Exodus 16:12

12 "I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel. Speak unto them, saying, `At evening ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"

Exodus 16:12 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 16:12

I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel
This Moses and Aaron had often affirmed, and now the Lord confirms what they had said, and lets them know that he took notice of their murmurings, and disapproved of them, and was displeased with them; though he did not think fit to resent them in an angry way, but dealt kindly and graciously with them; and since he had brought them into a wilderness, which was his own act, he would take care of them, and provide for them; which they might reasonably conclude he would, since he had done so many great and good things for them, in bringing them out of Egypt, and through the Red sea, and had slain all their enemies, and had given them water when in distress, and therefore need not have murmured nor have doubted but that he would give them bread also: speak unto them, saying, at even ye shall eat flesh;
meaning that very evening, when the quails came up, as the following verse shows: and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread;
the next morning, when the manna fell around their camp, so that they had bread, and fulness of it: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God;
good and gracious, kind and merciful, ever mindful of his covenant and promises, able to supply their wants, and provide them with everything necessary and sufficient for them.

Exodus 16:12 In-Context

10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spoke unto the whole congregation of the children 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 children of Israel. Speak unto them, saying, `At evening ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"
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.
Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.