Exodus 16:1-36
1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto 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 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:
3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
6 And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:
7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?
8 And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.
9 And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.
10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.
13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.
14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
16 This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.
20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
28 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
32 And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.
33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.
34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
35 And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
36 Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.
THE TEXT OF EXODUS
TRANSLATION
16 And they took their journey from E-lim, and all the congregation of the children of Is-ra-el came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between E-Iim and Si-nai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of E-gypt. (2) And the whole congregation of the children of Is-ra-el murmured against Mo-ses and against Aar-on in the wilderness: (3) and the children of Is-ra-el said unto them, Would that we died by the hand of Je-ho-vah in the land of E-gypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
(4) Then said Je-ho-vah unto Mo-ses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not. (5) And 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) And Mo-ses and Aaron said unto all the children of Is-ra-el, At even, then ye shall know that Je-ho-vah hath brought you out from the land of E-gypt; (7) and in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of Je-ho-vah; for that he heareth your murmurings against Je-ho-vah: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? (8) And Mo-ses said, This shall be, when Je-ho-vah shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that Je-ho-vah heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against Je-ho-vah. (9) And Mo-ses said unto Aar-on, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Is-ra-el, Come near before Je-ho-vah; for he hath heard your murmurings. (10) And it came to pass, as Aar-on spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Is-ra-el, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of Je-ho-vah appeared in the cloud. (11) And Je-ho-vah spake unto Mo-ses, saying, (12) I have heard the murmurings of the children of Is-ra-el: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am Je-ho-vah your God.
(13) And it came to pass at even, that the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the camp. (14) And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness a small round thing, small as the hoarfrost on the ground. (15) And when the children of Is-ra-el saw it, they said one to another, What is it? for they knew not what it was. And Mo-ses said unto them, It is the bread which Je-ho-vah hath given you to eat. (16) This is the thing which Je-ho-vah hath commanded. Gather ye of it every man according to his eating; an o-mer a head, according to the number of your persons, shall ye take it, every man for them that are in his tent. (17) And the children of Is-ra-el did so, and gathered some more, some less. (18) And when they measured it with an o-mer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. (19) And Mo-ses said unto them, Let no man leave of it till the morning. (20) Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Mo-ses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and became foul: and Mo-ses was wroth with them.
(21) And they gathered it morning by morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. (22) And it came to pass that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two o-mers for each one: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Mo-ses. (23) And he said unto them, This is that which Je-ho-vah hath spoken, Tomorrow is a solemn rest, a holy sabbath unto Je-ho-vah: bake that which ye will bake, and boil that which ye will boil; and all that remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. (24) And they laid it up till the morning, as Mo-ses bade: and it did not become foul, neither was there any worm therein. (25) And Mo-ses said, Eat that to-day; for to-day is a sabbath unto Je-ho-vah: to-day ye shall not find it in the field. (26) Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. (27) And it came to pass on the seventh day, that there went out some of the people to gather, and they found none. (28) and Je-ho-vah said unto Mo-ses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? (29) See, for that Je-ho-vah hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. (30) So the people rested on the seventh day.
(31) And the house of Is-ra-el called the name thereof Man-na: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. (32) And Mo-ses said, This is the thing which Je-ho-vah hath commanded, Let an o-mer-ful of it be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread wherewith I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Epgypt. (33) And Mo-ses said unto Aar-on, Take a pot, and put an o-mer-ful of man-na therein, and lay it up before Je-ho-vah, to be kept throughout your generations. (34) As Je-ho-vah commanded Mo-ses, so Aar-on laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. (35) And the children of Is-ra-el did eat the man-na forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat the man-na, until they came unto the borders of the land of Ca-naan. (36) Now an o-mer is the tenth part of an e-phah.
EXPLORING EXODUS: CHAPTER SIXTEEN
QUESTIONS ANSWERABLE FROM THE BIBLE
1.
After careful reading propose a brief title or topic for the chapter.
2.
Into what wilderness did Israel go from Elim? (Exodus 16:1)
3.
How long did it take Israel to reach the wilderness of Sin? (Exodus 16:1; Exodus 12:6)
4.
Who participated in the murmuring in the wilderness? (Exodus 16:2)
5.
Why did Israel murmur? (Exodus 16:2-3)
6.
Where did the Israelites say that they wish they had died? (Exodus 16:3)
7.
What had Israel eaten in Egypt? (Exodus 16:3; Numbers 11:5)
8.
