Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 16:14
And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness [there lay] a small round thing, [as] small as the hoar frost on the ground.
14. The Hebrews conceived dew to fall from heaven (Deu 33:13; Deu 33:28, Pro 3:20 al.); and the manna falls with it (so Num 11:9): cf. v. 4, where it is said to be rained ‘from heaven.’
a thin flake (RVm.)] properly, it seems, from the Arabic, ‘a thin scab or scale-like thing ’ (see Di., and Lex.). The word is a peculiar one, and occurs only here: but ‘round’ (Saad., Kimchi, EVV.) has no philological support.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 14. Behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing] It appears that this small round thing fell with the dew, or rather the dew fell first, and this substance fell on it. The dew might have been intended to cool the ground, that the manna on its fall might not be dissolved; for we find from Ex 16:21, that the heat of the sun melted it. The ground therefore being sufficiently cooled by the dew, the manna lay unmelted long enough for the Israelites to collect a sufficient quantity for their dally use.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
When the dew was gone up, to wit, into the air; or, was vanished, as the word ascend is used Jer 48:15.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And when the dew that lay was gone up,…. Exhaled by the sun upon the rising of it:
behold, upon the face of the wilderness; upon the surface of it, all around the camp of Israel:
there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground; which is what is in the next verse called “manna”. Before the sun rose there was nothing but a dew to be seen; when that was gone off through the force of the sun, then the manna appeared; which was but a “small thing”, and very unpromising for food, and especially for such a vast number of people; and a “round” thing, for which it is after compared to a coriander seed, as is thought; though the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan do not interpret the word of the round form, but rather refer to its smallness; and which is expressed in the Vulgate Latin version,
“small, and as if beat with a pestle;”
and for its white colour, as well as its smallness, it looked like hoar frost on the ground. Jarchi says there were two dews, within which it lay as something covered in a box, and he seems to be right; for it is certain from Nu 11:9, that there was a dew which fell first, and then the manna fell upon it; and from hence it is plain also, that there was a dew over the manna, which went up from it when the sun rose: and the design of this seems to be to keep this heavenly bread pure and clean for the Israelites, that it might neither partake of the dust nor sand of the wilderness where it fell, and that nothing might light upon it until the time of gathering it came. The Jews, in memory of this, will sometimes put bread upon the table between two table cloths n; and it is highly probable, that to this the allusion is of the “hidden manna” in Re 2:17, by which is meant our Lord Jesus Christ, the antitype of this manna, as will be observed as we pass on, in all the circumstances of it; the manna came with the dew, and was covered with it, and hid in it; Christ is the gift of God’s free grace to the sons of men, and is exhibited in the word of grace, where he lies hid to men in the glory of his person and the fulness of his grace, until revealed and made known. The figure of the manna being “round”, which is a perfect figure, may denote the perfection of Christ in his person, natures, and office; he being perfectly God and perfectly man, having all the essential perfections both of the divine and human natures in him, as well as all fulness of grace; and being made perfect through sufferings, is become a complete Saviour, and by his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, has perfected for ever his sanctified ones: and the manna being “small”, may signify the meanness of Christ in the eyes of men in his state of humiliation, and the unpromising appearance he made of being the Saviour and King of Israel; the white colour of it may direct to the purity of Christ, to the holiness of his natures, and the beauty of his person, being white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousands.
n Vid. Fagium in loc.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
14. And when the dew that lay was gone up. The shape of the manna is here briefly described, viz., that it was like the dew condensed into small round grains. Its taste will be also mentioned elsewhere; but here it was sufficient to show, that this fecundity was not natural, but miraculously given to the clouds, so that they should daily rain manna. For as to the idle talk of certain profane persons, (176) that the manna falls naturally in certain countries, who would thus display the force of their genius, as if they convicted Moses of falsehood, because he mightily extols a mere trifle, — it! is all an absurdity which may be easily refuted. It is indeed true, that in certain parts of the world they collect white grains, to which the name of manna has been vulgarly given, but (177) which one of the Rabbins will have to be Arabic; but it is neither a food, nor does it drop daily from the clouds, nor has it anything in common with this food, which the Prophet properly dignifies with the title of “angels’ food,” because God, who opens the bowels of the earth for the ordinary food of man, at that time made provision for the nourishment of His people from heaven. And that it may appear beyond a doubt that this food was then created miraculously, and contrary to the order of nature, these points are to be taken into consideration. First, It did not appear in the wilderness before the hour assigned by Moses in obedience to God’s command. Secondly, No change of weather prevented the manna from dropping in a regular measure; neither frost, nor rain, nor heat, nor winter, nor summer, interrupted the course of its distillation. Thirdly, A quantity sufficient for the immense multitude was found every day, when they took up an omer for every individual. Again, on the sixth day, the quantity was doubled, that they might lay by a second omer for their Sabbath food. Fifthly, If they preserved any beyond their due allowance, it was subject to putrefaction, whereas, on the Sabbath day, the second portion remained good. Sixthly, Wherever they were, this blessing of God always accompanied them, whilst the neighboring nations lived on corn, and the manna was only known in their camp. Seventhly, As soon as they entered a fruitful and corn-growing country, the manna ceased. Eighthly, That portion, which Moses was commanded to lay up in a vessel, did not grow corrupt. Let these points be well weighed, and the miracle will be more than sufficiently conspicuous, and will disperse all the clouds of objection by its intrinsic brightness.
