Numbers 11:7

Num 11:7 And the manna [was] as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.

Ver. 7. And the manna.] {See Trapp on "Exo 16:14"} {See Trapp on "Exo 16:31"} There was therefore no such cause they should so loathe it.

Was as coriander seed.] Small, but full of sweetness and nourishment. This might be some cause of Moses’ undecayedness. {Deu 34:7}

As the colour of bdellium.] A kind of transparent and precious gum.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Num 11:7-8. As coriander-seed — Not for colour, for that is black, but for shape and figure. Bdellium — Is either the gum of a tree, of a white and bright colour, or rather a gem or precious stone, as the Hebrew doctors take it; and particularly a pearl, wherewith the manna manifestly agrees both in its colour, which is white, (Exo 16:14,) and in its figure, which is round. Fresh oil — Or, of the most excellent oil; or, of cakes made with the best oil, the word cakes being easily supplied out of the foregoing member of the verse; or, which is not much different, like wafers made with honey, as it is said, Exo 16:31. The nature and use of manna are here thus particularly described, to show the greatness of their sin in despising such excellent food.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11:7-9 The manna has often been explained as one of various edible substances that occur naturally (but see Deut 8:3); even so, its quantity and duration were miraculous.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Which is a white pearl, or precious stone.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 7. The manna was as coriander seed] Probably this short description is added to show the iniquity of the people in murmuring, while they had so adequate a provision. But the baseness of their minds appears in every part of their conduct.

About the bdellium of the ancients the learned are not agreed; and I shall not trouble the reader with conjectures. See Clarke on Ge 2:12. Concerning the manna, see the notes on Ex 16:1-36.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(7) And the manna was . . . —The design of the description of the manna in this place (comp. Exo_16:14; Exo_16:31, and Notes in loc.; also Article Manna, in “Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible”) was probably to exhibit in its just light the sinfulness of the Israelites in repining at the merciful provision which God had made for the supply of their wants. The dissatisfaction of the Israelites with the sweet bread of heaven, and their craving after the more savoury and more stimulating food of Egypt may be regarded as typical of man’s natural repugnance to the spiritual food which is provided in the Gospel, and his restless cravings after the pleasures of the world.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7. coriander seed] It is rather the fruit of the coriander, which is about the size of a pepper-corn. Cf. Exo_16:14; Exo_16:31. In the former of these verses it is described as ‘a small scale-like thing, small as the hoar frost.’

bdellium] A resinous substance of a pale yellowish colour. In Exod. the manna is ‘white.’

7–9. A parenthetical description of the manna.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the manna was as coriander seed,.... Not in colour, for that is black or darkish, whereas the manna was white, as is generally observed; of which See Gill on Exo 16:31; however it might be like the coriander, because of its form and figure, being round, and because of its quantity, being small, Exo 16:14; Some think the mustard seed is meant, as Aben Ezra observes, which is the least of all seeds; it seems that the manna fell in small round grains, like to such seed. This, with what follows, is observed, to expose the folly and ingratitude of the Israelites, that having such bread from heaven, angels food, that they should slight it, and hanker after other food:

and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium; not an aromatic gum, which Pliny (k) speaks of, which is clear as wax, for that is black or blackish, and not white as the manna; besides, this should be read, not "bdellium", but "bdeloah", and is a precious stone, and, according to Bochart, the pearl; so Ben Melech observes, that it is a precious stone; some say the diamond, and others a round white stone, which they bore and join stones together, and make a chain of, he doubtless means a pearl necklace; though Jarchi says it is the crystal, and so the Jewish writers commonly; See Gill on Gen 2:12; hence it appears the manna was very pleasant to look at, being of a round form, and of a pearl or crystal colour.

(k) Nat. Hist. l. 12. c. 9.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Bdellium. Bdellium, according to Pliny, ([Natural History?] lib. xxi. chap. 9,) was of the colour of a man’s nail, white and bright; (Challoner) or like wax, ([Natural History?] lib. xii. 9,) between white and yellow. It might resemble a tarnished pearl or ivory in colour, and coriander-seed in shape.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

As coriander seed; not for colour, for that is black, but for shape and figure.

Bdellium is either,

1. The gum of a tree, of a white and bright colour; or rather,

2. A gem or precious stone, as the Hebrew doctors take it; and particularly a pearl, as some render it, wherewith the manna doth manifestly agree both in its colour, which is white, Exo 16:14, and in its figure, which is round. See more on Gen 2:12.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7. Manna — See Exo_16:14-15, and Jos_5:12, notes. The coriander is found in Egypt, Persia, and India. It has a round, tall stalk, white or reddish flowers, and grayish, spicy seeds used by confectioners and druggists. It grows wild in Egypt and Palestine. Tristram found it in the valley of the Jordan. It is a spice to bread in the East, and an aroma to sweetmeats. Bdellium occurs only here and in Gen_2:12. It is impossible to say whether it is a mineral, (beryl or crystal, as in the Septuagint,) animal, as pearl, for which some of the Jewish doctors contend, or vegetable, as an aromatic exudation.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The manna was as coriander seed. On the name and the nature of the manna see Exo_16:31. It is commonly supposed that the brief description here inserted was intended to show the unreasonableness of the popular complaints. There is no trace whatever of any such purpose. So far as the description conveys fresh information, it was simply suggested by the occurrence of the word "manna," according to the artless style of the narrative. If any moral purpose must be assigned to this digression, it would rather be to suggest that the people had some real temptation to complain. It is often forgotten that, although the manna was supernatural, at least as to the amount and regularity of its supply, yet as an article of food it contained no supernatural elements. If we had to live upon nothing but cakes flavored with honey or with olive oil, it is certain that we should soon find them pall upon our appetite. To the eye of the Psalmist the manna appeared as angels" food; (Psa_78:25) but then the Psalmist had not lived on manna every day for a year. We have to remember, in this as in many other cases, that the Israelites would not be "our ensamples" (tupoi hmwn , 1Co_10:6) if they had not succumbed to real temptations. As the colour of bdellium. See on Gen_2:12. As no one knows anything at all about bdellium, this adds nothing to our knowledge of the manna. The Septuagint has here eidov krustallou , "the appearance of ice," or perhaps "of hoar-frost." As it translates bdellium in Gen_2:12 by anyrax (carbuncle), it is probable that the comparison to ice here is due to some tradition about the manna. Taking this passage in connection with Exo_16:31, we may reasonably conjecture that it was of an opalescent white, the same colour probably which is mentioned in connection with manna in Rev_2:17.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

As coriander-seed - Not for colour, for that is black, but for shape and figure. Bdellium - Is either the gum of a tree, of a white and bright colour, or rather a gem or precious stone, as the Hebrew doctors take it; and particularly a pearl wherewith the Manna manifestly agrees both in its colour, which is white, Exod. xvi, 14, and in its figure which is round.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

coriander seed

Coriander is also known as cilantro. This seed serves as a spice when dried.

resin

This is a sticky substance with a pale yellow color.

translationWords

olive

oil

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

והמן כזרע גד AND THE MANNA WAS AS CORIANDER SEED — He who said that (the previous verse) did not say this: Israel said, “our eyes are only on this manna”, but the Holy One, blessed be He had it written in the Torah, and the manna was like coriander seed” — as much as to say “See, ye people of the world, about what My sons were complaining, whilst as a matter of fact the manna is excellent in so many different ways!” (Sifrei Bamidbar 88).

כזרע גד i.e. it was round like גד, coriander-seed in O. F.

הבדלח is the name of a precious stone. BEDELLIUM. (Some editions add the O. F. קרישטל crystal).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.