Exodus 16
Introduction
Exodus 16 marks a pivotal episode in Israel's wilderness journey. Approximately one month after leaving Egypt, the entire congregation arrives at the wilderness of Sin, situated between Elim and Sinai, and immediately confronts a crisis: they have no food. Rather than trusting the God who parted the sea, delivered them from Pharaoh's army, and sweetened bitter water, the people grumble against Moses and Aaron. Their complaint is sharp and revealing: they wish they had died in Egypt, where at least they had pots of meat and bread to eat. This longing for the comforts of slavery over the uncertainties of freedom is a recurring pattern in the wilderness narratives, and it exposes the deeper issue God is addressing: whether Israel will trust him for daily provision or cling to what they can control.
God's response is extraordinary. Rather than punishing the grumbling, he answers with abundance — quail in the evening and a mysterious bread-like substance in the morning that Israel will call מָן ("manna"), from their bewildered question מָן הוּא ("What is it?"). The manna becomes far more than food. It is a daily test of obedience: take only what you need, trust that God will provide again tomorrow. This chapter also contains the first explicit Sabbath commandment, given before Sinai, woven into the very structure of how manna appears. On the sixth day, a double portion; on the seventh day, none. The manna thus teaches Israel the rhythm of work and rest, provision and trust, that will be codified in the Ten Commandments. The New Testament draws deeply on this chapter: Jesus identifies himself as the true bread from heaven (John 6:31-35, John 6:48-51), Paul uses the equitable distribution of manna to teach generosity (2 Corinthians 8:15), and the author of Hebrews mentions the golden jar of manna kept in the ark (Hebrews 9:4).
Israel Grumbles; God Promises Bread and Meat (vv. 1-12)
1 On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt, the whole congregation of Israel set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai. 2 And there in the desert the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in the land of Egypt!" they said. "There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!" 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions. 5 Then on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on the other days." 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "This evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you will see the LORD's glory, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. For who are we, that you should grumble against us?" 8 And Moses added, "The LORD will give you meat to eat this evening and bread to fill you in the morning, for He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD." 9 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Tell the whole congregation of Israel, 'Come before the LORD, for He has heard your grumbling.'" 10 And as Aaron was speaking to the whole congregation of Israel, they looked toward the desert, and there in a cloud the glory of the LORD appeared. 11 Then the LORD said to Moses, 12 "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.'"
1 They set out from Elim, and the whole congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The sons of Israel said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat beside the pots of meat, when we ate bread until we were full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Look, I am going to rain bread from heaven for you. The people shall go out and gather each day's portion on its day, so that I may test them — whether they will walk according to my instruction or not. 5 And it shall be on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be double what they gather day by day." 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, "In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out from the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling against the LORD. And what are we, that you grumble against us?" 8 And Moses said, "When the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening and bread to satisfy you in the morning — for the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him — what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD." 9 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, 'Draw near before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.'" 10 And it happened, as Aaron was speaking to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, that they turned toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12 "I have heard the grumbling of the sons of Israel. Speak to them, saying, 'Between the two evenings you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.'"
Notes
מִדְבַּר סִין ("the wilderness of Sin") — The name Sin has no connection to the English word "sin." It is a geographic designation, likely related to the name Sinai. The wilderness of Sin is located on the western side of the Sinai Peninsula, between Elim (where Israel had found twelve springs and seventy palm trees, Exodus 15:27) and Mount Sinai. The journey from the Red Sea crossing to Sinai follows a southward route through increasingly barren terrain.
וַיִּלּוֹנוּ ("and they grumbled") — The Niphal of לוּן ("to murmur, grumble, complain") appears repeatedly in this chapter (vv. 2, 7, 8, 9, 12) and becomes a defining word for Israel's wilderness behavior. The related noun תְּלוּנֹּת ("grumblings, complaints") occurs five times in this passage alone. The verb conveys more than casual complaining — it carries the sense of rebellious dissatisfaction, the kind that questions God's character and purposes. The same word appears in Numbers 14:2 and Numbers 16:41 at other moments of crisis. Paul warns the Corinthian church not to grumble as Israel did (1 Corinthians 10:10).
