And all the people of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron: As A Handbook on Numbers mentions at Exo 15.24, the expressive Hebrew verb rendered murmured occurs several times in Exodus and Numbers. It describes the rebellious complaining of the people throughout their wilderness wandering. It is voiced against God or his representatives, so it always has a negative connotation (the people are not complaining for a justifiable reason). Most English translations render it “complained” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) or “grumbled” (New International Version, TNIV). This “murmuring motif,” as it has been called, shows how much difficulty Moses had in building a relationship with the people during this entire period. Translators should attempt to render this verb consistently where it occurs in Exodus and Numbers.

The whole congregation said to them: This clause introduces the actual complaint of the people, emphasizing that they were all involved. The Hebrew word for whole is the same one rendered all. For congregation see the previous verse.

Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!: These wishes render two chiastic parallel clauses in Hebrew, which is literally “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only in this wilderness we had died!” (similarly Alter). If such a double wish for death is awkward in the target language, then the combined rendering in Good News Translation may be considered. Many languages will have a particular wish formula or another way of expressing this strong desire of the people. For the Hebrew word rendered wilderness (midbar), see 1.1.

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 .