Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 2 · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
1, The Israelites come to the wildernesse of Sin. 2, They murmur for want of bread. 4, God promiseth them bread from heaven. 11, Quailes are sent, 14, and Manna. 16, The ordering of the Manna. 25, It was not to be found on the Sabbath. 32, An Omer of it is kept for the generations following.
AND they journeyed from Elim; and all the congregation of the sonnes of Israel came unto the wildernesse of Sin, which is betweene Elim and Sinai, in the fifteenth day of the second monethmonth after their departing out of the land of Egypt. And all the congregation of the sonnes of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wildernesse. And the sonnes of Israel said unto them, O wee wish wee had died by the hand of Iehovah, in the land of Egypt, when we sate by the flesh pots, when we did eat bread to the full: for yee have brought us forth into this wildernesse, to kill this whole assemblie with hunger. And Iehovah said unto Moses, Behold, I will raine unto you bread from the heavens; and the people shall goe out and gather a daies portion in his day, that I may prove them, whether they will walke in my Law, or not. And it shall be, in the sixt day, then they shall prepare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice so much as they gather day by day. And Moses and Aaron said unto all the sons of Israel, In the evening then yee shall know that Iehovah hath brought you out from the land of Egypt. And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of Iehovah, for that he heareth your murmurings against Iehovah: And what are we, that yee murmure against us? And Moses said, (This shall be) when Iehovah shall give unto you in the evening flesh to eat, and bread in the morning to the full: for that Iehovah heareth your murmurings, which ye murmure against him: and what are wee? your murmurings are not against us, but against Iehovah. And Moses said un…o Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the sonnes of Israel, Come neere before Iehovah: for he hath heard your murmurings. And it was, as Aaron spake unto all the congregation of the sonnes of Israel, and they looked toward the wildernesse, that behold the glory of Iehovah appeared in the cloud. And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the sonnes of Israel: Speake unto them, saying, Between the two evenings ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning yee shall bee filled with bread: and ye shall know that I am Iehovah your God. And it was in the evening, that the Quailes came up, & covered the campe; and in the morning there was a dew that lay …ound about the campe. And the dew that …ay went up, and behold, upon the face of the wildernesse was a small round thing, small as the …oare frost, on the earth. And the sonnes of Israel saw it, and said each man unto his brother, It is Manna; for they knew not what it was: and Moses said unto them This is the bread which Iehovah hath given unto you to eat. This is the word which Iehovah hath commanded: gather ye of it, every man according to his eating; an Omer for an head, according to the number of your soules; yee shall take every man for them which are in his tent. And the sonnes of Israel did so; and they gathered, both he that did (gather) more, and he that did (gather) lesse. And they did mete it with an Omer; and he that had gathered much, had nothing over; and he that had gathered little, had no lacke: they gathered, every man according to his eating. And Moses said unto them, let no man leave of it till the morning. And they hearkened not unto Moses, but some men left of it untill the morning, and it bred wormes and stanke: and Moses was wroth with them. And they gathered it morning by morning every man according to his eating: and when the Sunne waxed hot, it melted. And it was in the sixt day, they gathered twice so much bread, two Omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came, and told Moses. And he said unto them, This is that which Iehovah hath spoken, To morrow is the sabbatisme, the Sabbath of holinesse to Iehovah: bake that which yee will bake, and seeth that which yee will seeth; and all that remaineth over, lay up for you, for a reservation untill the morning. And they laid it up untill the morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stinke, neither was there a worme therein. And Moses said, Eat that to day, for it is the Sabbath to day unto Iehovah: to day ye shall not finde it in the field. Sixe daies ye shall gather it: but in the seventh day, the Sabbath, in it there shall bee none. And it was, in the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, and they found none. And Iehovah said unto Moses, How long refuse yee to keepe my commandements, and my lawes? See, because Iehovah hath given you the Sabbath, therfore he giveth you in the sixt day the bread of two dayes: abide ye every man in his place; let no man goe out of his place in the seventh day. And the people rested in the seventh day. 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 with honey. And Moses said, This is the word which Iehovah commandeth: Fill an Omer of it, for a reservation for your generations, that they may see the bread which I have given you to eat in the wildernesse, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take thou one golden pot, and put there an Omer full of Manna, and lay it up before Iehovah, for a reservation for your generations. As Iehovah commanded unto Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimonie, for a reservation. And the sonnes of Israel did eat Manna forty yeeres, untill they came to a land inhabited: they did eat Manna untill they came unto the border of the land of Canaan. Now an Omer is the tenth (part) of an Ephah.
