This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The instruction to gather "each one of you, as much as he can eat" and then the specific measure of "an omer" for each person reveals a balance. God provides a precise amount, yet leaves room for individual effort and a recognition that everyone has different needs and capacities. This isn't just about collecting food; it's a daily lesson in self-reliance within God's abundant provision.
This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
After the Israelites complained about a lack of food in the wilderness, God promised to provide flesh and bread. This verse details the specific instructions for gathering the miraculous bread, manna, which appeared daily. It explains that each person should gather only what they need for that day, a specific measure called an "omer" per person in each household.
Imagine waking up in a barren desert with no grocery stores or farms. How would you feed your family? God's people faced this daily, and His provision came with a specific command for their participation.
The command to gather manna, 'each one of you, as much as he can eat,' highlights a crucial principle: God’s miraculous provision requires our active faith and labor.
God's Generosity, Our Responsibility
God didn't just say 'gather.' He gave a specific measure: an 'omer.' What does this precise instruction reveal about His care and our need for limits?
The instruction to gather 'an omer for every man, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent' reveals God’s detailed care and His intention to teach His people about sufficiency and equality.
Ask a follow-up
Divine Sufficiency and Equal Dignity
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The proper name of the one true God of Israel, revealing His covenant relationship, holiness, and eternal existence. He is the self-existent "I AM" who redeems His people.
omer · Hebrew Noun
A unit of dry measure used in the ancient Near East, historically estimated to be about two liters or 1/10th of an ephah. It represents a specific, divinely mandated portion for daily sustenance.
This directive is given during the Israelites' first weeks in the wilderness, immediately after their miraculous exodus from Egypt. It highlights God's immediate, practical provision for His people, even in their unfaithfulness and complaint, establishing a rhythm of dependence and obedience.
c. 1446 BC
Israelites Leave Egypt
After 400 years of slavery, the Israelites, led by Moses, depart from Egypt. This marks the beginning of their journey into the wilderness.
c. 1446 BC
Murmurings Begin in Wilderness
Shortly after leaving Egypt, the Israelites begin to complain about their lack of food and water in the desolate wilderness, testing God's provision.
c. 1446 BC
God Promises Food
In response to their grumbling, God promises to send them bread from heaven in the morning and meat in the evening.
c. 1446 BC
Quails and Manna Appear
God sends quails in the evening and a fine, flaky substance called manna in the morning, which covers the ground.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Instructions for Gathering Manna
Moses gives specific instructions for gathering the manna, including a daily amount per person and a special provision for the Sabbath.
c. 1446 BC
Sabbath Law Established
The command to gather double manna on the sixth day and not to gather on the seventh reinforces the importance of the Sabbath rest.
This passage directly quotes Exodus 16:4, calling the manna 'bread from heaven,' and Jesus uses it to teach about Himself as the true spiritual bread, contrasting the physical provision of manna with His eternal sustenance.
1 Corinthians 10:3Paul explicitly links the manna and the spiritual rock (from which water flowed) to Christ, showing how these physical provisions in the wilderness were meant to point to Jesus and His spiritual nourishment for believers.
Psalm 78:24This psalm recounts God's provision of manna, calling it 'grain of heaven' and 'bread of angels,' highlighting the miraculous and divine origin of the food given to the Israelites.
Matthew 6:11Jesus teaches His disciples to pray for daily bread, mirroring the Israelites' daily gathering of manna. This connects God's provision for physical needs in the past to His ongoing provision for us today.
Deuteronomy 8:3Moses reminds Israel that they were fed with manna, not just to sustain their bodies, but to teach them that true life comes from obedience to God's Word. This elevates the manna from mere food to a lesson in spiritual dependence.
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…
cambridgeExodus 16:16: "This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents."
16 . This is the thing which Jehovah hath commanded ] so v. 32. One of P’s standing formulae: Exodus 35:4 , Leviticus 8:5 ; Leviticus 9:6 ; Leviticus 17:2 , Numbers 30:2 ; Numbers 36:6 †. according to his eating ] as Exodus 12:4 . So vv. 18, 21. This, the rest of the ver…
The instruction to gather "each one of you, as much as he can eat" and then the specific measure of "an omer" for each person reveals a balance. God provides a precise amount, yet leaves room for individual effort and a recognition that everyone has different needs and capacities. This isn't just about collecting food; it's a daily lesson in self-reliance within God's abundant provision.
After the Israelites complained about a lack of food in the wilderness, God promised to provide flesh and bread. This verse details the specific instructions for gathering the miraculous bread, manna, which appeared daily. It explains that each person should gather only what they need for that day, a specific measure called an "omer" per person in each household.
After the Israelites complained about a lack of food in the wilderness, God promised to provide flesh and bread. This verse details the specific instructions for gathering the miraculous bread, manna, which appeared daily. It explains that each person should gather only what they need for that day, a specific measure called an "omer" per person in each household.
"This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’”" — The instruction to gather "each one of you, as much as he can eat" and then the specific measure of "an omer" for each person reveals a balance. God provides a precise amount, yet leaves room for ind…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026