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Exodus Chapter
Sixteen
New King James Version
(NKJV)
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, Exodus 16:1, 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, Exodus 16:4 which
promise the Lord fulfilled; and a description of the bread, and the name of it,
are given, Exodus 16:13, and
some instructions are delivered out concerning the quantity of it to be
gathered, Exodus 16:16, the
time of gathering and keeping it, Exodus 16:19, the
gathering a double quantity on the sixth day for that and the seventh day, with
the reason of it, Exodus 16:22 and a
further description of it, Exodus 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, Exodus 16:32, 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, Exodus 16:35.
Exodus 16:1 And they
journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to
the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of
the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt.
YLT 1And they journey from Elim, and all the
company of the sons of Israel come in unto the wilderness of Sin, which [is]
between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month of their going
out from the land of Egypt.
And they took
their journey from Elim,.... And came again to the Red sea, as appears from Numbers 33:10
perhaps to some bay or creek of it, which ran up from it, and lay in their way,
and where for a short time they encamped to look at it, and recollect what had
been done for them in bringing them through it; but as their stay here was
short, and nothing of any importance or consequence happened, it is here
omitted, and their next station is only observed:
and all the
congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which still
bears the same name, as a late travellerF1Shaw, p. 314. informs us,
who passed through it, and says, we traversed these plains in nine hours, being
all the way diverted with the sight of a variety of lizards and vipers, that
are here in great numbers; and elsewhereF2lb p. 444. he says, that
vipers, especially in the wilderness of Sin which might very properly be called
"the inheritance of dragons", were very dangerous and troublesome,
not only our camels, but the Arabs who attended them, running every moment the
risk of being bitten. The Red sea, or the bay of it, they came to from Elim,
according to BuntingF3Travels, p. 82. was six miles, and from thence
to the wilderness of Sin, sixteen more. This is a different wilderness from
that of Zin, which is written with a different letter, Numbers 20:1 and
was on the other side of Mount Sinai, as this was the way to it, as follows:
which is
between Elim and Sinai according to the above writerF4Ib. , it was twenty
miles from Elim the Israelites travelled, and forty more ere they came to
Sinai. Dr. ShawF5Travels, p. 314. says, after traversing the plains
in nine hours, we were near twelve hours in passing the many windings and
difficult ways which lie beteen those deserts and these of Sinai; the latter
consists of a beautiful plain more than a league in breadth, and nearly three
in length:
on the
fifteenth day of the second month, after their departing out of the land of
Egypt; the month Ijar, as the Targum of Jonathan, which answers to part
of April and part of May, and has its name from the beauty of the flowers,
which appear at this time of the year: the Israelites were now come from thence
a month or thirty days; for they came out the fifteenth of Abib or Nisan, and
now it was the fifteenth of Ijar; and as the first day of this month, as Jarchi
says, was on the first day of the week, this day must be so likewise; and yet
sometimes the Jews sayF6T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 87. 2. this was a
sabbath day.
Exodus 16:2 2 Then the whole congregation
of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
YLT 2And all the company of the sons of Israel
murmur against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness;
And the whole
congregation of the children of Israel murmured,.... For want of bread;
for the Targum of Jonathan says, that day the dough ceased they brought of
Egypt, on which, and the unleavened cakes they had lived thirty days; and for a
longer space of time it was not sufficient, as JosephusF7Antiqu. l.
2. c. 15. sect. 1. and other Jewish writersF8Seder Olam Rabba, c. 5.
p. 17. observe; and now it was all spent, and they were in the utmost distress
for bread, and fall a murmuring as they were used to do, when in any distress,
even the whole congregation of them, at least the far greater part; some few
might be excepted, as Caleb and Joshua, and some others: and they
murmured
against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness; in the wilderness of
Sin, where they were, and where no corn was to be had to make bread of; and
their murmuring was not only against Moses, as before when they wanted water,
but against Aaron also, who were jointly concerned in bringing them out of
Egypt. It is a common case, when things do not go so well as to be wished for
in church or state, for people to murmur against their governors, ecclesiastic
or civil, and lay all the blame to them.
Exodus 16:3 3 And the children of Israel
said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of
Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the
full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole
assembly with hunger.”
YLT 3and the sons of Israel say unto them, `Oh
that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt, in our sitting by
the flesh-pot, in our eating bread to satiety -- for ye have brought us out
unto this wilderness to put all this assembly to death with hunger.'
And the
children of Israel said unto them,.... They not only
inwardly murmured, and privately complained among themselves, but they spoke
out their complaints, and that in a very extravagant manner:
would to God we
had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt; by one of the
plagues, or some such like plague as were inflicted on the Egyptians, which
killed many of them, and particularly the hailstorm and plague on the
firstborn; suggesting that death, even by the hand of the Lord, whether in an
ordinary or extraordinary way, was more eligible than their present
circumstances: when we sat by the fleshpots, and when we did eat bread to the
full; which is an exaggeration of their former circumstances, and the happiness
of them, in order to aggravate the misery of their present ones; for it can
hardly be thought strictly true, that while they were in hard bondage in Egypt,
they had often flesh in their pots, and leisure time to sit and attend them,
either the boiling of it in them, or the eating of it when served up in dishes
at the table; which they seem to boast of, as if they had several dishes of
meat at table, and sat in great splendour, and took a great deal of time to
regale themselves, and when they indulged themselves to satiety, having fulness
of bread and all provisions:
for ye have
brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger: but there was
no danger of that at present, since they had so many flocks and herds with
them; though indeed so large a number would soon have ate them up, and which
could not so comfortably be fed upon without bread; and, besides, these they
did not choose to slay, unless under great necessity, which they reserved for
sacrifice, and for an increase.
Exodus 16:4 4 Then the Lord said to Moses,
“Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and
gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk
in My law or not.
YLT 4And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Lo, I am
raining to you bread from the heavens -- and the people have gone out and
gathered the matter of a day in its day -- so that I try them whether they walk
in My law, or not;
Then said the
Lord unto Moses,.... Who no doubt had been praying to him, as was his usual
manner, when the people were in distress and complained, and was heard and
answered by him: behold:
I will rain
bread from heaven for you; though they were a murmuring, rebellious,
and ungrateful people, the Lord dealt kindly and bountifully with them; he did
not rain fire and brimstone upon them, as on Sodom and Gomorrah, nor snares and
an horrible tempest, as on the wicked; but what was desirable by them, and
suitable to their present circumstances, even bread, which was what they
wanted, and this ready prepared; for though they did dress it in different
ways, yet it might be eaten without any preparation at all; and this it was
promised should be rained down upon them, there should be great plenty of it;
it should come as thick and as fast as a shower of rain, and lie around their
camp ready at hand to take up; and this should not spring out of the earth as
bread corn does, but come down from heaven; and being such a wonderful thing, a
"behold" is prefixed unto it, denoting the marvellousness of it, as
well as exciting attention to what was said: our Lord may seem to contradict
this, when he says, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, John 6:32, but the
reconciliation is easy; for not to observe that it was God, and not Moses, that
gave this bread, so though it came from the airy heavens, and along with the
dew of it, where it was prepared perhaps by the ministry of angels, and
therefore called the corn of heaven, and angels' bread, Psalm 78:24, yet it
came not from the heaven of heavens, the third heaven, from whence the true
bread, the antitype of this, came, even our Lord Jesus Christ himself:
and the people
shall go out, and gather a certain rate of it every day; or "the
thing of the day in its day"F9דבר יום ביומו "rem diei in die
suo", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Vatablus, Fagius, Drusius. , the bread
day by day; to which our Lord may be thought to allude, when he directs his
disciples to pray, give us this day our daily bread; as this would be rained
every morning, the people were to go out of the camp, and gather it up for
their daily use, and which was to be done every day:
that I may
prove them, whether they will walk in my law or no; by this
single instance of their obedience to his will in going out every morning to
gather their bread, that should be rained for them, he proposed to try and
prove their obedience to his law in all other respects; what regard would be
had to it when it should be given, and what might be expected from them, and
likewise whether they would depend upon his providence in this case also.
Exodus 16:5 5 And it shall be on the
sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as
much as they gather daily.”
YLT 5and it hath been on the sixth day, that they
have prepared that which they bring in, and it hath been double above that
which they gather day [by] day.'
And it shall
come to pass, that on the sixth day,.... Of the week, and
from the raining of the bread, which was on the first day of the week:
they shall
prepare that which they bring in; the Targum of Jonathan
adds, to eat on the sabbath day; what they did not consume on the sixth day was
to be prepared and reserved for the seventh day; that is, it was to be baked or
boiled as they thought fit to have it, or eat it as it was, which they pleased,
see Exodus 16:23 only
one part of it was to be kept till the next day:
and it shall be
twice as much as they gather daily: on that day should be
rained double what fell on other days, and so twice as much should be gathered
up; the reason for which is not here mentioned, but afterwards given; though
Moses no doubt was now made acquainted with it, or otherwise he could not have
informed the princes and people of it, as he afterwards did, Exodus 16:23.
Exodus 16:6 6 Then Moses and Aaron said
to all the children of Israel, “At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought
you out of the land of Egypt.
YLT 6And Moses saith -- Aaron also -- unto all the
sons of Israel, `Evening -- and ye have known that Jehovah hath brought you out
from the land of Egypt;
And Moses and
Aaron said unto all the children of Israel,.... That is, Aaron spoke
in the name of Moses to them, he being his spokesman, appointed of God to speak
for him, and both spoke to them as from the Lord:
at even, then
ye shall know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of Egypt: that they
were brought out they knew, but they make this to be an act and deed of Moses
and Aaron, Exodus 16:3 whereas
it was the work of the Lord; and at evening they should have a fresh proof of
it, and that they were not brought forth to be killed with hunger, as they
complained, by the quails coming up and covering their camp, whereby they would
have flesh to eat, Exodus 16:12.
Exodus 16:7 7 And in the morning you
shall see the glory of the Lord; for He hears your
complaints against the Lord.
But what are we, that you complain against us?”
YLT 7and morning -- and ye have seen the honour of
Jehovah, in His hearing your murmurings against Jehovah, and what [are] we,
that ye murmur against us?'
And in the
morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord,.... Either as displayed
in this wonderful affair, raining bread about their tents, which was in the
morning, or else as it appeared in the cloud, Exodus 16:7 the
latter sense seems to be confirmed by what follows: for that he; the glory of
the Lord, the glorious Shechinah of Jehovah, the Angel that went before them in
the cloud, the eternal Word and Son of God: heareth your murmurings against the
Lord; against Jehovah his Father; see Genesis 19:24.
and what are
we, that ye murmur against us? either signifying that there was no reason
for it, and no occasion of it, since not they, but the Lord, brought them out
of Egypt, and into those circumstances; what they did was only by his command,
and with a view for their good, and therefore it was both unreasonable and
ungrateful in them to murmur against them; or as observing, that seeing they
murmured against the Lord, it was no strange thing to them they should murmur
against them, and therefore took it the more quietly and patiently.
Exodus 16:8 8 Also Moses said, “This
shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in
the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your
complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are
not against us but against the Lord.”
YLT 8And Moses saith, `In Jehovah's giving to you
in the evening flesh to eat, and bread in the morning to satiety -- in
Jehovah's hearing your murmurings, which ye are murmuring against Him, and what
[are] we? your murmurings [are] not against us, but against Jehovah.'
And Moses said,
this shall be,.... Which supplement may be left out:
when the Lord
shall give you in the evening flesh to eat; cause the quails to come
up, and fall about their tents:
and in the
morning bread to the full; by raining it from heaven all around them:
for that, or rather
"then"F11בשמע "testabitur
se audisse", Tigurine version. :
the Lord
heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him; it will then
appear that he has heard them, and taken notice of them, by giving them bread
and flesh, they complained of the want of; and yet did not resent in a way of
wrath and displeasure their murmurings, but kindly, bountifully, and in a most
marvellous manner provided for them, which was acting like himself, a God
gracious and merciful:
and what are
we? that we should be the objects of your resentment, and be
murmured at, and complained of, who had done nothing to deserve such treatment:
your murmurings
are not against us, but against the Lord; not only against them,
but against the Lord also; or not so much against them as against the Lord,
whose messengers and ministers they were, and whom they represented, obeyed,
and served; thus whatever is done to the ministers of Christ, he reckons as
done to the Father, and to himself, Luke 10:16.
Exodus 16:9 9 Then Moses spoke to Aaron,
“Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for He has
heard your complaints.’”
YLT 9And Moses saith unto Aaron, `Say unto all the
company of the sons of Israel, Come ye near before Jehovah, for He hath heard
your murmurings;'
And Moses spake
unto Aaron,.... Who was his prophet and spokesman to the people:
say unto all
the congregation of the children of Israel; to the heads of them, to
as many as could conveniently hear him, and were to report what he said to the
rest:
come near
before the Lord; who was in the pillar of cloud, which from the first appearance
of it never removed from them, nor the Lord from that; though some have
thought, that before the tabernacle was built, there was some small tent or
little tabernacle where the Shechinah was; but for this there is no foundation,
there is for the other suggested:
for he hath
heard your murmurings; which is repeated again and again, to observe to them the evil
of it, and what notice the Lord took of it, though he indulged them in so
gracious a manner he did.
Exodus 16:10 10 Now it came to pass, as
Aaron spoke to 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.
YLT 10and it cometh to pass, when Aaron is speaking
unto all the company of the sons of Israel, that they turn towards the
wilderness, and lo, the honour of Jehovah is seen in the cloud.
And it came to
pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel,.... Before he
had well done speaking:
that they
looked toward the wilderness; they were already in the wilderness of Sin,
and they looked straight forward toward that part of it which was yet before
them, or to the wilderness of Sinai, which was right onward, and whither they
were travelling:
and, behold,
the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud; which went before them;
there was a more than common brightness in it, an effulgence and beam of light
and glory shining in it. Christ, the brightness of his Father's glory, and the
express image of his person, appeared in it, in some visible displays of his
majesty, which made it very observable to them.
Exodus 16:11 11 And
the Lord
spoke to Moses, saying,
YLT 11And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
And the Lord
spake unto Moses,.... Out of the bright and glorious cloud:
saying; as follows:
Exodus 16:12 12 “I have heard the
complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you
shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you
shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”
YLT 12`I have heard the murmurings of the sons of
Israel; speak unto them, saying, Between the evenings ye eat flesh, and in the
morning ye are satisfied [with] bread, and ye have known that I [am] Jehovah
your God.'
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 16:13 13 So it was that quails came
up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around
the camp.
YLT 13And it cometh to pass in the evening, that
the quail cometh up, and covereth the camp, and in the morning there hath been
the lying of dew round about the camp,
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.
JosephusF12Antiqu. l. 3. c. 1. sect. 5. 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 dewF13שכבת הטל
"cubatio roris", Montanus, Piscator, Cartwright; "accubitus
roris", Drusius; "situs vel stramentum roris", Munster. ,
an emblem of the grace of God, and the blessings of it, see Hosea 14:6.
Exodus 16:14 14 And when the layer of dew
lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as
fine as frost on the ground.
YLT 14and the lying of the dew goeth up, and lo, on
the face of the wilderness a thin, bare thing, thin as hoar-frost on the earth.
And when the
dew that lay was gone up,.... Exhaled by the sun upon the rising of it:
behold, upon
the face of the wilderness; upon the surface of it, all around the camp
of Israel:
there lay a
small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground; which is what
is in the next verse called "manna". Before the sun rose there was
nothing but a dew to be seen; when that was gone off through the force of the
sun, then the manna appeared; which was but a "small thing", and very
unpromising for food, and especially for such a vast number of people; and a
"round" thing, for which it is after compared to a coriander seed, as
is thought; though the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan do not interpret the word
of the round form, but rather refer to its smallness; and which is expressed in
the Vulgate Latin version,"small, and as if beat with a pestle;'and for
its white colour, as well as its smallness, it looked like hoar frost on the
ground. Jarchi says there were two dews, within which it lay as something
covered in a box, and he seems to be right; for it is certain from Numbers 11:9, that
there was a dew which fell first, and then the manna fell upon it; and from
hence it is plain also, that there was a dew over the manna, which went up from
it when the sun rose: and the design of this seems to be to keep this heavenly
bread pure and clean for the Israelites, that it might neither partake of the
dust nor sand of the wilderness where it fell, and that nothing might light
upon it until the time of gathering it came. The Jews, in memory of this, will
sometimes put bread upon the table between two table clothsF14Vid.
Fagium in loc. ; and it is highly probable, that to this the allusion is of the
"hidden manna" in Revelation 2:17, by
which is meant our Lord Jesus Christ, the antitype of this manna, as will be
observed as we pass on, in all the circumstances of it; the manna came with the
dew, and was covered with it, and hid in it; Christ is the gift of God's free
grace to the sons of men, and is exhibited in the word of grace, where he lies
hid to men in the glory of his person and the fulness of his grace, until
revealed and made known. The figure of the manna being "round", which
is a perfect figure, may denote the perfection of Christ in his person,
natures, and office; he being perfectly God and perfectly man, having all the
essential perfections both of the divine and human natures in him, as well as
all fulness of grace; and being made perfect through sufferings, is become a
complete Saviour, and by his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, has perfected
for ever his sanctified ones: and the manna being "small", may
signify the meanness of Christ in the eyes of men in his state of humiliation,
and the unpromising appearance he made of being the Saviour and King of Israel;
the white colour of it may direct to the purity of Christ, to the holiness of
his natures, and the beauty of his person, being white and ruddy, the chiefest
among ten thousands.
