And say to the people introduces what the LORD wants Moses to say to the people of Israel, so an embedded quotation follows this quote frame. His message for them continues to the end of verse 20.

Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow: Consecrate yourselves is literally “Make yourselves holy.” As in Exo 19.10 and Lev 11.44, to consecrate oneself has more to do with being designated or set apart for a special purpose in preparation for some divine activity or manifestation than with personal moral purity. So the LORD instructs Moses to tell the people that they must avoid all ritual impurity and uncleanness. This will prepare them for the LORD’s public intervention on the next day. Good models for this clause are “Purify yourselves for tomorrow” (Good News Translation) and “Make yourselves ritually fit for tomorrow” (Levine).

And you shall eat meat: God promises that the people will have meat to eat the next day.

For you have wept in the hearing of the LORD, saying: This quote frame introduces what the Israelites said, so a third-level quotation follows it. The Hebrew particle ki rendered for is an emphatic marker here, so it is better translated “Indeed.” The Hebrew verb for wept means “complained” in this context, as in verse 4 (see the comments there). Good News Translation uses the verb “whining.” For in the hearing of the LORD, see verse 1. The people were not trying to communicate with the LORD. The Hebrew construction for this phrase implies that the LORD overheard them. After all, God’s presence within the camp of Israel was represented by the Covenant Box within the Tent of Meeting.

Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt is what the Israelites said. Good News Translation uses indirect speech for this third-level quotation, which other languages may find helpful. Who will give us meat to eat? is a rhetorical question. New Century Version renders it as a strong statement, saying “We want meat!” and so does New Living Translation with “Oh, for some meat!” For it was well with us in Egypt renders literally another emphatic statement in Hebrew. New Living Translation and New Century Version express it well by saying “We were better off in Egypt!” The Hebrew particle ki rendered For is better translated “Surely” (New Revised Standard Version).

Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you shall eat: Because of the people’s complaint about the lack of meat, the LORD will provide them with an excess of meat that they will have to eat. And you shall eat is better rendered “and you will have to eat it” (Good News Translation) to indicate that this is as an act of punishment.

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .