וְר֜וּחַ נָסַ֣ע ׀ מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֗ה וַיָּ֣גָז שַׂלְוִים֮ מִן־הַיָּם֒ וַיִּטֹּ֨שׁ עַל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֜ה כְּדֶ֧רֶךְ י֣וֹם כֹּ֗ה וּכְדֶ֤רֶךְ יוֹם֙ כֹּ֔ה סְבִיב֖וֹת הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וּכְאַמָּתַ֖יִם עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃
Cependant un vent s’éleva de par l’Éternel, qui suscita des cailles du côté de la mer, et les abattit sur le camp dans un rayon d’une journée de part et d’autre, autour du camp, et à la hauteur de deux coudées environ sur le sol.
Guide for the Perplexed
The order of the four elements, according to the natural position is here described: namely, first earth, above it water, air close to water, and fire above air; for by placing air over water, ḥoshek (fire), which is “upon the face of the deep,” is undoubtedly above air. It was here necessary to use the term ruaḥ elohim, because air is described here as in motion (meraḥefet), and the motion of the air is, as a rule, ascribed to God; comp. “And there went forth a wind from the Lord” (Num. 11:31); “Thou didst blow with thy wind” (Exod. 15:10); “And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind” (ibid. 10:19), and the like. As the first ḥoshek, which denotes the element fire, is different from the ḥoshek mentioned further on in the sense of “darkness,” the latter is explained and distinguished from the former, according to our explanation, in the words, “And darkness he called Night.” This is now clear.