Exodus 16:15 15 So when the children 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, “This is the bread
which the Lord
has given you to eat.
YLT 15And the sons of Israel see, and say one unto
another, `What [is] it?' for they have not known what it [is]; and Moses saith
unto them, `It [is] the bread which Jehovah hath given to you for food.
And when the
children of Israel saw it,.... As they could not but observe it, it
being spread over the face of the wilderness; and besides, as they were told,
that in the morning they should have bread to the full, they were up early to
look after it:
they said one
to another, it is manna; not such as is known by that name now,
which is only used in medicine; nor anything that was then known by any such
name; but so they called it, because it was, as Jarchi says, a preparation of
food, or food ready prepared for them, from מנה,
"manah", which signifies to appoint, prepare, and distribute, see Daniel 1:5, so
Christ is appointed of God, and prepared in his purposes and decrees, and
delivered out, by his grace as proper food for his people, who have everyone
their portion in due season: for Kimchi and Ben Melech give the sense of the
word, a gift and portion from God; and such is Christ, the gift of his grace,
and an unspeakable one. Some think these words were spoken by the Israelites on
first sight of the manna, by way of question, "Man hu, what is it?"
and so JosephusF15Antiqu. l. 3. c. 1. sect. 6. says it signifies in
their language; but it does not appear that the word is so used in the Hebrew
tongue, though it might in the Syriac or Chaldee, which was more in use in the
times of Josephus. But it can hardly be thought that the Israelites could speak
in either of these dialects at this time; it is much more probable what others
say, that it so signifies in the Egyptian tongue; and it is not at all to be
wondered at that Israel, just come out of Egypt, should use an Egyptian word:
and this best agrees with the reason that follows, "for they wist not what
it was"; which contradicts our version; for if they knew not what it was,
how came they to call it manna? but taking the above words as an interrogation,
asking one another what it was, those come in very pertinently, and assign a
reason of the question, because they were ignorant of it, having never seen any
such thing before; and this sense is confirmed by what Moses says in the next
clause, telling them what it was: and thus Christ is unknown to his own people,
until he is revealed unto them; not by flesh and blood, by carnal reason or
carnal men, but by the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;
and he remains always unknown to natural men, though ever so wise and prudent:
and Moses said
unto them, this is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat; which he had
promised them the day before, and which he had now rained in plenty about them;
and which they had as a free gift of his, without any merit and desert of
theirs, and without their labour, diligence, and industry, and which they had
now power from him to eat of freely and plentifully.
Exodus 16:16 16 This is the thing which
the Lord
has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it according to each one’s need, one omer
for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take
for those who are in his tent.’”
YLT 16`This [is] the thing which Jehovah hath
commanded: Gather of it each according to his eating, an omer for a poll; and
the number of your persons, take ye each for those in his tent.'
This is the
thing which the Lord hath commanded,.... Respecting the
gathering of it, the rule or rules he would have observed concerning that, as
follows:
gather of it
every man according to his eating; according to his
appetite, and according to the appetites of those that were in his family, as
much as they can all eat; and that they may have enough, the particular
quantity is fixed for each of them. This act of gathering, in the mystical
sense, may respect the exercise of faith on Christ, laying hold of him as he is
held forth in the word, receiving him, and feeding upon him with a spiritual
appetite, and that freely, largely, plentifully, and encouraging others to do
the same:
an omer for
every man; or head, or by pollF16לג לג לת "ad caput",
Montanus; "pro capite", Fagius, Drusius, Cartwright; so Ainsworth. ;
they were to take the poll of their families, the number of them, and reckon to
every head, or assign to every man, such a measure of the manna, and which was
sufficient for a man of the keenest appetite; what this measure was; see Gill
on Exodus 16:36 This
must be understood not of sucking infants, and such that were sick and infirm,
and of poor appetites, that could not feed upon and digest such sort of food,
only of those that could:
according to the number of your persons, take ye every man for them which
are in his tent: this was to be done after it was gathered and brought in, either
by certain overseers of this affair, or heads of families, who, according to
the number of those that were in their tents, who were eaters of such sort of
food, was to take an omer of it for everyone of them.
Exodus 16:17 17 Then the children of
Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less.
YLT 17And the sons of Israel do so, and they
gather, he who is [gathering] much, and he who is [gathering] little;
And the
children of Israel did so,.... They went out of the camp in the
morning when it was fallen, and gathered it; which is expressive of believers
going out of the camp, leaving the world, and all behind them for Christ; and
of their going out of themselves to him, and of their going in and out, and
finding pasture and food for their souls in him to live upon: and gathered some
more, some less; some that were more robust and strong, that were more active
and diligent, gathered in more than others; which may denote the different
degree and exercise of faith in God's people; some are strong in it, and others
weak; some attain to a greater degree of knowledge of Christ, and receive more
grace from him, and have more spiritual peace, joy, and comfort in believing,
and others less; see Romans 15:1.
Exodus 16:18 18 So when they measured it
by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered
little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need.
YLT 18and they measure with an omer, and he who is
[gathering] much hath nothing over, and he who is [gathering] little hath no
lack, each according to his eating they have gathered.