מִי יִתֵּן מוּתֵנוּ ("If only we had died," literally "Who would give our dying?") — This is the Hebrew idiom of wishful expression, literally "who will grant that we had died." The construction מִי יִתֵּן expresses an unattainable wish. That the people wish they had died in Egypt by the LORD's hand — presumably during the plagues — rather than face hunger in the wilderness reveals a profound distortion of perspective. They romanticize slavery and rewrite history: in Egypt they sat by סִיר הַבָּשָׂר ("pots of meat") and ate לֶחֶם לָשֹׂבַע ("bread to fullness"). Whether this was historically accurate or nostalgia's embellishment, the complaint reveals their hearts.
הִנְנִי מַמְטִיר לָכֶם לֶחֶם מִן הַשָּׁמָיִם ("Look, I am going to rain bread from heaven for you") — God's response to rebellion is provision. The verb מַמְטִיר (Hiphil participle of מָטַר, "to rain") is the same word used for God raining fire on Sodom (Genesis 19:24) — God rains down both judgment and grace. The phrase "bread from heaven" becomes theologically loaded: the Psalmist calls manna "grain of heaven" and "bread of the mighty" (Psalm 78:24-25), and Jesus cites this passage when he declares "I am the bread of life" (John 6:31-35).
דְּבַר יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ ("each day's portion on its day," literally "the matter of a day in its day") — This phrase establishes the daily rhythm of dependence. Israel cannot stockpile; they must trust God afresh each morning. The same expression appears in 1 Kings 8:59 and 2 Chronicles 8:13. Jesus may have this daily manna in mind when he teaches the disciples to pray "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11).
לְמַעַן אֲנַסֶּנּוּ הֲיֵלֵךְ בְּתוֹרָתִי אִם לֹא ("so that I may test them — whether they will walk according to my instruction or not") — The verb נָסָה ("to test, prove, try") is used of God testing Abraham (Genesis 22:1) and will be used again in Exodus 20:20. The word תּוֹרָה here means "instruction" or "direction" rather than the full Mosaic law (which has not yet been given). God's provision of manna is simultaneously a test of obedience: will they follow the rules about gathering, or will they hoard and disobey?
בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם ("between the two evenings") — This unusual temporal expression in v. 12 is rendered "at twilight" in most translations. It literally means "between the evenings" (dual form of עֶרֶב, "evening"). Rabbinic tradition debated whether this refers to the time between sunset and full darkness, or the time between the sun's decline and sunset. The same expression is used for the time of the Passover sacrifice (Exodus 12:6). The phrase distinguishes the evening provision (meat/quail) from the morning provision (manna/bread).
כְּבוֹד יְהוָה נִרְאָה בֶּעָנָן ("the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud") — The כָּבוֹד ("glory, weight, honor") of the LORD manifests visibly in the cloud as Aaron speaks. This is the same pillar of cloud that has led Israel since Exodus 13:21. The appearance of the glory at this moment is significant: God reveals his presence not when the people are worshipping but when they are complaining. He meets rebellion with revelation, grumbling with glory.
Manna and Quail Given (vv. 13-21)
13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew had evaporated, there were thin flakes on the desert floor, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. So Moses told them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. 16 This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Each one is to gather as much as he needs. You may take an omer for each person in your tent.'" 17 So the Israelites did this. Some gathered more, and some less. 18 When they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall. Each one gathered as much as he needed to eat. 19 Then Moses said to them, "No one may keep any of it until morning." 20 But they did not listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it became infested with maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them. 21 Every morning each one gathered as much as was needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.
