1 And they tooke their iourney from Elim, and all the Congregation of the children of Israel came vnto the wildernesse of Sin, which is betweene Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second moneth after their departing out of the land of Egypt.
2 And the whole Congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wildernesse.
3 And the children of Israel saide vnto them, Would to God wee had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when wee sate by the flesh pots, and when we did eate bread to the full: for ye haue brought vs forth into this wildernesse, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
4 ¶ Then said the Lord vnto Moses, Behold, I will raine bread from heauen for you: and the people shall goe out, and gather a certaine rate euery day, that I may proue them, whether they will walke in my Law, or no.
5 And it shall come to passe, that on the sixt day, they shall prepare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather dayly.
6 And Moses and Aaron said vnto all the children of Israel, At euen, then ye shall know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of Egypt.
7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord, for that he heareth your murmurings against the Lord: And what are wee, that yee murmure against vs?
8 And Moses said, This shalbe when the Lord shal giue you in the euening flesh to eate, and in the morning bread to the full: for that the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmure against him; and what are wee? your murmurings are not against vs, but against the Lord.
9 ¶ And Moses spake vnto Aaron, Say vnto all the Congregation of the children of Israel, Come neere before the Lord: for hee hath heard your murmurings.
10 And it came to passe as Aaron spake vnto the whole Congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wildernesse, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloude.
11 ¶ And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,
12 I haue heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: Speake vnto them, saying, At euen ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shalbe filled with bread: and ye shal know that I am the Lord your God.
13 And it came to passe, that at euen the Quailes came vp, and couered the campe: and in the morning the dew lay round about the hoste.
14 And when the dewe that lay was gone vp, behold, vpon the face of the wildernesse there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoare frost on the ground.
15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is Manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said vnto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath giuen you to eate.
16 ¶ This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded: gather of it euery man according to his eating: an Omer for euery man, according to the number of your persons, take yee euery man for them which are in his tents.
17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered some more, some lesse.
18 And when they did mete it with an Omer, he that gathered much, had nothing ouer, and he that gathered litle, had no lacke: they gathered euery man according to his eating.
19 And Moses saide, Let no man leaue of it till the morning.
20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not vnto Moses, but some of them left of it vntill the morning, and it bred wormes, and stanke: and Moses was wroth with them.
21 And they gathered it euery morning, euery man according to his eating: and when the Sunne waxed hot, it melted.
22 ¶ And it came to passe that on the sixt day they gathered twice as much bread, two Omers for one man: and all the rulers of the Congregation came and told Moses.
23 And he said vnto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath vnto the Lord: bake that which you will bake, to day, and seethe that ye will seethe, and that which remaineth ouer, lay vp for you to be kept vntill the morning.
24 And they laid it vp till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stinke, neither was there any worme therein.
25 And Moses saide, Eate that to day, for to day is a Sabbath vnto the Lord: to day yee shall not finde it in the field.
26 Sixe dayes ye shall gather it, but on the seuenth day which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none.
27 ¶ And it came to passe, that there went out some of the people on the seuenth day for to gather, and they found none.
28 And the Lord said vnto Moses, How long refuse yee to keepe my Commandements, and my Lawes?
29 See, for that the Lord hath giuen you the Sabbath, therefore hee giueth you on the sixt day the bread of two dayes: abide yee euery man in his place: let no man goe out of his place on the seuenth day.
30 So the people rested on the seuenth day.
31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like Coriander seed, white: and the taste of it was like wafers made with hony.
32 ¶ And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commandeth: Fill an Omer of it to bee kept for your generations, that they may see the bread wherewith I haue fed you in the wildernesse, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.
33 And Moses sayd vnto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an Omer full of Manna therein, and lay it vp before the Lord, to be kept for your generations.
34 As the Lord commaunded Moses, so Aaron layd it vp before the Testimonie, to be kept.
35 And the children of Israel did eat Manna fortie yeeres, vntill they came to a land inhabited: they did eate Manna, vntill they came vnto the borders of the land of Canaan.
36 Now an Omer is the tenth part of an Ephah.
The Israelites come to the wilderness of Sin. They murmur for food, God promises bread from heaven. (1-12) God sends quails and manna. (13-21) Particulars respecting the manna. (22-31) An omer of manna to be preserved. (32-36)1-12 The provisions of Israel, brought from Egypt, were spent by the middle of the second month, and they murmured. It is no new thing for the greatest kindness to be basely represented as the greatest injuries. They so far undervalue their deliverance, that they wished they had died in Egypt; and by the hand of the Lord, that is, by the plagues which cut off the Egyptians. We cannot suppose they had plenty in Egypt, nor could they fear dying for want in the wilderness, while they had flocks and herds: none talk more absurdly than murmurers. When we begin to fret, we ought to consider, that God hears all our murmurings. God promises a speedy and constant supply. He tried whether they would trust him, and rest satisfied with the bread of the day in its day. Thus he tried if they would serve him, and it appeared how ungrateful they were. When God plagued the Egyptians, it was to make them know he was their Lord; when he provided for the Israelites, it was to make them know he was their God.
