New International Version
Exodus 16:4
4Then 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.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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
2In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” 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. 5On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” 6So 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,
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 78:24he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.
- Psalms 105:40They asked, and he brought them quail; he fed them well with the bread of heaven.
- John 6:31Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
- 1 Corinthians 10:3They all ate the same spiritual food
- Nehemiah 11:23The musicians were under the king’s orders, which regulated their daily activity.
- Proverbs 30:8Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
- Matthew 6:11Give us today our daily bread.
- Luke 11:3Give us each day our daily bread.
- Exodus 15:25Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.
- Deuteronomy 8:2Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
- Joshua 24:15But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, 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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