. 16 Be not wise in your own conceits. 17 Render to no man evil for evil. Take thought for things honorable in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men. 19 Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath of God: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord. 20 But if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II False Ambition Versus Childlikeness.
(Capernaum, Autumn, a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XVIII. 1-14; ^B Mark IX. 33-50; ^C Luke IX. 46-50. ^c 46 And there arose a reasoning among them, which of them was the greatest. ^b 33 And he came to Capernaum: ^c 47 But when Jesus saw the reasoning of their heart, ^b and when he was in the house [probably Simon Peter's house] he asked them, What were ye reasoning on the way? 34 But they held their peace: for they had disputed one with another on the way, who was the greatest. [The Lord with his disciples was …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
"The Holy Spirit was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified."--John vii. 39. We have come to the most difficult part in the discussion of the work of the Holy Spirit, viz., the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the tenth day after the ascension. In the treatment of this subject it is not our aim to create a new interest in the celebration of Pentecost. We consider this almost impossible. Man's nature is too unspiritual for this. But we shall reverently endeavor to give a clearer insight …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit Third Sunday Before Lent
Text: First Corinthians 9, 24-27; 10, 1-5. 24 Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain. 25 And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air: 27 but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II Eastern Wise-Men, or Magi, visit Jesus, the New-Born King.
(Jerusalem and Bethlehem, b.c. 4.) ^A Matt. II. 1-12. ^a 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem [It lies five miles south by west of Jerusalem, a little to the east of the road to Hebron. It occupies part of the summit and sides of a narrow limestone ridge which shoots out eastward from the central chains of the Judæan mountains, and breaks down abruptly into deep valleys on the north, south, and east. Its old name, Ephrath, meant "the fruitful." Bethlehem means "house of bread." Its modern …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Messiah's Easy Yoke
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. T hough the influence of education and example, may dispose us to acknowledge the Gospel to be a revelation from God; it can only be rightly understood, or duly prized, by those persons who feel themselves in the circumstances of distress, which it is designed to relieve. No Israelite would think of fleeing to a city of refuge (Joshua 20:2. …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 Of Immediate Revelation.
Of Immediate Revelation. [29] Seeing no man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son revealeth him; and seeing the revelation of the Son is in and by the Spirit; therefore the testimony of the Spirit is that alone by which the true knowledge of God hath been, is, and can be only revealed; who as, by the moving of his own Spirit, he disposed the chaos of this world into that wonderful order in which it was in the beginning, and created man a living soul, to rule and govern it, so by …
Robert Barclay—Theses Theologicae and An Apology for the True Christian Divinity Blasphemous Accusations of the Jews.
(Galilee.) ^A Matt. XII. 22-37; ^B Mark III. 19-30; ^C Luke XI. 14-23. ^b 19 And he cometh into a house. [Whose house is not stated.] 20 And the multitude cometh together again [as on a previous occasion--Mark ii. 1], so that they could not so much as eat bread. [They could not sit down to a regular meal. A wonderful picture of the intense importunity of people and the corresponding eagerness of Jesus, who was as willing to do as they were to have done.] 21 And when his friends heard it, they went …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Appendix ii. Philo of Alexandria and Rabbinic Theology.
(Ad. vol. i. p. 42, note 4.) In comparing the allegorical Canons of Philo with those of Jewish traditionalism, we think first of all of the seven exegetical canons which are ascribed to Hillel. These bear chiefly the character of logical deductions, and as such were largely applied in the Halakhah. These seven canons were next expanded by R. Ishmael (in the first century) into thirteen, by the analysis of one of them (the 5th) into six, and the addition of this sound exegetical rule, that where two …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Numbers 11:12 NIVNumbers 11:12 NLTNumbers 11:12 ESVNumbers 11:12 NASBNumbers 11:12 KJV
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