Exodus 16:16

"When the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they didn’t know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat."

Key Reflection

The verse Exodus 16:16 describes a moment of uncertainty and wonder among the Israelites as they encountered manna for the first time. This mysterious substance, which fell from heaven, puzzled them; they had never seen anything like it before. Moses then explained that this was "the bread which the LORD has given you to eat," thus identifying its divine origin and purpose. The cultural context of ancient Israel, where food was a daily concern, heightened their sense of awe at receiving sustenance directly from God, underscoring the miraculous nature of their journey through the wilderness.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

An omer -i. e. the tenth part of an Ephah, seeExodus 16:36. The exact quantity cannot be determined, since the measures varied at different times. Josephus makes the omer equal to six half-pints. The ephah was an Egyptian measure, supposed to be about a bushel or one-third of a hin. The word omer, in this sense, occurs in no other passage. It was probably not used at a later period, belonging, like many other words, to the time of Moses. It is found in Old Egyptian. SeeLeviticus 19:36.

More from Exodus 16

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