Exodus 16:15
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)
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The common translation misses a crucial detail: the Israelites didn't name it "manna" out of recognition, but out of sheer confusion, crying out "What is it?" The text emphasizes their ignorance of this divine provision, highlighting that it was entirely new and outside their experience.
Just the night before, God promised the Israelites that He would provide them with meat in the evening and bread in the morning, after hearing their grumbling about starvation in the desert. Now, the next morning, they wake to find a mysterious, small, white flaky substance covering the ground around their camp. Perplexed, they ask each other what this strange food is, not recognizing it as the provision God had promised.
Imagine waking up to find a strange, sweet substance covering the ground. What would you think? The Israelites' first reaction to manna was pure bewilderment.
The text tells us that when the Israelites saw this new food, they asked each other, “What is it?” (Exodus 16:15). They had no frame of reference for it. This wasn't like any food they knew from Egypt or their travels. It was entirely new, a divine surprise. Moses clarifies this by saying, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.”
A Miracle's Purpose
This unfamiliarity wasn't an accident. God intended for the manna to be a constant reminder that their provision came directly from Him, not from their own labor or knowledge. It was a tangible sign of His presence and power in the wilderness, separating them from their past and pointing them to His future plans for them.
The Israelites were confused, but Moses stepped in with a clear, authoritative answer. What does his response reveal about his relationship with God and his role among the people?
When faced with the unknown substance, the Israelites could only express their confusion. But Moses, in direct communion with God, provided the explanation: “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat” (Exodus 16:15).
A Faithful Messenger
Moses didn't guess; he knew. This highlights his unique position as God's intermediary. He received God's instructions and faithfully relayed them. His words carry divine authority, transforming the people's question from one of uncertainty to one of understanding God's gracious action. He names the gift not just by its physical description, but by its divine source and purpose.
The Israelites' utter ignorance of manna highlights its miraculous nature, a divine provision entirely new and unlike anything they or their ancestors had ever known. This 'What is it?' moment underscores their complete dependence on God for sustenance in their unfamiliar desert journey.
c. 1446 BC
Israel Departs Egypt
After centuries of slavery, the Israelites, led by Moses, are miraculously freed from Egypt. This marks the beginning of their journey through the wilderness.
c. 1446 BC
Murmurings in the Wilderness of Sin
Weeks after leaving Egypt, the Israelites, facing hunger and thirst, begin to complain bitterly to Moses and Aaron. They express a longing for the food they had in Egypt, even the 'flesh pots'.
c. 1446 BC
God Promises Food
In response to their grumbling, God announces through Moses that He will provide flesh in the evening and bread in the morning, revealing His power and presence.
c. 1446 BC
Quail and Dew Appear
In the evening, quail cover the camp, and in the morning, a layer of dew is found on the ground around the camp.
Jesus directly references the manna in the wilderness as a precursor to Himself, the true bread from heaven, highlighting the manna's role as a physical provision pointing to spiritual sustenance.
1 Corinthians 10:3-4Paul explicitly calls the manna 'spiritual meat' and the rock that followed them Christ, showing how these Old Testament events served as types and illustrations of Christ's provision and presence.
Deuteronomy 8:3Moses reminds the Israelites that they were fed with manna, a food they and their fathers did not know, to teach them that humanity lives by God's word and not just physical sustenance.
Psalm 78:24-25This psalm recounts God giving 'grain of heaven' and 'food of angels,' directly alluding to the miraculous manna and emphasizing God's provision for His people in their time of need.
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 16:15: "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."
And when the children of Israel saw it,.... As they could not but observe it, it being spread over the face of the wilderness; and besides, as they were told, that in the morning they should have bread to the full, they were up early to look after it: they said one to another, it is manna;…
The common translation misses a crucial detail: the Israelites didn't name it "manna" out of recognition, but out of sheer confusion, crying out "What is it?" The text emphasizes their ignorance of this divine provision, highlighting that it was entirely new and outside their experience.
Just the night before, God promised the Israelites that He would provide them with meat in the evening and bread in the morning, after hearing their grumbling about starvation in the desert. Now, the next morning, they wake to find a mysterious, small, white flaky substance covering the ground around their camp. Perplexed, they ask each other what this strange food is, not recognizing it as the provision God had promised.
Just the night before, God promised the Israelites that He would provide them with meat in the evening and bread in the morning, after hearing their grumbling about starvation in the desert. Now, the next morning, they wake to find a mysterious, small, white flaky substance covering the ground around their camp. Perplexed, they ask each other what this strange food is, not recognizing it as the provision God had promised.
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c. 1446 BC— this verse
Discovery of Manna
As the dew evaporates, a fine, flaky substance, small and round, appears on the ground. The Israelites, seeing this unknown food, ask each other, 'What is it?' (Hebrew: 'man hu?').
c. 1446 BC
Moses Identifies the Manna
Moses explains that this substance is the bread the Lord has provided for them to eat, fulfilling His promise.
c. 1446 BC
Instructions for Gathering
Moses instructs the people to gather an omer of the manna per person, emphasizing obedience to God's command.
"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." — The common translation misses a crucial detail: the Israelites didn't name it "manna" out of recognition, but out of sheer confusion, crying out "What is it?" The text emphasizes their ignorance of t…
