King James Version
Exodus 16
36 verses with commentary
Manna and Quail from Heaven
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.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And they took their journey from Elim</strong>—Israel's wilderness journey from Elim to Sin represents the transition from initial refreshment to testing of faith. The Hebrew דְּבַר־סִין (midbar-Sin) means 'Wilderness of Sin,' possibly related to thorny bushes. This second month after exodus marks a critical period where Israel must learn dependence on God's provision rather than Egyptian ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
XVI.
THE **JOURNEY FROM ELIM.—THE MANNA GIVEN.**
(1) **They took their journey from Elim. **The stay at Elim was probably for some days. “Sin” was reached exactly one month after the departure from Egypt, yet there had been only five camping-places between Sin and Rameses, and one journey of three days through a wilderness (Exodus 15:22). Long rests are thus clearly indicated, and probably occurre...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 16
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 mon...
Read full commentary →And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured</strong>—The Hebrew לִין (lun) means 'to murmur, complain, lodge a complaint.' Their murmuring against Moses and Aaron was fundamentally against God Himself (v.8). This marks the first major post-redemption rebellion, revealing that physical deliverance from Egypt didn't automatically produce spiritual transformation. Paul warns...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **The whole congregration . . . murmured.**—This is the third “murmuring.” The first was at Pi-hahiroth, on the appearance of the host of Pharaoh (Exodus 14:11-12); the second was at Marah, when the water proved undrinkable (Exodus 15:24); the third, in the wilderness of Sin, was brought about by no special occurrence—unless it were the exhaustion of the supplies of grain which had been brough...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 16
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 mon...
Read full commentary →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.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in Egypt</strong>—This stunning statement reveals the depth of unbelief: preferring death under judgment to life under testing. The 'flesh pots' (סִיר הַבָּשָׂר, sir habasar) represent security in bondage versus freedom with uncertainty. Israel's selective memory erased 400 years of suffering, remembering only meals while forgetting the whip...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Would to God we had died.**—Heb., *Would that we had died. *There is no mention of “God.”
**By the hand of the Lord.**—There is, perhaps, an allusion to the last of the plagues, “Would that we had not been spared, but had been smitten, as the Egyptians were! A sudden death would have been far better than a long and lingering one.” (Comp, Lamentations 4:9.)
**When we did eat bread to the full...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 16
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 mon...
Read full commentary →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. a certain: Heb. the portion of a day in his day
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you</strong>—God's response to murmuring is not judgment but grace. The verb מָטַר (matar, 'to rain') indicates abundance and divine initiative—bread descending as rain, not earned by labor. This anticipates Christ as the true 'bread from heaven' (John 6:32-33). The daily gathering ('a certain rate every day') institutes dependence, preventing hoar...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **I will rain bread from heaven for you.**—This first announcement at once suggests that the supply is to be supernatural. “Bread from heaven” was not simply “food out of the air” (Rosenmüller), but a celestial, that is, a Divine supply of their daily needs.
A certain rate every day.—Heb., *a day’s meal each day*—sufficient, that is, for the wants of himself and family for a day.
**That I may ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Ex 13:17-21. Journey from Egypt.
**17. God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near, &c.--**The shortest and most direct route from Egypt to Palestine was the usual caravan road that leads by Belbeis, El-Arish, to Ascalon and Gaza. The Philistines, who then possessed the latter, would have been sure to dispute their passage, for between them and the ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 16
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 mon...
Read full commentary →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 .
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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</strong>—The double portion on the sixth day introduces Sabbath rest before the formal giving of the law at Sinai. The Hebrew כָּפַל (kaphal, 'double') requires faith that God's provision on one day suffices for two. This tests whether Israel believes God can provide ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **On** **the sixth day**—i.e., *the sixth day after the first giving of the manna *(Kalisch). Although in Babylonia, from a time certainly earlier than the Exodus, a Sabbath was observed on the seventh, fourteenth, twenty-first, and twenty-eighth day of each month (Sayce: *Records of the Past, *vol. vii., pp. 157-167), yet we have no evidence that the year was divided into weeks, much less tha...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18. God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea, &c.--**This wondrous expanse of water is a gulf of the Indian ocean. It was called in Hebrew "the weedy sea," from the forest of marine plants with which it abounds. But the name of the Red Sea is not so easily traced. Some think it was given from its contiguity to the countries of Edom ("red"); others derive it ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 16
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 mon...
