Exodus 16:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

NIV: The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.

NASB: And the house of Israel named the bread manna, and it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey.

CSB: The house of Israel named the substance manna. It resembled coriander seed, was white, and tasted like wafers made with honey.

NLT: The Israelites called the food manna. It was white like coriander seed, and it tasted like honey wafers.

KJV: And 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.

NKJV: And the house of Israel called its name Manna. And it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

The rest of this chapter summarizes God's provision of manna for the people of Israel. The final verses, especially, seem to have been added later—probably by Joshua (Exodus 16:34–35). This is the most detailed description of manna in the Bible. Several words are rarely seen in Scripture and can't be firmly defined. What can be understood seems to describe a flat, thin, white, grain-like material tasting like pastry, honey, and oil.

The name is from the Hebrew word mān', the same thing the Israelites said when they saw it for the first time (Exodus 16:15): "what?" Some have compared this to an English-speaking culture calling the substance "whatsit." Manna appeared every morning as tiny flakes (Exodus 16:14, 21). It was processed like grain (Numbers 11:8).

Manna is compared to coriander. The leaves of the same plant are called "cilantro" in Spanish and in American English. The seeds are roughly 4mm in diameter, or about 5/32 of an inch. This is comparable to the cone-shaped point on a typical wax crayon.

The color is described as "white," though in other verses (Numbers 11:7) manna is also compared to bdellium. "Bdellium" is a resin that can be whitish, orange, or even black depending on the variety. However, the word for bdellium only occurs twice the in the Old Testament (Genesis 2:12) and may refer to an unidentified gemstone. Manna was probably not a vivid white color, but a natural shade.

"Wafers" is translated from a word which only appears here. It seems to indicate flattened pastry-like food. This would make sense of the corresponding taste of honey.

Despite its versatility and miraculous nature, the people of Israel will become bored with the daily supply of manna and begin to complain about it (Numbers 11:4–6).

Exodus 16:31–36 reads like a footnote or appendix to the story of the exodus so far. God commands Israel to keep a small jar of manna for future generations to see. Aaron puts this by the "testimony" (Exodus 25:16) given by God. This miraculous supply of food (Exodus 16:14–16) would happen daily for forty years, until the people came into the Promised Land (Joshua 5:12). Since these events look forward, it seems likely they were included by Moses and Joshua later.

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.