Exodus Chapter 16

At a Glance

  • Exodus 16 follows the dramatic departure from Elim into the barren wilderness, where the Israelites quickly find themselves tested by hunger.
  • Moses and Aaron reinforce that the people’s murmuring is ultimately against the LORD, not merely against human leaders.
  • The chapter intertwines mercy with discipline.
  • Historical & Literary Context.
  • Exodus 16 is part of the Pentateuchal narrative of Israel’s exodus, traditionally dated to the 15th–13th centuries BCE, though the exact dating is debated.

EXODUS CHAPTER 16

Chapter Overview

Exodus 16 follows the dramatic departure from Elim into the barren wilderness, where the Israelites quickly find themselves tested by hunger. The chapter opens with grumbling: the whole assembly complains that life in the desert is worse than their former lives in Egypt, lamenting, “Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt.” In response, Yahweh pledges miraculous provision: bread from heaven, which the people are to gather daily, with a double portion on the sixth day so preparation can cover the Sabbath (the seventh day). The divine plan emphasizes trust and obedience: daily dependence on God’s gift, and a Sabbath rhythm that honors God’s sovereignty while shaping Israel’s life as a people set apart.

Moses and Aaron reinforce that the people’s murmuring is ultimately against the LORD, not merely against human leaders. The narrative then depicts a visible manifestation of God’s presence—the glory of the LORD appears in a cloud—and God speaks to Moses, detailing the arrangement of daily manna and the special sixth-day provision. The people are instructed to gather “an omer for every person” and to ensure no leftovers are kept until morning, except that on the sixth day they gather enough for two days, for God will rest the people on the seventh day. The morning brings a test of contentment and trust: some attempt to keep manna overnight, only to find it spoiled, reinforcing the discipline of daily dependence.

The chapter intertwines mercy with discipline. God’s gracious forecast of bread and meat (the quail) is accompanied by admonition not to murmur, signaling that grumbling undermines trust in God’s faithfulness. The logistics of provisioning, the divine explanation of the test, and the establishment of a stable cadence of work and rest collectively mark a formative moment in Israel’s wilderness generation: they are learning to live by God’s sustained generosity rather than by their own effort or memory of Egypt.

Historical & Literary Context

Exodus 16 is part of the Pentateuchal narrative of Israel’s exodus, traditionally dated to the 15th–13th centuries BCE, though the exact dating is debated. Genre-wise, it sits squarely in historical narrative with embedded exempla and law-like instruction. The chapter continues the episode-structured march motif that characterizes the wilderness wanderings: journey, murmuring, divine provision, and a reinforcing sign of God’s presence (the glory of the LORD in the cloud). It fits within the broader redemptive arc of God delivering a people who will learn to trust Him, even in hunger and discomfort.

In the book-wide context, Exodus 16 is positioned between passing through the Red Sea (Exodus 14–15) and the giving of the Law at Sinai (Exodus 19ff). It shows the transition from immediate rescue to formation: the people are rescued so that they might become a people who walk in God’s ways. The manna episode also foreshadows later rhythms and sacramental language—bread from heaven connotes sustenance and dependence, while the Sabbath regulation begins to shape communal worship and identity.

Key Themes

- Dependence and trust: Daily manna requires Israel to rely on God’s provision each morning and to trust Him for what they need, not hoard or scheme beyond the given portion.

- God’s faithfulness and providence: The chapter foregrounds Yahweh’s care—bread, meat, and a stabilizing sixth-day double portion—demonstrating fidelity even amid complaint.

- The Sabbath as a shaping of identity: The instruction to gather twice on the sixth day establishes a rhythm of rest that defines Israel’s covenant life and distinguishes them from surrounding nations.

- Murmuring as a spiritual fault line: The people’s grumbling reveals a deeper struggle with trust in God rather than in leaders, setting up a recurring theme in the wilderness.

- Divine pedagogy through signs: The visible manna, quail, and the manifest presence of the LORD in the cloud teach Israel to read God’s actions as purposeful revelation rather than mere miracle.

Modern Application

Exodus 16 invites readers to consider how trust in God translates into daily habits. Practical takeaways include cultivating a rhythm of dependency—begin each day with gratitude for God’s gifts and refrain from borrowing anxiety from tomorrow. The Sabbath element invites contemporary communities to practice rest as spiritual nourishment, resisting the cultural idol of constant productivity. Just as the Israelites learned to discern the Lord’s provision in ordinary means (manna, meat), Christians can recognize God’s care in everyday blessings and sustainment.

The moral of the manna story also speaks to integrity and communal welfare: hoarding leads to spoilage, while shared, fair distribution honors God’s provision. Leadership accountability—Moses and Aaron’s role in communicating God’s word—remains pertinent for contemporary faith communities, reminding us that faithfulness is communal, not merely personal. Finally, when life feels barren or uncertain, the chapter invites trust in God’s presence (the glory cloud) as the ultimate nourishment beyond bread—trust that sustains even when the path is unclear.

- Exodus 3–4 (call and commissioning of Moses; themes of divine provision and leadership)

- Exodus 19–20 (Sinai covenant, the rhythm of divine gift and Sabbath)

- Psalm 78:23–29 (God’s provision in the wilderness with bread from heaven)

- John 6 (New Testament reflection on Jesus as the true bread from heaven)

- Moses (leadership, obedience, mediation)

- Aaron ( komunikative role, priestly function)

- Jesus (foreshadowed bread from heaven; ultimate sustenance)

- Paul (thematic alignment with God’s provision and living by faith)

Chapter Text

1

And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month 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 wilderness:

3

And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

4

Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

5

And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.

6

And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, 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 we, that ye murmur against us?

8

And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.

9

And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.

10

And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

11

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

12

I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.

13

And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.

14

And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar 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 unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.

16

This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.

17

And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.

18

And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.

19

And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.

20

Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.

21

And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.

22

And it came to pass, that on the sixth 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 unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.

24

And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.

25

And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.

26

Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.

27

And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.

28

And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?

29

See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.

30

So the people rested on the seventh 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 honey.

32

And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.

33

And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.

34

As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.

35

And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.

36

Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.

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