And when they
did mete it with an omer,.... What was gathered in; and everyone had his measure, his omer
dealt out to him by those that meted or measured it:
he that
gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; when their
gatherings were put together in one heap, and each had his omer measured out to
him; he that had gathered more than an omer had no more allotted to him, and he
that gathered not so much as an omer, yet had a full one measured out to him:
or he, that is, Moses, "did not cause him to abound"F17העדיף "et non abundare fecit", Montanus. , that
gathered much, he had no more for his share than another; nor
"suffer" him "to want"F18לא
החסיר "non minoravit", Montanus; "non
defuit", Tigurine version. that gathered little, so that they all had
alike; which shows, that though there may be different exercises of grace, yet
it is the same grace in all; all have alike precious faith, and an equal
interest in Christ, the object of it; all are equally redeemed by his precious
blood, and justified by his righteousness, and have their sins forgiven on the
foot of his atonement; all have the same Christ, and the same blessings of
grace, and are entitled to the same eternal glory and happiness. The apostle
quotes this passage, and applies it to that equality there should be among
Christians in acts of beneficence and charity, that what is wanting in the one
through poverty, may be made up by the riches of others, 2 Corinthians 8:14,
they gathered
every man according to his eating; according to the number
of persons he had to eat of it; there always was, upon an average, some
gathering more and others less, an omer gathered and distributed to every
person. Jarchi takes this to be a miracle, that nothing should ever be wanting
of an omer to a man; and so Aben Ezra observes, that the ancients say this is a
miracle.
Exodus 16:19 19 And Moses said, “Let no
one leave any of it till morning.”
YLT 19And Moses saith unto them, `Let no man leave
of it till morning;'
And Moses said
unto them,.... At the same time he gave the direction to them about
gathering it, and measuring out to every man an omer:
let no man
leave of it until the morning; not that every man was bound to eat up the
quantity distributed to him; he might give what he could not eat to those that
could eat more, if there were any such; or he might give it to his cattle, or
cast it away, but he was not to reserve it until the next day for his use;
which was to teach him that God would bestow this benefit and blessing on him
daily, and he might expect it, whose mercies are new every morning; and to
instruct him to live every day upon the providence of God for his daily food;
as indeed every man ought to do so, let his circumstances be ever so affluent;
and, in a more spiritual and evangelic sense, it teaches believers to live
continually every day by faith on Christ, and to say day by day, Lord, evermore
give us this bread, John 6:34.
Exodus 16:20 20 Notwithstanding they did
not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred
worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.
YLT 20and they have not hearkened unto Moses, and
some of them do leave of it till morning, and it bringeth up worms and
stinketh; and Moses is wroth with them.
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, and
since the manna was of the meal kind, perhaps those worms it bred might be of
the weevil sort, as Scheuchzer conjecturesF19Physica Sacra, vol. 2.
p. 179. :
and Moses was
wroth with them; for breaking the commandment of God.
Exodus 16:21 21 So
they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the
sun became hot, it melted.
YLT 21And they gather it morning by morning, each
according to his eating; when the sun hath been warm, then it hath melted.
And they
gathered it every morning,.... From the time the morning began, during
four hours, or to the fourth hour, as the Targum of Jonathan; that is, till ten
o'clock in the morning: this was a very wonderful thing that bread should be
provided and rained every morning about the camp of Israel, in such plenty as
to be sufficient to feed such a vast body of people; and that for forty years
together:
every man
according to his eating; according to the number of persons he had in his family to eat
of it, and as much as everyone could eat; there never was any lack or scarcity
of it, but every morning there it was for them, and they gathered it, an omer
for everyone:
and when the
sun waxed hot, it melted; and so what was left ungathered, being exhaled by the sun and
laid up in the clouds, generated and increased, and became a provision to be
let down the next morning; it being the will of God that it should not be
trampled upon or exposed; and that the Israelites might be diligent, and not
neglect the time of gathering it: and the Targum of Jonathan says, from the
fourth hour, or ten o'clock and onward, the sun was hot upon it and melted it,
which is the time of day when the sun is hottest: and some things, we may
observe, are hardened by the sun, and others are softened, as the manna was,
even to a liquefaction; though otherwise it was of so hard a nature as to be
beaten in a mortar and ground in a mill, Numbers 11:8.
Exodus 16:22 22 And so it was, on the
sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each
one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
YLT 22And it cometh to pass on the sixth day, they
have gathered a second bread, two omers for one, and all the princes of the
company come in, and declare to Moses.
And it came to
pass, that on the sixth day,.... Of the week, or from the first raining
of the manna, which was the same:
they gathered
twice as much bread; as they had used to do on other days, a greater quantity
falling, and which was more easily taken up:
two omers for
one man; or, "instead of one"F20לאחד
"pro uno", Tigurine version. of one omer; so it turned out when they
came to measure what they had gathered; otherwise they had no intention in
gathering it, but lying in a great quantity, they gathered as much as they
could, or could well carry, and upon measuring it so it proved; for it does not
appear that Moses had as yet acquainted them what was to be, or would be
gathered on this day; nor had he any orders so to do from the Lord, only he was
told by him that so it would be, and accordingly it came to pass, see Exodus 16:5.
and all the
rulers of the congregation came and told Moses; what had happened, that
the people that day had gathered as much more as they had used to do on other
days: these seem to be the overseers of this affair, before whom what was
gathered was brought, and in whose presence it was measured, and who took care
that everyone should have his omer and no more: this makes it plain that the
people acted without design, and knew not that they were to gather on this day
double to other days; since the rulers knew nothing of it, nor of the reason of
it, and it can hardly be imagined that the people should know and the rulers be
ignorant.
Exodus 16:23 23 Then he said to them,
“This is what the Lord
has said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you
will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves
all that remains, to be kept until morning.’”
YLT 23And he saith unto them, `It [is] that which
Jehovah hath spoken [of]; a rest -- a holy sabbath to Jehovah -- [is]
to-morrow; that which ye bake, bake; and that which ye boil, boil; and all that
is over, let rest for yourselves in charge till the morning.'
