Israel had not given up the attitude that led to judgment at Taberah (11:1–3). At Taberah, the people complained, and the Lord sent fire among them.
Soon after, they joined the foreign rabble (a mixed group of non-Israelites who had left Egypt with them) in craving the foods of Egypt. They longed for the fish, vegetables, and other foods they had known there.
In doing this, they forgot the suffering and slavery they had experienced in Egypt. They remembered the food but ignored the hardship.