Exodus 16

Exodus 16:1

VVIldernesse of] Not immediately from Elim, (the next place before mentioned) for here was the eighth station, and the seventh is omitted, because there is no memorable matter observed of it.

Sin] Sin is the common name of the whole space of the desart, from Elim to Mount Sinai; yet here it is particularly taken for that part of it, where the Israelites had their eighth mansion, or pitching of their Tents: and it was called Sin, (as some conceive) from a Citie of Egypt of that name, Ezekiel 30:16. The desart of Sin, Nm. 20. 1. is not this desart, but another called sometimes Cades, towards which, this part of the nesse coasted.

fifteenth] In respect of the second moneth, it was the fifteenth day, but the thirtieth from their departure out of Epypt.

Exodus 16:2

the whole Congregation] Genesis 19:4. Exodus 17:23. The greater part are commonly the worse, and therefore the consent of a multitude is no good Argument of a good cause; we must goe by rule then, and not by example; or if by example, rather by the example of the best, then of the most; and then also our imitation must be with the limitation of the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 11:1.

murmured] Having now spent their provision of unleavened dough, which they brought out of Egypt. See Annot. on Exodus 15:24.

Exodus 16:3

we had died] Famine is an affliction more bitter then death: for it is a dying by degrees, a lingering torment, in respect whereof, a speedy death from the hand of God, is desired as a favour: yet their impatience was above their pressure, and God did but make them fast, to give himselfe occasion to furnish them with a miraculous feast.

flesh pots] How carnally minded were these murmurers, who had rather be Pharaohs slaves, for victuals, then Gods freemen, notwithstanding his power as well to feed them, as to free them? and how falsly doe they commend their precedent, to aggravate their present condition? for it is not like, that there was either so much liberalitie exercised towards them, or so much libertie given unto them, as to have so full a diet as they spake of; or so much leasure to sit by the flesh pots, as they say.

to kill this whole] By famine, because their former store was much what spent, and no supply appeared for the future: the charge is very heinous, and injurious; but it is usuall for men in anger, to make little scruple of the greatest slander.

Exodus 16:4

raine bread from * heaven] That is, a graine made by God immediately in the Ayre, whereof (being punned) they might make cakes, Numbers 11:8. their murmurings deserved to be punished in hell, yet God is pleased to satisfie them with food from heaven: so should we endevour to overcome others evill with good, Rom. 12. 20, 21. Psal. 78. 24, 25. & 105. 40.

a certaine rate] Heb. the portion of a day in his day: as their daily bread, that they might day by day, exercise their faith in his providence for their provision, as Matthew 6:11.

prove them] Chap. 15. vers. 25. Deuteronomy 8:2. That is, trie them, or make them known, not to himselfe, who knew them well enough before, (without any experimentall triall of them) but to themselves and others, whether afflictions, or favours, will worke them to obedience, and to discover their contumacie, if neither of these wayes prevaile with them. Chap. vers. 25. and Deuteronomy 8:2.

Exodus 16:5

twice so much] On the sixth day their allowance was doubled, that the seventh day (being the Sabbath) might be the better hallowed: by their ceasing from their labor of gathering, grinding, or dressing of it (so farre as the day before it might be prepared) leaving them a libertie, for more active and uninterrupted devotion on that day, ordained for rest; but not for rest onely, (for such a Sabbath the cattell might and did keepe) but for rest with reference to Religion, and for furtherance and fitting of the soule for sacred communion with God in the duties of devotion.

Exodus 16:6

at even] At even they had Quailes, and in the morning Manna, vers. 13. By this miraculous supply, it will be manifest (as Moses and Aaron might well say unto them) we have not deluded you, in drawing you out of Egypt, but that God hath delivered you, and will sustaine you without ordinary meanes, where ordinary faileth.

Exodus 16:7

• murmurings against the LORD] Vers. 2. They are said to murmure against the Lord, Moses and Aaron here, as they are said to beleeve the Lord and his servant Moses, Cha. 14. v 31. because the Lord spake by Moses and Aaron, and they murmured against the Lord, by their murmurings against Moses and Aaron, because they guided the people as God guided them by the pillar of a cloud and of fire, Exod. 13. 21, 22. So he that contemneth Gods Ministers, and the Magistrate is Gods Minister, Romans 13:4. (Moses as well as Aaron) contemneth God himselfe. * 1 Samuel 8:7. Numbers 16:11.

Exodus 16:8

not against us, but] That is, not onely, or not so much against us, as against the Lord: or rather against the Lord, then against us, for the reason of the precedent Annotation: the like phrase and sense hath the Prophet, Hosea 6:6.

Heareth your murmurings] Vers. 9. 12.