And he said
unto them, this is that which the Lord hath said,.... Which he had said to
Moses privately, for as yet he had said it to none else:
tomorrow is the
rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord; according to Jarchi, the
rulers asked Moses what this day was, different from other days, that double
the quantity should be gathered? from whence, he says, we learn, that Moses had
not as yet declared the sabbath to them; and this is indeed the first time we
read of one; and though, as there was divine worship before, there must be
times for it; but as there was as yet no certain place for worship, so no
certain time for it, but as it was appointed by the heads of families, or as
more families might agree unto and unite in; at least no day before this
appears to be a day of rest from servile labour, as well as for holy use and
service:
bake that which
ye will bake today, and seethe that ye will seethe; the phrase
"today" is not in the text, and not necessarily supplied; the sense
being plainly this, that they might take and boil what they would, and dress as
much of the manna as they pleased, and eat what they would, but not that they
were to bake and boil for the next day; for it is clear, by what follows, that
the manna of the next day was not dressed either way, for then it would be no
wonder that it did not stink; and as yet the law for not kindling a fire on the
sabbath day was not given; and therefore, for aught to the contrary, they might
roast or seethe on that day, or eat it as it was, as they themselves thought
fit:
and that which
remaineth over; what they did not bake, nor seethe, nor eat:
lay up for you
to be kept until the morning whereas on other days they were to leave
nothing of it till the morning, but destroy it or cast it away, whatever was
left uneaten.
Exodus 16:24 24 So they laid it up till
morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in
it.
YLT 24And they let it rest until the morning, as
Moses hath commanded, and it hath not stank, and a worm hath not been in it.
And they laid
it up until the morning, as Moses bade,.... What was left of two
omers a man, what they had neither baked nor boiled:
and it did not
stink, neither was there any worm therein, which was the case, when
it was left or laid up on other days; and it showed that there was an
interposition of divine Providence in the keeping of it to this day, and clearly
confirmed it to be the will of God that this day should henceforward be to them
the rest of the holy sabbath.
Exodus 16:25 25 Then Moses said, “Eat that
today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you
will not find it in the field.
YLT 25And Moses saith, `Eat it to-day, for to-day
[is] a sabbath to Jehovah; to-day ye find it not in the field:
And Moses said,
eat that today,.... That is, he said this on the seventh day in the morning, and
bid them eat of it whether baked or seethed, or as it was, or just as they
pleased; however, they had liberty to eat of it, and indeed they had no other,
because none fell on this day:
for today is a
sabbath unto the Lord; a time of rest from labour, and to be employed in the service of
the Lord:
today ye shall
not find it in the field: should they seek for it, which they had no occasion to do, since
there was a sufficiency provided the day before; and this he said to prevent
their going out to seek for it, which, if out of curiosity or for any other
reason any of them should do, it would be in vain and fruitless.
Exodus 16:26 26 Six days you shall gather
it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”
YLT 26six days ye do gather it, and in the seventh
day -- the sabbath -- in it there is none.'
Six days ye
shall gather it,.... Day after day, every morning, as they had done the six days
past, so they should during their stay in the wilderness:
but on the
seventh day, which is the sabbath; which is repeated, being
a new thing, to impress it on their minds: in it there shall be none: no manna;
none shall fall, and so none can be gathered, and therefore it would be to no
purpose to go out and seek for it; as also there would be no need of it, since
they would always have a double portion on the sixth day.
Exodus 16:27 27 Now it happened that
some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found
none.
YLT 27And it cometh to pass on the seventh day,
some of the people have gone out to gather, and have not found.
And it came to
pass,.... Perhaps the next seventh day following:
that there went out some of the people for to gather; to gather
manna, as on other days; which they did not through want of provision or a
greedy appetite, for they had bread every day, and on that day to the full, but
to gratify their curiosity, or to see whether the words of Moses stood, as Aben
Ezra expresses it, that is, whether what he said was true, or came to pass,
that there should be none, and they should not be able to find any on that day,
and so it was:
and they found
none; no manna; in the places where they used to find it in plenty on
other days.
Exodus 16:28 28 And the Lord said to Moses,
“How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?
YLT 28And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `How long have
ye refused to keep My commands, and My laws?
And the Lord
said unto Moses,.... Who had seen and taken notice of what those men had done,
who went out into the field to seek for manna on the seventh day, and was
displeased with it, and therefore spoke to Moses out of the cloud:
how long refuse
ye to keep my commandments and my laws? this is not said merely
with respect to their breach of the commandment of the sabbath, as if they had
long refused to observe and keep that; whereas that was but one command, and
but just given; but upon their breach of that, he takes occasion to upbraid
them with their former transgressions of other laws of his, and which they had
continued in, or at least were frequently committing; and which was a proof of
their perverseness and rebellion against him, though he was so kind and
bountiful to them.
Exodus 16:29 29 See! For the Lord has given you
the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let
every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh
day.”
YLT 29see, because Jehovah hath given to you the
sabbath, therefore He is giving to you on the sixth day bread of two days;
abide ye each [in] his place, no one doth go out from his place on the seventh
day.'
See, for that
the Lord hath given you the sabbath,.... These are either the
words of Jehovah, the Angel of the Lord, out of the cloud continued; or the
words of Moses to the children of Israel, upon what the Lord had said to him,
and would have them observe and take notice, that whereas the Lord had given
them a sabbath, or enjoined them a day of rest:
therefore he
giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; wherefore
they had no occasion to go out in search of manna, as well as it was a vain
thing to do it; and especially as it was against a command of God, and being
ungrateful in them, as there was such a provision made for them:
abide ye every
man in his place; in his tent for that day, giving himself up to religious
exercises, to pray and praise, instruct his family, and in all things serve the
Lord he was directed to:
let no man go
out of his place on the seventh day; not beyond two thousand
cubits, as the Targum of Jonathan, which is the space the Jews generally fix
upon for a man to walk on a sabbath day, so far he might go and no further; and
which perhaps is the same space as is called a sabbath day's journey; see Gill
on Acts 1:12.