How much did Israel say they had to eat in Egypt? (Exodus 16:3)
9.
What was the purpose of the manna? (Exodus 16:4; Deuteronomy 8:3)
10.
How much manna was to be gathered on the sixth day of each week? (Exodus 16:5)
11.
What would cause them to know that the LORD had brought them out of Egypt? (Exodus 16:6)
12.
What would Israel see in the morning? (Exodus 16:7)
13.
Against whom had Israel really murmured? (Exodus 16:7-8)
14.
How much bread would be provided for them? (Exodus 16:8)
15.
For what purpose were the Israelites summoned together? (Exodus 16:9)
16.
What did Israel see when they assembled? (Exodus 16:10)
17.
What would Israel know because they ate flesh and bread? (Exodus 16:12)
18.
How many quails came into the camp? (Exodus 16:13)
19.
What did Israel say when they saw the manna? (Exodus 16:15; Exodus 16:31)
20.
Do some research to discover what the word manna means.
21.
How much manna was gathered for each man? (16; 16)
22.
Who gathered manna for each tent? (Exodus 16:16)
23.
Why did some gather more or less than others? (Exodus 16:17)
24.
What result happened, even though some gathered more and some less? (Exodus 16:17)
25.
What was the rule about leftover manna? (Exodus 16:19)
26.
What happened to leftover manna kept over to the next day? (Exodus 16:20)
27.
What happened to manna that was not gathered each day? (Exodus 16:21)
28.
Who reported to Moses that twice as much manna was gathered on the sixth day? (Exodus 16:22)
29.
How is the seventh day described? (Exodus 16:23)
30.
In what ways could manna be prepared for eating? (Exodus 16:23)
31.
Were the Israelites warned that there would be no manna on the seventh days? (Exodus 16:25-26)
32.
Did all heed the warning about gathering manna on the Sabbath? (Exodus 16:27)
33.
What was God's response to Israel's disobedience about gathering manna? (Exodus 16:28)
34.
What restriction was imposed upon movements on the seventh days? (Exodus 16:29)
35.
What did the house of Israel name the bread? (Exodus 16:31)
36.
What did the manna taste like? (Exodus 16:31; Numbers 11:6-8)
37.
What is the true manna, or bread, from heaven? (John 6:49-51; 1 Corinthians 10:1-3)
38.
Who gathered a pot of manna to be kept throughout future generations? (Exodus 16:33)
39.
Where was the pot of manna to be kept? (Exodus 16:34; Hebrews 9:4)
40.
How long did the Israelites eat manna? (Exodus 16:35; Nehemiah 9:20-21)
41.
Where did the manna cease? (Exodus 16:35; Joshua 5:11-12)
42.
How much is an omer? An ephah? (Exodus 16:36)
EXODUS SIXTEEN: BREAD FROM HEAVEN
1.
Murmuring in the Wilderness of Sin; Exodus 16:1-3.
2.
God's promise of provisions; Exodus 16:4-12.
3.
Quails and manna sent; Exodus 16:13-21.
4.
No manna on the Sabbath; Exodus 16:22-30.
5.
Pot of manna preserved; Exodus 16:31-36.
EXODUS SIXTEEN: THE BREAD FROM HEAVEN
1.
Given to the undeserving; Exodus 16:2-3.
2.
Given as a test; Exodus 16:4; Exodus 16:28; Deuteronomy 8:16.
3.
Given to teach; Exodus 16:6; Exodus 16:12; Exodus 16:32; Deuteronomy 8:3.
4.
Given without fail; Exodus 16:35.
GOD'S PURPOSES IN GIVING MANNA
1.
To fill them with food; Exodus 16:12; Exodus 16:16; Matthew 6:31-33.
2.
To see if they would walk in His laws; Exodus 16:4; Deuteronomy 8:16.
3.
To show that the LORD had led them out of Egypt; Exodus 16:6.
4.
To show that He was Jehovah their God; Exodus 16:12.
5.
To show God's glory; Exodus 16:7.
6.
To silence their murmurings; Exodus 16:7-8; Exodus 16:12.
7.
To introduce the sabbath law; Exodus 16:23; Exodus 16:25; Exodus 16:29.
8.
To humble them; Deuteronomy 8:16; Deuteronomy 8:3.
9.
To teach that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God; Deuteronomy 8:3.
10.
