Exodus 16WEB
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Exodus16

World English Bible · Public Domain

1They took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

2The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness;

3and the children of Israel said to them, “We wish that we had died by Yahweh’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots, when we ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

4Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from the sky for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.

5It shall come to pass on the sixth day, that they shall prepare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”

6Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, “At evening, you shall know that Yahweh has brought you out from the land of Egypt.

7In the morning, you shall see Yahweh’s glory; because he hears your murmurings against Yahweh. Who are we, that you murmur against us?”

8Moses said, “Now Yahweh will give you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to satisfy you, because Yahweh hears your murmurings which you murmur against him. And who are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against Yahweh.”

9Moses said to Aaron, “Tell all the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘Come close to Yahweh, for he has heard your murmurings.’”

10As Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, Yahweh’s glory appeared in the cloud.

11Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

12“I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At evening you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am Yahweh your God.’”

13In the evening, quail came up and covered the camp; and in the morning the dew lay around the camp.

14When the dew that lay had gone, behold, on the surface of the wilderness was a small round thing, small as the frost on the ground.

15When the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they didn’t know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread which Yahweh has given you to eat.

16This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded: ‘Gather of it everyone according to his eating; an omer a head, according to the number of your persons, you shall take it, every man for those who are in his tent.’”

17The children of Israel did so, and some gathered more, some less.

18When they measured it with an omer, he who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack. They each gathered according to his eating.

19Moses said to them, “Let no one leave of it until the morning.”

20Notwithstanding they didn’t listen to Moses, but some of them left of it until the morning, so it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them.

21They gathered it morning by morning, everyone according to his eating. When the sun grew hot, it melted.

22On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one; and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.

23He said to them, “This is that which Yahweh has spoken, ‘Tomorrow is a solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to Yahweh. Bake that which you want to bake, and boil that which you want to boil; and all that remains over lay up for yourselves to be kept until the morning.’”

24They laid it up until the morning, as Moses ordered, and it didn’t become foul, and there were no worms in it.

25Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to Yahweh. Today you shall not find it in the field.

26Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day is the Sabbath. In it there shall be none.”

27On the seventh day, some of the people went out to gather, and they found none.

28Yahweh said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws?

29Behold, because Yahweh has given you the Sabbath, therefore he gives you on the sixth day the bread of two days. Everyone stay in his place. Let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.”

30So the people rested on the seventh day.

31The house of Israel called its name “Manna”, and it was like coriander seed, white; and its taste was like wafers with honey.

32Moses said, “This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded, ‘Let an omer-full of it be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

33Moses said to Aaron, “Take a pot, and put an omer-full of manna in it, and lay it up before Yahweh, to be kept throughout your generations.”

34As Yahweh commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.

35The children of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate the manna until they came to the borders of the land of Canaan.

36Now an omer is one tenth of an ephah.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Exodus 16.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The Israelites come to the wilderness of Sin. They murmur for food, God promises bread from heaven. (1–12). God sends quails and manna. (13–21). Particulars respecting the manna. (22–31). An omer of manna to be preserved. (32–36).

vv1-12

The provisions of Israel, brought from Egypt, were spent by the middle of the second month, and they murmured. It is no new thing for the greatest kindness to be basely represented as the greatest injuries. They so far undervalue their deliverance, that they wished they had died in Egypt; and by the hand of the Lord, that is, by the plagues which cut off the Egyptians. We cannot suppose they had plenty in Egypt, nor could they fear dying for want in the wilderness, while they had flocks and herds: none talk more absurdly than murmurers. When we begin to fret, we ought to consider, that God hears all our murmurings. God promises a speedy and constant supply. He tried whether they would trust him, and rest satisfied with the bread of the day in its day. Thus he tried if they would serve him, and it appeared how ungrateful they were. When God plagued the Egyptians, it was to make them know he was their Lord; when he provided for the Israelites, it was to make them know he was their God.

vv13-21

At evening the quails came up, and the people caught with ease as many as they needed. The manna came down in dew. They called it “Manna, Manhu,” which means, “What is this?” “It is a portion; it is that which our God has allotted us, and we will take it, and be thankful.” It was pleasant food; it was wholesome food. The manna was rained from heaven; it appeared, when the dew was gone, as a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost, like coriander seed, in colour like pearls. The manna fell only six days in the week, and in double quantity on the sixth day; it bred worms and became offensive if kept more than one day, excepting on the sabbath. The people had never seen it before. It could be ground in a mill, or beaten in a mortar, and was then made into cakes and baked. It continued the forty years the Israelites were in the wilderness, wherever they went, and ceased when they arrived in Canaan. All this shows how different it was from any thing found before, or found now. They were to gather the manna every morning. We are hereby taught, 1. To be prudent and diligent in providing food for ourselves and our households; with quietness working, and eating our own bread, not the bread of idleness or deceit. God's bounty leaves room for man's duty; it did so even when manna was rained; they must not eat till they have gathered. 2. To be content with enough. Those that have most, have for themselves but food and raiment; those that have least, generally have these; so that he who gathers much has nothing over, and he who gathers little has no lack. There is not such a disproportion between one and another in the enjoyment of the things of this life, as in the mere possession of them. 3. To depend upon Providence: let them sleep quietly, though they have no bread in their tents, nor in all their camp, trusting that God, with the following day, would bring them in their daily bread. It was surer and safer in God's storehouse than their own, and would come thence sweeter and fresher. See here the folly of hoarding. The manna laid up by some, who thought themselves wiser, and better managers, than their neighbours, and who would provide lest it should fail next day, bred worms, and became good for nothing. That will prove to be most wasted, which is covetously and distrustfully spared. Such riches are corrupted, Jas 5:2, 3. The same wisdom, power, and goodness that brought food daily from above for the Israelites in the wilderness, brings food yearly out of the earth in the constant course of nature, and gives us all things richly to enjoy.

