The Meaning of Numbers 11:20 Explained

Numbers 11:20

KJV: But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

YLT: unto a month of days, till that it come out from your nostrils, and it hath become to you an abomination; because that ye have loathed Jehovah, who is in your midst, and weep before Him, saying, Why is this? -- we have come out of Egypt!'

Darby: but for a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it become loathsome unto you; because that ye have despised Jehovah who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

ASV: but a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you; because that ye have rejected Jehovah who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[But] even a whole month,  until it come out  at your nostrils,  and it be loathsome  unto you: because  that ye have despised  the LORD  which [is] among  you, and have wept  before  him, saying,  Why came we forth  out of Egypt? 

What does Numbers 11:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 11:16-25 - God's Spirit Upon The Seventy
God's considerateness for His overwrought servant was very tender. He knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. He does not chide, nor keep His anger forever. The remedy for the situation was provided in the appointment and enduement of the seventy elders, who became the germ of the Sanhedrin.
Moses' depression led to unbelief. It seemed impossible to suppose that God could provide a table in the wilderness of such magnitude that in it the whole host could participate. Unbelief says, Can God? Faith answers, God can! See Psalms 78:19. Child of God! God's hand is not waxed short, that it cannot reach to you. Even if we believe not, He remains faithful, 2 Timothy 2:13. This equipment of the elders, Numbers 11:25, reminds us that we, too, need to receive the Holy Spirit, first for our sanctification in character, and then for our service and office. This is the special characteristic of Pentecost, Acts 2:1-4. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 11

1  The burning at Taberah quenched by Moses' prayer
4  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

What do the individual words in Numbers 11:20 mean?

but [for] a month whole until that it comes out of your nostrils and becomes to you loathsome because that you have despised - Yahweh who is among you and have wept before Him saying why [is] this did we ever come up out of Egypt
עַ֣ד ׀ חֹ֣דֶשׁ יָמִ֗ים עַ֤ד אֲשֶׁר־ יֵצֵא֙ מֵֽאַפְּכֶ֔ם וְהָיָ֥ה לָכֶ֖ם לְזָרָ֑א יַ֗עַן כִּֽי־ מְאַסְתֶּ֤ם אֶת־ יְהוָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֔ם וַתִּבְכּ֤וּ לְפָנָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה יָצָ֥אנוּ ؟ מִמִּצְרָֽיִם

עַ֣ד ׀  but  [for] 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
חֹ֣דֶשׁ  a  month 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: the new moon, month, monthly.
יָמִ֗ים  whole 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
עַ֤ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יֵצֵא֙  it  comes  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
מֵֽאַפְּכֶ֔ם  of  your  nostrils 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אַף 
Sense: nostril, nose, face.
וְהָיָ֥ה  and  becomes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לָכֶ֖ם  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
לְזָרָ֑א  loathsome 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָר 
Sense: nausea, loathing, loathsome thing.
יַ֗עַן  because 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַעַן  
Sense: because, therefore, because that, on account of prep.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
מְאַסְתֶּ֤ם  you  have  despised 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: מָאַס 
Sense: to reject, despise, refuse.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  who  is 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֔ם  among  you 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: קֶרֶב  
Sense: midst, among, inner part, middle.
וַתִּבְכּ֤וּ  and  have  wept 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: בָּכָה  
Sense: to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears.
לְפָנָיו֙  before  Him 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָ֥מָּה  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
זֶּ֖ה  [is]  this 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
יָצָ֥אנוּ  did  we  ever  come  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
؟ מִמִּצְרָֽיִם  out  of  Egypt 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.