The big picture
Exodus 16 opens in verse 1 with “And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 18 with “And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he…”, and closes in verse 36 with “Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, Moses, Israel, children, morning. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Exodus · King James Version · 36Exodus 16:1-8
1–8: They took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the…
Exodus 16:1–8 opens with “And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came…” and reaches “And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Families gathering manna across the wilderness floor at dawn, with particular weight carried by LORD, children, Israel.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of…” Naming Elim and Egypt keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when…” Naming Egypt keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD ; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD …” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
Exodus 16:1-8
King James Version1And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto 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.
2And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:
3And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
4Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
5And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
6And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:
7And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD ; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD : and what are we, that ye murmur against us?
8And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD .
Exodus 16:9-16
9–16: Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of…
Exodus 16:9–16 opens with “And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near…” and reaches “This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Families gathering manna across the wilderness floor at dawn, with particular weight carried by LORD, children, Israel.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD : for…” Naming Aaron and Come keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” Naming Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about…” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.
“And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
Exodus 16:9-16
King James Version9And 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.
10And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
11And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
12I 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 be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.
13And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.
14And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
15And 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.
16This 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.
Exodus 16:17-24
17–24: The children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
Exodus 16:17–24 opens with “And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.” and reaches “And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Families gathering manna across the wilderness floor at dawn, with particular weight carried by gathered, morning, Moses.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.” Naming Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.” Naming Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.” The line’s distinctive content terms include eating, gathered, melted. Its relationship to verses 20 and 22 shows what work it does in this passage.
Exodus 16:17-24
King James Version17And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
18And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
19And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.
20Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
21And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
22And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
23And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD : bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
24And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
Exodus 16:25-32
25–32: Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD : to…
Exodus 16:25–32 opens with “And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD : to day ye shall not…” and reaches “And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Families gathering manna across the wilderness floor at dawn, with particular weight carried by LORD, seventh, Moses.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD : to day ye shall not find it in the field.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.
Exodus 16:25-32
King James Version25And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD : to day ye shall not find it in the field.
26Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
27And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
28And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
29See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
30So the people rested on the seventh day.
31And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
32And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.
Exodus 16:33-36
33–36: Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna…
Exodus 16:33–36 opens with “And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up…” and reaches “Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Families gathering manna across the wilderness floor at dawn, with particular weight carried by manna, Aaron, kept.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD , to be…” Naming Aaron and Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Exodus 16:33-36
King James Version33And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD , to be kept for your generations.
34As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
35And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
36Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Exodus 16:1 begins with “And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai…”
Where the chapter turns
Exodus 16:20 forms a natural hinge: “Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.”
The final note
Exodus 16:36 leaves the reader with “Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, Moses, Israel, children, morning, bread help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Whose perspective receives unexpected attention?
Hagar's. The messenger finds her, names her and speaks about her future.
What does Ishmael's name commemorate?
God has heard her affliction, according to verse 11.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- hath
- has
- spake
- spoke
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.