vv22-31

Here is mention of a seventh-day sabbath. It was known, not only before the giving of the law upon mount Sinai, but before the bringing of Israel out of Egypt, even from the beginning, Ge 2:3. The setting apart one day in seven for holy work, and, in order to that, for holy rest, was ever since God created man upon the earth, and is the most ancient of the Divine laws. Appointing them to rest on the seventh day, he took care that they should be no losers by it; and none ever will be losers by serving God. On that day they were to fetch in enough for two days, and to make it ready. This directs us to contrive family affairs, so that they may hinder us as little as possible in the work of the sabbath. Works of necessity are to be done on that day; but it is desirable to have as little as may be to do, that we may apply ourselves the more closely to prepare for the life that is to come. When they kept manna against a command, it stank; when they kept it by a command, it was sweet and good; every thing is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. On the seventh day God did not send the manna, therefore they must not expect it, nor go out to gather. This showed that it was produced by miracle.

Cross References

Exodus 16
v182 Corinthians 8:15quotation

Quoted verbatim: Paul uses the gathering of manna to illustrate Christian equality and sharing.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v33Hebrews 9:4allusion

Explicitly mentions the golden pot that had manna kept inside the Ark of the Covenant.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole

v3Deuteronomy 8:3thematic

Explains God fed them manna to teach that man does not live by bread alone.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v4John 6:31allusion

Jesus references this: 'Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread.'

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v23Genesis 2:3thematic

Establishes the primeval origin of the Sabbath rest, preceding the giving of the Sinai law.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v31Numbers 11:7allusion

Parallel description of manna, comparing it to coriander seed and the appearance of bdellium.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole

v35Joshua 5:12fulfillment

Records the precise moment the manna ceased, when Israel ate the fruit of Canaan.

Supported by Matthew Henry

Warns Christians against murmuring as the Israelites did, which brought destruction in the wilderness.

Supported by JFB

v4Psalms 78:24thematic

Poetically describes the raining of manna as 'the corn of heaven' and 'angels' food.'

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v4Deuteronomy 8:2thematic

Moses recalls that God led them in the wilderness to humble and prove them.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v81 Samuel 8:7thematic

Parallels the principle that rejecting God's appointed leaders is a rejection of God Himself.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole

v13Numbers 11:31-33thematic

The other major wilderness instance of God sending quails to satisfy Israel's desire for flesh.

Supported by JFB

v14Numbers 11:7-9thematic

Provides a parallel, detailed description of the appearance, gathering, and preparation of manna.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v23Numbers 11:8allusion

Describes how the people prepared the manna by grinding, baking, and boiling/seething it.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v35John 6:31typology

Jesus references the wilderness manna to reveal Himself as the true Bread from heaven.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v35Deuteronomy 8:3thematic

Explains the spiritual purpose of the manna: teaching that man lives by God's Word.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v4Nehemiah 9:15thematic

Nehemiah's historical prayer praises God for giving bread from heaven for their hunger.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v4Psalms 105:40thematic

Rehearses how God brought quails and satisfied His people with the bread of heaven.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v5Exodus 16:23thematic

Clarifies the instructions for preparing the double portion of manna before the Sabbath.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v15Revelation 2:17typology

Promises 'hidden manna' to the overcomer, typifying the spiritual nourishment of Christ.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v22Psalms 78:24thematic

Poetic description of manna as 'corn of heaven' and 'angels' food' rained upon Israel.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v29Nehemiah 9:14thematic

Nehemiah recalls the making known of the holy Sabbath to Israel in the wilderness.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v34Exodus 25:16allusion

Defines 'the Testimony' where Aaron laid up the manna as the tablets of the Law.

Supported by Matthew Poole

Fills in the geographical itinerary, noting the omitted station by the Red Sea.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v22Exodus 16:5allusion

The initial divine instruction for the sixth day double portion, which the rulers report here.

Supported by Matthew Poole, Calvin

v29Leviticus 25:21thematic

Parallel miracle where God commands a double harvest on the sixth year for the Sabbatical year.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v34Numbers 17:10thematic

A similar memorial of rebellion (Aaron's rod) kept 'before the testimony' for future generations.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v35Matthew 4:4typology

Jesus quotes Deuteronomy in his temptation, asserting spiritual feeding over physical manna.

Supported by Matthew Henry