Exodus 16:9

before the LORD] That is, before the miraculous cloud, which was the signe of Gods especiall presence: for as yet the Tabernacle was not set up: before which time (notwithstanding) some conceive, there was a publique place of solemne worship: but when and where it was erected, or by what Authoritie, or by whom and how it was employed, is not delivered in the Scripture.

Exodus 16:10

glory of the LORD] God put an extraordinary glory upon the cloud, which might affect the people with more feare and reverence of his presence. See Ezekiel 20:8. Matthew 17:6. Revelation 1:16. 17.

Exodus 16:11

spake unto Moses] Who haply made a nearer approach to the cloud, then Aaron and the people did.

Exodus 16:12

At even ye shall eate flesh] The Lord complaineth of their murmurings, and presently promises supply of food, but that was not as a reward of their wickednesse, but for ratification of his promise, and to convince them of infidelitie, and mistrust of him; as if he either could not, or would not make due provision for them.

and in the morning] The bread and the flesh came not both at one time, but the one at evening, the other in the morning; as they came, so they might be eaten severally; (as some conceive,) the Quailes without bread, and the bread without Quailes: for as the provision came in an extraordinarie manner, so it might have an extraordinary temper, or qualification, to be both wholesome and pleasant of it selfe, without any thing else, to relish or season it: or though they came in at severall parts of the day, they might be joyntly used in their daily refections.

Exodus 16:13

at even the * quailes] They flew in the day over the Sea, and by night came to their journeys end, (the Campe of the Israelites) being furthered in their flight by the wings of the wind, Psal. 78. 26, 27. Numbers 11:31.

in the morning the dew] It came downe, as some conceive, like an Ayrie dew, and when it was come downe it was thickned and hardned into a small round graine, vers. 14. but Numbers 11. vers. 9. it seemeth that the dew and Manna were two distinct things, both when they were together, (for when the dew fell the Manna fell upon it, Numbers 11:9.) and when they were parted, as in the 14. verse of this Chapter.

Exodus 16:14

the dew that lay] Numbers 11:7. Psalms 78:24.

Exodus 16:15

it is Man, or Manna] Or, what is this? or it is a portion the word Manna is one of those words which are received without change, in severall Languages: as Amen, Selah, Hallelujah: some thinke that the word Man, (according to the Egyptian Tongue) is put for Mah, in the Hebrew, signifying who, and sometimes what; others take the word to be a Chaldee or Arabick word, of the same signification: but at this time that dialect was not knowne to the Israelites: and some rather thinke it is a Syriack word: but the most proper derivation of the word is from the Hebrew, Mannah, or Minnah, which is to prepare; so it is a prepared portion, prepared by God, so that they might presently eate of it, though they might grinde, or punne, or bake, or boile it also. The Manna of the Apothecaries, is a Syriack dew; but this differeth from this Manna of the Israelites, many wayes, especially in that the Syriack Manna will not melt with the Sunne, nor putrefie in the night; nor is it hard, nor fit for food, but for physicke onely: in all which particulars the Hebrew Manna is contrary.

they wist not what it was] Though they called it a prepared portion, they were not yet acquainted with the proper nature and use of it.

This is the bread] John 6:31. 1 Corinthians 10:3.

Exodus 16:16

Omer] An Omer, vers. 36. is said to be the tenth part of an Ephah: and an Ephah is about ten pottles; or as some say, seven gallos and an halfe, and neare the measure of our English bushel: some conceive the Omer to containe three pints and an halfe, some a pottle; some rate it by the proportion of fourtie three hens egges, and a fifth part: which way soever it be taken, it is enough for the strongest man, and the hottest ordinarie stomach: Wherein Gods bounty may be observed.

Exodus 16:18

every manaccording] To the eating of his family: that is, every Master of a family according to the proportion of his number or houshold.

Exodus 16:19

Let no man leave] What if one could not eate an Omer? Answer. As the meat was miraculous, so might be the capacitie, and concoction of mens stomachs: or if (as the people were of different statures, and tempers) that which was competent for greatest men and hottest stomachs, were too much for such as were lesse growne, and lesse hungrie, then the overplus (at night) might be cast into the fire, as the remainders of the Paschall Lambe, Exodus 12:10. and of the Priests portion of flesh and bread, Exodus 29:34.

Exodus 16:20

bred wormes and stanke] This came not by the nature of Manna, which would have kept without corruption, on that day, as well as on the Sabbath: but by a miraculous power, causing it to putrefie, for the conversion or punishment of the incredulous, and to shew that distrust in Gods providence, or contempt of his Ordinance, are as offensive unto God, as it can be to a man, to eate corrupted meat, stinking or crawling with wormes.

Exodus 16:21

is melted] That is, went away as a dew, that it might not remaine either to corrupt on the earth, or by treading on to come into contempt.

Exodus 16:22

twice so much] Which proportion should serve for the Sabbath, and the day before.

told Moses] Not knowing as yet, why the proportion (on the sixth day) was doubled, but Moses presently telleth them the reason, in the next verse.

