Exodus 16

1 On the fifteenth day of the second [again, a new month] month after they had left [departed from, came out of] the land [territory, region] of Egypt, the whole [entire, all-inclusive] congregation [gathering, community] of Israel set out [journeyed, traveled] from Elim [a place of palm trees, a desert oasis] and came to the Desert [wilderness, barren land] of Sin, which is [located, situated] between [in the midst of, surrounded by] Elim and Sinai [a mountain, a sacred place]. word study 2 And there [in the wilderness, a desert region] in the desert [a barren and desolate area, the wilderness] they all [the entire congregation, every single one] grumbled [murmured, complained, expressed discontent] against Moses [the leader, the lawgiver] and Aaron [the high priest, the brother of Moses]. word study 3 “If only we had died [by the hand of the Lord, in His presence] by the LORD’s [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] hand in the land [earth, territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa]!” they said. “There we sat [dwelled, remained] by pots [flesh-pots, containers for meat] of meat [flesh, food] and ate our fill [to satiety, to satisfaction] of bread [food, grain], but you have brought us into this desert [wilderness, open field] to starve [to kill with hunger, to die from famine] this whole assembly [congregation, group of people] to death [to destruction, to the point of dying]!” word study 4 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Moses, “Behold [look, see], I will rain down [send forth, cause to come] bread [food, grain, sustenance] from heaven [the sky, the abode of God] for you. Each day [a literal 24-hour period, a figurative space of time] the people [a nation, a group of individuals] are to go out [come forth, depart] and gather [collect, pick up] enough [a certain rate, a day’s portion] for that day. In this way [by this means, for this purpose] I will test [prove, try] whether or not [if, whether] they will follow [walk in, obey] My instructions [law, teachings, commandments]. word study 5 Then on the sixth [sixth day of the week, a day of preparation] day, when they prepare [set in order, make ready] what they bring in [gather, collect], it will be twice [double, a duplicate] as much as they gather [collect, pick up] on the other [remaining, subsequent] days [periods of time, daily cycles].” word study 6 So Moses [the Israelite leader] and Aaron [the first high priest] said to all [every single one] the Israelites, “This evening [at sunset, as the day ends] you will know [clearly understand, be aware] that it was the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] who brought [led, delivered] you out of the land [country, territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], word study 7 and in the morning [at the break of day, a time of new beginnings] you will see the LORD’s [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] glory [great honor or splendor], because He has heard [listened to and given attention to] your grumbling [murmuring, complaining] against Him. For who are we [what are we, that you should complain to us] that you should grumble [lodge a complaint, express discontent] against us?” word study 8 And Moses added, “The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] will give you meat [flesh, animal food] to eat this evening [at sunset, in the late day] and bread [food, grain] to fill you in the morning [at dawn, in the early day], for He has heard [listened to, paid attention to] your grumbling [murmuring, complaining] against Him. Who are we [what are we, insignificant ones]? Your grumblings [complaints, discontent] are not against us but against the LORD [the one true God, Yehovah].” word study 9 Then Moses [the Israelite leader] said to Aaron, “Tell the whole congregation [gathering of people] of Israel [Jacob’s descendants], ‘Come before [into the presence of] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], for He has heard [listened to, given attention to] your grumbling [murmurings, complaints].’” word study 10 And as Aaron [the first high priest of Israel] was speaking [communicating, proclaiming] to the whole congregation [gathering, assembly] of Israel, they looked toward [in the direction of] the desert [wilderness, uninhabited land], and there in a cloud [a visible mass of water vapor] the glory [great honor, splendor, majestic presence] of the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] appeared [was seen, became visible, manifested]. word study 11 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said [to speak, communicate] to Moses [the Israelite leader, deliverer of God’s people], word study 12 “I have heard [perceived, listened to] the grumbling [murmuring, complaints] of the Israelites [sons of Israel, descendants of Jacob]. Tell them, ‘At twilight [evening, between the evenings] you will eat meat [flesh, animal food], and in the morning [break of day, dawn] you will be filled [satisfied, have enough] with bread [food, grain]. Then you will know [understand, recognize] that I am [exist as, am present as] the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God, ruler].’” word study 13 That evening [at sunset, in the late afternoon] quail [small plump birds, a type of game bird] came and covered [filled up, hid from view] the camp [the Israelites’ encampments, a group of people], and in the morning [the break of day, a time of new beginnings] there was a layer [a covering, a lying down] of dew [moisture, the gentle rain] around [surrounding, encompassing] the camp [the Israelites’ encampments, a group of people]. word study 14 When the layer [thin covering, like frost] of dew [moisture, overnight condensation] had evaporated [gone up, ascended], there were thin [small, delicate] flakes [small round things, like hoar frost] on the desert [wilderness, open field] floor, as fine [small, thin] as frost [ice crystals, frozen moisture] on the ground [land, earth]. word study 15 When the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] saw it, they asked one another, “What is it [manna, a mysterious substance]?” For they did not know [were unaware, had no understanding] what it was. So Moses [the Israelite leader, prophet] told them, “It is the bread [food, sustenance] that the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] has given [provided, bestowed] you to eat [as nourishment, for survival]. word study 16 This is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has commanded: ‘Each one is to gather [collect, pick up] as much as he needs [according to his eating, for his daily sustenance]. You may take [receive, get] an omer [a unit of measurement, about 2 liters] for each person [head, individual] in your tent [dwelling place, home].’” word study 17 So the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] did this [as instructed, in obedience]. Some gathered [collected, picked