Hungry and thirsty - As they would be, when wandering in such a desert. A more literal and expressive rendering would be, “Hungry - also thirsty.”
Their soul fainted in them - The word used here - עטף ‛âṭaph - means properly to cover, to clothe, as with a garment, Psalms 73:6; or a field with grain, Psalms 65:13; then, to hide oneself, Job 23:9; then, to cover with darkness, Psalms 77:3; Psalms 102, title; thus it denotes the state of mind when darkness seems to be in the way - a way of calamity, trouble, sorrow; of weakness, faintness, feebleness. Here it would seem from the connection to refer to the exhaustion produced by the want of food and drink.