Exodus 16:10-20

10 And it came to pass as Aaron spoke unto the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

11 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

12 I have heard the murmurings of the sons of Israel; speak unto them, saying, Between the two evenings ye shall eat flesh, and tomorrow ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.

13 And it came to pass, that in the evening quail came up, and covered the camp; and in the morning the dew descended round about the host.

14 And when the dew ceased to descend, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing as small as the hoar frost on the ground.

15 And when the sons of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna (What is it?): for they did not know what it was. Then Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.

16 This is the thing which the LORD has commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for each one, according to the number of your persons; take ye each one for those who are in his tent.

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

18 And when they did measure it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered each one according to his eating.

19 And Moses said, Let no one leave of it until the morning.

20 Notwithstanding they did not hearken unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms and stank; and Moses was angry with them.

Exodus 16:10-20 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.