Annotations.
OF Sin] after they had beene againe by the red sea; which journey here omitted, Moses expresseth in Num. 33. 10. 11. It had the name of Sin a strong citie of Egypt, neere which this wildernesse lay, Ezek. 30. 15. 16. The wildernesse whereinto God brought his people, was a place of great wants and afflictions, as is noted on Exod. 3. 18. therein God tried their faith and patience, and suffred their manners forty yeeres, Act. 13. 18. It figured the peoples of the world, through whom God leadeth his Church; as it is said, I will bring you into the wildernesse of the peoples, and there will I plead with you face to face, as I pleaded with your fathers, in the wildernesse of the land of Egypt, Ezek. 20. 35. 36. Sinai] the mount called also Horeb, where the Law was given; see Exod. 3. 1. and 19. 1. 18. after] or, from their departing: so an whole monethmonth, they lived of their provision brought out of Egypt: which being spent, they murmure. Here the Hebrew letseth, of departure, is put for mitseth, from or after their departure: so in Exod. 19. 1. Num. 33. 38. Ezr. 3. 8. The Scripture sometime sheweth this, as laleketh, 1 King. 12. 24. is explained milleketh, from going, 2 Chron. 11. 4.
Vers. 3. O we wish] Hebr. who will give: which is a wish, oh that some would give; or, that God would grant; namely, to have ones request, as is explained in Iob 6. 8. by the hand;] the Chaldee saith, by the word: the Greeke explaineth it, smitten of the Lord. This was in them a desperate unthankfulnesse, with contumelious cariage against God and his ministers: and is written for an ensample to us, not to doe the like; as 1 Cor. 10. 10. 11. So they murmured againe, Num. 14. 2. this whole assemblie] or, all this Church. The wildernesse whereinto God brought his people, was a land of drought, and of the shadow of death; a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt, Ier. 2. 6. They that wandred there, hungry and thirsty, their soule …inted in them, Psal. 107. 5. There the Lord afflicted Israel, and suffered them to hunger, that he might prove them, and doe them good at their latter end, Deuteronomie …. 3. 16. But as yet, this generation had not prepared their heart ar…ght, and their spirit was not faithfull with God, Psal. 78. 8.
Vers. 4. bread,] Manna, the wheat of heaven, whereof they made themselves bread or meat, Psal, 78. 24. portion,] Hebr. word: put for any thing: and here for the portion of meat by the day. Wherby God taught them also, to take no thought for the morrow, what they should eat or drinke; as Matth. 6. 31. 34. prove them] or tempt them▪ Heb. him, meaning the peoples, spoken of as of one man. Therefore the scripture useth these indifferently, as is shewed on Gen. 22. 17. And this end of proving (or tempting) the people, is also mentioned in Deut. 8. 2. Exod. 15. 25.
Vers. 5. then they shall] Hebr. and they shall prepare. This is meant of every sixt day, the evening of the Sabbath; then were they to make ready their food, that there might bee no working, or fire kindled on the Sabbath day; as verse 23. and Exod. 35. 3. day by day,] that is, daily: see Genesis 39. 10.
Vers. 6. Iehovah hath brought] and not we of our selves, as was objected, verse 3. So hee assureth them (by the miracle of Quailes which God would give) that their calling into that place and stare, was of the Lord.
Vers. 7. the glory] a visible signe of Christs glorious presence among them, appearing in the cloud; as vers. 10. to assure them, that the Lord was with them in the midst of all their wants: (whereof they also doubted now, as againe afterward, in Exod. 17. 7.) and that hee heard their murmurings. By such apparations God used to represse the peoples tumultuous rage, Num. 14. 10. and 16. 42. and 12. 5. But when he withdrew the cloud, it was a signe of his face and favour withdrawne from them, Exod. 33. 7. 9. 10. Or by the glory of Iehovah, may be meant that glorious worke of his, the Manna which they saw in the morning, verse 15. So Christs divine worke, in raising Lazarus from the dead, is called the glory of God, Ioh. 11. 40. So glory is used for glorious workes, in Num. 14. 21. 22.
