Exodus 16:2-3

New King James Version

²Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel ^(A)complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. ³And the children of Israel said to them, ^(B)“Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, ^(C)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.”

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Exodus 16:2-3

King James Version

²And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

³And 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.

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Exodus 16:2-3

New American Standard Bible

²But the whole congregation of the sons of Israel ^(A)grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. ³The sons of Israel said to them, “^(B)If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, ^(C)when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread until we were full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this entire assembly with hunger!”

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Exodus 16:2-3

Amplified Bible

²The whole congregation of the Israelites [grew discontented and] murmured and rebelled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, ³and the Israelites said to them, “^[a]Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and ate bread until we were full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this entire assembly with hunger.”

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Footnotes

Exodus 16:3 To understand Israel’s rebellious behavior, it is important to grasp the contrast between life in Egypt and nomadic life in the wilderness. Despite the hardships of slavery survival was not an issue in Egypt, where they were guaranteed food and other necessities. But the desert wilderness was hostile and unforgiving, and survival was an art. Desert nomads needed to understand the wilderness in order to stay alive; they had to learn, among other things, how to protect themselves from the weather, where to find water and pasture, and how to find and prepare scarce food, or live primarily from what their livestock could provide them. So the Israelites viewed every new problem they faced as life-threatening. Instead of looking back and taking comfort from God’s earlier miracles, they doubted God’s ability and willingness to help them. Their fears and doubts subsequently came to be expressed as irrational anger toward Moses.