Exodus 16:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it.

NIV: So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it.

NASB: So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not stink nor was there a maggot in it.

CSB: So they set it aside until morning as Moses commanded, and it didn’t stink or have maggots in it.

NLT: So they put some aside until morning, just as Moses had commanded. And in the morning the leftover food was wholesome and good, without maggots or odor.

KJV: And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.

NKJV: So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it.

When God provided a unique food source each morning (Exodus 16:14–16), the Israelites were told not to keep any for the following day (Exodus 16:19). Any "manna" (Exodus 16:31) which was stored turned into a rank, nauseating mess (Exodus 16:20). God ensured that what Israel collected each day was precisely enough for each person (Exodus 16:17–18). But on the sixth day of the week, God provided a double portion (Exodus 16:22).

Moses has explained that this is in preparation for a Sabbath day: a day of rest. God will give them enough food on the sixth morning to last through both the sixth and seventh days. For now, this command to "rest" (Exodus 16:23) is simple. More details about it will come as God reveals His covenant with Israel (Exodus 20:8–11; 31:12–17; 35:1–3).

The people obey this command and see that God's word is true. On the sixth night of the week—and only this night—manna can be preserved into the following day. However, the manna kept for the seventh day had to be consumed on the seventh day (Exodus 16:25).

Exodus 16:13–30 explains the miraculous provision of meat and bread during Israel's journey through the wilderness. Quail—small birds—arrive at night. In the morning, the ground is covered in a strange substance. This becomes a bread-like food for Israel, later called "manna" (Exodus 16:31). It also symbolizes their daily dependence on God—it could not be kept longer than instructed, so the people had to continually trust the Lord to provide more. To further prove this, God instructs the people to rest on the seventh day of the week.

As the recently-rescued Israelites (Exodus 14:21–31) journey on, they complain about food. God provides them with manna: a grain-like substance which miraculously appears each morning. The people are given instructions about how to gather and use manna. Only on the sixth day of the week can they collect more and keep leftovers for the following day. That seventh day is to be a time of rest, called a "sabbath."

Israel has celebrated (Exodus 15:1) their miraculous escape through the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21–28). They have survived their first hardship (Exodus 15:23–25). God now provides manna in response to their complaints about food. He also begins to establish the concept of the seventh-day Sabbath. Soon, the Lord will send another miracle regarding water (Exodus 17:1–7) and the people will have their first military battle (Exodus 17:8–16). Shortly after this, Moses' father-in-law will arrive and offer some helpful advice (Exodus 18).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.

Accessed 6/15/2025 6:15:43 AM