Read full commentary →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:
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>At even ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt</strong>—Moses promises two-fold vindication: evening meat and morning bread will prove God, not Moses, orchestrated the exodus. The Hebrew יָדַע (yada', 'to know') indicates experiential knowledge—Israel will know by tasting God's provision. The sequence (evening quail, morning manna) shows God answers even un...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **At even, then ye shall know . . . —**The allusion is to the quails, which came up “at even,” and covered the camp. (See Exodus 16:12-13.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**19. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him--**in fulfilment of the oath he exacted from his brethren (Ge 50:25, 26). The remains of the other patriarchs (not noticed from their obscurity) were also carried out of Egypt (Ac 7:15, 16); and there would be no difficulty as to the means of conveyance--a few camels bearing these precious relics would give a true picture of Oriental customs, such as i...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 16
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 mon...
Read full commentary →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?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD</strong>—God's glory (כָּבוֹד, kavod) will be manifested through provision, not theophany alone. The glory appears 'for that he heareth your murmurings'—God's response to complaint reveals His character more than Israel's worthiness. Moses' question 'what are we?' echoes John the Baptist's self-effacement (John 1:23). The murmurin...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord.**—The reference here is to the manna, which “in the morning lay round about the host” (Exodus 16:13), not to the “appearance” of Exodus 16:10, which preceded the coming of the quails, and was not—as far as we are told—“in the morning.” The “glory of God” was strikingly revealed in a gift which was not transient, but secured permane...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**20. encamped in Etham--**This place is supposed by the most intelligent travellers to be the modern Ajrud, where is a watering-place, and which is the third stage of the pilgrim-caravans to Mecca. "It is remarkable that either of the different routes eastward from Heliopolis, or southward from Heroopolis, equally admit of Ajrud being Etham. It is twelve miles northwest from Suez, and is literall...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 16
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 mon...
Read full commentary →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.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>For that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we?</strong>—Moses' rhetorical question establishes that all rebellion against appointed leadership ultimately targets God's authority. The repetition of 'murmurings' (four times in vv.7-8) emphasizes the seriousness of complaining against God's providence. The evening flesh and morning bread demonstrate Go...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21-22. the Lord went before them--**by a visible token of His presence, the Shekinah, in a majestic cloud (Psa 78:14; Ne 9:12; 1Co 10:1), called "the angel of God" (Ex 14:19; 23:20-23; Psa 99:6, 7; Is 63:8, 9).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 16
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 mon...
Read full commentary →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.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings</strong>—Aaron's call to 'come near' (קָרַב, qarav) before YHWH is not invitation to intimacy but summons to stand before divine judgment tempered by mercy. Their murmurings have been 'heard' not because they are righteous complaints but because God chooses to respond with provision rather than wrath. This anticipates the greater...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21-22. the Lord went before them--**by a visible token of His presence, the Shekinah, in a majestic cloud (Psa 78:14; Ne 9:12; 1Co 10:1), called "the angel of God" (Ex 14:19; 23:20-23; Psa 99:6, 7; Is 63:8, 9).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 16
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 mon...
Read full commentary →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.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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</strong>—The glory (כָּבוֹד, kavod) appearing in the cloud manifests God's presence in response to Israel's unbelief. Looking 'toward the wilderness' (מִדְבָּר, midbar) rather than toward Egypt signifies the proper orientatio...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **The glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.**—The Hebrew, as at present pointed, has “in *a *cloud,” but there can be no reasonable doubt that the “pillar of *the *cloud” is meant. It was before this that they had been required to appear (Exodus 16:9), and from this almost certainly that some bright radiance was now made to stream forth. The object was at once to rebuke their murmurings, a...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 16
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 mon...
