CPCC Bible Study - Exodus 16.

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Posted on CCPC's website 2026

"There in the desert they started complaining to Moses and Aaron, 'We wish the Lord had killed us in Egypt. When we lived there, we could at least sit down and eat all the bread and meat we wanted. But you have brought us out here into this desert, where we are going to starve.'"
- Exodus 16: 2 - 3, Contemporary English Version, see link below.

At the end of 15 we were at an oasis with '12 wells and seventy trees'.
1 Analysis:
      They been out of Egypt for a month and a half.
      One thing those that write these studies intentionally ignore is that the entire Sinai Peninsula was Egyptian Territory. Israel was not free until they left Egypt. Everything since they crossed the sea is happening outside of Egypt.
      Other commentators and study writers go into poetic ecstasy about the name of the wilderness and the idea that Israel's faith and obedience was being tested and how they could fall into sin in the Wilderness of Sin, and all that implies.
      Well, that's 'other commentators', many of whom were only looking at the KJV or other English translation. Here and now, let's look at the Original text..... The name of the wilderness in Hebrew is "Ciyn". Which is not the same as "chata / chatta'ah / hattati" (offense / fault / 'guilt of intentional the trespass of the law of God') translated as 'sin' which was first seen in as applied to Cain in Genesis 4, and was last used by Pharaoh in Exodus 10 : 17.
      What is stated in Hebrew as Ciyn is most likely one of several fortified border towns in Eastern Egypt, and there may have been more than one town with this word as part of its name. This one's exact location is unknown, and, in this usage "midbar" means 'desert' as well as 'wilderness', and was used as such in Exodus 5 and 7 when Moses asked Pharaoh to let them go out to worship their God. Which makes the term in this usage as 'the desert/wilderness outside of the border town Ciyn'. Which is much less dramatic to breathlessly talk about in your study. But, so it goes.

2 - 3 Summary:
      The people all "luwn" (grumble / murmur (implies 'complaining under their breath'). They say they would rather that God had killed them in Egypt when they sat by the "ciyr" (caldron / pot) "basar" (flesh / meat (especially 'lean meat')) and ate "lechem" (bread) until we were full. You brought us out here to kill "kal / kol" (all / entire) "qahal" (congregation / assembly) with "raab" (famine / hunger).
      Remember, when they left Egypt on the night of the Passover, Pharaoh told them to take their flocks and herds with them, and according to chapter 12 verse 38, they did. However, they have not been mentioned since. And won't be until the chapter 17, and then again in 20. So they do have their livestock, but they know better than to eat all of them.

4
      And said YHWH to Moses, "hen / hinni" (lo / behold / look) I will "matar" (cause rain) for you "lechem" (food / meal (also 'bread')) for you from "shamayim" (heavens / sky), and "yatsa" (go out / come out / etc) the people and "laqat" (collect / glean / gather) "debar" (provision / portion) every day, that I may "nasah" (test / prove / tempt) them if they will "halak" (proceed / walk) in my "torah" (law / instruction) or not.
      The KJV uses the words 'bread' and then 'quota' in verse 4 for how much they are to gather each day. And then those that read the 1611 can wonder later where the birds came from and what the "mathkoneth / mathkuneth" (quota / measure (as used in Exodus 5)) was. The original words simply mean that food will be provided, and everybody is to gather what they need for the day. Which is made clear in a few minutes.

5 Discussion:
      This verse implies that the people are keeping the Sabbath, or, at least are supposed to be. Meanwhile, GOD is keeping it, and He doesn't deliver lunch on the Seventh Day. We find out in a few verses that the people had no idea what was special about that day.

6 - 7 Summary:
      Moses and Aaron say to the sons of Israel, "ereb" (evening / sunset) you will "yada" (know / understand) that YHWH has "yatsa" (brought out / bring forth) you out of Egypt. And in "boqer" (morning) you will see "kabowd" (glory / splendor) of YHWH - for "shama" (listens) "tluwnah" (complaint (includes 'obstinate' (being stubborn (this is a different form of the word 'murmur' in verse 2)))) "al" (upon / against) YHWH, but "nahnu" (us / we) are "mah" (what / that) you "luwn" (murmur / grumble) against.

8 Summary and paraphrase:
      And said Moses, when "nathan" (gives) YHWH in the evening "basar" (meat) to eat, and "lechem" (food / bread) in the morning to be full - for "shama" (hears / listens) YHWH - "tluwnah" (complaint (includes 'obstinate' ) which make you "al" (against) Him. 'who are we?' You are not against us your complaints are against YHWH.

9 Summary:
      And spoke Moses to Aaron, say to all the "edah" (assembly / community) of the sons of Israel, "qarab" (approach / draw near) before YHWH, for He has "shama" (heard / listened) your "tluwnah" (complaints...).

10
      and "hayah" (happened / come to pass) as Aaron spoke to all.... they "panah" (looked) toward the "midbar" (wilderness / desert), and "hinneh" (lo / behold), the "kabowd" (glory / splendor ....) of YHWH "raah" (see / seen) in the "anan" (cloud).
      There is no description of what that looked like. It had to be manifestly different than the 'pillar of cloud / fire' that had been leading them since they left Egypt, but the word "kabowd" meaning: copious ('vast quantity') of wealth / glory / honor, splendor

11 - 12 paraphrase:
      YHWH spoke to Moses... (see verse 8).... and you'll know that I am YHWH 'Elohim.

