Ex. 16 The children of Israel sojourn in the wilderness of Sin, Ex. 16:1; murmur against Moses, Ex. 16:2–3. God promises to supply their wants with bread from heaven, Ex. 16:4; and directs about preparing this bread, Ex. 16:5. Moses reproves the people for murmuring, Ex.

BC 1491 They came not immediately to the wilderness of Sin; for there is another stage of theirs by the Red Sea, mentioned Num. 33:10, (in which chapter Moses designed exactly to set down all their stations,) but omitted here, because nothing remarkable happened in it; and Moses in this place…

For want of meat, as appears from the following verse, their provisions brought out of Egypt being now spent.

By the hand of the Lord; by any of those plagues wherewith God destroyed the Egyptians. When we did eat bread to the full; which is not probable; but they amplify their former mercies, that they might aggravate their present calamity, as the manner of impatient and ungodly men is. Quest.

Bread, i.e. manna, which shall serve them instead of bread, Num. 11:8, and was a more delicate and pleasant kind of bread, called therefore the bread of angels, Ps. 78:24–25. From heaven; the air, oft called heaven, in which manna is produced. Every day, Heb. the thing, i.e.

Prepare; lay up, grind, bake, or seethe. See Ex. 16:23, Num. 11:8.

And not by your our own authority or counsel, as you suggest.

The glory of the Lord; either this glorious work of God in giving manna; or rather the glorious appearance of God in the cloud, as is evident from Ex. 16:10.

Before the Lord; either before the cloudy pillar, where God was especially present; or in the place of God’s worship. For though the great tabernacle was not yet built, yet it seems from Ex. 33:7 there was a little tabernacle.

An extraordinary brightness suddenly appearing in the pillar of cloud. See Lev. 9:6, Lev. 9:23.

The Lord spake, or, had spoken, to wit, before, by comparing this with Ex. 16:7.

God chooseth the proper time for each kind of provision; the evening for the quails, which being brought from remote parts, by their day’s flight, about evening came thither; and the morning for manna, which usually falls at that time.

Heb. There was a bed of dew, wherewith the manna was covered, Rev. 16:14. To this the hidden manna, Rev. 2:17, alludes.

When the dew was gone up, to wit, into the air; or, was vanished, as the word ascend is used Jer. 48:15.

It is manna; or, What is this? which best suits with the following reason, for they wist not what it was. Man signifies what in the Egyptian tongue; and it is not strange that the Israelites use one of their words, being newly come out of their land.

According to his eating, i.e. as much as is sufficient for his eating. An omer contains the tenth part of an ephah, and therefore was a very liberal allowance, and such as might abundantly suffice a man of greatest strength and stomach.

Either, 1. According as their families were more or less numerous. Or rather, 2. As the gatherers were more or less strong and active in gathering it.

All that was gathered by the members of one family was put into a heap, and then distributed to each person an omer, neither more nor less; to which St. Paul alludes, 2 Cor. 8:13;c.

viz. For the provision of the next day, as distrusting God’s care and goodness in giving them more. Not that every one was bound to eat all of it, which certainly many of their stomachs could not bear; but that they were to dissolve it, or but it, as they did the remains of some sacrifices, Ex.

Some of them left of it; either distrusting God’s providence for their future provisions; or out of curiosity to learn the nature of this manna, and what they might do when occasion required. It stank, not so much from its own nature, which was pure and durable, as from God’s judgment.

To wit, as much of it as was left upon the ground. This was not from its own nature, which was so solid that it could endure the fire, and was bruised by a pestle; but from God’s wise providence, partly, that it might not be corrupted or trodden under foot, or otherwise abused, and so despised;…

Considering God’s present providence in causing it to fall in double proportion, and remembering that the next day was the sabbath day, which God had blessed and sanctified to his own immediate service, Gen.

This is that which the Lord hath said; either to Moses by inspiration, or to the former patriarchs upon like occasions: this practice is agreeable to the former word and law of God concerning the sabbath, as it follow. Bake and seethe: the manna was dressed these two ways, Num. 11:8.

As there was before, Ex. 16:20. So great a difference there is between the doing of a thing upon God’s command, and with his blessing, and the doing of the same thing against his will, and with his curse.

These words were spoken upon the morning of the sabbath day, as appears from the foregoing verse. A sabbath unto the Lord, i.e. wholly consecrated to his service, and therefore not to be employed in servile works.

The Lord spoke unto Moses, that he might speak it to the people. He signifies that this was an old disease in them, to disobey God’s precepts, and to pollute his sabbaths.

Hath given you the sabbath; hath given to you, and to your fathers, that great command and privilege of the sabbath. Let no man go out of his place, out of his house or tent, into the field to gather manna, as appears from the occasion and reason of the law here before mentioned.

Or ceased, to wit, from gathering manna, by comparing this with Ex. 16:27, and consequently from all works of that nature.

It was like coriander seed, in shape and figure, but not in colour, for that is dark-coloured, but this white, as it follows here, like bdellium, &c., Num. 11:7. The taste of it, when it was raw; but when it was drest it was like fresh oil, Num. 11:8.

In the tabernacle, and by the ark, when they shall be built, and at present in the place where you meet for the solemn worship of God.

i.e. Before the ark, which is called the ark of the testimony, Ex. 25:16; and here, by way of abbreviation, the testimony, or witness, because in it were the tables of the covenant, or the law of God, which was a testimony of God’s authority and will, and of man’s subjection and duty, or of the…

This Moses might well write; for though he did not go into Canaan, yet he came to the borders of Canaan. And though he did not see the cessation of the manna, yet he sufficiently knew both from the nature of the thing, and by revelation from God, that it would forthwith cease upon their entrance…