Read full commentary →And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel</strong>—God Himself now speaks, confirming that He has heard. The repetition emphasizes divine awareness—nothing escapes His notice. Yet 'hearing' leads not to punishment but to promise: 'ye shall eat flesh' and 'be filled with bread.' The phrase 'ye shall know that I am the LORD your God' (וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם) ech...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 16
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 mon...
Read full commentary →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.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread</strong>—The specific timing reveals divine order: evening (beginning of Jewish day) brings flesh (quail), morning brings bread (manna). The flesh is temporary satisfaction ('ye shall eat'), but the bread brings fullness ('be filled'). This distinction foreshadows that meat represents earthly provision while manna...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 14 Ex 14:1-31. God Instructs the Israelites as to Their Journey.
**2. Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp--**The Israelites had now completed their three days' journey, and at Etham the decisive step would have to be taken whether they would celebrate their intended feast and return, or march onwards by the head of the Red Sea into the desert, with a view to a fin...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 16
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 mon...
Read full commentary →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.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp</strong>—The quails (שְׂלָו, s'lav) arrive precisely at evening as promised, demonstrating God's sovereign control over nature. The verb 'covered' (כָּסָה, kasah) indicates overwhelming abundance—not scattered birds but a blanket of provision. Yet this abundance comes with judgment later (Num 11:33-34), showing that...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **At even the quails came up.**—The common quail (*Tetrao coturnix*) is very abundant in the East, and regularly migrates from Syria and Arabia in the autumn of the year for the purpose of wintering in Central Africa, whence it returns in immense masses in the spring (Schubert: *Reise, *vol. ii., p. 361). Exhausted after a long flight over the Red Sea, the flocks drop to the ground as soon as...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. the wilderness hath shut them in--**Pharaoh, who would eagerly watch their movements, was now satisfied that they were meditating flight, and he naturally thought from the error into which they appeared to have fallen by entering that defile, he could intercept them. He believed them now entirely in his power, the mountain chain being on one side, the sea on the other, so that, if he pursued ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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 ...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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</strong>—The manna's appearance after dew evaporation suggests supernatural origin. The Hebrew description 'small round thing' (דַּק מְחֻסְפָּס, daq m'chuspas) indicates fine, flake-like substance resembling frost. The 'face of the wildernes...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **Was gone up**—*i.e., was drawn up by the heat of the sun.*
**A small round thing, as small as the hoar **frost.—What the manna was has been much disputed. There are two natural substances, quite distinct, with which it has been compared, and by some persons identified. One is a deposit from the air, which falls indifferently on trees, stones, grass, &c, and is generally thick and sticky, li...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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 ...
Read full commentary →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. It is: or, What is this? or, It is a portion
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was</strong>—The name 'manna' derives from the Hebrew מָן (man), meaning 'What is it?'—Israel's bewildered question becomes the substance's permanent name. This ignorance is pedagogically purposeful: they must learn to receive what they don't understand, depending on God's word about it...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **It is manna.**—This is certainly a wrong translation. The words of the original, *man hu, *must either be rendered, as in the LXX. And the Vulg., “What is this ?” Or, as by Kimchi, Knobel, Gesenius, Kurtz, and others, “This is a gift.” It is against the former rendering that *man *does not mean “what” in Hebrew, but only in Chaldee, and that “what is this” would be a very strange name to gi...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, &c.--**Alas, how soon the obduracy of this reprobate king reappears! He had been convinced, but not converted--overawed, but not sanctified by the appalling judgments of heaven. He bitterly repented of what he now thought a hasty concession. Pride and revenge, the honor of his kingdom, and the interests of his subject...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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 ...