13 And it happened in the evening that the quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a thin, flaky substance, thin as frost on the ground. 15 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" — for they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. 16 This is the thing that the LORD has commanded: 'Gather from it, each person according to what he can eat — an omer per head — according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent.'" 17 And the sons of Israel did so. They gathered, some more and some less. 18 But when they measured it with the omer, whoever had gathered much had no surplus, and whoever had gathered little had no shortage. Each person gathered according to what he could eat. 19 And Moses said to them, "Let no one leave any of it over until morning." 20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul. And Moses was angry with them. 21 They gathered it morning by morning, each person according to what he could eat. And when the sun grew hot, it melted.
Notes
הַשְּׂלָו ("the quail") — The word שְׂלָו refers to migratory quail (Coturnix coturnix), small game birds that travel in enormous flocks across the Sinai region, particularly during spring and autumn migrations. Exhausted from long flights over the Mediterranean, they often land in great numbers and are easily caught. The quail is mentioned again in Numbers 11:31-32 in a much more dramatic episode. Here in Exodus 16, the quail receive only brief mention; the chapter's focus is on the manna. The quail come in the evening, fulfilling the "meat" promise of v. 12.
דַּק מְחֻסְפָּס ("a thin, flaky substance") — The adjective דַּק means "thin, fine, small." The word מְחֻסְפָּס is a hapax legomenon — it occurs only here in the entire Hebrew Bible — and its meaning is debated. It is likely a Pual participle suggesting something "scaled" or "flaked," describing a layered or granular texture. The BSB translates it as "thin flakes." The comparison to כַּכְּפֹר ("like frost") further describes its fine, crystalline appearance on the ground. Numbers 11:7 adds that it looked like זֶרַע גַּד ("coriander seed") and had the appearance of בְּדֹלַח ("bdellium," a resinous gum).
מָן הוּא ("What is it?") — This is one of the most famous etymologies in the Bible. When the Israelites see the substance for the first time, they say to one another מָן הוּא. The word מָן is likely an archaic or dialectal form of the interrogative pronoun מָה ("what?"). Some scholars connect it to an Aramaic or Egyptian root. The question itself becomes the name: they called it מָן ("manna") because they asked מָן הוּא ("What is it?"). The name thus permanently encodes their bewilderment. Moses answers their question definitively: הוּא הַלֶּחֶם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן יְהוָה לָכֶם לְאָכְלָה ("It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat"). The mystery substance is divine provision.
עֹמֶר לַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת ("an omer per head") — An omer is defined in v. 36 as one-tenth of an ephah, roughly 2.2 liters or 2 dry quarts. The word גֻּלְגֹּלֶת literally means "skull" (it is the same word behind the Aramaic "Golgotha" in Matthew 27:33) but is used here as a counting term meaning "per person, per head." The measurement ensures equitable distribution — neither excessive abundance for some nor scarcity for others.
וְלֹא הֶעְדִּיף הַמַּרְבֶּה וְהַמַּמְעִיט לֹא הֶחְסִיר ("whoever had gathered much had no surplus, and whoever had gathered little had no shortage") — This is one of the most remarkable statements in the passage. Regardless of how much each person physically gathered, when measured by the omer, everyone had exactly what they needed. Whether this was a miraculous equalization or describes the community practice of sharing and redistribution, the text presents it as God's design for provision. Paul quotes this verse in 2 Corinthians 8:15 to encourage generosity among churches: those who have abundance should share with those who lack, so that there is equality.
וַיָּרֻם תּוֹלָעִים וַיִּבְאַשׁ ("it bred worms and became foul") — When some disobeyed and kept manna overnight, it רוּם ("swarmed, bred") with תּוֹלָעִים ("worms, maggots") and בָּאַשׁ ("stank, became putrid"). The decomposition served as a tangible lesson: manna could not be hoarded. God's daily provision requires daily trust. The contrast with the Sabbath exception (v. 24, where overnight manna does not spoil) makes the miracle even more striking — the natural properties of manna are subject to God's command.