To point toward Jesus, the living bread from heaven; John 6:41; John 6:48-51.
MURMURINGS! (Exodus 16:1-3)
1.
Murmurers forget past blessings.
2.
Murmurers forget past pains; Exodus 16:2.
3.
Murmurers accuse their true benefactors; Exodus 16:3.
4.
Murmurers fear imaginary evils; Exodus 16:3.
THE MANNA, A TYPE OF JESUS!
I am the living bread which came down out of heaven (John 6:51).
1.
The manna met a need. Jesus meets our needs.
2.
The manna came from heaven. Jesus came from heaven. (John 6:49-51)
3.
The manna provided for ALL Israel. Jesus provides for ALL mankind.
4.
The manna gave temporary life. Jesus gives eternal life.
5.
The manna was not recognized or known. Jesus was not recognized or known. (Matthew 8:27; John 12:37)
6.
The manna was a test for Israel. Jesus is the test of our relationship with God. (1 Corinthians 1:22-23)
THE MANNA: A TYPE OF GOD'S WORD
1.
From heaven, not earth.
2.
Came to the people.
3.
Had to be eaten.
4.
To be gathered (read) daily.
THE MEMORIAL MANNA (Exodus 16:32-36)
What did the pot of memorial manna teach to Israel?
1.
The infinite resources of God.
2.
The goodness of God.
3.
The faithfulness of God.
4.
The abiding presence of God.
5.
That they could trust God in the future.
EXPLORING EXODUS: NOTES ON CHAPTER SIXTEEN
1.
What is the subject matter of Exodus 16?
The entire chapter deals with the giving of the manna. We entitle the chapter BREAD FROM HEAVEN. See Nehemiah 9:15. The whole chapter directs our minds toward Christ Jesus, who is the living bread which came down from heaven.
2.
Where did Israel journey from Elim? (Exodus 16:1)
From Elim they first went to an encampment by the sea. See Numbers 33:10. Going southward from Elim, Israel passed the mount now called the Mount of Pharaoh's Hot Bath (Jebel Hamman Farun) on their right (west). They came on into the Wady (valley) et-Taiyibeh, which provided an open course to the seaside. Travelers have made the trip from Elim to the seaside in seven and a half hours. It is about twenty miles and probably took Israel two days. This area by the sea at the mouth of the Valley Taiyibeh is a sandy plain extending some four or five miles from the shore, shut in by a range of wild cliffs. Here was room for a great camp. The modern town of Abu Zenima lies in this area.
From the encampment by the seaside, Israel could either have gone north and east, via the sandy table land of Debbet er-Ramleh; or they could have gone on southward across about five miles of hills into the plain of El-Murkhah. To us it seems much more probable that they went southward into the El-Murkhah plain, and that this plain is to be identified with the Wilderness of Sin.
The name Sin has no connection with the English word sin. The names Sin and Sinai are very similar. (The meaning of these names is uncertain.)
Admittedly the location of the Wilderness of Sin is rather debatable. As stated above, we feel that it is the dry barren coastal plain of El Murkhah. The modern town of Abu Rudeis is in this plain. The plain is about six miles EW and about fifteen miles NS. S. C. Bartlett[258] says that its surface is a dead level, covered only with occasional tufts of desert shrubs. It had a temperature of 96 degrees when he visited it in February. It would be a natural place for Israelitish murmuring. The plain extends on south to the mouth of the Wady Feiran, which is the largest wady in the southern part of Sinai, and was probably the passage route of Israel from the Red Sea coastal area up to Mt. Sinai.
[258] From Egypt to Palestine (New York: Harper, 1879), p. 213.
In the El Murkha plain there is a spring about three miles from the sea, which is next in importance only to the Springs of Moses (Ayun Musa, near Israel's crossing place) and Elim (Gharandel). The traveller Burkhardt told of finding in this area many fissures in the rocks filled with winter rains.[259] Thus Israel probably had water in the Wilderness of Sin, but no food.
[259] Quoted in Bartlett, op. cit., p. 214.
Other suggested identifications of the Wilderness of Sin include the interior desert tract called Debbet Er-Ramleh (mentioned above). This is a long desert area running SE-NW along the north side of the granite mountains of the Wilderness of Sinai. This is a possible location, but seems to us less likely than El Murkha, because to get to Debbet er-Ramleh from Israel's encampment by the sea would require considerable backtracking.
