Exodus 16:14-15
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse highlights that the manna appeared after the dew had evaporated, not during it, suggesting God's provision is often most evident when our initial comforts (like the dew) are gone. It also describes the manna as small and "flake-like," a subtle detail that underscores its initial unassuming appearance, challenging any tendency to expect grand, obvious signs of God's help.
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. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Just after God heard the Israelites grumbling about their hunger, He promised to send them meat in the evening and bread in the morning. This verse describes the arrival of that promised bread: after the morning dew evaporated under the rising sun, a fine, flake-like substance was left covering the ground in the wilderness. This mysterious substance, which the people would later call manna, appeared as the dew vanished, hinting at a divinely provided meal hidden within the morning mist.
What do dew and frost have to do with God's provision for His people?
Exodus 16:14 describes the manna appearing after the dew has gone up, comparing its appearance to frost. This wasn't just a random natural event. The dew, and later the manna falling upon it, acted as a protective layer.
Divine Protection
The dew seems to have fallen first, acting as a clean base. Then, the manna appeared on top of it. Finally, another dew settled over the manna. This 'packaging' served a crucial purpose:
This detail shows God's meticulous care, ensuring the food He provided was not only miraculously supplied but also kept pure and usable for His people.
Why did the Israelites call this new food 'Manna' and what did it reveal?
When the Israelites first saw the manna, they asked, "What is it?" (Exodus 16:15). They called it "Manna," which likely comes from a Hebrew word meaning "What is it?" This name, born out of their confusion and lack of understanding, paradoxically became a testament to God's power and goodness.
Ask a follow-up
From Question to Confession
This highlights how God can use our confusion and questions to lead us to a deeper understanding and reliance on Him.
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.
The miraculous provision of manna occurred in the stark, desolate Wilderness of Sin, immediately following the Israelites' intense complaints about starvation. Its appearance right after the dew evaporated highlighted God's direct, daily intervention to sustain His people in a place utterly incapable of providing for them.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
Following 400 years of slavery, the Israelites, led by Moses, are miraculously delivered from Egyptian bondage.
c. 1446 BC
Journey into the Wilderness of Sin
After crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites begin their journey through the harsh desert wilderness, a journey that will last 40 years.
c. 1446 BC
Complaints at Marah and Elim
The Israelites face scarcity and unpalatable water, leading to early grumbling and questioning God's provision.
c. 1446 BC
Murmurings over Lack of Food
The Israelites express intense dissatisfaction and regret their departure from Egypt due to hunger in the desert.
c. 1446 BC
God Promises Bread and Meat
In response to the people's complaints, God declares He will provide both meat in the evening and bread in the morning.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Manna Appears with the Morning Dew
As the dew evaporates, a fine, flaky substance appears on the ground, which the Israelites discover and later call 'manna'.
Jesus directly references the manna in the wilderness, calling Himself the 'true bread from heaven,' drawing a clear parallel to this miraculous provision.
1 Corinthians 10:3Paul explicitly states that the Israelites ate the same spiritual food, referring to the manna, highlighting its spiritual significance beyond mere sustenance.
Psalm 78:24This psalm recounts God raining down manna, calling it 'grain of heaven' and 'food of angels,' emphasizing its divine origin and the wonder it inspired.
Nehemiah 9:15Nehemiah's prayer acknowledges God providing 'bread from heaven' for His people when they were hungry, directly linking the manna to God's faithfulness in meeting physical needs.
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…
This verse highlights that the manna appeared after the dew had evaporated, not during it, suggesting God's provision is often most evident when our initial comforts (like the dew) are gone. It also describes the manna as small and "flake-like," a subtle detail that underscores its initial unassuming appearance, challenging any tendency to expect grand, obvious signs of God's help.
Just after God heard the Israelites grumbling about their hunger, He promised to send them meat in the evening and bread in the morning. This verse describes the arrival of that promised bread: after the morning dew evaporated under the rising sun, a fine, flake-like substance was left covering the ground in the wilderness. This mysterious substance, which the people would later call manna, appeared as the dew vanished, hinting at a divinely provided meal hidden within the morning mist.
Just after God heard the Israelites grumbling about their hunger, He promised to send them meat in the evening and bread in the morning. This verse describes the arrival of that promised bread: after the morning dew evaporated under the rising sun, a fine, flake-like substance was left covering the ground in the wilderness. This mysterious substance, which the people would later call manna, appeared as the dew vanished, hinting at a divinely provided meal hidden within the morning mist.
"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. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And M…" — This verse highlights that the manna appeared after the dew had evaporated, not during it, suggesting God's provision is often most evident when our initial comforts (like the dew) are gone. It als…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
