Exodus 16:13-23

13 And it came to pass that at evening 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 had gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoarfrost on the ground.

15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, "What is this?" For they knew 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 those who are in his tents.'"

17 And the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less.

18 And when they measured 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 any of it until the morning."

20 Notwithstanding, they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left part 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: `Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the LORD. Bake that which ye will bake today, and boil what ye will boil; and that which remaineth over lay up for yourselves to be kept until the morning.'"

Exodus 16:13-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 16

This chapter begins with an account of the journeying of the children of Israel from Elim to the wilderness of Sin, where they murmured for want of bread, Ex 16:1-3, when the Lord told Moses that he would rain bread from heaven for them, which Moses informed them of; and withal, that the Lord took notice of their murmurings, Ex 16:4-12 which promise the Lord fulfilled; and a description of the bread, and the name of it, are given, Ex 16:13-15, and some instructions are delivered out concerning the quantity of it to be gathered, Ex 16:16-18, the time of gathering and keeping it, Ex 16:19-21, the gathering a double quantity on the sixth day for that and the seventh day, with the reason of it, Ex 16:22-30 and a further description of it, Ex 16:31, and an order to preserve an omer of it in a pot, to be kept for generations to come, that it might be seen by them, Ex 16:32-34, and the chapter is concluded with observing, that this bread was ate by the Israelites forty years, even till they came to the borders of the land of Canaan, and the quantity they ate every day is observed what it was, Ex 16:35,36.