Discovery BoxExodus 16:2-3 
Context16:2 The entire company 1 of Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron in the desert. 16:3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died 2 by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by 3 the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full, 4 for you have brought us out into this desert to kill 5 this whole assembly with hunger!”
Exodus 16:7
Context16:7 and in the morning you will see 6 the glory of the Lord, because he has heard 7 your murmurings against the Lord. As for us, what are we, 8 that you should murmur against us?”
Exodus 16:9
Context16:9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole community 9 of the Israelites, ‘Come 10 before the Lord, because he has heard your murmurings.’”
1 tn Or “community” or “assembly.”
2 tn The text reads: מִי־יִתֵּן מוּתֵנוּ (mi-yitten mutenu, “who will give our dying”) meaning “If only we had died.” מוּתֵנוּ is the Qal infinitive construct with the suffix. This is one way that Hebrew expresses the optative with an infinitive construct. See R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 91-92, §547.
3 tn The form is a Qal infinitive construct used in a temporal clause, and the verb “when we ate” has the same structure.
4 sn That the complaint leading up to the manna is unjustified can be seen from the record itself. They left Egypt with flocks and herds and very much cattle, and about 45 days later they are complaining that they are without food. Moses reminded them later that they lacked nothing (Deut 3:7; for the whole sermon on this passage, see 8:1-20). Moreover, the complaint is absurd because the food of work gangs was far more meager than they recall. The complaint was really against Moses. They crave the eating of meat and of bread and so God will meet that need; he will send bread from heaven and quail as well.
5 tn לְהָמִית (lÿhamit) is the Hiphil infinitive construct showing purpose. The people do not trust the intentions or the plan of their leaders and charge Moses with bringing everyone out to kill them.
6 tn Heb “morning, and you will see.”
7 tn The form is a Qal infinitive construct with a preposition and a suffix. It forms an adverbial clause, usually of time, but here a causal clause.
8 tn The words “as for us” attempt to convey the force of the Hebrew word order, which puts emphasis on the pronoun: “and we – what?” The implied answer to the question is that Moses and Aaron are nothing, merely the messengers. The next verse repeats the question to further press the seriousness of what the Israelites are doing.
9 tn Or “congregation” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV); the same word occurs in v. 10.
10 tn The verb means “approach, draw near.” It is used in the Torah of drawing near for religious purposes. It is possible that some sacrifice was involved here, but no mention is made of that.