Vers. 8. This shall be,] or understand from verse 6. ye shall know this. Such wants are often to bee supplied, as in Exod. 45. not against us,] to wit, us onelyonly, or, us so much as against the Lord: for it was also against them, verse 2. The like speech is in 1 Sam. 8. 7. Ioh. 12. 44. See also Gen. 32. 28. against Iehovah,] the Chaldee expounds it, against the word of the Lord.
Vers. 9. before Iehovah] that is, assemble together before the cloud: wherein Iehovahs glorious presence was manifested, verse 10. So Vzzah died before God, 1 Chron. 13. 10. that is, by the Arks of God, 2 Sam. 6. 7. And the commandement to appeare before the Lord Iehovah, Exod. 23. 17. was at the place which hee did chuse to put his name there; namely, the Tabernacle, or Temple, Deut. 12. 5. 6. Levit. 17. 4. 5. 1 King. 14. 21.
Vers. 10. the wildernesse] where the cloud went before the people to guide them, Exod. 13. 21.
Vers. 12. betweene the two evenings,] towards eventide, as the Greeke explaineth it: see Exodus 12. 6. … … came evening, for naturally they … in the day. time over the sea, and came to land towards even▪ see Num. 11. 31. And Manna came …ing because it fell with the morning dew. The Quailes are not in Scripture noted to be a spi…, … Manna, 1 Cor. 10. 3. the flesh therefore which was to fill their bellies came towards night the time of darknesse: but the bread of heaven came in the morning, which usually signifieth th… of grace from the Lord, Psal. 30. 6. and 143. 8. Lam. 3. 22. 23. filled with bread,] in ea…ng with Manna, a figure of Christ, the Bread of life that came downe from heaven, Ioh. 6. 48. 58. VntoUnto this speech Moses seemeth to have reference, in Psal. 90. 14. Fill us in the morning with thy mercy.
Vers. 13. the quailes,] Hebr. the quaile: put for a multitude of quailes: (as frog, for frogs, Exod. 8. 6.) A like miracle God wrought for them about a yeere after this, Num. 11. 31. This David rehearseth, in Psal. 105. 40. they asked, and he brought the Quaile. that lay,] or, that lay poured out: Hebr. a…bed (or, an effusion) of dew: the Chaldee translateth a descension of dew, that is, dew which descended or fell downe; which agreeth with Num. 11. 9. And the Psalmist saith, God opened the doores of heaven and rained upon them Manna, Psal. 78. 23. 24. The dew is often used to signifie the blessing and favour of God, as Genes. 27. 28. Iob 29. 19. Esa. 26. 19. Hos. 14. 6. Mich. 5. 7. Zach. 8. 12. and in mysticall speech of the birth of Christ, (figured by this Manna) the dew is mentioned, Psal. 110. 3. And as the preaching of the Word is likened to the dew, Deut, 32. 2. so Manna falling in and with the dew, figured Christ given unto us by the preaching of the Gospell, Rom. 1. 16. 17. and 10. 8. 14. Gal. 3. 1. 2. The Hebrew Doctors say of the dew, that the holy blessed God will raise up the dead unto life therewith, in the time that is to come: and that is the Manna prepared for the just in the world to come. R. Menachem on Exod. 16.
Vers. 14. went up,] into the ayre, vanishing with the heat of the Sun. So going up is used for going away, or vanishing, in Ierem. 48. 15. roundthing,] or bare thing, as the Chaldee translateth it, pilled. The Greeke saith, like coriander; according to verse 31. So that the Manna was covered, and as it were hidden with the dew upon it, till it ascended, and lay also upon dew under it, Num. 11. 9. to which it seemeth the Scripture hath reference, when it promiseth Manna that is hid, Revel. 2. 17. Manna,] so the Chaldee and the Holy Ghost … Greeke calleth it, Ioh. 6. 31. of the Hebrew Man▪ which by interpretation signifieth a prepared (or distributed) portion: for it was a ready meat … as it was gathered, if they would, or to beat, g…de and bake, as the people liked, Num. 11. 8. And the Iew Doctors, some of them so explaine it, calling it Angels food; a prepared bread sent from heaven, without …an labour, able to content every mans …, and a … to every taste, Wisd. 16. 20. Others at the …. Greeke interpreters, Philo. …. 2. … of the Law, … Solomon, &c. and others … it, What is this▪ because (as Moses saith) they know not what it was. The Manna whereof Galen and other Physitians write, and which at this day is used for medicine, not for meat, differeth in many things, from this Manna which God gave unto Israel every day, the space of 40 yeeres, till they came into the land of Canaan, Ios. 5. 12. God by it both fed their bodies and soules, teaching them hereby, that man liveth not by bread onelyonly, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord, Deut. 8. 3. and it was a spirituall meat, 1 Cor. 1. 30. and a figure of Christ, the true Bread, whom the Father hath given us from heaven, Ioh. 6. 31. 32. 48. 49. 51. and of the spirituall comforts which Christ filleth his people with, Reve. 2. 17. And so the Iewes (though now ignorant of this grace) have heretofore acknowledged it to bee a figure of the food of just men in the world to come; R. Isaak on Gen. 1. and R Menachem on Exodus 16. See more in Num. 11. 7. 8. Psal. 78. 23.—25.