Exodus 16:23

To morrow is the rest] The solemne sanctification of the Sabbath, ordained by God at the beginning of the world. See Annot. on Gen. Chap. 2. 5: 3. but it is like it was intermitted by the bondage of the Israelites in Egypt.

bake that you will] As they gathered the portion for the Sabbath, the day before, so they dressed it the day before: that which might be done on the eve of the Sabbath, must not be left to be done on the Sabbath day, that there might be no occasion to hinder holy duties required for the sanctification thereof.

Exodus 16:24

it did not stinke] That which they laid up on the sixth day, to serve for the seventh, did not corrupt, because it was done according to Gods command: Obedience is a sweet thing, it sweetens the persons and actions of men to God, Genesis 8:21. Exodus 29:18. 2 Corinthians 2:15. and the creatures to man, Pro. 15. vers. 16.

Exodus 16:25

not find it] They did not find it because it fell not on the Sabbath day, for God would not have them to have occasion to goe out to labour for it on the Sabbath: that they might be the more free to sanctifie the whole day, by such religious duties, as he required of them.

let no man come out of his place] This was not an absolute prohibition of all locall motion on the Sabbath day, (though some Jews in after Ages took it so; and therefore in what place and state soever the Sabbath tooke them, would not (upon any occasion) move or change, or divert from it till the day was done) for they might goe out of their Tents, to the place of publique worship (whether Tabernacle, Temple, or Synagogue) on the Sabbath day: for it was to be sanctified with a solemne Assemblie, Leviticus 23:3. and the people were to come out of their private Tents, to make up that Assembly at the Tabernacle (which stood without the Campe, Exodus 33:7.) this might be the Sabbath dayes journey, Acts 1:12. the prohibition then is concerning servile workes, and such motions as gave impediment to the due observation of the religious rest on the Sabbath; and in particular it forbad going out on the Sabbath to gather Manna.

Exodus 16:31

like Coriander seed] Not in colour, but in forme and figure, for the colour of it was like the colour of Bdelium, Numbers 11:7. which is white as Crystall; the colour of Bdelium, some say, somewhat inclineth to yellow, so is not Coriander seede, for that (though it be not black) is of a darker colour inclining to browne.

and the taste of it] Unbaked or dressed was like unto sweet wafers, but when it was drest, it tasted like fresh oyle, Numbers 11:8. yet it may be, this Manna in Exodus, might differ in tast from that in Numbers; but both serve to confute the Apocryphall conceit of the Authour of the Book of Wisdome, Chap. 16. vers. 20. 21. viz. that Manna was that in tast, which every man delighted in: for in both places the tast is specified, and restrained: and if it were that which every one liked, how came it to be so disliked as it was? Numbers 11:6.

Exodus 16:33

a pot] Hebrews 9:4. Here is an anticipation in story. See the next Note.

Exodus 16:34

before the Testimony] That is, the Arke of the Covenant, afterwards set up, when the Israelites encamped at Mount Sinai, but here mentioned for conclusion of the story concerning Manna: and it was called the Testimony, because therein were the Tables of the Law, Deuteronomy 10:5. which was the Testimony, or Witnesse of the Covenant betwixt God and his people, and would testifie against them, if they transgressed against him; and in the ame Arke, Aarons rod and the Pot of Manna, kept testimony, or evidence of Gods power and favour: yet some conceive, they had some Tent, Tabernacle, or place of publique worship, before that curious piece of worke (whose description is afterwards exactly delivered) was erected.

Exodus 16:35

fourtie yeares] Which were at an end on the morrow after they came into the Land of Canaan, and had eaten off the old corne of the land, Joshua 5:12. that is, of the provision remaining of the former yeares store: where we see God will not supply men with miraculous meanes, when ordinary means is afforded unto them. This Manna, Psal. 78. 5: 25. is called in the Hebrew, the food, or bread of the mighty, usually translated, Angels food: not that Angels eate any food at all, unlesse when they take an humane shape, as Gen. 18. vers. 8. for they are spirituall substances, without bodies: but as some conceive, because it had a vertue to nourish above ordinary food, and so (if sinne hindered not) would draw out a mans life, rather to angelicall, then an humane duration, or living: or it might be called the food of Angels, because it came from the habitation of Angels; or because it was made by the ministery of Angels or for that, if the Angels were to be nourished as men are, they need not any more dainty diet: so it is commended in the name of Angels, as Eloquence is, 1 Corinthians 13:1. where a tongue is attributed to them, not by way of position, but of supposition: but it is without doubt that our Saviour maketh it a type of himselfe, John 6:33. and so doth the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 10:3.

Exodus 16:36

Ephah] See Annot. on vers. 16. of this Chapter.