Read full commentary →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. for every: Heb. by the poll, or, head persons: Heb. souls
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man</strong>—The command to gather 'according to his eating' (לְפִי־אָכְלוֹ, l'fi-ochlo) establishes need-based provision, not greed-based accumulation. The omer (עֹמֶר, about 2 quarts) per person ensures sufficiency without excess. This economic system prevents both deprivati...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **Every man according to his eating.**—Comp. Exodus 12:4. Each man was to gather according to his immediate need and that of his family. No one was to seek to accumulate a store.
**An omer**-About three pints English.
**For every** **man.**—Literally, *for every head. *As families would average four members, each man would have to gather, on an average, six quarts. If even 500,000 men gathere...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-7. he made ready his chariot--**His preparations for an immediate and hot pursuit are here described: A difference is made between "the chosen chariots" and "the chariots of Egypt." The first evidently composed the king's guard, amounting to six hundred, and they are called "chosen," literally, "third men"; three men being allotted to each chariot, the charioteer and two warriors. As to "the c...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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 ...
Read full commentary →And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less</strong>—The variation in gathering ('some more, some less') tests whether God's economy of grace works. Strong gatherers collect more, weak gatherers (elderly, children) collect less, yet verse 18 reveals miraculous equalization: 'he that gathered much had nothing over; and he that gathered little had no lack.' This sup...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-7. he made ready his chariot--**His preparations for an immediate and hot pursuit are here described: A difference is made between "the chosen chariots" and "the chariots of Egypt." The first evidently composed the king's guard, amounting to six hundred, and they are called "chosen," literally, "third men"; three men being allotted to each chariot, the charioteer and two warriors. As to "the c...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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 ...
Read full commentary →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.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over; and he that gathered little had no lack</strong>—The Hebrew מָדַד (madad, 'to measure') reveals the miracle: regardless of effort, each household had exactly what they needed. This supernatural equalization demonstrates that God's gifts aren't earned by superior gathering but apportioned by sovereign grace. Pau...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **When they did mete it with an omer.**—Each Israelite gathered what he supposed would be about an omer for each member of his family. Some naturally made an over, some an under estimate; but whatever the quantity collected, when it came to be measured in the camp, the result was always the same—there was found to be just an omer for each. This result can only have been miraculous.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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 ...
Read full commentary →And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Let no man leave of it till the morning</strong>—The prohibition against saving manna overnight tests trust in tomorrow's provision. The Hebrew יוֹתִיר (yotir, 'to leave over, reserve') indicates an attempt to secure future needs through present accumulation. This command directly confronts anxiety and self-reliance—Israel must sleep without tomorrow's breakfast secured. Christ echoes this...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **Let no man leave of it**.—Moses must have been divinely instructed to issue this command. It was doubtless given in order that the Israelites might realise their absolute dependence upon God for food from day to day, and might so be habituated to complete trust and confidence in Him.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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 ...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank</strong>—Disobedience brings immediate consequences: worms (תּוֹלָע, tola') and stench (בָּאַשׁ, ba'ash). The rotting manna illustrates that God's gifts cannot be preserved by human effort contrary to His command—what is meant for today becomes corruption tomorrow when...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **It bred worms**.—On the Sabbath it bred no worms (Exodus 16:24), so that we must view the result spoken of as a punishment for disobedience, not as produced naturally. Neither of the natural mannas *is *subject to any very rapid decomposition.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10. when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes--**The great consternation of the Israelites is somewhat astonishing, considering their vast superiority in numbers, but their deep dismay and absolute despair at the sight of this armed host receives a satisfactory explanation from the fact that the civilized state of Egyptian society required the absence of all arms, excep...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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 ...