13-21 At evening the quails came up, and the people caught with ease as many as they needed. The manna came down in dew. They called it "Manna, Manhu," which means, "What is this?" "It is a portion; it is that which our God has allotted us, and we will take it, and be thankful." It was pleasant food; it was wholesome food. The manna was rained from heaven; it appeared, when the dew was gone, as a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost, like coriander seed, in colour like pearls. The manna fell only six days in the week, and in double quantity on the sixth day; it bred worms and became offensive if kept more than one day, excepting on the sabbath. The people had never seen it before. It could be ground in a mill, or beaten in a mortar, and was then made into cakes and baked. It continued the forty years the Israelites were in the wilderness, wherever they went, and ceased when they arrived in Canaan. All this shows how different it was from any thing found before, or found now. They were to gather the manna every morning. We are hereby taught, 1. To be prudent and diligent in providing food for ourselves and our households; with quietness working, and eating our own bread, not the bread of idleness or deceit. God's bounty leaves room for man's duty; it did so even when manna was rained; they must not eat till they have gathered. 2. To be content with enough. Those that have most, have for themselves but food and raiment; those that have least, generally have these; so that he who gathers much has nothing over, and he who gathers little has no lack. There is not such a disproportion between one and another in the enjoyment of the things of this life, as in the mere possession of them. 3. To depend upon Providence: let them sleep quietly, though they have no bread in their tents, nor in all their camp, trusting that God, with the following day, would bring them in their daily bread. It was surer and safer in God's storehouse than their own, and would come thence sweeter and fresher. See here the folly of hoarding. The manna laid up by some, who thought themselves wiser, and better managers, than their neighbours, and who would provide lest it should fail next day, bred worms, and became good for nothing. That will prove to be most wasted, which is covetously and distrustfully spared. Such riches are corrupted, #Jas 5:2,3|. The same wisdom, power, and goodness that brought food daily from above for the Israelites in the wilderness, brings food yearly out of the earth in the constant course of nature, and gives us all things richly to enjoy.
22-31 Here is mention of a seventh-day sabbath. It was known, not only before the giving of the law upon mount Sinai, but before the bringing of Israel out of Egypt, even from the beginning, #Ge 2:3|. The setting apart one day in seven for holy work, and, in order to that, for holy rest, was ever since God created man upon the earth, and is the most ancient of the Divine laws. Appointing them to rest on the seventh day, he took care that they should be no losers by it; and none ever will be losers by serving God. On that day they were to fetch in enough for two days, and to make it ready. This directs us to contrive family affairs, so that they may hinder us as little as possible in the work of the sabbath. Works of necessity are to be done on that day; but it is desirable to have as little as may be to do, that we may apply ourselves the more closely to prepare for the life that is to come. When they kept manna against a command, it stank; when they kept it by a command, it was sweet and good; every thing is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. On the seventh day God did not send the manna, therefore they must not expect it, nor go out to gather. This showed that it was produced by miracle.
32-36 God having provided manna to be his people's food in the wilderness, the remembrance of it was to be preserved. Eaten bread must not be forgotten. God's miracles and mercies are to be had in remembrance. The word of God is the manna by which our souls are nourished, #Mt 4:4|. The comforts of the Spirit are hidden manna, #Re 2:17|. These come from heaven, as the manna did, and are the support and comfort of the Divine life in the soul, while we are in the wilderness of this world. Christ in the word is to be applied to the soul, and the means of grace are to be used. We must every one of us gather for ourselves, and gather in the morning of our days, the morning of our opportunities; which if we let slip, it may be too late to gather. The manna must not be hoarded up, but eaten; those who have received Christ, must by faith live upon him, and not receive his grace in vain. There was manna enough for all, enough for each, and none had too much; so in Christ there is enough, but not more than we need. But those who ate manna, hungered again, died at last, and with many of them God was not well pleased; whereas they that feed on Christ by faith, shall never hunger, and shall die no more, and with them God will be for ever well pleased. Let us seek earnestly for the grace of the Holy Spirit, to turn all our knowledge of the doctrine of Christ crucified, into the spiritual nourishment of our souls by faith and love.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.