Exodus 16

— there was no water] Before, Israel thirsted and were satisfied; after that, they hungered and were filled; now they thirst again. God constantly withholds something from us, because He would keep us still in exercise. We should forget by whose bounty we live, if we wanted nothing. Still God observes a vicissitude of evil and good; and the same evils, that we have passed, often return upon us in their order.

It was at “the commandment of the Lord” that they pitched in Rephidim, who could as well have conducted them to another Elim, to “palm trees and wells of water.” This consideration should have allayed their discontent. There can be no more forcible motive to patience, than the acknowledgment of a Divine hand that strikes us. It is fearful to be in the hand of an adversary; but who would not be confident of a Father? Bp. Hall.

Exodus 16:2

2. — Moses said unto them, &c.] The answer of Moses is like himself, mild and gentle: “Why contend you with me? Why tempt ye the Lord?” In the first expostulation he condemns them of injustice, since not he, but the Lord, had afflicted them: in the second, of presumption; that since it was God, who tempted them by want, they should tempt Him by murmuring. — In the one he would have them see their wrong; in the other their danger. As the act came not from him, but from God, so he transfers it to God from himself: “Why tempt ye the Lord?” The opposition which is made to the instruments of God redounds ever to His person. He holds Himself smitten through the sides of His ministers. Bp. Hall.

Exodus 16:13

13. — quails] God gave quails to his people twice: once, on this occasion, a short time after they had passed the Red sea; and a second time, at the encampment called Kibroth-kattaeeah, or the graves of lust, Numb. xi. 31—34; Ps. cv. 40. Both of these happened in the spring, when the quails pass from Asia into Europe. Then they are found in great quantities on the coasts of the Red sea and the Mediterranean. God by a wind drove them within and about the camp of Israel; and in this the miracle consists, that they were brought so seasonably to the place, and in so great numbers, as to suffice two or three millions of persons longer than a month. Some persons think locusts to have been here intended; but the other sense is that of the Oriental interpreters in general, of the Greek translators, and of Josephus. Calmet. See note on Numb. xi. 32. The quail of the desert, according to Hasselquist, very much resembles the red partridge, but is not larger than the turtledove. The Arabs bring many thousands of them to sell at Jerusalem about Whitauntide. Dr. Hales.

Exodus 16:14

14. — small as the hoar frost] Like a drop of dew frozen on the ground, very small, and at the same time white in colour. Bp. Patrick.

Exodus 16:15

15. — It is manna:] The meaning of this word is uncertain. A great number of ancient and modern expositors understand the Hebrew word to signify “What is this?” to which the following words, “they wist not what it was,” seem to refer the meaning. Others think it may be better expounded, “It is a gift or portion,” Vol. I. as being sent from God. Others maintain that the Hebrews well knew what manna was, and said one to another, “This is manna.” Bp. Patrick, Calmet.

Exodus 16:16

16. — an omer] Something less than half a peck of our measure.

Exodus 16:23

23. — the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord:] To keep up the memory of his being the Creator of the world, and to engage mankind solemnly to acknowledge and worship Him as such, God, having on the seventh day “rested” or ceased from the work of creation, blessed that day and hallowed it. Accordingly “the sabbath” continued to be observed so long as any sense of true religion remained on the earth. But as wickedness increased in the world, and the true worship of God was corrupted by an almost universal idolatry, so the solemn day of His worship was neglected likewise. And though it may have been revived after the flood, and continued in some part of Abraham’s family, yet in their Egyptian slavery the observation of it appears to have been interrupted. On the present occasion God renewed the commandment to the Israelites; designing this particular day to be kept by them, in memory of their final deliverance out of Egyptian slavery, and of their being miraculously fed with manna in the wilderness. For which reason He required them to observe a strict “rest” on that day; that they might keep up the memory of their hard labours in Egypt, where they were not suffered to rest on the sabbath day; and be the more engaged to serve God, who had so wonderfully delivered them from that wretched state. Abp. Wake. N An omer of manna to be preserved. The people murmur for water. the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.

Exodus 16:34

34. — before the Testimony.] Before the Lord, in the foregoing verse: for the Divine glory dwelt between the Cherubim, which were over the ark, elsewhere called “the ark of the testimony,” chap. xxx. 6, but here simply “the testimony.” It is called “the testimony,” partly because God there gave them a special token of His dwelling among them; and partly because the two tables of stone, called “the testimony,” chap. xxv. 21, were in the ark. Bp. Patrick.

Exodus 16:35

35. — did eat manna forty years.] Within a month, which was wanting to complete forty years. The manna began to fall just thirty days after they left Egypt, and ceased the day after the passover which they kept in the fortieth year, Josh. v. 11, 12. Bp. Patrick. The manna was truly miraculous on the following accounts: 1. It fell but six days in the week. 2. It fell in such a prodigious quantity, that it sustained almost three millions of souls. 3. There fell a double quantity every sixth day, to serve them for the sabbath. 4. What was gathered on the first five days, stunk and bred worms, if kept above one day; but what was gathered on the sixth day, remained sweet for two days. Lastly, it continued falling while the Israelites abode in the wilderness, but ceased as soon as they left it, and could procure corn to eat in the land of Canaan. Stackhouse.

Chap. XVII. ver. 1. — from the wilderness of Sin, &c.] Between “the wilderness of Sin” and Rephidim, they made two short halts, not mentioned here; one at Dophkah, the other at Alush. It may be here hinted once for all, that these and the other names of places, where they made their encampments in the wilderness, are generally names given by them to the places where they stopped; and that the places were not called by any