Exodus 16:30 30 So the people rested on
the seventh day.
YLT 30And the people rest on the seventh day,
So the people
rested on the seventh day. Did not attempt to go out of their tents in
quest of manna, as on other days, and observed it as a day of rest from labour,
and so they continued to do in successive generations.
Exodus 16:31 31 And
the house of Israel called its name Manna.[a] And it was
like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made
with honey.
YLT 31and the house of Israel call its name Manna,
and it [is] as coriander seed, white; and its taste [is] as a cake with honey.
And the house
of Israel called the name thereof manna,.... For till now they
had given it no name; which shows that the words are not to be read as we
render them in Exodus 16:15 it is
manna, unless this is to be considered as a confirmation of that name; but
rather as an interrogation, "what is it?" though, from thence,
"man" being the first word they made use of on sight of it, might so
call it; or as others, from its being now an appointed, prepared, portion and
gift, which they every day enjoyed; see Gill on Exodus 16:15,
and it was like
coriander seed, white that the colour of the manna was white is not only here asserted,
but is plain from other passages, it being like the hoar frost, which is white,
Exodus 16:14 and
its colour is the colour of bdellium, Numbers 11:7 or
pearl, which is of a white bright colour, as the word is interpreted by the
Jews; and who sayF21T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 75. 1. , that the manna was
round as a coriander seed, and white as a pearl; but then if it is here
compared to the coriander seed on that account, some other seed than what we
call coriander seed must be meant, since that is off darkish colour; though it
is thought by most that the comparison with it is not on account of the colour,
but its form being round, as a coriander seed is, and as the manna is said to be,
Exodus 16:14.
JosephusF23Antiqu. l. 3. c. 1. sect. 6. thinks it is compared to the
coriander seed for its being about the size of that seed; though I must confess
it seems to me to be compared to the coriander seed for its colour, and
therefore "Gad", the word used, must signify something else than what
we call coriander seed; but what that is, is not easy to say: Ben Gersom is of
the same mind, and thinks it refers to colour, and fancies the "Gad"
had his name from his whiteness, Genesis 20:11.
ArtapanusF24Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 27. p. 436. , the
Heathen, makes mention of this food of the Jews in the wilderness, where, he
says, they were thirty years; during which time God rained upon them meal like
to panic (a sort of grain like millet), in colour almost as white as snow: and
the taste of it was like wafers made with honey; or cakes that had honey mixed
in them: though in Numbers 11:8 the
taste of it is said to be as the taste of fresh oil, which Saadiah Gaon, Aben
Ezra, and others, account for thus; that if a man ate of it as it came down, it
was as cakes of honey, but, when dressed, it was as the taste of fresh oil;
however, it was very palatable and agreeable to the taste; honey that drops
from palm trees is said to be not much different in taste from oil: the JewsF25Shemot
Rabba, sect 25. fol. 108. 4. & Bemidar Rabba, sect. 7. fol. 188. have a
notion that there were all kinds of tastes in the manna, suited to the ages and
appetites of persons, and that as they would have it, so it tasted; which
notion the author of the book of Wisdom seems to give into,"Instead
whereof thou feddest thine own people with angels' food, and didst send them
from heaven bread prepared without their labour, able to content every man's
delight, and agreeing to every taste. For thy sustenance declared thy sweetness
unto thy children, and serving to the appetite of the eater, tempered itself to
every man's liking.' (Wisdom 16:20-21)Leo
AfricanusF26Descriptio Africae, l. 7. p. 631. speaks of a sort of
manna found in great plenty in the deserts in Libya, which the inhabitants
gather in vessels every morning to carry to market, and which being mixed with
water is drank for delight, and being put into broth has a very refreshing
virtue: of the round form and white colour of manna, as applicable to Christ,
notice has been taken on Exodus 16:14 and
the sweetness of its taste well agrees with him the antitype: his person is so
to them who have tasted that the Lord is gracious; his word or Gospel is
sweeter than the honey or the honeycomb; his mouth is most sweet, the doctrines
that proceed from it, and the exceeding great and precious promises of it; his
fruits and the blessings of his grace, peace, pardon, righteousness, &c.
are sweet to those that sit under his shadow, where faith often feeds sweetly
and with delight upon him,
Exodus 16:32 32 Then Moses said, “This is
the thing which the Lord
has commanded: ‘Fill an omer with it, to be kept for your generations, that
they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought
you out of the land of Egypt.’”
YLT 32And Moses saith, `This [is] the thing which
Jehovah hath commanded: Fill the omer with it, for a charge for your
generations, so that they see the bread which I have caused you to eat in the
wilderness, in My bringing you out from the land of Egypt.'
And Moses said,.... At
another time, though it is here inserted to give the account of the mamma all
together:
this is the
thing which the Lord commandeth; namely, what follows:
fill an omer of
it to be kept for your generations; which was the quantity
allowed a man every day; this measure was to be laid up, and reserved for
posterity in future generations, not to eat, nor so much as taste of, for then
it would soon have been gone, but to look at, as follows:
that they may
see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you
out of the land of Egypt; that they might see what sort of food was provided for them, and
what quantity each man had of it every day; and so have an ocular proof of the
wisdom, power, and goodness of God, in providing for their support in a
wilderness, where no supplies were to be had; and when they were just come out
of an enemy's country: thus Christ is the food of his people, while they are in
the wilderness of this world; and is never so until they are brought out of the
state of nature's darkness and bondage, like that of the Egyptians; and who,
being the food of the saints in ages past, is presented to the eye of faith,
for its encouragement to look to him and believe in him, receive, embrace, and
feed upon him.
Exodus 16:33 33 And Moses said to Aaron,
“Take a pot and put an omer of manna in it, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept
for your generations.”
