Exodus 16:3 cpdv — And the sons of Israel said to them: “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat aro…

Catholic Public Domain Version

"And the sons of Israel said to them: “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat around bowls of meat and ate bread until filled. Why have you led us away, into this desert, so that you might kill the entire multitude with famine?” "

— Exodus 16:3, Catholic Public Domain Version

Read in Another Translation

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Exodus 16:3 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “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.”

  • ASV

    “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. ”

  • WEB

    “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

    “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!””

  • DRB

    “And the children of Israel said to them: Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat over the fleshpots, and ate bread to the full: Why have you brought us into this desert, that you might destroy all the multitude with famine?”

  • BBE

    “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.”

  • KJVA

    “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.”

Exodus 16 — Context

1

And they set out from Elim. And the entire multitude of the sons of Israel arrived at the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month, after they departed from the land of Egypt.

2

And the entire congregation of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.

3

And the sons of Israel said to them: “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat around bowls of meat and ate bread until filled. Why have you led us away, into this desert, so that you might kill the entire multitude with famine?”

4

Then the Lord said to Moses: “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Let the people go out and collect what is sufficient for each day, so that I may test them, as to whether or not they will walk in my law.

5

But on the sixth day, let them prepare what they use for carrying, and let there be double what they were accustomed to collect on a single day.”

6

And Moses and Aaron said to the sons of Israel: “In the evening, you will know that the Lord has led you away from the land of Egypt.

Exodus 16:3 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Exodus 16:3 say?
Exodus 16:3 in the Catholic Public Domain Version reads: “And the sons of Israel said to them: “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat around bowls of meat and ate bread until filled. Why have you led us away, into this desert, so that you might kill the entire multitude with famine?” ”
Where is Exodus 16:3 in the Bible?
Exodus 16:3 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Exodus, chapter 16, verse 3.
Who wrote Exodus?
Exodus is traditionally attributed to Moses (traditional). It was written c. 1446–1406 BC.
What is the book of Exodus about?
Exodus tells of Israel's deliverance from slavery in Egypt and the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. Through the plagues, the Passover, the crossing of the Red Sea, and the covenant at Sinai, God reveals himself as Redeemer and comes to dwell among his people in the tabernacle.
What are the major themes of Exodus?
Exodus explores themes including Deliverance, Covenant, Law, God's Presence, Worship, Redemption. These themes shape the meaning and context of Exodus 16:3.
What translation should I read Exodus 16:3 in?
Exodus 16:3 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Exodus 16:3?
Exodus 16:3 reads (CPDV): “And the sons of Israel said to them: “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat around bowls of meat and ate bread until filled. Why have you led us away, into this desert, so that you might kill the entire multitude with famine?” ” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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