13 - 14 Summary and paraphrase:
      That evening "selav" (quail (common, small, ground dwelling birds seen world wide. The species in this area weigh about three ounces each when dressed, see links below for more)) came in and "kasah" (concealed / hide) the "machaneh" (camp / host), and in the morning - "shehabah" (lying down / layer) the "tal" (dew) "sabib / sebibah" (surrounding / vicinity) the camp. And when lifted the dew there was on the ground "chaspas" (round things (same word used to describe reptile or fish scales)) daq (thin / fine) as "kphowr" (frost) on the "erets" (land / ground).

15 - 16 Summary and paraphrase:
      When the people saw it, they didn't know "man" (what) it was. And Moses said it is "lechem" (bread (food)) that YHWH has given you. This is what has "tsavah" (commanded / charged) YHWH, "laqat" (gather / glean) each man for their need, one "omer" (a dry measure about 2 to 3 liters / one tenth of an ephah, which was just over half a bushel) for each person, according to their household.

17 -18 Summary:
      They did what they were told, some gathered more, some less. They measured it all out by omers, and nobody had any left over.

19 Paraphrase:
      And Moses said: 'don't save any leftovers.'

20 Summary:
      In spite of what Moses said, some of them keep some food, meat and bread, overnight, and in the morning, it is infested with "rimmah" (maggots), and stinking. And Moses is "qatsaph" (wroth / in rage) with them.

21 Summary:
      So they all gathered it morning by morning every man by how many mouths he had to feed (that's how the Hebrew reads), and when the sun got hot, it melted.

22
      And do on the "yom" (day) "shishshi" (sixth), they "laqat" (gathered / collected) bread "mishneh" (double) - two omers for each - and came all the "nasiy" (leaders / chiefs) of the community and told Moses.

23
      And he said to them, that's what has said YHWH, "shabbathon" (Sabbath Observance (this is the first use of the word in the OT)) a "shabbath" (Sabbath) "qodesh" (holy / sacred) to YHWH "machar" (tomorrow), you will "asher" (what) you "aphah" (bake) "aphah" (bake) and "asher" (what) you "bashal" (boil) "bashal" (boil) - and "kol" (all) that "adaph" (remains / excess (leftovers)) "yanach" (leave / place / set down) for you "mishmereth" (guard / keep safe) until morning.
      The manna was 'ready to eat', even if it was in small pieces, what they are preparing with the cooking instructions is the quail.

24 Summary:
      So they "yanach" (leave...) it until morning like Moses said, and "lo" (not) "baash" (stink) and no maggots.

25 - 26 Paraphrase:
      Moses said, eat that, today is the Sabbath for YHWH and you won't find it outside. Six days you'll gather it, but on the seventh, there will be none.

27 Summary:
      And "hayah" (it happened / came to pass) on the seventh day that went out some people to gather, but found none.

28
      And said YHWH to Moses, "ad" (how) "an" (now / whither) will you "maen" (refuse (includes idea of 'total refusal')) "shamar" (keep / guard) My "mitsvah" (commandment / ordinance) and "torah" (law).
      Even though it was only a few people that went out looking for bread, probably because they didn't collect enough the previous day, GOD is holding Moses accountable for the entire nation for it. This comes up in a later chapter as well.

29
      "raah" (see) YHWH "nathan" (given / gave) you the Sabbath, "al" (on / upon) "ken" (thus / therefore / etc) He "nathan" (gives) you 'on the sixth day food for two days'. "yashab" (remain / stay) "ish" (each 'man') "tachath" (place), "lo" (not / no) "yatsa" (go out / come out) each man "maqom" (location / home) on "yom" (day) "shebii" (seventh).

30
      so / and "shabath" (ceased / rested / desisted) "am" (people) "yom" (day) "shebii" (seventh).

31 Summary:
      the "bet" (house) of Israel called it "man" (manna) " and it was like 'coriander seed' white, and tasted like "tsappichith" (cakes / wafers) made with "debash" (honey).

32 - 33 Summary:
      Moses says this is a command from YHWH, fill an omer with the manna to be kept for generations to show what God provided for them in the wilderness coming out of Egypt. And Moses tells Aaron to go do it.

34 Summary:
      ..... the manna in the basket is called the "eduth" (Testimony / Witness) to be "mishmereth" (guarded / preserved).

The next two verses are obviously for historical reference, and not part of the 'play by play' of the Exodus.
35 Summary:
      They ate manna for forty years until they came to "erets" (land) "yashab" (inhabited / lived in) - they ate manna until they came to the border of Canaan.

36
      And an omer a tenth of an ephah is.

End Chapter 16

Selected Resources:
All links will open in a new tab/window, all were working as of original date of posting:

Interlinear English / Hebrew: Chapter 16 https://biblehub.com/interlinear/exodus/16.htm

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1611_Exodus-Chapter-16/

Contemporary English Version https://biblehub.com/cev/exodus/16.htm

Compare Translations for Exodus 16:4 https://www.biblestudytools.com/exodus/16-4-compare.html
And 21....
https://www.biblestudytools.com/exodus/16-21-compare.html