YLT 33And Moses saith unto Aaron, `Take one pot,
and put there the fulness of the omer of manna, and let it rest before Jehovah,
for a charge for your generations;'
And Moses said
unto Aaron, take a pot,.... The Targum of Jonathan calls it an earthen pot; and so
Jarchi; which, if it could be supported, might be considered as an emblem of
the ministers of the word, in whom, as in earthen vessels, the Gospel of Christ
is put: Aben Ezra says, it was a vessel either of earth or brass, which latter
is more likely for duration; since an earthen vessel can hardly be supposed to
continue so long as this did, and much less a glass pot, as others take it to
be: but the Septuagint version renders it a golden pot; and so it is said to be
by Philo the JewF1De Cong. Quaer. Erud. Gratia, p. 438. , and which
is confirmed by the apostle, Hebrews 9:4 and
which puts the thing out of question; and this may denote the word and
ordinances which retain and hold forth Christ as the bread of life, and are a
memorial of him, as evidently set forth, crucified, and slain, to future ages,
comparable to gold; both for the preciousness of them, being more to be desired
than gold, yea, than fine gold, and for the duration of them, they being to
continue until the second coming of Christ:
and put an omer
full of manna therein; the manna, and the full measure of it, according to a man's
eating, was to be put into it, denoting that a full Christ, or Christ in all
the fulness of his person and grace, is to be held forth in the word and
ordinances to the eye of faith:
and lay it up
before the Lord, to be kept for your generations; in a place where the
Lord would hereafter fix the symbol of his presence, the ark, cherubim, and
mercy seat; and may signify the presence of Christ with his Father, the
efficacy of his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, his mediation and
intercession; for he is not only held forth in the word, for faith to look at,
but he is before the throne as though he had been slain, Revelation 5:6.
Exodus 16:34 34 As the Lord commanded
Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
YLT 34as Jehovah hath given commandment unto Moses,
so doth Aaron let it rest before the Testimony, for a charge.
As the Lord
commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the testimony, to be kept. That is,
before the ark of the testimony; when that was made, as it was in a little time
after this, called the testimony, because it contained in it the law, which was
a testimony or testification of the mind and will of God unto Israel, see Exodus 25:16 the
apostle says, the pot of manna was in the ark, Hebrews 9:4 that
is, on one side of it; see Gill on Hebrews 9:4.
Exodus 16:35 35 And the children of Israel
ate manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna
until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.
YLT 35And the sons of Israel have eaten the manna
forty years, until their coming in unto the land to be inhabited; the manna
they have eaten till their coming in unto the extremity of the land of Canaan.
And the
children of Israel did eat manna forty years,.... Wanting thirty days,
as Jarchi observes; reckoning from their coming out of Egypt, and the passover
they kept there, to their coming to the borders of the land of Canaan to
Gilgal, and keeping the passover there, when the manna ceased, were just forty
years; but then they had been out of Egypt a month before the manna fell; but
the round number is given, as is common: it was on the sixteenth of Ijar, the
second month, the manna fell; and it was in the month of Nisan, about the
sixteenth or seventeenth of the month, that it ceased, see Joshua 5:10.
until they came
to a land inhabited: where the ground was cultivated, and corn was produced to make
bread of, which could not be had in a wilderness; and therefore God graciously
provided for them every day, and fed them with manna till they came to such a
place:
they did eat
manna until they came to the borders of the land of Canaan; that is,
Gilgal: the Targum of Jonathan is,"they ate manna forty years in the life
of Moses, until they came unto the land of habitation; they ate manna forty
days after his death, until they passed over Jordan, and entered the
extremities of the land of Canaan:'some have thought this verse was not written
by Moses, but Joshua, or some other hand after his death since he did not live
quite to the cessation of the manna; which need not be much disputed or
objected to; though it may be considered that Moses led Israel to the borders
of the land of Canaan, though he did not go with them so far as Gilgal, and
died before the manna ceased; yet, as he was assured of it, he could write this
in certain faith of it, and especially by a spirit of prophecy: this signifies
that the children of God are to live by faith upon Christ, while they are in
the wilderness of this world; nor will this spiritual food be wanting to them
while in it; but when they are come to Canaan's land, to the heavenly glory,
they will no more walk and live by faith, but by sight: the word and ordinances
will then cease; Christ will be no more held forth to them in that way, but
they shall see him as he is, and behold his glory,
Exodus 16:36 36 Now an omer is
one-tenth of an ephah.
YLT 36and the omer is a tenth of the ephah.
Now an omer is
the tenth part of an ephah. Frequent mention being made of this measure
in the above relation, as containing the quantity of each man's share of the
manna daily, during the forty years' stay in the wilderness; an account is
given by the historian how much it contained, by which it may appear what a
sufficient provision was made: an ephah, according to Jarchi, contained three
seahs (or pecks); a scab, six kabs; a kab, four logs; a log, six egg shells;
and the tenth part of an ephah was forty three egg shells, and the fifth part
of one: but Dr. CumberlandF2Of Scripture Weights and Measures, ch.
3. p. 64, 86, 87. ch. 4. p. 137. has reduced this to our measure, and has given
it more clearly and distinctly; an ephah, according to him, contained, in wine
measure, seven gallons, two quarts, and about half a pint; in corn measure, six
gallons, three pints, and three solid inches; and an omer three quarts; which
being made into bread, must be more than any ordinary man could well eat; for,
as Ainsworth observes, an omer was twice as much as the choenix, (a measure
mentioned in Revelation 6:6.)
which was wont to be a man's allowance of bread corn for a day; and what a vast
quantity must fall every day to supply so large a number of people with such a
measure; some have reckoned it at 94,466 bushels every day, and that there must
be consumed in forty years 1,379,203,600 bushelsF3Vid. Scheuchzer.
Physic. Saer. vol. 2. p. 177, 178. .
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New
King James Version (NKJV)
a.
Exodus 16:31
Literally What? (compare Exodus 16:15)