Exodus 16:8

8 And Moses said, "When in the evening Yahweh gives you meat to eat and bread in the morning {to fill up on}, {for he hears} your grumblings that you grumble against him--and what [are] we? Your grumblings [are] not against us but against Yahweh."

Exodus 16:8 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 16:8

And Moses said, this shall be
Which supplement may be left out: when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat;
cause the quails to come up, and fall about their tents: and in the morning bread to the full;
by raining it from heaven all around them: for that,
or rather "then" ^F11, the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him;
it will then appear that he has heard them, and taken notice of them, by giving them bread and flesh, they complained of the want of; and yet did not resent in a way of wrath and displeasure their murmurings, but kindly, bountifully, and in a most marvellous manner provided for them, which was acting like himself, a God gracious and merciful: and what [are] we?
that we should be the objects of your resentment, and be murmured at, and complained of, who had done nothing to deserve such treatment: your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord;
not only against them, but against the Lord also; or not so much against them as against the Lord, whose messengers and ministers they were, and whom they represented, obeyed, and served; thus whatever is done to the ministers of Christ, he reckons as done to the Father, and to himself, ( Luke 10:16 ) ( 1 Thessalonians 4:8 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 (emvb) "testabitur se audisse", Tigurine version.

Exodus 16:8 In-Context

6 And Moses and Aaron said to all the {Israelites}, "[In the] evening, you will know that Yahweh has brought you out from the land of Egypt,

7 and [in the] morning, you will see the glory of Yahweh, {for he hears} your grumblings against Yahweh, and what [are] we that you grumble against us?"

8 And Moses said, "When in the evening Yahweh gives you meat to eat and bread in the morning {to fill up on}, {for he hears} your grumblings that you grumble against him--and what [are] we? Your grumblings [are] not against us but against Yahweh."

9 And Moses said to Aaron, "Say to all the community of the {Israelites}, 'Come near before Yahweh because he has heard your grumblings.'"

10 And at the moment of Aaron's speaking to all the community of the {Israelites}, they turned to the desert, {and just then} the glory of Yahweh appeared in the cloud.

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "to be satisfied"
• [b] Literally "at/in his hearing"