Another proposed identification of the Wilderness of Sin is the dry barren coastal plain of El-Qaa, north of the present city of Tor. But this lies much too far south to be on the route to Sinai.
Yet another proposed location of the Wilderness of Sin is the Wady Serabit,[260] containing the famous ruins of Serabit El Khadim. Serabit el-Khadim is sometimes proposed as the location of Dophka (Numbers 33:12). The ruins there include a temple to the Egyptian goddess Hathor and abandoned copper and turquoise mines. Egyptian soldiers were stationed at Serabit el Khadim both before and after Moses-' time. Some inscriptions in one of the oldest known alphabets known (similar to Hebrew) are found there. This route by Serabit seems very unlikely to us.
[260] Davis, op. cit., pp. 178-179, proposes this as the site.
Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin on the fifteenth day of the second month of their journey, almost exactly a month after their departure. See Exodus 12:6. They had covered approximately 175 miles during that month.
3.
What did Israel complain about in the Wilderness of Sin? (Exodus 16:2-3)
They complained about lack of food. Observe that the WHOLE congregation murmured. After seeing all the plagues in Egypt, and the crossing of the Sea, and the leading of the cloud, they still lacked faith in God.
Although their murmurings were directed against Moses and Aaron, they really were complaining against God. It was God himself who had promised to bring them to Sinai (Exodus 3:12), How could God be God, and yet fail to keep His promise by letting them die of hunger on the way to Sinai?
This was Israel's third grumbling. They had already grumbled at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:11) and at Marah (Exodus 15:24). Moses could well say of them, Ye have been rebellious against Jehovah from the day that I knew you (Deuteronomy 9:24).
Israel had left Egypt in haste and carried no leftover food. See Exodus 12:10-11; Exodus 12:33-34. Now a month later their food is exhausted. They still had livestock, but seemed very reluctant to slaughter their flocks for food.
In their bad state of mind they attributed the worst possible motives to Moses, as if he had deliberately set out to kill them. See Exodus 17:3. How utterly unreasonable!
In their distress they recalled only certain good things about Egypt, forgetting all their slavery and crying there (Exodus 2:23-24; Exodus 4:31). They remembered only that they had had food in Egypt - fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, garlic (Numbers 11:5). But had they actually had bread to the FULL? Surely not! This was a thoughtless exaggeration, a propaganda blast to hurt Moses.
They even declared that they wished they had died in Egypt by the hand of the LORD, presumably in the ten plagues. Compare Numbers 14:2. This statement cannot be taken as a serious wish, but only as a bitter emotional outburst.
It is a wonder that God did not rain fire and brimstone on them, instead of raining manna upon them. (Pink)
4.
From whence would God give Israel bread? (Exodus 16:4)
God would rain bread from heaven upon them. We suppose that this means from the atmospheric heavens, although the power that brought it about came from God's abode in the heaven of heavens! Nehemiah 9:15: Thou didst provide bread from heaven for them for their hunger. See Psalms 105:40.
This bread is called angels-' food in Psalms 78:25. This expression could be translated bread of God or bread of the mighty ones (Heb., elohim). 1 Corinthians 10:3 calls it spiritual food.
In America bread is a side dish to the main meal. In countries of the Middle East, bread is the basic item in the diet of many.
5.
How much bread was to be gathered daily? (Exodus 16:4)
A day's portion was to be gathered on each day. This instruction reminds us that we are to pray for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11). A day's portion of manna was an omer full (Exodus 16:16). This would be approximately six and a half pints, about three-fourths of a gallon.
6.
What purpose besides nutrition would the bread have? (Exodus 16:4)
It was to be a test, whether they would walk in God's law or not. Would they gather just enough for each day at the start of every day? Or would they hoard it on some days because they did not completely trust God to provide more on subsequent days? Would they gather twice as much on the sixth days, when once they had learned that any excess collected on other days spoiled after one day? Would they rest on the seventh days, or go out searching for bread? These were God's tests! See Deuteronomy 8:3; Deuteronomy 8:16.
God reveals Himself here as a tester of men. Psalms 7:9: The righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. No testing seems pleasant to those who are being tested. But we must expect testing. It is God's way with His people.
7.
What was Israel to know and see by God's providing food for them? (Exodus 16:6-8)
They were to know that Jehovah had brought them out of Egypt! It surely had taken a long time for some Israelites to realize that they were truly OUT of Egypt, and that the LORD had delivered them. They would know this by events to occur yet that very evening.
