Exodus 16 21

Exodus 16:21 kjv

And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.

Exodus 16:21 nkjv

So they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted.

Exodus 16:21 niv

Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.

Exodus 16:21 esv

Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

Exodus 16:21 nlt

After this the people gathered the food morning by morning, each family according to its need. And as the sun became hot, the flakes they had not picked up melted and disappeared.

Exodus 16 verses

Exodus 16 21 Meaning

Exodus 16:21 describes the daily discipline of the Israelites in gathering manna. Every morning, they collected the miraculous bread according to their individual needs, and by late morning, as the sun grew hot, any remaining manna on the ground would melt away. This process enforced a crucial lesson in daily dependence on God, preventing hoarding and requiring continuous faith for fresh provision.

Exodus 16 21 Context

Exodus 16 is pivotal in Israel's journey through the wilderness following their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. After only a short time free, the Israelites complained about the lack of food and expressed a desire to return to Egypt (Ex 16:1-3). In response, God demonstrated His unwavering faithfulness by promising to provide them "bread from heaven" (Ex 16:4), later revealed as manna, and also quail. This daily, miraculous provision of manna, along with the detailed instructions for its collection and specific regulations regarding the Sabbath, served as a foundational lesson in trust, obedience, and divine providence. This verse (16:21) specifically illustrates the practical mechanics of this provision and the direct implications for Israel's daily life and spiritual formation. Historically, it trained a people accustomed to the stable food supplies of Egypt to depend solely on their God in the barren wilderness, establishing His sovereignty as their unique Provider. It was a clear polemic against any temptation to believe that human effort, accumulated wealth, or pagan deities of harvest could ultimately sustain them; only Yahweh could provide "bread from heaven" with such precision and consistency.

Exodus 16 21 Word analysis

• gathered (לָקְטוּ - lakṭū): This verb signifies an active and diligent process of collecting. It was not a passive reception; the Israelites had to rise early and exert effort to obtain their provision. This highlights that divine provision often involves human participation and diligence, emphasizing human responsibility in receiving God's gifts.
• every morning (בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר - ba·bō·qer ba·bō·qer): The repetition of "morning" emphasizes consistency and regularity. This daily requirement instilled a habit of constant dependence on God and anticipation of His fresh mercies. It established a rhythmic lesson, teaching Israel to live one day at a time, trusting in God's reliability for their most basic needs. This regularity also distinguished the manna as a truly supernatural phenomenon, as no natural resource appears so reliably daily.
• every man according to his eating (אִישׁ לְפִי אָכְלוֹ - ʾîš lə·p̄î ʾoḵ·lōw): This phrase specifies individual or household provision, reinforced by Ex 16:16 which quantifies it as "an omer for each person." This divine design ensured that no one had too much and no one had too little (a principle later echoed in 2 Cor 8:15). It teaches God's personal, equitable, and sufficient care for each individual's needs, not just for the community as a whole.
• when the sun waxed hot (וְחַם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ - wə·ḥam ha·šem·meš): This denotes a time limit, roughly mid-morning. It enforced promptness and discipline in gathering. The rapidly heating sun physically limited their window for collection, compelling immediate action and adherence to the divine schedule.
• it melted (וְנָמָס - wə·nā·mās): The melting of the manna underscored its perishable nature and divinely imposed transience. This key feature prevented any attempt to hoard or accumulate supplies beyond the day's need, thereby continually forcing Israel into a posture of complete trust and dependence on God for the very next day. It highlighted the manna's miraculous and fragile quality, emphasizing that it was not for future security but for present sustenance, purely a gift from God.

Exodus 16 21 Bonus section

The manna's unique characteristics—appearing six days a week, not appearing on the Sabbath, melting daily, and spoiling if hoarded (except for the Sabbath)—served not merely as provision, but as a series of constant, tangible miracles designed to teach profound theological truths. It wasn't simply a food source; it was a daily divine pedagogy on trust, obedience, the sacredness of the Sabbath, and God's consistent presence. This physical sustenance in the wilderness ultimately points to Jesus Christ as the true spiritual bread from heaven (John 6), who perfectly satisfies the deeper hunger of humanity and offers eternal life, far surpassing the temporal manna that sustained only physical bodies. The melting property ensured the community lived hand-to-mouth by divine grace, eradicating reliance on personal reserves or external resources.

Exodus 16 21 Commentary

Exodus 16:21 beautifully illustrates the precise mechanics of God's daily provision for Israel in the wilderness, alongside the essential spiritual lessons embedded within it. The daily routine of rising early to gather just enough manna before it melted under the sun's heat forged a disciplined trust in Yahweh. This process systematically dismantled their natural human tendency towards self-reliance, accumulation, or worry for the future. By providing exactly what was needed each day and ensuring its spoilage if hoarded (except for the Sabbath), God compelled them into a living demonstration of faith. It was a visible curriculum in daily dependence, a continuous reminder that their existence was wholly sustained by divine faithfulness. This also highlighted God's meticulous care, meeting individual needs precisely. Practically, it taught Israel not to anxiously accumulate or hoard, but to receive God's provision for today and trust Him for tomorrow.