English Standard Version
Exodus 16:4
4Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.
Exodus 16:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
- New International Version (NIV)Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions.
Context of Exodus 16:4
2And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3and the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily." 6So 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,
Read all of Exodus 16Exodus 16:4 word by word
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה הִנְנִ֨י מַמְטִ֥יר לָכֶ֛ם לֶ֖חֶם מִן־הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְיָצָ֨א הָעָ֤ם וְלָֽקְטוּ֙ דְּבַר־י֣וֹם בְּיוֹמ֔וֹ לְמַ֧עַן אֲנַסֶּ֛נּוּ הֲיֵלֵ֥ךְ בְּתוֹרָתִ֖י אִם־לֹֽא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- unto Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- Behold, I will rainמָטַרmâţar · to rainH4305
- breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
- from heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- for you; and the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- shall go outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- and gatherלָקַטlâqaţ · to gatherH3950
- a certain rateדָּבָרdâbâr · word: portionH1697
- every dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- that I may proveנָסָהnâsâh · to testH5254
- them, whether they will walkיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- in my lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
Cross-references for Exodus 16:4
- Psalms 78:24and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven.
- Psalms 105:40They asked, and he brought quail, and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.
- John 6:31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
- 1 Corinthians 10:3and all ate the same spiritual food,
- Nehemiah 11:23For there was a command from the king concerning them, and a fixed provision for the singers, as every day required.
- Proverbs 30:8Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,
- Matthew 6:11Give us this day our daily bread,
- Luke 11:3Give us each day our daily bread,
- Exodus 15:25And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them,
- Deuteronomy 8:2And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.
- Joshua 24:15And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Commentaries on Exodus 16:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4I will rain bread - Therefore this substance was not a production of the desert: nor was the dew that was the instrument of producing it common there, else they must have had this bread for a month before.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4That I may prove them - The trial consisted in the restriction to the supply of their daily wants.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5These were the Lord’s instructions for gathering the food he gave in the wilderness. He provided enough for each day. On the sixth day, he gave a double portion. This way, the people did not need to gather food on the Sabbath (see 16:21–30). The Israelites kept the Sabbath even before it was written in the Ten Commandments. Many people resist a way of life that requires daily trust in God. We prefer to store up supplies so that we feel independent. But…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Then said the Lord unto Moses--Though the outbreak was immediately against the human leaders, it was indirectly against God: yet mark His patience, and how graciously He promised to redress the grievance. I will rain bread from heaven--Israel, a type of the Church which is from above, and being under the conduct, government, and laws of heaven, received their food from heaven also (Psa 78:24). that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 16:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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