They craved intensely in the wilderness and tested God in the desert.
Parallel translations
- WEB but gave in to craving in the desert, and tested God in the wasteland.
- KJV But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
- NKJV But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tested God in the desert.
- NASB But became lustfully greedy in the wilderness, And put God to the test in the desert.
- NLT In the wilderness their desires ran wild, testing God’s patience in that dry wasteland.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
In the desert they gave in to craving and put God to the test. It matters because uncontrolled desire led them to challenge God Himself.
Overview
Israel's intense craving for food drove them to test God in the wilderness (Numbers 11:4-6). Their discontent was, at root, a distrust of His provision. The verse exposes how craving and unbelief together provoke God, calling believers instead to contentment and trust.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- 1 Cor 10:9We should not test Christ, as some of them did, and were killed by snakes.
- Exod 17:2So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?”
- Num 11:4Meanwhile, the rabble among them had a strong craving for other food, and again the Israelites wept and said, “Who will feed us meat?
- 1 Cor 10:6These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did.
- Heb 3:8–10do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness,
- Num 11:33–34But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the LORD burned against the people, and the LORD struck them with a severe plague.
- Ps 78:40–41How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!
- Ps 78:30Yet before they had filled their desire, with the food still in their mouths,
- Ps 78:18–20They willfully tested God by demanding the food they craved.
- Num 14:22not one of the men who have seen My glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness—yet have tested Me and disobeyed Me these ten times—
- Deut 9:22You continued to provoke the LORD at Taberah, at Massah, and at Kibroth-hattaavah.
- Ps 95:8–9do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the day at Massah in the wilderness,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 106:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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