וְחַם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְנָמָס ("when the sun grew hot, it melted") — The manna melted in the heat, requiring early-morning gathering. The verb מָסַס ("to melt, dissolve") underscores the ephemeral nature of the provision. This detail reinforces the principle of daily dependence: the manna cannot be gathered at one's leisure. It demands disciplined, faithful effort each morning. The rabbinical tradition saw in this a lesson about the urgency of responding to God's provision — the window of opportunity does not remain open indefinitely.
The Sabbath Principle (vv. 22-30)
22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much food — two omers per person — and all the leaders of the congregation came and reported this to Moses. 23 He told them, "This is what the LORD has said: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil. Then set aside whatever remains and keep it until morning.'" 24 So they set it aside until morning as Moses had commanded, and it did not smell or contain any maggots. 25 "Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a Sabbath to the LORD. Today you will not find anything in the field. 26 For six days you may gather, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, it will not be there." 27 Yet on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find anything. 28 Then the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep My commandments and instructions? 29 Understand that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day He will give you bread for two days. On the seventh day, everyone must stay where he is; no one may leave his place." 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
22 And it happened on the sixth day that they gathered double the bread — two omers for each one — and all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 He said to them, "This is what the LORD has spoken: 'Tomorrow is a complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you would bake and boil what you would boil, and all the surplus set aside for yourselves to be kept until morning.'" 24 So they set it aside until morning, as Moses had commanded, and it did not become foul, and there were no worms in it. 25 And Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD. Today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day — the Sabbath — there will be none." 27 Yet it happened on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found nothing. 28 And the LORD said to Moses, "How long do you refuse to keep my commandments and my instructions? 29 See that the LORD has given you the Sabbath! Therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Let each person remain in his place; let no one go out from his place on the seventh day." 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
Notes
שַׁבָּתוֹן שַׁבַּת קֹדֶשׁ לַיהוָה ("a complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD") — This is the first explicit Sabbath command in the Bible. While Genesis 2:2-3 records that God rested on the seventh day and blessed it, no command to observe Sabbath rest appears until this passage — before the giving of the law at Sinai. The word שַׁבָּתוֹן is an intensive form of שַׁבָּת, conveying "a complete cessation, a solemn rest." Combined with שַׁבַּת קֹדֶשׁ ("a holy Sabbath"), the phrase emphasizes that this rest is total and sacred, set apart for the LORD. The Sabbath will later be enshrined as the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8-11) and connected to both creation rest and liberation from Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:12-15).
The double portion on the sixth day is significant for several reasons. First, it demonstrates that the Sabbath pattern is built into the structure of God's provision, not imposed as an arbitrary rule. God adjusts the manna supply to make Sabbath-keeping possible. Second, the manna's preservation overnight on the sixth day — when it would normally spoil — shows that Sabbath observance requires a miracle. Obedience to God's commands is underwritten by God's power. Third, the leaders (נְשִׂיאֵי הָעֵדָה, "leaders/princes of the congregation") notice the double portion and report it to Moses, suggesting they did not yet understand the Sabbath principle. Moses must explain what is happening.
אֵפוּ... בַּשֵּׁלוּ ("bake... boil") — Moses instructs the people to prepare the manna on the sixth day in whatever way they wish. The verbs אָפָה ("to bake") and בָּשַׁל ("to boil, cook") indicate that manna was versatile in preparation. Numbers 11:8 confirms this, describing how the people ground it, beat it in mortars, boiled it in pots, and made cakes from it. The instruction to prepare food on the sixth day establishes the principle that became central to Jewish Sabbath observance: cooking and preparation are completed before the Sabbath begins.
עַד אָנָה מֵאַנְתֶּם לִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֺתַי וְתוֹרֹתָי ("How long do you refuse to keep my commandments and my instructions?") — God addresses Moses with the plural "you" (מֵאַנְתֶּם), indicating the rebuke is directed at the people through Moses. The use of both מִצְוֺת ("commandments") and תּוֹרֹת ("instructions," plural of תּוֹרָה) before Sinai is striking — it implies that God's instruction through the manna constitutes genuine commandments, even before the formal law-giving. The verb מָאַן ("to refuse") connotes willful, stubborn refusal, not mere ignorance.