Israel said, Moses, YOU brought us out of Egypt to kill us. Moses said, You shall know that the LORD brought you out. The exodus was not an event that had happened by chance. The LORD was not some incompetent deity.
Also Israel was to see the GLORY on the morning to follow. Moses did not specify at first exactly how this glory would be revealed to them. This glory was to be something visible, something they could see.
Verse seven emphasizes that Israel would see the glory of Jehovah at the very time when He was hearing their murmurings against Jehovah. The repetition of the name Jehovah in the verse stresses the fact that the murmuring was against Jehovah. God graciously hearkened to them even while they were murmuring.
Also in verse seven the word WE is stressed. This emphasizes the denials by Moses that their murmurings were against him and Aaron.
After his opening announcement in Exodus 16:7 that Israel would see the glory of Jehovah, Moses, like a skillful speaker, brought his speech to a climax by giving specific details of how they would see God's glory. The Lord would in that very evening give them flesh to eat, and on the next morning He would give them bread to the full.
8.
How did Moses know what God would give Israel for food? (Exodus 16:9-12)
He knew it because God had revealed it unto him. (See Exodus 16:12) God communicated with Moses face to face (Numbers 12:8). Note that the message which God told Moses to tell Israel (in Exodus 16:12) is the very message that Moses delivered (in Exodus 16:8).
Probably we should translate Exodus 16:11 to read, Now Yahweh had spoken unto Moses, saying.. Hebrew has no past perfect (pluperfect) tense form. The perfect tense (indicating completed action) sometimes had a past perfect significance (as in Isaiah 38:21; Genesis 6:6; Numbers 22:2; and others).
Some critics have suggested that we should rearrange the Biblical text, placing Exodus 16:9-12 before Exodus 16:6-8.[261] We have no evidence in ancient manuscripts that the text was ever so rearranged. We do not feel we should lay violent hands on God's word, to rearrange its contents or make emendations in its words just because our present limited knowledge and understanding hinders our ability to comprehend it in the way the ancient Hebrews grasped it.
[261] Broadman Bible Commentary, Vol. 1 (1969), p. 396, following the proposal of S. R. Driver.
The command to Come near before the LORD was God's call for all the Israelites to assemble together with Moses and Aaron, having the LORD on their minds, for the purpose of learning the LORD'S will. Certainly we understand that the LORD is everywhere, but God provided a focus point to which Israel could assemble before Him. That focus point was near the glory cloud, and with His men Moses and Aaron.
When Aaron issued the call for Israel to gather, the glory of Jehovah appeared in the cloud which had been leading Israel. Probably this glory was a display of fire and lightnings. See Exodus 19:16 and Exodus 24:15-17, where God's glory is said to have been like a devouring fire. The cloud stood apart from Israel, toward the wilderness, probably toward the east and south.
Israel was at this moment in deep unbelief. God was extremely perturbed, and declared, Ye shall know that I am the LORD your God (Exodus 16:12).
9.
When were quails provided for Israel? (Exodus 16:13)
In the evening the quails came up and covered the camp. Exodus 16:12 had said, Between the two evenings ye shall east flesh.[262]
[262] Between the two evenings is the exact phrase used to describe the hour of the Passover sacrifice (Exodus 12:6). As indicated before, this phrase is indefinite as to exact time, and refers only to the period near sunset.
In the spring each year quails migrate in great numbers from the interior of Africa and Arabia, across the Sinai peninsula and into southern Europe. They return from the northern countries in autumn.[263]
[263] The fact that Israel encountered quail migrations in the spring does not support the theory that the Israelites travelled a route along the Mediterranean coast. Quails would have been found along the coast more probably in the autumn, as they started their return from Europe.
The occurrence of quail in Sinai at the time the Israelites passed through was not unusual. The miracle consisted in the precise timing of their arrival, and the announcement of God beforehand that they would have flesh to eat that evening.
When the quails migrate across the Sinai peninsula, they often become exhausted; and when they alight they can be caught easily. The birds are good eating and were a favorite delicacy of the Egyptians.[264] Ancient Egyptian paintings show people hunting quails with hand nets thrown over the bushes where they were nesting.[265] See p. 444B.
[264] Herodotus 2:27.
[265] Davis, op. cit., p. 183.
Psalms 78:27: He raineth flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea.
10.