up] more [a greater quantity, an abundance], and some less [a smaller amount, a diminished portion]. word study 18 When they measured [with careful assessment] it by the omer [a unit of measurement, about 2 liters], he who gathered [collected, picked up] much had no excess [nothing over, no surplus], and he who gathered [collected, picked up] little had no shortfall [no lack, no deficiency]. Each one gathered [collected, picked up] as much as he needed [according to his eating, sufficient for his needs] to eat [his daily food, sustenance]. word study 19 Then Moses [the Israelite leader] said to them, “No one [not a single man, no person] may keep [let remain, reserve] any of it [from the portion given] until [as far as, up to] morning [the break of day, a new beginning].” word study 20 But they did not [give heed to, obey] listen to Moses; some people [certain ones, individuals] left part of it [a portion, some of the manna] until morning [the break of day, dawn], and it became infested [bred, full of] with maggots [worms, creeping things] and began to smell [stink, have a foul odor]. So Moses [the leader, prophet] was angry [furious, filled with wrath] with them. word study 21 Every morning [at the break of day, morning by morning] each one gathered [collected, picked up] as much as was needed [according to his eating, as he had need], and when the sun [the celestial body] grew hot [waxed hot, became warm], it melted away [melted, wasted away to nothing]. word study 22 On the [sixth day of the week, a day of preparation] sixth day, they gathered [a double portion] twice as much food [bread, grain, or other sustenance]—two [a pair, a dual measure] omers [a unit of measurement, about 2 liters] per person [each individual, one by one]—and all [every single one, the entirety] the leaders [rulers, high-ranking officials] of the congregation [a gathering of people, the community] came and reported [told, declared openly] this to Moses [the Israelite leader, a prophet]. word study 23 He told them, “This is what the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] has said: ‘Tomorrow [the next day, a future time] is to be a day of complete rest [a Sabbath, a day of cessation from work], a holy [set apart, sanctified] Sabbath [a day of worship and remembrance] to the LORD [the sovereign God]. So bake [to cook, prepare food] what you want to bake, and boil [to cook in liquid] what you want to boil. Then set aside [to lay up, preserve] whatever remains [is left over, excess] and keep it until morning [the break of day, a new beginning].’” word study 24 So they set it aside [kept it, laid it up] until morning [the break of day, dawn] as Moses [the Israelite leader, God’s appointed commander] had commanded [given orders, instructed], and it did not smell [stink, become foul] or contain any maggots [worms]. word study 25 “Eat [consume, devour] it today [this present day, at this moment],” Moses [the Israelite leader, God’s servant] said, “because today [this day, the present time] is a Sabbath [a day of rest, a day of worship] to the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord of all]. Today [this day, now] you will not find [discover, come across] anything in the field [the open land, the wilderness]. word study 26 For [six literal days, a period of six 24-hour periods] six days you may gather [collect, pick up], but on the seventh [the last day of the week] day, the Sabbath [a day of rest, worship, and remembrance], it will not be there [not exist, be absent].” word study 27 Yet on the seventh [a day of rest] day [a 24-hour period] some of the people [Amaw, a nation or group] went out [to come out, leave a place] to gather [to pick up, collect], but they did not [indicating absence or negation] find [to discover, attain] anything. word study 28 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Moses, “How long [till, as far as] will you refuse [to say no, reject] to keep [to protect, attend to, obey] My commandments [laws, divine instructions] and instructions [Torah, guiding principles]? word study 29 Understand [see, perceive, comprehend] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has given you the Sabbath [a day of rest, a time for worship]; that is why on the sixth day [the day before the Sabbath] He will give you bread [food, provision] for two days. On the seventh day [the day of rest], everyone must stay [remain, abide] where he is; no one may leave [go out, depart from] his place [location, position].” word study 30 So the people [a nation, Amaw] rested [to cease, stopped working] on the seventh [a day of rest] day [a 24-hour period, a figurative space of time]. word study 31 Now the house [dwelling place, family] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants] called the bread [food, provision] manna [a special food, what is it?]. It was white [pure, clean] like coriander [a plant with seeds resembling manna] seed and tasted [had a perception of, experienced] like wafers [flatbread, thin cakes] made with honey [a sweet and valuable food]. word study 32 Moses [the Israelite leader] said, “This [ze, this specific thing] is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has commanded [given orders, appointed]: ‘Keep [to preserve, to safekeep] an omer [a unit of measurement, about 2 liters] of manna [the bread from heaven] for the generations [periods of time, groups of people] to come, so that they may see [to look after, to provide for] the bread [food, grain] I fed [to eat, to devour] you in the wilderness [the desert, the open field] when I brought [to come out, to lead out] you out of the land [the soil, the ground, the country] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa].’” word study 33 So Moses told Aaron, “Take a jar [pot, vessel] and fill it with an omer [about two quarts, a sheaf] of manna [special food from God]. Then place it before the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] to be preserved [kept, laid up] for the generations [period of time, group of people] to come [as a reminder, for future generations].” word study 34 And Aaron [the first high priest] placed it in front of [before the presence of] the Testimony [the witness of God’s laws], to be preserved [kept safe, protected] just as [in accordance with] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had commanded [given orders to] Moses [the Israelite leader]. word study 35 The Israelites [children of Jacob, God’s chosen people] ate manna [a special food from God, heavenly bread] forty years, until they came to a land [a territory, a place to dwell] where they could settle [to inhabit, to remain]; they ate manna [the divine provision] until they reached the border [the edge, the boundary] of Canaan [the promised land, a land of milk and honey]. word study 36 (Now an omer [a unit of measurement, about 2 liters] is a tenth [one part out of ten] of an ephah [a larger unit, about 9 gallons].) word study