רְאוּ כִּי יְהוָה נָתַן לָכֶם הַשַּׁבָּת ("See that the LORD has given you the Sabbath!") — The Sabbath is described as a gift: God has נָתַן ("given") it. This reframes the Sabbath from a restriction to a blessing. The people are not being deprived of a day's labor; they are being given a day of rest. The same theology appears in Jesus' teaching: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27).
שְׁבוּ אִישׁ תַּחְתָּיו אַל יֵצֵא אִישׁ מִמְּקֹמוֹ ("Let each person remain in his place; let no one go out from his place") — The command to stay in place on the Sabbath was later debated extensively in rabbinic tradition. What constitutes "his place"? The rabbis developed the concept of a "Sabbath day's journey" (approximately 2,000 cubits beyond one's settlement) as the permissible range of Sabbath travel (Acts 1:12 references this distance). In its original context, the command specifically refers to not going out to gather manna — the Sabbath rest means trusting the previous day's double provision.
וַיִּשְׁבְּתוּ הָעָם ("and the people rested") — The verb שָׁבַת ("to cease, rest, stop") is the verbal root behind the noun "Sabbath." That the people finally rested on the seventh day marks a moment of obedience after the failure recorded in v. 27. The brief, simple statement stands as a quiet resolution: after rebellion, grumbling, and disobedience, the people finally rest as God commanded.
Interpretations
The appearance of Sabbath observance before Sinai has generated significant discussion. Some interpreters argue that the Sabbath was a creation ordinance, established in Genesis 2:2-3 and binding on all humanity from the beginning, with Exodus 16 being its reapplication to Israel after centuries of neglect in Egypt. This view is common in Reformed theology and among Sabbatarian traditions (including Seventh-day Adventists). Others hold that while God rested on the seventh day as a pattern, the Sabbath command was first given to Israel here in the wilderness and then formalized at Sinai — making it a specifically Israelite covenant sign (Exodus 31:13-17) rather than a universal mandate. Still others take a mediating position: the creation pattern established the principle of rhythmic rest, but the specific command to observe Sabbath was given progressively, first through the manna and then at Sinai. The New Testament complicates the picture further, with Paul declaring that Sabbath observance is a matter of individual conscience (Romans 14:5, Colossians 2:16) and Hebrews interpreting the Sabbath typologically as a "rest" believers enter through faith (Hebrews 4:1-11).
Manna Described and Preserved (vv. 31-36)
31 Now the house of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Keep an omer of manna for the generations to come, so that they may see the bread I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.'" 33 So Moses told Aaron, "Take a jar and fill it with an omer of manna. Then place it before the LORD to be preserved for the generations to come." 34 And Aaron placed it in front of the Testimony, to be preserved just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 35 The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land where they could settle; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan. 36 (Now an omer is a tenth of an ephah.)
31 And the house of Israel called its name "manna." It was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers made with honey. 32 And Moses said, "This is the thing that the LORD has commanded: 'Fill an omer of it to be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out from the land of Egypt.'" 33 And Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar and put in it a full omer of manna, and set it before the LORD to be kept throughout your generations." 34 Just as the LORD had commanded Moses, Aaron set it before the Testimony to be kept. 35 And the sons of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36 (Now an omer is a tenth of an ephah.)
Notes
כְּזֶרַע גַּד לָבָן ("like coriander seed, white") — The manna is compared to זֶרַע גַּד, "coriander seed." Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) produces small, round, whitish-tan seeds — the comparison gives readers a visual reference for size, shape, and color. The adjective לָבָן ("white") further specifies the color. Numbers 11:7 adds that its appearance was like that of בְּדֹלַח ("bdellium"), a pale, translucent resin.
