◄ Numbers 11:35 ►
From Kibroth-hattaavah the people moved on to Hazeroth, where they remained for some time.
Study Bible
And from Kibroth-hattaavah
The name "Kibroth-hattaavah" translates to "Graves of Craving" in Hebrew. This location is significant as it marks a place of both physical and spiritual consequence for the Israelites. The name itself is a somber reminder of the people's intense craving for meat, which led to their rebellion against God. Historically, this site serves as a testament to the dangers of succumbing to fleshly desires and the importance of trusting in God's provision. The graves symbolize the ultimate cost of disobedience and the need for spiritual discipline.

the people journeyed to Hazeroth
The journey from Kibroth-hattaavah to Hazeroth signifies a transition from a place of judgment to a new phase in the Israelites' wilderness experience. "Hazeroth" means "enclosures" or "settlements" in Hebrew, suggesting a place of temporary rest and regrouping. This movement reflects the ongoing journey of faith, where God leads His people through various stages of growth and learning. It is a reminder that even after failure, God provides opportunities for renewal and progress. The historical context of these travels underscores the nomadic lifestyle of the Israelites and their dependence on God's guidance.

and they remained at Hazeroth
The phrase "they remained at Hazeroth" indicates a period of pause and reflection for the Israelites. This time at Hazeroth was crucial for the community to recover from the events at Kibroth-hattaavah and to prepare for the next steps in their journey. In a spiritual sense, this period of remaining can be seen as an opportunity for introspection and realignment with God's will. It highlights the importance of taking time to rest and seek God's direction before moving forward. Theologically, it serves as a reminder that God often uses periods of waiting to teach patience and reliance on Him.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Kibroth-hattaavah
This is the place where the Israelites buried the people who craved other food and where God sent a plague as a consequence of their complaints and disobedience.

2. Hazeroth
The next stop for the Israelites after Kibroth-hattaavah. It is a place of rest and reflection, where they stayed for a period before continuing their journey.

3. The Israelites
The chosen people of God, who were on their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. Their journey is marked by moments of faith and rebellion.

4. Moses
The leader of the Israelites, who interceded for the people and guided them according to God's commands.

5. God
The central figure in the account, who provides for, disciplines, and guides His people according to His covenant promises.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Discontent
The Israelites' journey from Kibroth-hattaavah to Hazeroth serves as a reminder of the consequences of discontent and craving what God has not provided. It challenges us to trust in God's provision and timing.

The Importance of Reflection
The stay at Hazeroth can be seen as a time for the Israelites to reflect on their actions and God's faithfulness. We, too, need moments of pause to consider our spiritual journey and realign with God's will.

God's Faithfulness Despite Human Failure
Despite the Israelites' repeated failures, God remains faithful to His promises. This encourages us to rely on God's unchanging nature and grace.

Leadership and Intercession
Moses' role highlights the importance of godly leadership and intercession. Leaders today are called to guide with wisdom and pray earnestly for those they lead.

Journey of Faith
The physical journey of the Israelites mirrors our spiritual journey. We are called to move forward in faith, learning from past mistakes and trusting in God's guidance.
Bible Study Questions
1. What can we learn from the Israelites' experience at Kibroth-hattaavah about the dangers of craving what God has not provided?

2. How does the transition from Kibroth-hattaavah to Hazeroth reflect the need for spiritual reflection and growth in our own lives?

3. In what ways does the faithfulness of God, despite the Israelites' disobedience, encourage you in your personal walk with Him?

4. How can Moses' leadership and intercession inspire current leaders in the church and community?

5. Reflect on a time when you faced a "wilderness" experience. How did you see God's provision and guidance during that time, and how does it relate to the journey of the Israelites?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 16
This chapter describes a similar event where the Israelites grumbled about food, and God provided manna. It highlights the recurring theme of God's provision and the people's lack of faith.

Psalm 78
This psalm recounts the history of Israel's disobedience and God's faithfulness, including the events at Kibroth-hattaavah.

1 Corinthians 10
Paul uses the events of the Israelites' journey as a warning to the Corinthians about the dangers of craving evil things and testing God.
Sermons
The Complainers, and How God Made Answer to Their ComplaintsW. Binnie Numbers 11:4-15; 31-35
Self-Will Surfeited and PunishedD. Young Numbers 11:18-20; 31-35
Graves of DesireW. L. Watkinson.Numbers 11:31-35
Inordinate DesiresMatthew Hearty, D. D.Numbers 11:31-35
The Graves of LustJ. B. Brown, B. A.Numbers 11:31-35
The Graves of LustDavid Lloyd.Numbers 11:31-35
The Israelites' Sin and PunishmentC. Bradley, M. A.Numbers 11:31-35
The Judgments of God Sometimes Come Very SuddenlyW. Attersoll.Numbers 11:31-35
The Punishment of a Gratified DesireS. S. TimesNumbers 11:31-35
The QuailsJ. C. Gray.Numbers 11:31-35
The True Nursing-FatherF. B. Meyer, B. A.Numbers 11:31-35
Uncontrolled DesiresG. Wagner.Numbers 11:31-35
People
Eldad, Israelites, Joshua, Medad, Moses, Nun
Places
Egypt, Hazeroth, Kibroth-hattaavah, Paran, Taberah
Topics
Abode, Hattaavah, Hazeroth, Haze'roth, Journeyed, Kibroth, Kibrothhattaavah, Kibroth-hattaavah, Kib'roth-hatta'avah, Stayed, Tents, Traveled
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Numbers 11:4-34

     4438   eating

Numbers 11:31-34

     4843   plague

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

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