Exodus 16:13

13 Therefore eventide was made, and curlews went up, and covered the castles; and in the morrowtide dew came before the face of the castles. (And so the evening came, and curlews flew in, and covered the tents; and in the morning dew lay all around the tents.)

Exodus 16:13 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 16:13

And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up
From the coasts of Egypt, from the Red sea, over which they flew; and being evening, and weary with flying so long, lighted and settled where the Israelites encamped. Josephus ^F12 says, about the Arabian gulf there are more of this sort of birds than any other, which flying over the sea, and being weary, and coming nearer the ground than other birds, and lighting among the Hebrews, they took them with their hands as food prepared for them of God. The Targum of Jonathan calls them pheasants; some think they were locusts; but of this (See Gill on Numbers 11:31). These here seem to have come up one evening only, whereas, in the place referred to, they had them a whole month together: and covered the camp:
their numbers were so many, as indeed such a prodigious company of people as those were required a great number to satisfy them with. These quails, which were sent in the evening, at the close of the day, were an emblem of worldly things, which are not the portion of the saints and people of God, what they are to live upon, and take up their satisfaction in; nor are they abiding, but transitory things, which come and go, make themselves wings and fly away toward heaven: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host;
the camp of Israel; or a lay of dew ^F13, an emblem of the grace of God, and the blessings of it, see ( Hosea 14:6 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 Antiqu. l. 3. c. 1. sect. 5.
F13 (ljh tbkv) "cubatio roris", Montanus, Piscator, Cartwright; "accubitus roris", Drusius; "situs [vel] stramentum roris", Munster.

Exodus 16:13 In-Context

11 Forsooth the Lord spake to Moses, and said,

12 I heard the grouchings of the sons of Israel (I heard the grumbling of the Israelites); speak thou to them, (and say,) At eventide ye shall eat flesh, and in the morrowtide ye shall be filled with loaves, and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.

13 Therefore eventide was made, and curlews went up, and covered the castles; and in the morrowtide dew came before the face of the castles. (And so the evening came, and curlews flew in, and covered the tents; and in the morning dew lay all around the tents.)

14 And when it had covered the earth, a little thing, and as pounded with a pestle, in the likeness of an hoarfrost on the earth, appeared in the wilderness. (And when it had covered all the ground, there appeared in the wilderness a little thing, as if it was pounded with a pestle, and like hoarfrost on the ground.)

15 And when the sons of Israel had seen that, they said together, Man na? which signifieth, What is this? for they wist not what it was (And when the Israelites had seen it, they said to each other, Manna? which meaneth, What is this? for they did not know what it was). To whom Moses said, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.