But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
Parallel translations
- WEB but gave in to craving in the desert, and tested God in the wasteland.
- BSB They craved intensely in the wilderness and tested 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 10:9Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
- Exod 17:2Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?
- Num 11:4And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?
- 1 Cor 10:6Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
- Heb 3:8–10Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
- Num 11:33–34And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.
- Ps 78:40–41How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
- Ps 78:30They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,
- Ps 78:18–20And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.
- Num 14:22Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
- Deut 9:22And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibrothhattaavah, ye provoked the LORD to wrath.
- Ps 95:8–9Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.