Exodus 16:3

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.

Cross-references

Exodus 16:6 Parallel

Exodus 16:6 is Moses' immediate reply to the grumbling, promising that God will provide — directly addressing their complaint.

Exodus 16:7 Parallel

Exodus 16:7 continues the response, stating they will see God's glory — the divine answer to their lack of faith.

Exodus 5:21 Parallel

In Exodus 5:21, they blamed Moses for worsening slavery; here they blame him for starvation—same grumbling against leaders.

Exodus 17:3 Parallel

Exodus 17:3 has the same complaint about thirst—'Why did you bring us out to die?'—paralleling the hunger complaint.

Exodus 2:23 Contrast

In Exodus 2:23, the Israelites cried out under slavery; here they complain about freedom. This contrast highlights their fickle faith.

In Exodus 14:11, the Israelites voice the same complaint — already doubting God's deliverance — setting a pattern of grumbling.

Exodus 17:2 Parallel

Exodus 17:2 shows a later quarrel over water — another instance of testing the Lord following the manna provision.

Exodus 18:8 Historical context

Exodus 18:8 summarizes the journey including hardships like the food shortage — Moses recounts the very event of grumbling.

Exodus 32:1 Parallel

Exodus 32:1 reveals a different rebellion — demanding gods — but shares the same impatience and lack of trust seen in the food complaint.

Numbers 16:41 shows the community grumbling against Moses after the rebellion, blaming him for deaths—similar to the blame here.

Deuteronomy 8:3 explains God's purpose in causing hunger: to teach dependence on His word, contrasting the people's grumbling.

Numbers 20:3-5 repeats the same complaint: wishing they had died and questioning why God brought them to the wilderness.

In Numbers 16:13, Korah's rebels accuse Moses of bringing them out to kill them, echoing the complaint here.

Numbers 14:2 repeats nearly verbatim the same cry — 'If only we had died in Egypt!' — reinforcing Israel's pattern of complaint.

Numbers 11:5 elaborates on the foods remembered in Egypt, showing the same nostalgic complaining.

In Numbers 11:4, the people again crave meat and wail for Egypt, repeating the same pattern of grumbling seen here.

Numbers 11:18 records another complaint about food — the people craving meat and rejecting manna — a direct parallel to Exodus 16:3.

Numbers 20:4 features a complaint about lack of water — continuing the pattern of grumbling against God's provision in the wilderness.

Numbers 21:5 repeats the same complaint — longing for Egypt's bread and rejecting God's provision, showing a persistent pattern of grumbling.

Deuteronomy 1:27 recalls similar grumbling about being brought out to die, echoing the same distrust in God's deliverance.

Psalm 78:18 Allusion

Psalm 78:18 directly recalls this event: they tested God by demanding the food they craved, summarizing the grumbling.

Matthew 4:3 Typology

Matthew 4:3 shows Satan tempting Jesus with bread in the wilderness — contrasting Israel's failure with Jesus' obedience, a typology of testing.

Acts 7:39 Allusion

Acts 7:39 quotes Stephen describing how the ancestors rejected Moses and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, summarizing this rebellion.

Jeremiah 2:6 laments Israel's failure to remember the LORD who led them through the wilderness, contrasting their grumbling here.

Joshua 7:7 Parallel

Joshua 7:7 mirrors this lament: Joshua wishes they had stayed beyond the Jordan, echoing the 'why did you bring us out' complaint.

1 Samuel 8:8 cites Israel's pattern of forsaking God since the Exodus, referencing this wilderness rebellion as an early example.

Jeremiah 42:14 shows later Israelites longing to return to Egypt for food, mirroring the same nostalgic desire for Egyptian provisions.

Jeremiah 44:17 remembers plenty in Egypt, echoing the same idealization of food and security there.