Exodus 16 10

Exodus 16:10 kjv

And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

Exodus 16:10 nkjv

Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

Exodus 16:10 niv

While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud.

Exodus 16:10 esv

And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

Exodus 16:10 nlt

And as Aaron spoke to the whole community of Israel, they looked out toward the wilderness. There they could see the awesome glory of the LORD in the cloud.

Exodus 16 verses

Exodus 16 10 Meaning

Exodus 16:10 describes the moment when, immediately following the Israelites' grumbling about hunger in the Wilderness of Sin, the full assembly witnessed the tangible manifestation of God's majestic presence. The "glory of Yahweh" visibly appeared within the guiding cloud, signifying God's direct intervention and His intention to provide for His people, even in the face of their widespread discontent. This visible demonstration served to confirm His sovereign authority and validate the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

Exodus 16 10 Context

Exodus Chapter 16 begins with the Israelites, newly delivered from Egypt and having miraculously crossed the Red Sea, finding themselves in the Wilderness of Sin. Despite their liberation, they soon face extreme hunger and begin to murmur against Moses and Aaron, longing for the "pots of meat" they had in Egypt, even preferring slavery to starvation. This verse (16:10) immediately follows this widespread grumbling and sets the stage for Yahweh's response: the supernatural provision of manna and quail. It underscores God's attentiveness to His people's suffering, but more profoundly, His desire to reveal Himself as their sovereign provider and the only true God, who would guide and sustain them through the wilderness, testing their obedience and building their faith. The immediate historical context is their precarious survival after leaving established civilization, placing them entirely dependent on divine provision.

Exodus 16 10 Word analysis

• And as Aaron spoke (וַיְהִי בְּדַבֵּר אַהֲרֹן, Vayehí bedabbér Ahăron): Aaron, as Moses' divinely appointed spokesman (Ex 4:16, 7:1), is the one delivering the message. This act highlights the orderly, authoritative nature of the communication, affirming his role and Moses' (behind Aaron) as God's representatives. The verb form implies an ongoing or preparatory action, indicating the message was in progress when the manifestation occurred.
• to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel (אֶל-כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, el kol-'ădat Bəné Yiśrā'ēl): "Congregation" (עֵדָה, 'edah) refers to the organized assembly of the people. The phrase emphasizes the collective and universal nature of both the murmuring and the divine revelation. Everyone was meant to hear, witness, and learn from this moment. It signifies God's direct address to His entire covenant community, not just a select few.
• they looked toward the wilderness (וַיִּפְנוּ אֶל-הַמִּדְבָּר, vayyiphnu el-hammidbār): "Wilderness" (מִדְבָּר, midbār) is a desolate, often dangerous, and empty expanse. The act of "looking" (panah) implies turning, either out of desperation, expectation of doom, or a realization that their help must come from beyond conventional sources. This action provides a visual counterpoint to where their help would truly come from – not from the wilderness itself, but from the God who rules over it. The wilderness is portrayed throughout Exodus as a setting for divine testing and revelation.
• and behold (וְהִנֵּה, veHinnēh): This interjection is a particle of sudden attention, indicating an immediate, unexpected, and significant event. It functions to draw the reader's attention to the divine appearance that is about to unfold, creating a sense of drama and awe. It often signals a new or surprising development in the narrative.
• the glory of Yahweh (כְּבוֹד יְהוָה, Kevod YHWH): This is a crucial theological concept. "Glory" (kavod) denotes the weighty presence, manifest majesty, power, and splendor of God. It's not God's intrinsic essence, which no man can see and live (Ex 33:20), but rather a visible manifestation that reveals His divine nature. It conveys God's honor and dignity. This appearance silences human complaint with divine grandeur, affirming God's unique identity and sovereignty over His creation and covenant people. It’s a polemic against the mute and powerless gods of Egypt and other nations.
• appeared (נִרְאָה, nir'ah): From the root ra'ah (רָאָה), meaning "to see," this verb in the Niphal stem (passive) emphasizes that the glory was seen or made visible. It implies a deliberate, self-manifesting act by God. This was a clear, unambiguous visual event, underscoring the objective reality of God's presence rather than a subjective experience or imagination. It implies that God took the initiative to reveal Himself to them.
• in the cloud (בֶּעָנָן, be'ānān): The "cloud" ('ānān) is a prominent symbol of God's presence, particularly in the wilderness narrative (e.g., Ex 13:21). It serves a dual purpose: it conceals the full intensity of God's unapproachable holiness while simultaneously making His presence visible and guiding His people. It acts as a veil, mediating between God's divine perfection and humanity's limited capacity. The cloud represents God's controlled, revealed presence, often associated with divine judgment and salvation, emphasizing that God, unlike human rulers, leads and provides from a concealed, yet clearly present, manifestation.

Words-group analysis:

• "The glory of Yahweh appeared in the cloud": This phrase describes a theophany, a visible manifestation of God. It unites two critical divine motifs in Exodus: the awesome majesty of "glory" and the familiar, guiding "cloud." This combination validates Moses and Aaron's leadership and reconfirms God's covenant with Israel. It directly addresses their doubts and grumbling by visibly reminding them of Yahweh's immanent and transcendent power, assuring them of His continued protection and provision despite their unworthiness. It functions as a powerful, non-verbal declaration of God's immediate involvement in their wilderness journey and directly counters any despair over their seemingly hopeless situation.

Exodus 16 10 Bonus section

• The appearance of God's glory often signals a crucial moment of divine communication or a new phase in God's interaction with humanity. Here, it marks the shift from grumbling to divine provision and sustenance, a cornerstone for the wilderness journey.
• The wilderness journey itself is depicted as a prolonged test (Deut 8:2-3), and the visible glory serves as a constant reminder of God's presence during these trials. It educates the Israelites about God's faithfulness and their need for total reliance on Him.
• The phrase "glory of Yahweh" sets a precedent for later manifestations of God's presence in the Tabernacle (Ex 40:34-35) and Solomon's Temple (1 Kgs 8:10-11), connecting this wilderness event to the established places of worship where God's presence would dwell.
• This specific instance of God's glory appearing directly after Israel's murmuring reinforces the idea that their complaints were fundamentally against God, not merely against Moses and Aaron. God directly responds to their offense with a display of His majesty and promise.

Exodus 16 10 Commentary

Exodus 16:10 provides a powerful divine response to the Israelites' murmuring, preceding the miraculous provision of manna and quail. Rather than immediate judgment for their unfaithfulness, God chose to reveal His majestic presence through "the glory of Yahweh in the cloud." This theophany served multiple critical purposes. First, it re-established God's authority and validated Moses' and Aaron's leadership, confirming that their instructions were indeed from Yahweh. Second, it demonstrated God's compassionate attentiveness to His people's distress, even when their complaints were laced with unrighteousness and ingratitude. Third, it prepared them for a tangible manifestation of divine provision, showing them that the source of their sustenance was truly supernatural, coming directly from Yahweh. This event also carried a polemical weight, challenging any lingering belief in Egyptian deities by showcasing a God who actively and powerfully intervenes in His creation for His people, independent of agricultural cycles or human sacrifices. It solidified the unique relationship between Yahweh and Israel, marked by visible divine presence and immediate, miraculous sustenance.