Vers. 16. an Omer,] or Gomer as the Greeke calleth it Gomer: the tenth part of an Epha or bushell; see verse 36. an head] or skull, poll: that is, for a person; the head being put for the whole man. So in Exod. 38. 26.
Vers. 17. both he that did gather more,] or, some did gather more, and some lesse: but the former exposition the Greeke followeth, here and in the 18. verse, which the Apostle also approveth, 2 Corinthians 8. 15.
Vers. 18. nothing over,] to wit, besides an Omer full for a man, according to the number of persons in his familie: and so there was an equality both for poore and rich; and hereupon the Apostle gathereth a reason to perswade unto liberality, and communication of Gods blessings one with another, 2 Cor. 8. 14. 15. It figured also the equall portion which all sorts of beleevers have in Christ our heavenly Manna, Gal. 3. 28. 29. 2 Pet. 1. 1.
Vers. 20. it bred,] Hebr. wormed wormes, that is, bred abundantly, or crawled full of wormes. This miraculous judgment God sheweth for their unbeleefe, curiositie, and disobedience; and taught them to be contented with things present, without covetous caring for the morrow; as Heb. 13. 5. Matthew 6. 31. 34. Compare also the law of the Passover, whereof nothing might be left till the morning, Exod. 12. 10. Iesus said unto the Iewes, Moses gave you not the bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true Bread from heaven, Ioh. 6. 32. so Manna was but a shadow and figure, which when the truth is come by Christ, is (as all other shadowes) become vaine and unprofitable, to the corruption and hurt of those that retaine them, Col. 2. 16. 17. Gal. 4. 9. 10. 11. Heb. 13. 10.
Vers. 21. and when,] or, for when the Sunne waxed hot, and so heated the Manna, it melted; therefore they were to gather it in the morning: whereby God taught them diligence to provide for the food of their bodies and soules, whiles they had time and meanes. Compare Pro. 10. 4. 5. and 6. 6. 8. Ioh, 12. 35. Gal. 6. 10. The like here followeth, for no Manna to bee found on the Sabbath day, verse 25. 26.
Verse 23. sabbatisme,] that is, rest, or cessation: but … the … …ath, is retained by the … in … Sabb…. Matth. 12. 5. 8. so the Hebrew Sha…bat…, (here used) is by the Apostle Sabbatismos … sabbatisme, in Heb. 4. 9. by interpretation, a Rest whereof see Gen. 2. 2. Hereby it appeareth, that the keeping of the Sabbath was before the Law given at mount Sinai, Ex. 20. of …] that is, an holy Sabbath & both these joyned together, signifie an exact and carefull rest. So Exod. 35. 2. Levit. 23. 3. for a reservation] that is, to be reserved or kept: so in vers. 32. 33. 34.
Verse … that to day,] as they that laboured in the sixt day, had what to eat on the Sabbath: so they that in this life (whiles God giveth time to worke,) doe labour in Christ, shall have in the life to come, the fruition of their labours, with eternall rest in heaven, Ioh. 6. 27. 29. 58. Gal. 6. 7. …0.
Vers. 26. there shall be none] This life and world is the time and place of working; the world to come is for reward, when it will be too late to seeke for Manna, if we have gathered none before, Matth. 25. 8 9. 10. And thus the Hebrewes of old understood this figure, saying; As in the sixe daies a man must prepare for the Sabbath, both in respect of food and of worke: so if a man prepare not aright his workes in this world, he shall have nothing to eat in the world to come. Againe they say, The Sabbath, in it there shall be none, Exod. 16. this signifieth the world which shall bee all Sabbath; for there shall bee there no doing of the Law, but receiving of reward; as our Doctors of blessed memory have explained it, Who so laboureth in the evening of the Sabbath, he shall eat in the Sabbath. R. Elias, in Sepher reshith chochmah, treat. of Holinesse, cap. 2. foli… 194▪ b.