When did the manna appear? (Exodus 16:13-14)
It became visible the next morning when the dew evaporated. The Israelites did not realize anything unusual had happened the next morning when they saw the usual dew on the ground. Numbers 11:9 says that when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it (the camp). (The presence of the dew shows that the Sinaitic peninsula is not a totally arid desert.)
The manna appeared as small, fine, flake-like fragments on the ground, as small as the crystals of hoarfrost (white frost).
In Psalms 78:24 the manna is called the corn (food, or grain) of heaven. It is called angels-' food (or bread of the angels) in Psalms 78:25.
The manna was white, and resembled the coriander seed (a strong-smelling seed, which is about the size of a peppercorn.) It had the appearance of bdellium (Numbers 11:7), which seems to be a fragrant and transparent resin, resembling wax.[266] It had a sweetish taste, like wafers made with honey (Exodus 16:31), and like fresh oil (Numbers 11:8). It could be baked or boiled, or ground in a mill (a stone hand grinder).
[266] The exact identification of bdellium is uncertain. Many think it is a waxy-looking resin. Others think it is a precious stone or pearl. Genesis 2:12 suggests such a possibility.
11.
What does the name MANNA mean? (Exodus 16:15)
Its name means What is it? When the Israelites first saw it, they did not know what it was, and said, Man Hu? These were Hebrew words meaning What is it? This question became the name for it: it was called Whatizit? The name was sometimes shortened to Man (as in Exodus 16:31), which just means What? (Most English versions translate the word in Exodus 16:31 as manna, but the Hebrew just has man.)
The usual Hebrew interrogative word meaning What? is Mah, rather than Man. But the form man is found in the El Amarna letters,[267] and is a recognized ancient form of the interrogative. The Greek O.T. renders man hu by the Greek words for What is this?
[267] Noth, op. cit., p. 135. Cassuto, op. cit., p. 196.
12.
How much manna was collected by each person? (Exodus 16:16-17)
The amounts varied somewhat from person to person, each man according to his eating. But generally it was an omer for each head (or person). As a unit of measure the omer was the tenth part of an ephah (Exodus 16:36), that is about six and a half pints. The omer is referred to in the Old Testament only in this chapter.
An omer for each person for each day seems like a lot of food, but probably it was rather fluffy.
Each man gathered enough for all those in his tent. We do not suppose that every household in Israel possessed a pot holding exactly one omer. Thus, some gathered more and some less.
Pink calculates that at one omer a head daily, Israel would have collected twelve million pints, or nine million pounds daily, and over a million tons were gathered annually!
13.
Was the manna a natural phenomenon?
Certainly not. It was supernatural and miraculous. This is evident from several facts:
(1) The enormous volume of manna produced and consumed. The secretions of all the trees and insects in Sinai could never have produced such a mass of food.
(2) The fact that the manna was provided the year round for forty years. Secretions from trees that some people call manna only occur during brief seasons in some years.
(3) The fact that the manna first appeared on a particular day, the very day after God had predicted the appearance of it.
(4) The fact that the manna could be found for six days each week, but was not there on the seventh days (Exodus 16:26).
(5) The fact that the manna spoiled after one day most of the week, but after two days following the sixth and seventh days (Exodus 16:24).
(6) The fact that the manna could be boiled in cooking, but melted in the heat of the sun (Exodus 16:21; Exodus 16:23).
Very many writers have said that the manna consisted of drops of sugary material exuded by certain kinds of aphids on the tamarisk bushes. In the hot desert air they become whitish or yellowish globules and fall to the ground where the ants get them. Arabs call them bread (mann) or bread of heaven. Others say that the droplets are produced by the exudations of the tamarisk itself. These are pea-sized or smaller. These droplets are abundant in the rainy season, but in many years cease altogether. They appear mainly in June for three to six weeks. At peak season of each year a steady worker could only collect about half-pound of the manna a day. It cannot be baked or boiled. It does not spoil and stink after one day. The droplets do not melt in the sun's heat, but only dehydrate and harden.
Some extreme writers have said that the unique aspects of the Biblical account of the manna are the result of later theological expansion of the original event.[268] No proof is offered for such a dogmatic assertion. Also it makes the theologians sound bad, as if they were always exaggerators!
[268] Broadman Bible Commentary, Vol. 1 (1969), p. 398.
14.
How did the manna equalize out? (Exodus 16:18)
When the amounts which the people gathered were measured with an omer (a jar of that size), there was enough manna for each person, with none left over.
