Says the psalmist: "They tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold, He smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can He give bread also? can He provide flesh for His people? Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth." Psalm 78:18-21. Murmuring and tumults had been frequent during the journey from the Red Sea to Sinai, but in pity for their ignorance and blindness God had not then visited the sin with judgments. But since that time He had revealed Himself to them at Horeb. They had received great light, as they had been witnesses to the majesty, the power, and the mercy of God; and their unbelief and discontent incurred the greater guilt. Furthermore, they had covenanted to accept Jehovah as their king and to obey His authority. Their murmuring was now rebellion, and as such it must receive prompt and signal punishment, if Israel was to be preserved from anarchy and ruin. "The fire of Jehovah burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp." The most guilty of the complainers were slain by lightning from the cloud. The people in terror besought Moses to entreat the Lord for them. He did so, and the fire was quenched. In memory of this judgment he called the name of the place Taberah, "a burning."

Salmisten siger: "De fristede Gud i hjertet og krævede mad til at stille sulten, de talte mod Gud og sagde: "Kan Gud dække bord i en ørken? Se, klippen slog han, så vand flød frem, og bække vælded ud; mon han også kan give brød og skaffe kød til sit folk?" Det hørte Herren, blev vred..." Sl. 78, 18-21. Knurren og uro var hyppigt forekommet på rejsen fra Det røde Hav til Sinaj, men Gud bar over med folket på grund af deres uvidenhed og blindhed og straffede ikke deres synd dengang. Men i mellemtiden havde han åbenbaret sig for dem på Horebs bjerg. De modtog et stort lys, da de var vidner til Guds majestæt, magt og nåde, og da de nu viste vantro og utilfredshed, pådrog de sig en desto større skyld. Endvidere havde de sluttet en pagt om at anerkende Gud som deres konge og adlyde hans autoritet. Deres knurren på dette tidspunkt var oprør, og som sådan måtte den straffes øjeblikkelig og eftertrykkeligt, hvis Israel skulle reddes fra anarki og tilintetgørelse. "Herrens ild brød løs iblandt dem og åd om sig i den yderste del af lejren." De mest skyldige af dem, der klagede, blev dræbt af lyn fra skyen. Folket tryglede rædselsslagne Moses om at bede til Herren for dem. Det gjorde han, og ilden slukkedes. Til minde om denne straf kaldte han stedet Tabera, "en brand".