But 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.
While the meat is still between their teeth, the LORD's anger burns and he strikes the people with a severe plague.
It turns the longed-for provision into immediate judgment.
31Now a wind sent by the LORD came up, drove in quail from the sea, and brought them near the camp, about two cubits above the surface of the ground, for a day’s journey in every direction around the camp. 32All that day and night, and all the next day, the people stayed up gathering the quail. No one gathered less than ten homers, and they spread them out all around the camp. 33But 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. 34So they called that place Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food. 35From Kibroth-hattaavah the people moved on to Hazeroth, where they remained for some time.