Exodus 16 - Introduction
_THE ISRAELITES MURMUR IN THE WILDERNESS OF SIN: QUAILS ARE SENT IN THE EVENING, AND MANNA IN THE MORNING: SOME PARTICULAR INJUNCTIONS ARE GIVEN CONCERNING THE MANNA._ _Before Christ 1491._... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE ISRAELITES MURMUR IN THE WILDERNESS OF SIN: QUAILS ARE SENT IN THE EVENING, AND MANNA IN THE MORNING: SOME PARTICULAR INJUNCTIONS ARE GIVEN CONCERNING THE MANNA._ _Before Christ 1491._... [ Continue Reading ]
CAME UNTO THE WILDERNESS OF SIN— The children of Israel continued some time at Elim, according to the account given in this verse, compared with the note on Exodus 16:27 of the former chapter. It was now just a month since they had left Egypt. "We have a distinct view of Mount Sinai from Elim," says... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL MURMURED— _The whole congregation_ seems to denote a more universal murmur, than the words _the people_ imply in Exodus 16:24 of the last chapter. The vice grew contagious; and this strangely ungrateful people not only exaggerate, in a shameful manner... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID THE LORD UNTO MOSES— This was, no doubt, in answer to Moses's application by prayer to the Lord on account of these murmurings; when Jehovah was graciously pleased to promise them bread from heaven, sent down in daily showers, to keep the people in perpetual dependence upon him; and to pro... [ Continue Reading ]
AT EVEN, THEN YE SHALL KNOW THAT THE LORD, &C.— Notwithstanding all the miracles which God had wrought, these rebellious Israelites still wanted another, to assure them that it was Jehovah, and not Moses and Aaron, who had brought them from the land of Egypt. Strange and incredulous disposition!... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN YE SHALL SEE THE GLORY OF THE LORD— It is said in Exodus 16:10 that _they looked towards the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud, i.e_. Jehovah manifested himself with a particular degree of brightness, and in such a manner, as convinced the Israelites that he wa... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY LOOKED TOWARD THE WILDERNESS, AND—THE GLORY OF THE LORD, &C.— It would seem, from this expression, as if the pillar of _cloud_ was now removed to some distance from them; or perhaps it appeared not when they were stationed, being visible only when it conducted them in their marches: or, if it d... [ Continue Reading ]
QUAILS— Ludolph has offered several arguments (in his Ethiop. Hist. lib. i. c. 13.) to prove, that the word השׂלו _haslau_ ought to be rendered _locusts;_ which, he thinks, best agrees with the circumstances of the narration. See Numbers 11:21. Parkhurst says, that שׂלו _selau_ signifies _a quail;_... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE DEW WAS GONE, BEHOLD, &C.— Let us just observe, how unnecessary the expletive words are here. Read the passage without them, and you will see its greater propriety.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SAID ONE TO ANOTHER, IT IS MANNA, &C.— There is a seeming contradiction in our version: we read, They said, _it is manna;_ and yet, in the next clause, it is added, _for they wist not what it was._ The rendering in the margin of our Bibles is more just: _They said one to another, What is it?_ ה... [ Continue Reading ]
AN OMER— In Exodus 16:36 an _omer_ is said to be _the tenth part of an ephah._ According to Bishop Cumberland, the _ephah_ contains seven gallons, two quarts, and about half a pint in wine measure; so that an _omer_ was about three quarts, or a little more probably than six pounds weight, Roman meas... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEY DID METE IT WITH AN OMER, HE THAT GATHERED MUCH, &C.— An _omer_ was the quantity allowed for each person, i.e. each person might, if he chose it, gather and use so much. Those who were aged and infirm, and could not themselves go out to gather it, were allowed the same quantity to be gathe... [ Continue Reading ]
MOSES SAID, LET NO MAN LEAVE OF IT, &C.— A striking peculiarity of this _bread from heaven_ is here mentioned, which abundantly proves to us, that it was different from common manna; for this putrifies not: whereas that which God sent for the daily food of the Israelites, if _kept till the next morn... [ Continue Reading ]
ON THE SIXTH DAY THEY GATHERED TWICE AS MUCH BREAD— In Exodus 16:5 this order is given; and we have here a further proof of the peculiarity of this manna, of its difference from the common sort, as well as of the immediate interposition of God respecting it. For though, when preserved on ordinary da... [ Continue Reading ]
TO-MORROW IS THE REST OF THE HOLY SABBATH— It is amazing to observe to what length an attachment to systems and opinions sometimes carries men. This is evident from the method in which this passage is interpreted by those who have entertained peculiar notions respecting the sabbath. Nothing can be p... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE, FOR THAT THE LORD HATH GIVEN YOU THE SABBATH, &C.— _You see that the Lord giveth you rest,_ Houbigant; who observes, that _"rest_ is more suitable to the context than _sabbath:_ besides, the sabbath is called by the name of the _seventh day,_ not שׁבת _shabat, rest._ Add to this, that the phras... [ Continue Reading ]
IT WAS LIKE CORIANDER-SEED— This expression must refer to the _size_ of the manna, not to its _colour,_ for, in Numbers 11:7 these are plainly distinguished: there it is said, the manna was _as coriander-seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium;_ so that the _coriander-seed_ plainly re... [ Continue Reading ]
FILL AN OMER OF IT, &C.— We have here another peculiarity of this manna, which sufficiently distinguishes it from the common sort, and abundantly testifies its extraordinary nature; for though it _stank_ when preserved to the next morning, except on the sabbath-day, yet here, by the Divine Power, it... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE A POT, &C.— It is probable that this command is mentioned here by way of anticipation, and that the pot of manna was not laid up _before the testimony,_ till after the giving of the law. This _pot,_ in which the manna was deposited, was of gold, (St. Paul tells us, Hebrews 9:4.) as were all the... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID EAT MANNA FORTY YEARS— A round number is here, as usual, applied for one which is imperfect. It appears, from Judges 5:11 that it was short of forty years by about a month. The manna fell from Friday the fifth of June, in the year of the world 2513, to the second day of th... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW AN OMER, &C.— See note on Exodus 16:16. _Reflections on the manna in the wilderness, considered as a type of Christ._ We have seen how the horrors of the wilderness were considerably abated by the miraculous cloud. But soon their provision, which they brought from Egypt, is exhausted; and unles... [ Continue Reading ]