(176) “And even now in all that place this manna comes down in rain, according to what Moses then obtained of God, to send it the people for their sustenance.” — Josephus. Antiq. , 3: 1. 6. Burekhardt identifies it with a substance called manna, obtained still by the Arabs from the tarfa or tamarisk; and Rosenmuller speaks of it as being obtained from various trees in different countries. We can well understand the name having been given to any substance, which in some respects resembled it; but there does not appear to be any real correspondence in those which the critics mention.
(177) This is from S. M. , who says that Aben-Ezra has affirmed man to be an Arabic noun. — W.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(14) Was gone upi.e., was drawn up by the heat of the sun.
A small round thing, as small as the hoar frost.What the manna was has been much disputed. There are two natural substances, quite distinct, with which it has been compared, and by some persons identified. One is a deposit from the air, which falls indifferently on trees, stones, grass, &c, and is generally thick and sticky, like honey, but under certain circumstances is concreted into small granular masses. This bas been described by Aristotle (Hist. An., v. 22), Pliny (H. N., xi. 12), Avicenna(p. 212), lian (Hist. An., xv. 7), Shaw, Forskal, and others. It has been called or air-honey (Athen. Deipn, xi., p. 500). It is collected by the Arabs, and eaten with their unleavened cakes as a condiment. It so far resembles the manna that it comes with the dew, is spread upon the ground generally, and melts when the suns rays attain a certain power (dmann: Misc. Collect., vol. iv., p. 7). But it is never found in large quantities; it does not fall for more than two months in the year; and it is wholly unfit to serve as mans principal food, being more like honey than anything else. The other substance is a gum which exudes from certain trees at certain seasons of the year, in consequence of the punctures made in their leaves by a small insect, the Coccus manniparus. It has been described at length by C. Niebuhr in his Description de l Arabie (pp. 128, 129); by Rauwolf (Travels, vol. I., p. 94); Gmelin (Travels through Russia to Persia, Part III., p. 28), and others. It is comparatively a dry substance, is readily shaken from the leaves, and consists of small yellowish white grains, which are hard, and have been compared to coriander seed by moderns (Rauwolf, 50s.100). The name manna attaches in the East to this latter substance, which is employed both as a condiment, like the air-honey, and also as a laxative. The special points in which it differs from the manna of Scripture are its confinement to certain trees or bushes, its comparative permanency, for it accumulates on the leaves (Niebuhr, p. 129), and its unfitness for food. It has also, like the air-honey, only a short seasonthe months of July and August.
The manna of Scripture in certain respects resembles the one, and in certain other respects the other of these substances, but in its most important characteristics resembles neither, and is altogether sui generis. For (1) it was adapted to be mens principal nourishment, and served the Israelites as such for forty years; (2) it was supplied in quantities far exceeding anything that is recorded of the natural substances compared with it; (3) it continued through the whole of the year; (4) for forty years it fell regularly for six nights following, and ceased upon the seventh night; (5) it bred worms if kept to a second day, when gathered on five days out of the six, but when gathered on the sixth day continued good throughout the seventh, and bred no worms. The manna of Scripture must therefore be regarded as a miraculous substance, created ad hoc, and not as a natural product. It pleased the Creator, however, to proceed on the lines of Nature, so to speak, and to assimilate His new to certain of His old creations.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. A small round thing, as small as the hoar frost Rather, A thing fine, and in fine scales, fine as the hoar frost . It was in small and white grains . The tamarisk manna is white when it drops upon the clean rocks .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 16:14. When the dew was gone, behold, &c. Let us just observe, how unnecessary the expletive words are here. Read the passage without them, and you will see its greater propriety.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Manna, or as it is, Man-hu; that is, what is it? A nameless, great mercy: sweet and pleasant to the taste, and probably from its qualities medicinal also. Under how many and various ways was it recommended to the Israelites? It was from above. It was the Lord’s immediate gift. It formed a daily supply; new and pure every morning. It was a stated mercy, not merely for a day or two, but for forty years continuance. Is not that petition in the Lord’s prayer founded upon it: Give us this day our daily bread? And is not that precept, Mat_6:25-26; Mat_6:34 . But Reader! let you and I look at it spiritually. Oh! how sweet is it to behold in it Jesus. Hail, thou dear Redeemer! thou art indeed the bread of life, the heavenly, the hidden manna. Oh! may I eat of thee, and live forever. See Joh 6:35-58 ; Rev 2:17 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 16:14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness [there lay] a small round thing, [as] small as the hoar frost on the ground.
Ver. 14. The dew that lay. ] And covered the manna: whence that promise of hidden manna in Rev 2:17 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
small = thin.
round thing = flakey.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the dew: Num 11:7-9, Deu 8:3, Neh 9:15, Psa 78:24, Psa 105:40
the hoar frost: Psa 147:16
Reciprocal: Lev 8:11 – General Num 11:9 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 16:14. When the dew was gone up To wit, into the air; or was vanished, there lay a small round thing According to Num 11:9, there was a dew which fell before the manna; for it is said, when the dew fell in the night, the manna fell upon it. But it appears here, that there was also a dew upon it, which went up when the sun rose. So that the manna lay as it were enclosed. This might be designed to keep it pure and clean.