The Meaning of Numbers 11:8 Explained

Numbers 11:8

KJV: And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.

YLT: the people have turned aside and gathered it, and ground it with millstones, or beat it in a mortar, and boiled it in a pan, and made it cakes, and its taste hath been as the taste of the moisture of oil.

Darby: The people went about, and gathered it, and ground it with hand-mills, or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it; and the taste of it was as the taste of oil-cakes.

ASV: The people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[And] the people  went about,  and gathered  [it], and ground  [it] in mills,  or beat  [it] in a mortar,  and baked  [it] in pans,  and made  cakes  of it: and the taste  of it was as the taste  of fresh  oil. 

What does Numbers 11:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 11:1-15 - The Murmuring Flesh-Lovers
We cannot wonder at the people's murmuring. They were unaccustomed to the fatigues of the desert, and had not realized the length of the journey. Let us beware of querulous complaints. See 1 Corinthians 10:10. Let us also guard against familiarity with those who have never known God's regenerating grace. "The mixed multitude" was largely composed of Egyptians, whose evil example spread to the chosen people, Exodus 12:38. When our religious life is low, we tire of angels' food, and our hearts turn back to the world we have left.
Moses' outcry is hardly to be wondered at. He was thoroughly overstrained by the immense demands of his life. But he ought not to have spoken as though the entire weight of the pilgrimage rested on him. His Almighty Friend was bearing and carrying them during "all the days of old." See Isaiah 63:9. We must never look at our responsibilities apart from Him who makes all grace abound, 2 Corinthians 9:8. [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 11:8 mean?

Went about the people and gathered [it] and ground [it] on millstones or beat [it] in the mortar and cooked [it] in pans and made of it cakes and was its taste like the taste of pastry prepared with oil
שָׁטוּ֩ הָעָ֨ם וְלָֽקְט֜וּ וְטָחֲנ֣וּ בָרֵחַ֗יִם א֤וֹ דָכוּ֙ בַּמְּדֹכָ֔ה וּבִשְּׁלוּ֙ בַּפָּר֔וּר וְעָשׂ֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ עֻג֑וֹת וְהָיָ֣ה טַעְמ֔וֹ כְּטַ֖עַם לְשַׁ֥ד הַשָּֽׁמֶן

שָׁטוּ֩  Went  about 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שׁוּט  
Sense: to go, go or rove about, go to and fro.
הָעָ֨ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וְלָֽקְט֜וּ  and  gathered  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: לָקַט  
Sense: to pick up, gather, glean, gather up.
וְטָחֲנ֣וּ  and  ground  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: טָחַן 
Sense: (Qal) to grind, crush.
בָרֵחַ֗יִם  on  millstones 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, md
Root: רֵחַיִם  
Sense: handmills.
דָכוּ֙  beat  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: דּוּךְ  
Sense: (Qal) to pound, beat (in mortar).
בַּמְּדֹכָ֔ה  in  the  mortar 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְדֹכָה  
Sense: mortar.
וּבִשְּׁלוּ֙  and  cooked  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: בָּשַׁל  
Sense: to boil, cook, bake, roast, ripen, grow ripe.
בַּפָּר֔וּר  in  pans 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: פָּרוּר  
Sense: pan, pot.
וְעָשׂ֥וּ  and  made 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אֹת֖וֹ  of  it 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֻג֑וֹת  cakes 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: עֻגָה  
Sense: disc or cake (of bread).
וְהָיָ֣ה  and  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
טַעְמ֔וֹ  its  taste 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: טַעַם  
Sense: taste, judgment.
כְּטַ֖עַם  like  the  taste 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: טַעַם  
Sense: taste, judgment.
לְשַׁ֥ד  of  pastry 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לָשָׁד  
Sense: juice, juicy bit, dainty bit.
הַשָּֽׁמֶן  prepared  with  oil 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁמֶן  
Sense: fat, oil.

What are the major concepts related to Numbers 11:8?

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