Exodus 16:3

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in the land of Egypt, where we sat by pots of meat and ate bread until we were full! But you brought us into this wilderness to kill this entire assembly with hunger."

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֲלֵהֶ֜ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל מִֽי־יִתֵּ֨ן מוּתֵ֤נוּ בְיַד־יְהוָה֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּשִׁבְתֵּ֙נוּ֙ עַל־סִ֣יר הַבָּשָׂ֔ר בְּאָכְלֵ֥נוּ לֶ֖חֶם לָשֹׂ֑בַע כִּֽי־הוֹצֵאתֶ֤ם אֹתָ֙נוּ֙ אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה לְהָמִ֛ית אֶת־כָּל־הַקָּהָ֥ל הַזֶּ֖ה בָּרָעָֽב

Transliteration

wə-yōʾmərû to-them bənê yiśrāʾēl mî-yittēn mûtēnû by-hand-of-YHWH in-ʾereṣ miṣrayim in-šibtēnû by-sîr ha-bāśār in-ʾoklēnû leḥem lāśōba' for-hôṣēʾtem us to-the-midbār the-this to-hāmît all-the-qāhāl the-this in-the-rā'āb

Grammar Details

• *wə-yōʾmərû*: waw consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine plural - and they said
• *mî-yittēn*: interrogative pronoun + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - who would give/if only
• *mûtēnû*: qal infinitive construct + 1st plural suffix - our dying
• *šibtēnû*: qal infinitive construct + 1st plural suffix - our sitting
• *ʾoklēnû*: qal infinitive construct + 1st plural suffix - our eating
• *hôṣēʾtem*: hiphil perfect 2nd masculine plural - you have brought out
• *hāmît*: hiphil infinitive construct - to cause to die/to kill
• *rā'āb*: masculine singular - hunger/famine

Word Meanings

• *mî-yittēn*: who would give/if only/would that
• *sîr ha-bāśār*: pot of meat/flesh pot
• *leḥem*: bread/food
• *lāśōba'*: to satisfaction/to fullness
• *hôṣēʾtem*: you brought out/led out
• *hāmît*: to kill/to cause to die
• *qāhāl*: assembly/congregation/community
• *rā'āb*: hunger/famine/starvation

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And the children of Israel said to them, If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, and when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  and the children of Israel said unto them, Would that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  and sayde vnto them: wold to God we had dyed by the hande of the Lorde in the lande of Egipte, when we satt by the flessh pottes and ate bred oure belies full for ye haue broughte vs out in to this wildernesse to kyll this hole multitude for honger.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  and saide vnto them: Wolde God we had dyed in the londe of Egipte by the hande of the LORDE, whan we sat by ye flesh pottes, and had bred ynough to eate: for ye haue brought vs out in to this wyldernes, to cause this whole multitude dye of honger.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  For the children of Israel sayde to them, Oh that we had dyed by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when wee sate by the flesh pots, when wee ate bread our bellies full: for yee haue brought vs out into this wildernesse, to kill this whole company with famine.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And the chyldren of Israel sayde vnto them: Woulde to God we had dyed by the hande of the Lorde in the lande of Egypt, whe we sate by the fleshe pottes, and when we dyd eate bread our bellies full: for ye haue brought vs out into this wildernesse, to kyl this whole multitude with hunger.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, [and] when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  and the children of Israel said to them, "We wish that we had died by the hand of Yahweh in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, when we ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and the sons of Israel say unto them, `Oh that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt, in our sitting by the flesh-pot, in our eating bread to satiety -- for ye have brought us out unto this wilderness to put all this assembly to death with hunger.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  and the children of Israel said unto them, Would that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  and the children of Israel said unto them, Would that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And the children of Israel said to them, It would have been better for the Lord to have put us to death in the land of Egypt, where we were seated by the flesh-pots and had bread enough for our needs; for you have taken us out to this waste of sand, to put all this people to death through need of food.

• World English Bible (2000)

  and the children of Israel said to them, "We wish that we had died by the hand of Yahweh in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots, when we ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  The Israelites said to them,“If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger!”

Referenced Verses

• Lam 4:9 : 9 Those slain by the sword are better off than those dying of hunger, wasting away, pierced by lack of the fruits of the field.
• Exod 17:3 : 3 But the people were very thirsty for water there, and they complained against Moses, saying, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?"
• Num 11:4-5 : 4 The rabble among them began to crave other food, and the Israelites also started to weep again, saying, 'Who will give us meat to eat? 5 We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt, along with the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic.
• Num 20:3-5 : 3 The people quarreled with Moses, saying, "If only we had died when our brothers died before the LORD! 4 Why have you brought the LORD's assembly into this wilderness, for us and our livestock to die here? 5 Why did you bring us up from Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink!
• Num 14:2 : 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole community said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt or in this wilderness!
• Num 16:13 : 13 Isn't it enough that you brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? Must you also lord it over us?
• Deut 8:3 : 3 He humbled you and allowed you to hunger, then fed you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers knew, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
• Deut 28:67 : 67 In the morning you will say, ‘If only it were evening!’ and in the evening you will say, ‘If only it were morning!’ because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights your eyes will see.
• Josh 7:7 : 7 Joshua said, "Alas, Sovereign Lord, why did you bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!
• Job 3:1 : 1 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
• Job 3:10 : 10 Because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb, nor hide trouble from my eyes.
• Job 3:20 : 20 Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter in soul?
• Jer 2:6 : 6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and ravines, a land of drought and deep darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?’
• Jer 20:14-18 : 14 Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother gave birth to me not be blessed. 15 Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, saying, 'A male child has been born to you,' and made him very glad. 16 May that man be like the cities the LORD overthrew without relenting. May he hear cries of distress in the morning and shouts of alarm at noon. 17 For he did not kill me in the womb, so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb forever pregnant. 18 Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?
• Num 11:15 : 15 If this is how You are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in Your eyes—and do not let me see my misery.
• Exod 2:23 : 23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery rose up to God.
• Exod 5:21 : 21 They said to them, "May the Lord see and judge you, because you have made us obnoxious in the eyes of Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us."
• Jonah 4:8-9 : 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wished to die and said, 'It is better for me to die than to live.' 9 But God said to Jonah, 'Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?' And Jonah replied, 'It is right for me to be angry, even to the point of death.'
• Acts 26:29 : 29 Paul replied, 'I pray to God that whether in a short or long time, not only you but all who are listening to me today might become as I am—except for these chains.'
• 1 Cor 4:8 : 8 Already you are full! Already you are rich! You have begun to reign without us—and how I wish that you really had begun to reign, so that we also might reign with you!
• 2 Cor 11:1 : 1 I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Indeed, you are bearing with me.