Read full commentary →And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted</strong>—The morning gathering establishes spiritual discipline: seeking God early before the day's heat. The Hebrew שָׁחַר (shachar, 'dawn, early morning') connects to Psalm 63:1—'early will I seek thee.' Manna melting when sun waxes hot (חָמַם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, chamam hashemesh) teaches...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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 ...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man</strong>—The double portion (לֶחֶם מִשְׁנֶה, lechem mishneh) miraculously appears on the sixth day without command to gather more—God provides the doubled amount. This introduces Sabbath rest before the formal giving of the law at Sinai. The 'rulers of the congregation' reporting to Moses sh...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **On the sixth day they gathered twice as much**.—See the third Note on Exodus 16:5.
**The rulers . . . came and told Moses.**—They were evidently surprised, and came to Moses for an explanation. Either he had not communicated to them the Divine announcement of Exodus 16:5, or they had failed to comprehend it.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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. Appoint...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD</strong>—Moses explains the double portion by introducing Sabbath (שַׁבָּת, shabbat, 'rest, cessation'). The definite article 'the rest' indicates a specific, known concept even before Sinai's formal commandment, linking to creation's seventh day (Gen 2:2-3). The Sabbath is 'holy' (קֹדֶשׁ, qodesh...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord.**—Heb., *to morrow is a rest of a holy Sabbath to Jehovah. *If the translation of the Authorised Version were correct, the previous institution of the Sabbath, and the knowledge, if not the observance, of it by the Israelites would be necessarily implied, since no otherwise would the double use of the article be intelligible. But *in ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-14. Moses said, ... Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord--**Never, perhaps, was the fortitude of a man so severely tried as that of the Hebrew leader in this crisis, exposed as he was to various and inevitable dangers, the most formidable of which was the vengeance of a seditious and desperate multitude; but his meek, unruffled, magnanimous composure presents one of the...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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. Appoint...
Read full commentary →And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein</strong>—The sixth-day manna's preservation demonstrates God's validation of Sabbath rest. The Hebrew בָּאַשׁ (ba'ash, 'stink') and רִמָּה (rimmah, 'worm')—present in verse 20's disobedient hoarding—are notably absent when Israel obeys Sabbath command. The same substance that rotte...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-14. Moses said, ... Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord--**Never, perhaps, was the fortitude of a man so severely tried as that of the Hebrew leader in this crisis, exposed as he was to various and inevitable dangers, the most formidable of which was the vengeance of a seditious and desperate multitude; but his meek, unruffled, magnanimous composure presents one of the...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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. Appoint...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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</strong>—Moses' triple use of 'to day' (הַיּוֹם, hayom) emphasizes present rest, not anxious gathering. The phrase 'sabbath unto the LORD' shows this rest is theologically oriented—it's not merely day off from work but day dedicated to YHWH. The promise 'ye shall not find it' me...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **To day is a sabbath**.—That is to say, *a rest *By these words the Sabbath was either instituted, or re-instituted, and became thenceforth binding on the Israelites. Its essential character of a weekly “rest” was at once assigned to it—(1) by its name; (2) by God’s resting on it from His self-imposed task of giving the manna; and (3) by the rest which the absence of manna on the seventh day...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
15-18. the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? **&c.--**When in answer to his prayers, he received the divine command to go forward, he no longer doubted by what kind of miracle the salvation of his mighty charge was to be effected.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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. Appoint...
Read full commentary →Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none</strong>—The six-day/seventh-day pattern mirrors creation week, linking Sabbath to God's creative rest (Gen 2:2). The emphatic 'in it there shall be none' (לֹא יִהְיֶה־בּוֹ, lo yihyeh-bo) means God sovereignly controls provision—no human effort produces manna on Sabbath. This weekly rhythm ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
15-18. the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? **&c.--**When in answer to his prayers, he received the divine command to go forward, he no longer doubted by what kind of miracle the salvation of his mighty charge was to be effected.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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. Appoint...
Read full commentary →And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none</strong>—Despite clear instruction, 'some of the people' (הָעָם, ha'am) disobey, revealing that flesh resists rest. Their futile search proves God's word: 'there shall be none.' This unnecessary labor on Sabbath pictures religious flesh that cannot cease working for acceptance,...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
15-18. the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? **&c.--**When in answer to his prayers, he received the divine command to go forward, he no longer doubted by what kind of miracle the salvation of his mighty charge was to be effected.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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. Appoint...
