Shemot 16:2

2 And kol Adat Bnei Yisroel murmured against Moshe and Aharon in the midbar;

Shemot 16:2 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 16:2

And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured,
&c.] For want of bread; for the Targum of Jonathan says, that day the dough ceased they brought of Egypt, on which, and the unleavened cakes they had lived thirty days; and for a longer space of time it was not sufficient, as Josephus F7 and other Jewish writers F8 observe; and now it was all spent, and they were in the utmost distress for bread, and fall a murmuring as they were used to do, when in any distress, even the whole congregation of them, at least the far greater part; some few might be excepted, as Caleb and Joshua, and some others: and they

murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness;
in the wilderness of Sin, where they were, and where no corn was to be had to make bread of; and their murmuring was not only against Moses, as before when they wanted water, but against Aaron also, who were jointly concerned in bringing them out of Egypt. It is a common case, when things do not go so well as to be wished for in church or state, for people to murmur against their governors, ecclesiastic or civil, and lay all the blame to them.


FOOTNOTES:

F7 Antiqu. l. 2. c. 15. sect. 1.
F8 Seder Olam Rabba, c. 5. p. 17.

Shemot 16:2 In-Context

1 6 And they took their journey from Elim, and kol Adat Bnei Yisroel came unto the midbar of Siyn (pronounced "Seen"), which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of Eretz Mitzrayim.
2 And kol Adat Bnei Yisroel murmured against Moshe and Aharon in the midbar;
3 And the Bnei Yisroel said unto them, If only G-d would have made us die by the yad Hashem in Eretz Mitzrayim, when we sat by the sir habasar (pot of meat), and when we did eat lechem to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this midbar, to kill this kol hakahal with ra’av (hunger).
4 Then said Hashem unto Moshe, Hineni, I will rain lechem from Shomayim upon you; and HaAm shall go out and gather a certain daily provision, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My torah, or no.
5 And it shall come to pass, that on the yom hashishi (sixth day) they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
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