V. 29. Out of his place] The Sabbath was sanctified with an holy convocation, or assembling of the people in Synagogues, Lev. 23. 3. Act. 15. 21. This place therefore whereto God restraineth them, was not their private tents, but the camp of Israel: out of which they might not goe on the Sabbath. From hence the Hebrewes gathered a generall prohibition of going out of towne on such dayes; and held it unlawfull to travell beyond the suburbs of any citie, which suburbs they set to be two thousand cubits, from the Law in Num. 35. 5. and a like space was betweene the Arke of God and the people, at their passage over Iordan, Ios. 3. 4. The Chaldee paraphrase on Ruth 1. 16. (in the Masorites Bible,) saith, Naomi said unto Ruth, we are commanded to keep the Sabbaths & good daies, (that is feasts,) & not to goe above two thousand cubits. The like measure is set in the …. Thalmud, in Eurobin, c. 4. And R. D. Kimchi …n his annotatiōs on Eze. 48. 7. saith, two thousand cubits are a mile; meaning an Italian (or English) mile. Hereupon in the Apostles dayes the speech was common of a Sabbath dayes journey: and so farre Mount Oliver was from Ierusalem, Acts 1. 12. where the Syriak explaineth it, almost seven furlongs. In the Hebrewes canons it is said; Who so goeth out of the limits of a citie on the Sabbath day, is to be beaten: for it is said, Let no man goe out of his place in the seventh day, (Ex. 16. 29.) this place is the limits of the time, &c. By the doctrine of the Scribes no man may goe out of a citie above two thousand cubits; to goe further, is unlawfull for 2000. cubits, are the … of a …, &c. Maimony in Misneh, treat of the Sabbath, c. …7. …. 1. 2.
V. 31. like cortander] in shape & quantity: but the colour white as … or crystall, Num. 11. 7. The Heb. Gad is not found in this signification, but here and in Num. … 7. some think it to be …d: but the Greeke cor…, and the Chaldee Cusbar, (in Thargum Ierusalemy,) which is the Arabik name of Coriander, doe confirm the common translation. taste of it] to wi…, as it was gathered and uncoqued, was like …; but being baked, &c. it tasted like … …. ….
V. 33 golden pot,] so the Apostle in Heb▪ 9. 4. (following the common G… version) translated this word, which is not found but in this …oly place. put there,] Heb. give there the fulnesse of an Omer. before Ieh vah:] that is before the Arke of testimonie, which was a signe of Gods presence. So it is explained in v. 34. And in … Chro. 20. …3. all Iudah stood before Iehovah, …hat is, in the house of Iehovah, verse 5.
Vers. 34. Testimonie,] that is, the tables of Gods law which were in the Arke, which testified Gods will to the people: see Exod. 25 16. 21. These were given afterward at mount Sinai, and there the Arke was made; although therefore Moses rehearseth the thing here, to make a full end of the storie of Manna, yet the performance of this was not till after.
Vers. 35. did eat Manna:] all of them for their naturall food, and it preserved their life: but many of them pleased not God, by reason of their unbeleefe, 1 Coriathians 10. 5. Iude verse 5. therefore though they did eat Manna, yet they are dead, Ioh. 6. 49. even as they that now eat the Lords Supper unworthily, are guilty of his body and blood, and doe eat judgement to themselves, not discerning the Lords body, 1 Cor. 11. 27. 29. but they that by beleeving in Christ, doe eat the true bread which came downe from heaven, doe not die, but have life eternall, and he will raise them up at the last day, Iohn 6. 35. 47. 51. 54.
Vers. 36. Ephah,] a common measure, much like and English bushel; containing three Seahs (or pecks) mentioned in Gen. 18. 6. as the Chaldee here translateth, an Omer is one of ten (that is, the tenth part) of three Seahs: so also the Greek saith, the tenth of three measures. The Ephah therefore contained so much as 432. hens egges; about 7. gallons and a halfe of our measure. So the Omer was more than twice so much as the Chaenix▪ (a measure spoken of in Rev. 6. 6.) which Chaenix was wont to be a mans allowance of bread corne for a day. By which Gods bounty appeared to his people, in allowing for every of them daily, an Omer of Manna (verse 16.) which contained so much as 43. hens egges, and somewhat more.