כְּצַפִּיחִת בִּדְבָשׁ ("like wafers made with honey") — The word צַפִּיחִת is a rare word (occurring only here and in 1 Chronicles 23:29), meaning a flat cake or wafer. The manna tasted like a honey wafer — a sweet, pleasant flavor. Numbers 11:8 describes the taste differently, as like "the taste of cakes baked in oil" (לְשַׁד הַשָּׁמֶן). The two descriptions are not contradictory; they may reflect different preparations (raw versus cooked) or simply different aspects of the taste.
צִנְצֶנֶת ("a jar") — This word occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible, another hapax legomenon. The Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) translates it as στάμνος, a golden vessel or urn, and this is the word the author of Hebrews uses when describing the contents of the ark: "a golden jar holding the manna" (Hebrews 9:4). The Hebrew text does not specify the material of the jar, but the tradition of a golden vessel is ancient. Aaron is to fill this jar with an omer of manna and set it לִפְנֵי יְהוָה ("before the LORD") — that is, in the sacred space associated with God's presence.
לִפְנֵי הָעֵדֻת ("before the Testimony") — The עֵדֻת ("Testimony") refers to the tablets of the covenant law that will be placed inside the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:16, Exodus 25:21). Since the ark has not yet been built at this point in the narrative, v. 34 is written from a later perspective — it records what Aaron eventually did once the tabernacle was constructed. This narrative technique, where the final disposition of an item is noted proleptically, is common in the Pentateuch. According to Hebrews 9:4, the ark contained the golden jar of manna, Aaron's rod that budded (Numbers 17:10), and the stone tablets of the covenant. Together these three items represented God's provision (manna), God's chosen leadership (the rod), and God's instruction (the law).
אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה ("forty years") — The manna sustained Israel for the entire wilderness period, from this point until they entered the land of Canaan. The manna ceased the day after they ate the produce of Canaan for the first time, as recorded in Joshua 5:11-12. The number forty is significant throughout Scripture — forty days of flood (Genesis 7:12), forty days on Sinai (Exodus 24:18), forty days of spying the land (Numbers 13:25), forty years of wilderness wandering (Numbers 14:33-34), and Jesus' forty days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2), where he was tempted with hunger and responded by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."
אֶרֶץ נוֹשָׁבֶת ("an inhabited land") — The Niphal participle of יָשַׁב ("to sit, dwell, inhabit") describes a land that is "settled, inhabited" — in contrast to the wilderness, which is by definition unsettled. The manna was food for the desert; it ceased when Israel reached a land that could sustain them through normal agriculture. This underscores the manna's purpose: it was extraordinary provision for an extraordinary season, not a permanent replacement for ordinary means.
וְהָעֹמֶר עֲשִׂרִית הָאֵיפָה הוּא ("Now an omer is a tenth of an ephah") — The editorial note in v. 36 explains the omer measurement for later readers who may not have been familiar with it. An ephah was approximately 22 liters (about 20 dry quarts), making an omer roughly 2.2 liters. This parenthetical note is evidence that the text was compiled or edited at a time when the omer was no longer a commonly used measurement.
Interpretations
The manna has rich typological significance in Christian theology. Jesus explicitly draws the connection in John 6:31-35, where he tells the crowd: "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died... I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger." The manna was temporary, physical, and could not ultimately sustain life; Jesus offers himself as the eternal bread that gives life to the world. Paul identifies the manna as "spiritual food" in 1 Corinthians 10:3, suggesting it pointed beyond itself to Christ. In Revelation 2:17, the risen Christ promises the church at Pergamum "hidden manna" — a fulfillment of the jar preserved before the Testimony. Some interpreters in the sacramental tradition (Catholic, Orthodox, and some Anglican) see a further connection between the manna and the Eucharist: as God gave Israel physical bread from heaven to sustain them on their journey, so Christ gives his body as bread to sustain the church. Protestant interpreters generally affirm the typological link between manna and Christ but vary on whether the eucharistic connection is explicit in the text or a later theological development.