The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

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- Kapitel 16 -

And they set out from Elim. And the entire multitude of the sons of Israel arrived at the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month, after they departed from the land of Egypt.

And the entire congregation of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.

And the sons of Israel said to them: “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat around bowls of meat and ate bread until filled. Why have you led us away, into this desert, so that you might kill the entire multitude with famine?”

Then the Lord said to Moses: “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Let the people go out and collect what is sufficient for each day, so that I may test them, as to whether or not they will walk in my law.

But on the sixth day, let them prepare what they use for carrying, and let there be double what they were accustomed to collect on a single day.”

And Moses and Aaron said to the sons of Israel: “In the evening, you will know that the Lord has led you away from the land of Egypt.

And in the morning, you will see the glory of the Lord. For he has heard your murmuring against the Lord. But as for us, truly what are we, that you would whisper against us?”

And Moses said: “In the evening, the Lord will give you flesh to eat, and in the morning, bread in fullness. For he has heard your murmurings that you have murmured against him. For what are we? Your murmuring is not against us, but against the Lord.”

Moses also said to Aaron: “Say to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Approach before the Lord. For he has heard your murmuring.’ ”

And when Aaron spoke to the entire assembly of the sons of Israel, they looked out toward the wilderness. And behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

“I have heard the murmuring of the sons of Israel. Say to them: ‘In the evening, you will eat flesh, and in the morning, you will be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”

Therefore, it happened in the evening: quails, rising up, covered the camp. Likewise, in the morning, a dew lay all around the camp.

And when it had covered the face of the earth, it appeared, in the wilderness, small and as if crushed with a pestle, similar to hoar-frost on the ground.

When the sons of Israel had seen it, they said one to another: “Manhu?” which means “What is this?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them: “This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

This is the word that the Lord has instructed. Let each one collect as much of it as is sufficient to eat. One omer for each head. According to the number of your souls which live in a tent, so will you take of it.”(a)

And the sons of Israel did so. And they collected: some more, others less.

And they measured by the measure of an omer. He who collected more, did not have too much; nor did he who prepared less, find too little. But each one gathered according to what they were able to eat.

And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it behind until morning.”

And they did not listen to him, but they left some of it behind until morning, and it began to swarm with worms, and it putrefied. And Moses became angry against them.

Then each one collected, in the morning, as much as would be sufficient to eat. And after the sun became hot, it melted.

The Sabbath Observed

(Genesis 2:1–3; Hebrews 4:1–11)

But on the sixth day, they collected a double portion, that is, two omers for each man. Then all the leaders among the multitude came, and they discoursed with Moses.

And he said to them: “This is what the Lord has spoken: Tomorrow, the rest day of the Sabbath, has been sanctified to the Lord. Whatever would be done, do it now. And whatever would be cooked, cook it now. Then anything that will have been left over, store it until morning.”(b)

And they did just as Moses had instructed, and it did not putrefy, nor were there any worms found in it.

And Moses said: “Eat it today, because it is the Sabbath of the Lord. Today it will not be found in the field.

Gather for six days. But on the seventh day, it is the Sabbath of the Lord, for which reason it will not be found.”

And the seventh day arrived. And some of the people, going out to collect it, did not find it.

Then the Lord said to Moses: “How long will you be unwilling to keep my commandments and my law?

See how the Lord has given you the Sabbath, and, because of this, on the sixth day he distributes to you a double portion. Let each one remain with his own, and let no one go forth from his place on the seventh day.”

And the people kept the Sabbath on the seventh day.

The Jar of Manna

And the house of Israel called its name ‘Manna.’ It was like white coriander seed, and its taste was like wheat flour with honey.

Then Moses said: “This is the word that the Lord has instructed: Fill an omer of it, and let it be kept for future generations hereafter, so that they may know the bread, with which I nourished you in the wilderness, when you had been led away from the land of Egypt.”

And Moses said to Aaron, “Take one vessel, and put manna into it, as much as an omer is able to hold. And store it in the sight of the Lord, to keep for your generations,

just as the Lord instructed Moses.” And so, Aaron placed it in the tabernacle, in reserve.

Now the sons of Israel ate manna for forty years, until they arrived in a habitable land. With this food they were nourished, even until they touched the borders of the land of Canaan.

Now an omer is a tenth part of an ephah.

Fußnoten

(a)16:16 An omer is about 2.1 liters of volume.(Conte)

(b)16:23 The addition of the word ‘now’ is justified because the imperative form of the verbs are present tense. The meaning of the verse is to do the work now, the day before the Sabbath, and to cook the food now, so as not to work or cook on the Sabbath.(Conte)

They took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness;

and the children of Israel said to them, “We wish that we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots, when we ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from the sky for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.

It shall come to pass on the sixth day, that they shall prepare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”

Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, “At evening, you shall know that the LORD has brought you out from the land of Egypt.

In the morning, you shall see the LORD’s glory; because he hears your murmurings against the LORD. Who are we, that you murmur against us?”

Moses said, “Now the LORD will give you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to satisfy you, because the LORD hears your murmurings which you murmur against him. And who are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.”

Moses said to Aaron, “Tell all the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘Come close to the LORD, for he has heard your murmurings.’”

As Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the LORD’s glory appeared in the cloud.

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At evening you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’”

In the evening, quail came up and covered the camp; and in the morning the dew lay around the camp.

When the dew that lay had gone, behold, on the surface of the wilderness was a small round thing, small as the frost on the ground.

When the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they didn’t know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.

This is the thing which the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it everyone according to his eating; an omer

(a)

a head, according to the number of your persons, you shall take it, every man for those who are in his tent.’”

The children of Israel did so, and some gathered more, some less.

When they measured it with an omer, he who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack. They each gathered according to his eating.

Moses said to them, “Let no one leave of it until the morning.”

Notwithstanding they didn’t listen to Moses, but some of them left of it until the morning, so it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them.

They gathered it morning by morning, everyone according to his eating. When the sun grew hot, it melted.

The Sabbath Observed

(Genesis 2:1–3; Hebrews 4:1–11)

On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one; and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.

He said to them, “This is that which the LORD has spoken, ‘Tomorrow is a solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Bake that which you want to bake, and boil that which you want to boil; and all that remains over lay up for yourselves to be kept until the morning.’”

They laid it up until the morning, as Moses ordered, and it didn’t become foul, and there were no worms in it.

Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD. Today you shall not find it in the field.

Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day is the Sabbath. In it there shall be none.”

On the seventh day, some of the people went out to gather, and they found none.

The LORD said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws?

Behold, because the LORD has given you the Sabbath, therefore he gives you on the sixth day the bread of two days. Everyone stay in his place. Let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.”

So the people rested on the seventh day.

The Jar of Manna

The house of Israel called its name “Manna”,(b) and it was like coriander seed, white; and its taste was like wafers with honey.

Moses said, “This is the thing which the LORD has commanded, ‘Let an omer-full of it be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

Moses said to Aaron, “Take a pot, and put an omer-full of manna in it, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept throughout your generations.”

As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.

The children of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate the manna until they came to the borders of the land of Canaan.

Now an omer is one tenth of an ephah.(c)

Fußnoten

(a)16:16 An omer is about 2.2 liters or about 2.3 quarts

(b)16:31 “Manna” means “What is it?”