Exodus 16:34 - Printer Friendly

ESV: As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept.

NIV: As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law, so that it might be preserved.

NASB: As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the Testimony, to be kept.

CSB: As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron placed it before the testimony to be preserved.

NLT: Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded Moses. He eventually placed it in the Ark of the Covenant — in front of the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant.

KJV: As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.

NKJV: As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.

The Lord instructed that a daily ration of manna (Exodus 16:14–16, 21) be kept as a relic for future generations of Israel (Exodus 16:32–33). Aaron is said to have kept this in the ark with the "testimony:" the stone tablets recording God's covenant law (Exodus 25:16). At the time Israel first received manna, neither the Law, the tablets, or the ark had yet been established. For this reason, many commentators believe that these comments (Exodus 16:35) were added by Joshua after Moses' death.

Eventually, this jar would be lost along with the other relics (Hebrews 9:4). When the temple was destroyed in AD 70, all traces of the ark and its contents were gone.

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.

Accessed 6/15/2025 6:11:45 AM