Numbers 11:5-6

11:5 We remember ¹  the fish we used to eat ²  freely ³  in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 11:6 But now we ⁴  are dried up, ⁵  and there is nothing at all before us ⁶  except this manna!”

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¹ tn The perfect tense here expresses the experience of a state of mind.

sn As with all who complain in such situations, their memory was selective. It was their bitter cries to the Lord from the suffering in bondage that God heard and answered. And now, shortly after being set free, their memory of Egypt is for things they do not now have. It is also somewhat unlikely that they as slaves had such abundant foods in Egypt.

² tn The imperfect tense would here be the customary imperfect, showing continual or incomplete action in past time.

³ tn The adverb “freely” is from the word חָנַן (khanan, “to be gracious”), from which is derived the noun “grace.” The word underscores the idea of “free, without cost, for no reason, gratis.” Here the simple sense is “freely,” without any cost. But there may be more significance in the choice of the words in this passage, showing the ingratitude of the Israelites to God for His deliverance from bondage. To them now the bondage is preferable to the salvation – this is what angered the Lord.

⁴ tn Heb “our souls.”

⁵ sn The Hebrews were complaining both about the bland taste of the manna and dehydration – they were parched in the wilderness.

⁶ tn Heb “before our eyes,” meaning that “we see nothing except this manna.”