Read full commentary →And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?</strong>—God's question 'How long' (עַד־אָנָה, ad-anah) expresses divine grief at persistent disobedience. The plural 'ye' indicts the entire community for some members' sin—corporate responsibility. 'Refuse' (מֵאַנְתֶּם, me'antem) indicates willful rejection, not ignorant mistake. This rhetorical questio...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **How long refuse ye to keep my commandments **?—The people had already broken one of the positive precepts with respect to the manna (see Exodus 16:20); now they broke another—in the spirit, at any rate—since they would have gathered had they found anything to gather. Thus they provoked God a second time; yet was He “so merciful, that He destroyed them not,” but “turned His anger away, and d...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
15-18. the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? **&c.--**When in answer to his prayers, he received the divine command to go forward, he no longer doubted by what kind of miracle the salvation of his mighty charge was to be effected.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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. Appoint...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days</strong>—Moses' command 'See' (רְאוּ, r'u) demands Israel recognize Sabbath as gift not burden. The phrase 'the LORD hath given you the sabbath' (נָתַן לָכֶם אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּת, natan lakhem et-hashabbat) emphasizes grace—Sabbath is bestowed blessing, not imposed burden. The logic ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(29) **Abide ye every man in his place**.—Some Jews took this direction absolutely literally, and remained all the Sabbath Day in the position in which they found themselves at waking; but this slavish adherence to the letter was in general repudiated, and the command understood as having forbidden persons to leave the camp on the Sabbath. Hence the “Sabbath Day’s journey,” which was fixed at six ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**19. the angel of God--**that is, the pillar of cloud [see on Ex 13:21]. The slow and silent movement of that majestic column through the air, and occupying a position behind them must have excited the astonishment of the Israelites (Is 58:8). It was an effectual barrier between them and their pursuers, not only protecting them, but concealing their movements. Thus, the same cloud produced light ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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. Appoint...
Read full commentary →So the people rested on the seventh day.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>So the people rested on the seventh day</strong>—Finally, Israel obeys. The Hebrew שָׁבַת (shavat, 'ceased, rested') indicates they stopped gathering and trusted God's provision. This corporate rest after initial resistance shows grace's triumph over rebellion. The simplicity of this statement contrasts with previous conflicts, showing obedience brings peace. This Sabbath rest prefigures t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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. Appoint...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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</strong>—The official naming as 'Manna' (מָן, man, 'What is it?') permanently memorializes Israel's initial bewilderment. Physical descriptions—coriander seed size, white color, honey wafer taste—ground the miraculous in sensory reality. The comp...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(31) **Manna**.—Rather, *man. *(See Note on Exodus 16:15.) “Manna” is a Greek form, first used by the LXX. translator of Numbers (Exodus 11:6-7; Exodus 11:9).
**It was like coriander seed.**—The appearance of the manna is compared above to hoar frost (Exodus 16:14); here, and in Numbers 11:7, to coriander seed. The former account describes its look as it lay on the ground, the latter its appearanc...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21. Moses stretched out his hand, &c.--**The waving of the rod was of great importance on this occasion to give public attestation in the presence of the assembled Israelites, both to the character of Moses and the divine mission with which he was charged.
