Exodus 16:20

20 But they did not hearken to Moses, but some left of it till the morning; and it bred worms and stank: and Moses was irritated with them.

Exodus 16:20 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 16:20

Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses
That is, not all of them, some of them did, and perhaps the far greater part of them:

but some of them left it until the morning;
out of distrust, for fear they should have none the next day; being men of little faith, that could not trust God for a supply for the morrow; the Targum of Jonathan says, these were Dathan and Abiram; and so Jarchi:

and it bred worms, and stank;
or by an "hysteron proteron", and transposition of the words, the sense may be, that it stank, corrupted, and putrefied, and so produced worms, in which order the words lie, ( Exodus 16:24 ) , and this was not from the nature of the manna to breed worms so soon, but God so ordering and disposing it, that it should do so; for otherwise it would keep to another day, as what was gathered on the sixth day kept to the seventh, and there was a part of it kept for many ages, see ( Exodus 16:24-33 ) , and since the manna was of the meal kind, perhaps those worms it bred might be of the weevil sort, as Scheuchzer conjectures ^F19:

and Moses was wroth with them;
for breaking the commandment of God.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F19 Physica Sacra, vol. 2. p. 179.

Exodus 16:20 In-Context

18 And having measured the homer , he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that had gathered less had no lack; each gathered according to the need of those who belonged to him.

19 And Moses said to them, Let no man leave of it till the morning.

20 But they did not hearken to Moses, but some left of it till the morning; and it bred worms and stank: and Moses was irritated with them.

21 And they gathered it every morning, each man what he needed, and when the sun waxed hot it melted.

22 And it came to pass on the sixth day, they gathered double what was needed, two homers for one ; and all the chiefs of the synagogue went in and reported it to Moses.