Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 11:8
[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.
8. fresh oil ] a dainty prepared with oil. The word rendered ‘dainty’ denotes something juicy. LXX. has , which was a cake made with oil and honey; cf. ‘like wafers made with honey’ (Exod.).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Or, of the most excellent oil; or, of the flour of oil; or, as others, of cakes or paste made with the best oil, the word cakes being easily supplied out of the foregoing member of the verse; or, which is not much differing, like wafers made with honey, as it is said Exo 16:31. The nature and use of manna is here thus particularly described to show the greatness of their sin in despising such excellent food as this was.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
[And] the people went about and gathered [it],…. Went about the camp on all sides, where it fell in plenty; this they did every morning, and this was all the trouble they were at; they had it for gathering, without any expense to them:
and ground [it] in mills: in hand mills, as Aben Ezra; for though it melted through the heat of the sun, and became a liquid, yet, when gathered in the morning, it was hard like grains of corn, or other seeds, and required to be ground in mills:
or beat [it] in a mortar; with a pestle, as spices are beaten and bruised:
and baked [it] in pans; or rather boiled it in a pot, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, since it follows:
and made cakes of it; which were baked on the hearth; all which may denote the sufferings of Christ, who was beaten, and bruised, and broken, that he might become fit food for faith, Isa 53:4;
and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil; which is very grateful and pleasant, as well as very fattening and nourishing; so that the Israelites had no reason to complain of their being dried away by continual eating of it; [See comments on Ex 16:31].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(8) As the taste of fresh oil.Or, of a fat cake of oil. In Exo. 16:31 the taste of the manna is said to have been like wafers made with honey. The ancients used flour cakes mixed with oil and honey.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. Ground it in mills These probably differed but little from the Syrian mills of the present time. The mortar is still used by the Arabs to pound wheat for kibby, their national dish.
Pans R.V., “seethed it in pots.” The same Hebrew word is rendered pot in Jdg 6:19, and 1Sa 2:14.
As the taste of fresh oil Olive oil. In Exo 16:31, manna is said to have the taste of honey. Olive-oil and honey entered largely into the diet of the Hebrews in Canaan; they are also prominent articles of food to the Easterns at this day.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Num 11:8 [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.
Ver. 8. And the people went about. ] Or, “Went to and fro,” as men ought still to “increase knowledge,” Dan 12:4 “labouring for the meat that endureth to eternal life.” Joh 6:27 God might have saved them this labour, by raining manna into their mouths; but he would not, for the trial of their diligence; and that they might not think that worth nothing, that cost them nothing.
And ground it in mills.
As the taste of fresh oil.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the people: Exo 16:16-18, Joh 6:27, 33-58
baked it: Exo 16:23
taste of it: Exo 16:31
Reciprocal: Jos 3:5 – Sanctify 1Sa 16:5 – sanctify yourselves