And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The text emphasizes the manna's appearance after the dew evaporated, suggesting God's provision wasn't just a random occurrence mixed with morning moisture, but a distinct, revealed gift waiting for its appointed time. This subtle detail highlights that God’s timing and deliberate unveiling of His provision are as crucial as the provision itself.
And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After grumbling about hunger in the wilderness, God promises to provide both meat in the evening and bread in the morning, revealing His glory. This verse describes the appearance of that miraculous bread, manna, a fine, flake-like substance found on the ground after the dew evaporated. The Israelites, seeing this unfamiliar substance, ask "What is it?" before Moses explains it's the bread God has provided.
Imagine waking up in a vast, empty wilderness. The sun begins to rise, but something extraordinary blankets the ground. What role did the dew play before this miracle food appeared?
The text highlights a fascinating detail: the manna appeared after the dew had risen.
A Gentle Foundation
Exodus 16:14 mentions the dew was present, and then when it 'went up,' the manna was revealed. This suggests the dew acted as a protective layer.
Keeping it Pure
Commentators like Gill and Benson propose the dew kept the manna clean and pure, shielding it from the dust and sand of the wilderness. It was like a divine packaging, ensuring this heavenly bread remained unspoiled until the Israelites could gather it. Clarke also notes the dew's cooling effect, preventing the manna from melting too quickly under the morning sun.
The Israelites saw this new substance and didn't even know what it was! What does its unassuming appearance teach us about God's power and provision?
The description of manna as a 'fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost' is crucial. It wasn't grand or imposing, but delicate and easily missed.
God's Unassuming Power
This description, alongside comparisons to frost or coriander seed, emphasizes that God's miracles aren't always about overwhelming displays of might. Often, His provision comes in ways that are subtle, requiring faith to recognize.
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A Name Born of Ignorance
When the Israelites saw it, they exclaimed, 'Manna!' which likely means 'What is this?' (as Calvin notes). Their confusion highlights that this was completely new and beyond their understanding. It underscores that true provision comes directly from God, not from human ingenuity or prior knowledge. Even though it looked ordinary, it was a direct, miraculous gift, sustaining an entire nation for forty years.
Some have tried to explain manna as a natural phenomenon. Why is the biblical account clear that this was a divine act?
The description of manna challenges purely naturalistic explanations. While some substances in the desert share superficial similarities, the biblical manna possessed unique characteristics that mark it as miraculous.
Uniquely Sustaining
Commentators like Calvin and Ellicott point out key differences: manna was sufficient as a primary food source for 40 years, it fell daily in vast quantities, and it had specific properties regarding preservation (breeding worms if kept improperly, but lasting longer on the Sabbath).
God's Sovereign Control
Furthermore, the timing and consistency of manna's appearance – falling regularly for six days, stopping on the seventh, and ceasing only when they reached the Promised Land – demonstrate a sovereign, miraculous intervention. It wasn't a seasonal gum or a rare atmospheric deposit; it was direct, daily provision from heaven, utterly unlike anything in nature, designed specifically for God's people in their unique wilderness journey.
Understand the original words
midbar · Hebrew Noun
An uncultivated, desolate place outside of human habitation where God tested, sustained, and shaped His people in dependence upon Him.
This event occurs during the Israelites' difficult wilderness wanderings, a period marked by both God's provision and the people's discontent, highlighting their immediate need and dependence on God's miraculous sustenance.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites, after 400 years of slavery, are miraculously led out of Egypt by Moses and God's mighty power.
c. 1446 BC
Journey into the Wilderness
Following their exodus, the Israelites begin a long and challenging journey through the desolate Sinai wilderness toward the Promised Land.
c. 1446 BC
Murmurings in the Wilderness
The Israelites, facing hardship and hunger, begin to complain bitterly to Moses and Aaron, longing for the food they had in Egypt.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
God Provides Quail and Manna
In response to the people's complaints, God sends quail in the evening and a fine, flake-like substance ('manna') in the morning.
c. 1446 BC
Instructions for Gathering Manna
Moses relays God's instructions for the Israelites to gather a specific amount of manna daily, with extra provision on the sixth day for the Sabbath.
c. 1446 BC
Manna Ceases Upon Entering Canaan
After 40 years of wandering, the manna stops falling once the Israelites cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land of Canaan.
This verse quotes Psalm 78:24, which refers to the manna as 'grain of heaven,' directly linking the physical bread from heaven in Exodus to a spiritual reality.
Psalm 78:24This Psalm recalls the giving of manna, calling it 'grain of heaven,' emphasizing its divine origin and miraculous provision for Israel's sustenance.
1 Corinthians 10:3The Apostle Paul explicitly states that the Israelites ate the same 'spiritual food' as believers today, referring to the manna as a type of Christ.
Revelation 2:17This passage speaks of a 'hidden manna' given to those who overcome, signifying a spiritual nourishment and reward far beyond the physical sustenance provided in the wilderness.
calvinExodus 16:9-18: "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."
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 he filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.
Audivi murmurationes filiorum Israel: alloquere eos, dicendo, Inter vesperas comedetis carnem, et mane saturabimini pane…
gillExodus 16:14: "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."
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…
The text emphasizes the manna's appearance after the dew evaporated, suggesting God's provision wasn't just a random occurrence mixed with morning moisture, but a distinct, revealed gift waiting for its appointed time. This subtle detail highlights that God’s timing and deliberate unveiling of His provision are as crucial as the provision itself.
After grumbling about hunger in the wilderness, God promises to provide both meat in the evening and bread in the morning, revealing His glory. This verse describes the appearance of that miraculous bread, manna, a fine, flake-like substance found on the ground after the dew evaporated. The Israelites, seeing this unfamiliar substance, ask "What is it?" before Moses explains it's the bread God has provided.
After grumbling about hunger in the wilderness, God promises to provide both meat in the evening and bread in the morning, revealing His glory. This verse describes the appearance of that miraculous bread, manna, a fine, flake-like substance found on the ground after the dew evaporated. The Israelites, seeing this unfamiliar substance, ask "What is it?" before Moses explains it's the bread God has provided.
"And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground." — The text emphasizes the manna's appearance after the dew evaporated, suggesting God's provision wasn't just a random occurrence mixed with morning moisture, but a distinct, revealed gift waiting fo…
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Last reviewed October 2026