Exodus 16:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, "At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

NIV: So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt,

NASB: So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, 'At evening you will know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt;

CSB: So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites: "This evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

NLT: So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, 'By evening you will realize it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

KJV: And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:

NKJV: Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, “At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Moses was God's chosen representative to lead Israel out of slavery (Exodus 3:7–10). Moses' brother, Aaron, served as the public speaker for Moses' revelations (Exodus 4:13–16). Here, they tell the people to anticipate God's answer to their recent complaints (Exodus 16:1–3). God plans to provide the people with exactly the amount of food they need; this will be a test to see if they trust Him enough to follow His directions (Exodus 16:4–5).

The people are to gather a single day's worth of God's provision, later called "manna" (Exodus 16:15, 31). On the sixth day, they are to gather two days' worth, so they can observe a Sabbath rest on the seventh day (Exodus 16:23).

The Lord provides these signs to remind the people of His power and His role in their freedom. These Israelites are aware that God freed them from slavery (Exodus 12:40–41). They have recent memories of powerful plagues (Exodus 3:19–20) and spectacular miracles (Exodus 13:21–22; 14:21–28). The point is not that they have literally forgotten, but that they need to put faith behind their knowledge.

Exodus 16:1–12 describes how Israel left the oasis at Elim and began complaining to Moses about food. Moses takes these grievances to the Lord, who explains His response. God will provide meat and bread despite the people unfairly criticizing Moses and Aaron. This provision will remind Israel of God's position as their Lord.

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.