This verse is difficult to understand fully. Some have proposed that the Israelites pooled their manna collectively, and each kept the ration of an omer per head.[269] It is suggested that Paul seemed to understand it that way (2 Corinthians 8:14-15). But the idea of pooling the manna is not definitely stated in the verse. Also the enormous size of the Israelite camp (five or six miles across) and the number of people involved would seem to make pooling very difficult, inconvenient, and improbable. There would have been some large heaps of collected manna!
[269] Cole, op. ch., p. 132. Keil and Delitzsch, op. cit., Vol. II, p. 68.
We doubt that every family went through a ritualistic check on the volume of manna it collected each day. Occasional spot checking would be all that is necessarily implied by the statement When they measured it with an omer..
The way the manna supply in each home equalized out certainly hints at some degree of miraculous control of the matter.
The apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 8:14-15 refers to Exodus 16:18 as an illustration for Christians who have an abundance of this world's wealth to share with those who have needs. The comparison is not identical in every particular, since manna (unlike money) was freely available to everyone. They only had to go out and pick it up. Nonetheless, the fact that all Israelites had about the same amount of manna each day is a valuable illustration to us, urging us to share of our abundance with those in want, that there may be an equality.
It surely seems rather miraculous that the manna collected by each family equalized out in the way it did, and everyone's needs were supplied, whether he gathered much or little of it, This seems to have been a rather obvious and noticeable fact. Their food supply, like their clothing (see Deuteronomy 29:5), was always adequate for the needs.
15.
Could manna be stored up? (Exodus 15:19-20)
No. This was prevented both by direct command and by the fact that any leftover manna became foul and bred maggots by the next morning. Like the flesh of the Passover lamb, there were to be no leftovers (Exodus 12:10). They were to live in a situation wherein they had to depend on God every day for that day's needs. Do WE trust God enough to depend on HIM for every day's needs, one by one? (Matthew 6:34)
Some Israelites failed this first test with the manna. They tried (vainly!) to store some up. Moses became angry with these people.
The word melted in Exodus 16:22 may mean became loathe-some.[270] The Hebrew word is similar to a word used in 1 Samuel 15:9, to refer to the vile and worthless animals of the Amalekites.
[270] Cassuto, op. cit., p. 197.
16.
How much manna was collected on the sixth day? (Exodus 16:22)
Two omers, or twice as much as usual. The manna was twice as plentiful on the sixth day as on other days (Exodus 16:29). Exodus 16:22 refers back to Exodus 16:5. The scripture does not mention the fact that Moses told the people the words of Exodus 16:5, but we assume he did.
The rulers of the congregation reported to Moses that the people had collected twice as much. Perhaps Moses had requested them to report to him about this. The reference to these rulers raises questions about the organization of the Israelites. Exodus 34:31 refers to the rulers. We really know very little about the organization of the Israelites and their tribes.
17.
What was the seventh day called? (Exodus 16:23; Exodus 16:25)
The sabbath. Sabbath is a word derived from the Hebrew shabath, meaning to cease or rest.
A stronger word, shabbaton, is used in Exodus 16:23 just before the usual word for sabbath. Elsewhere this word is used only of New Year's day and other particularly holy festivals.[271] By this word God stressed the great importance of this first sabbath rest day in the wilderness.
[271] Cole, op. cit., p. 132.
Here in Exodus 16:23 we have the first actual appearance of the word sabbath in the scriptures. Nehemiah 9:14 says that God made known the holy sabbath at Mt. Sinai. Certainly in Exodus 16:23 there is no general prohibition of all work, only of gathering manna. Exodus 16:29-30 indicates a more general cessation of work. This preliminary command concerning rest helped prepare the people for the comprehensive commandment about Sabbath given in Exodus 20:8-11.
We certainly agree with Keil and Delitzsch[272] that it is perfectly clear from the event that the Israelites were not acquainted with any sabbath observance at that time, and that it was only through the decalogue (the ten commandments) that the Sabbath was raised to a legal institution.
[272] Op. cit., Vol. II, pp. 68-69.
Modern religious groups which keep the seventh day (Saturday) as holy day of assembly and rest, generally seek to prove that the Hebrews (and their forefathers) know of a weekly Sabbath before Mt. Sinai. The sabbath is called holy in Exodus 16:23, but it is NOT at all certain that it had been revealed or observed as a national sacred day before Sinai. For more on the sabbath, see notes on Exodus 20:8-10.
