Exodus Chapter 16
1 They 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.
2 The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness;
3 and the children of Israel said to them, "We wish that we had died by the LORD'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."
4 Then the LORD 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.
5 It 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."
6 Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, "At evening, you shall know that the LORD has brought you out from the land of Egypt.
7 In the morning, you shall see the LORD's glory; because he hears your murmurings against the LORD. Who are we, that you murmur against us?"
8 Moses said, "Now the LORD will give you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to satisfy you, because the LORD hears your murmurings which you murmur against him. And who are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD."
9 Moses said to Aaron, "Tell all the congregation of the children of Israel, 'Come close to the LORD, for he has heard your murmurings.' "
10 As Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, they looked towards the wilderness, and behold, the LORD's glory appeared in the cloud.
11 The LORD 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 the LORD your God.' "
13 In the evening, quail came up and covered the camp; and in the morning the dew lay around the camp.
14 When 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.
15 When 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 the LORD has given you to eat.
16 "This is the thing which the LORD 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.' "
17 The children of Israel did so, and some gathered more, some less.
18 When 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.
19 Moses said to them, "Let no one leave of it until the morning."
20 Notwithstanding 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.
21 They gathered it morning by morning, everyone according to his eating. When the sun grew hot, it melted.
22 On 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.
23 He said to them, "This is that which the LORD has spoken, 'Tomorrow is a solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. 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.' "
24 They laid it up until the morning, as Moses ordered, and it didn't become foul, and there were no worms in it.
25 Moses said, "Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD. Today you shall not find it in the field.
26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day is the Sabbath. In it there shall be none."
27 On the seventh day, some of the people went out to gather, and they found none.
28 The LORD said to Moses, "How long do you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws?
29 Behold, because the LORD 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."
30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 The house of Israel called its name "Manna", and it was like coriander seed, white; and its taste was like wafers with honey.
32 Moses said, "This is the thing which the LORD 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.' "
33 Moses said to Aaron, "Take a pot, and put an omer-full of manna in it, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept throughout your generations."
34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
35 The 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.
36 Now an omer is one tenth of an ephah.
Footnotes
- Verse 16 (Omer)
- An omer is about 2.2 litres or about 2.3 quarts
- Verse 31 (Manna)
- "Manna" means "What is it?"
- Verse 36 (Ephah)
- 1 ephah is about 22 litres or about 2/3 of a bushel
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Exodus Chapter 16 Guide
From Elim the people moved into the dreariness of the great wilderness and began to be conscious of the scarcity of some of the things which they had had, even in the midst of Egyptian slavery. There manifested itself a craving for the material which for the moment rendered them unconscious of the value of the spiritual. They plainly declared that bondage with flesh was preferable to liberty with hunger. Very arresting is the attitude and activity of Jehovah toward them. Without rebuke He gave them both bread and flesh. In the method of the gift of the manna one great lesson is apparent. The people were to understand that their life was to be daily dependence on God. They were to gather each day for five days and on the sixth enough for that day and the Sabbath.
Probably there are today some people who may smile at this story of days far distant. The great facts, however, abide to this hour. In the path of obedience every man will find manifestations of the divine Presence and overruling, and that things impossible to him are possible to him with God.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Exodus Chapter 16 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- 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)
Verses 1-12
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.
Verses 13-21
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,
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Verses 22-31
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.
Verses 32-36
God having provided manna to be his people's food in the wilderness, the remembrance of it was to be preserved. Eaten bread must not be forgotten. God's miracles and mercies are to be had in remembrance. The word of God is the manna by which our souls are nourished, Mt 4:4. The comforts of the Spirit are hidden manna, Re 2:17. These come from heaven, as the manna did, and are the support and comfort of the Divine life in the soul, while we are in the wilderness of this world. Christ in the word is to be applied to the soul, and the means of grace are to be used. We must every one of us gather for ourselves, and gather in the morning of our days, the morning of our opportunities; which if we let slip, it may be too late to gather. The manna must not be hoarded up, but eaten; those who have received Christ, must by faith live upon him, and not receive his grace in vain. There was manna enough for all, enough for each, and none had too much; so in Christ there is enough, but not more than we need. But those who ate manna, hungered again, died at last, and with many of them God was not well pleased; whereas they that feed on Christ by faith, shall never hunger, and shall die no more, and with them God will be for ever well pleased. Let us seek earnestly for the grace of the Holy Spirit, to turn all our knowledge of the doctrine of Christ crucified, into the spiritual nourishment of our souls by faith and love.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.