Exodus 16

Bread from Heaven

1 # Num 33.11, 12 The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from Elim and came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2#Ex 14.11; 1 Cor 10.10The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3#Ex 17.3; Num 11.4, 5The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

4 # Deut 8.2, 16; Jn 6.31; 1 Cor 10.3 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. 5#v 22On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” 6So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7#v 12; Num 14.27; 16.11and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?” 8And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.”

9 # Num 16.16 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites: ‘Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’ ” 10#v 7; Num 16.19And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11The Lord spoke to Moses, 12“I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”

13 # Num 11.31; Ps 78.27, 28; 105.40 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14#v 31; Num 11.7–9When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15#v 4When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?”#16.15 Or “It is manna” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. 16This is what the Lord has commanded: Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer per person according to the number of persons, all providing for those in their own tents.” 17The Israelites did so, some gathering more, some less. 18#2 Cor 8.15But when they measured it with an omer, those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage; they gathered as much as each of them needed. 19#v 23; Ex 12.10; 23.18And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over until morning.” 20But they did not listen to Moses; some left part of it until morning, and it became wormy and rotten. And Moses was angry with them. 21Morning by morning they gathered it, as much as each needed, but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

22 # v 5 ; Ex 34.31On the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, two omers apiece. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23#Ex 20.8; 23.12he said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.” 24#v 20So they put it aside until morning, just as Moses commanded them, and it did not rot, and there were no maggots in it. 25Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”

27On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, and they found none. 28#Ps 78.10The Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and instructions? 29See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you food for two days; each of you stay where you are; do not leave your place on the seventh day.” 30So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 # Num 11.6–9 The Israelites called it manna; it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations in order that they may see the food with which I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.” 33#Heb 9.4And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the Lord, to be kept throughout your generations.” 34#Ex 25.16, 21Just as the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the covenant, for safekeeping. 35#Josh 5.12; Neh 9.20, 21The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a habitable land; they ate manna, until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36(An omer is a tenth of an ephah.)

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