18.
Did the Israelites obey the sabbath law? (Exodus 16:27-29)
Not all did. Some went out to gather manna on the seventh day, as on the preceding six days. We marvel at their behavior. Had they not collected enough on the sixth day for two days? Were they frankly testing Moses-' predictions and perhaps his authority? Why did they not yet have faith? Had they not considered the miraculous features about the manna that they had already seen?
God was angry because of the people's disobedience. He said to Moses, How long refuse ye (plural) to keep my commandments? Deuteronomy 3:26 says Jehovah was angry with me (Moses) for your sakes. Moses was not personally guilty of any wrongdoing. But the principle of collective guilt is quite frequently found in the scriptures. When one member of a people (or church) sins, the whole body shares its guilt and punishment to some degree. Thus God included Moses in His rebuke of Israel. Compare Joshua 7:1; 2 Samuel 21:1.
19.
How was the seventh day kept? (Exodus 16:29-30)
Every person was to abide in his own place (tent); and the people rested that day.
Regarding Exodus 16:31, see notes on Exodus 16:13-14.
20.
What memorial of the giving of the manna was kept? (Exodus 16:32-34)
An omer of manna was to be kept in a pot throughout the generations to follow. This was to be laid up before Jehovah, before the Testimony. Aaron was to do this.
The moral significance of the manna - that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God - was to be kept vivid for all future generations.
Hebrews 9:4 says the manna was kept in a golden pot. This is also the Greek reading of Exodus 16:32.
The Testimony is a name applied to the stone tablets bearing the ten commandments. See Exodus 31:18; Exodus 25:16; Exodus 25:21; Deuteronomy 10:5.
Before the LORD refers to the same place as before the Testimony, namely in the tabernacle, in the ark of the covenant. Exodus 40:20; Hebrews 9:4.
Since the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant were not yet constructed at the time of the giving of the manna, we realize that Exodus 16:33-34 tells of events occurring some months, or longer, after the original giving of the manna. But this is no problem. Not every event related in the Bible (or any other history book) is related in precise historical sequence. We should not expect to find every event in such order. But this does not discredit the Bible's accuracy or inspiration.
During later centuries the ark was moved about from place to place - from Shiloh to Ebenezer, Ashdod, Gath, Ekron, Beth-Shemesh, Kiriath-Jearim, Jerusalem. During that time the jar of manna seems to have been lost, as was Aaron's budded rod (Numbers 17:10). Thus in Solomon's time there was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses placed there (1 Kings 8:9).
21.
How long did the Israelites eat manna? (Exodus 16:35)
They ate forty years (Nehemiah 9:21). They ate manna until they entered the land of Canaan after the death of Moses and ate the fruit and produce of the land. Joshua 5:10-12.
Exodus 16:35 sounds as if it was written after the manna had ceased to be provided. If so, this one verse was inserted into Moses-' book of Exodus by Joshua or some other writer after Moses-' death. This probability no more casts doubt on the overall Mosaic authorship of Exodus than does insertion of the facts about Moses-' death cast doubt on the Mosaic authorship of Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 34:4-12).
22.
Why is the description of the omer inserted at Exodus 16:36?
Possibly because the omer was a unit of measure not generally familiar to and employed by the Israelites. The word is used throughout this passage (Exodus 16:16; Exodus 16:18; Exodus 16:22-23); but it occurs nowhere else in the scriptures. Edward J. Young[273] says that the omer was not actually a measure, but a small cup; and it is perfectly understandable that Moses might have remarked upon the size of this cup when it was used to gather the manna.
[273] Introduction to the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1960), p. 77.
Some writers assume that those acquainted with the exodus would have been acquainted with the omer; and that this tends to indicate a later date for composition of Exodus 16:36, or that the verse is a later explanatory addition.[274] This seems to us much less likely than our suggestion that the omer is described because it was not generally familiar to the Israelites (any more than it is to us now).
[274] Broadman Bible Commentary, Vol. 1 (1969), p. 399.
23.
What does the manna mean to Christians?
The manna means to Christians everything it meant to the Jews. See the brief outlines after the questions on Ch. 16.
The manna is certainly a type of Jesus, the living bread who came down from heaven. (John 6:41; John 6:48-51).
The Lord Jesus promises to give His people who overcome the hidden manna (Revelation 2:17). This seems to be a symbol of the blessings of our heavenly home.