**the Lord caused ... a strong east wind all that night--**Suppose a mere ebb tide caused by the wind, raising the water to a great hei...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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. Appoint...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations</strong>—God commands preservation of manna as memorial (זִכָּרוֹן, zikaron) for future generations. The 'omer' (עֹמֶר, approximately 2 quarts) represents one person's daily portion—the amount God deems sufficient. This preserved manna will be placed in the Ark of the Covenant (Heb 9:4), making ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(32-35) **And Moses said . . . Fill an omer.**—This narrative, which must belong to a later date than any other part of Exodus, since it assumes that the Tabernacle is set up (Exodus 16:34), seems to have been placed here on account of its subject-matter. The writer wishes to conclude the history of the manna, and has two further points to note concerning it: (1) the preservation of an omer of it ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**22. the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea, &c.--**It is highly probable that Moses, along with Aaron, first planted his footsteps on the untrodden sand, encouraging the people to follow him without fear of the treacherous walls; and when we take into account the multitudes that followed him, the immense number who through infancy and old age were incapable of hastening their ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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 ...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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</strong>—Moses instructs Aaron to place manna 'before the LORD' (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, lifnei YHWH), indicating sacred storage in the Holy of Holies. The 'pot' (צִנְצֶנֶת, tzintzenet) becomes holy vessel, preserving common bread as perpetual testimony. This...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(33) **Lay it up before the Lord.**—Comp. Exodus 16:33, where Aaron is said to have “laid it up before the Testimony,” *i.e., *the Two Tables. According to the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews, the Ark of the Covenant contained three things only—the tables, the pot of manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded (Hebrews 9:4). The deposit of the manna in so sacred a place may be accounted for by its typ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**23. the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea--**From the darkness caused by the intercepting cloud, it is probable that they were not aware on what ground they were driving: they heard the sound of the fugitives before them, and they pushed on with the fury of the avengers of blood, without dreaming that they were on the bared bed of the sea.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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 ...
Read full commentary →As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept</strong>—The phrase 'before the Testimony' (לִפְנֵי הָעֵדֻת, lifnei ha'edut) refers to the tablets of law that will be placed in the Ark. Manna joins the law as 'testimony' to God's character—law reveals His holiness, manna reveals His provision. Aaron's obedience ('as the LORD commanded') contrasts with earl...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**24-25. Lord looked ... through ... the cloud, and troubled them--**We suppose the fact to have been that the side of the pillar of cloud towards the Egyptians was suddenly, and for a few moments, illuminated with a blaze of light, which, coming as it were in a refulgent flash upon the dense darkness which had preceded, so frightened the horses of the pursuers that they rushed confusedly together...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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 ...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited</strong>—The 40 years (corresponding to 40 years' wilderness wandering for unbelief) demonstrates both judgment and mercy: they're delayed but fed. The phrase 'until they came to a land inhabited' (עַד־בֹּאָם אֶל־אֶרֶץ נוֹשָׁבֶת, ad-bo'am el-eretz noshevet) marks manna's cessation upon entering Canaan...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(35) **The children of Israel did eat manna forty years.**—Moses may have added this verse to the present chapter shortly before his death, when the manna had continued for thirty-nine years and nine months. He does not say that it had ceased to be given. We know that in fact it did not cease till the Jordan was crossed by the Israelites under Joshua, and Canaan was actually reached (Joshua 5:10-1...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**24-25. Lord looked ... through ... the cloud, and troubled them--**We suppose the fact to have been that the side of the pillar of cloud towards the Egyptians was suddenly, and for a few moments, illuminated with a blaze of light, which, coming as it were in a refulgent flash upon the dense darkness which had preceded, so frightened the horses of the pursuers that they rushed confusedly together...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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 ...
Read full commentary →Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah</strong>—This editorial note defines the omer (עֹמֶר) measurement for later generations unfamiliar with the term. An ephah (אֵיפָה, about 22 liters) was standard grain measure; one-tenth ephah equals approximately 2 quarts—roughly a day's bread for one person. This precision shows God's provision is neither scarcity nor excess but sufficiency. The ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(36) **Now an omer.**—The “omer” and the “ephah” were both of them Egyptian measures. One—the latter—continued in use among the Hebrews, at any rate, until the captivity (Ezekiel 45, 46); the other—the omer—fell out of use very early. Hence this parenthetic verse, which is exegetical of the word “omer,” and may have been added by the completer of Deuteronomy, or by some later editor—perhaps Ezra.
...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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 ...
Read full commentary →