Exodus 16 35

Exodus 16:35 kjv

And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.

Exodus 16:35 nkjv

And the children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.

Exodus 16:35 niv

The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.

Exodus 16:35 esv

The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan.

Exodus 16:35 nlt

So the people of Israel ate manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would settle. They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.

Exodus 16 verses

Exodus 16 35 Meaning

Exodus 16:35 states that the Israelites consumed manna, the miraculous bread provided by God, for a full forty years. This sustained provision lasted throughout their wilderness wanderings, only ceasing once they arrived at the threshold of a habitable land, specifically defined as the border of the land of Canaan. The verse underscores God's sustained faithfulness and provision during their prolonged period of dependence.

Exodus 16 35 Context

Exodus chapter 16 unfolds in the wilderness of Sin, situated between Elim and Mount Sinai, roughly a month after the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. The people, facing hunger, murmur against Moses and Aaron, longing for the "flesh pots" of Egypt. In response to their complaint, God declares His intention to rain bread from heaven, termed "manna," and provides quail in the evening. This miraculous provision served to teach Israel to live by "every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord" (Deut 8:3) and demonstrate His daily sustenance. The chapter also details specific instructions for gathering manna—a daily collection (except for a double portion on the sixth day for the Sabbath) and the prohibition against hoarding it. This verse, Exo 16:35, acts as a retrospective summary, concluding the long-term historical narrative of the manna provision, confirming its duration from the very beginning of their journey until their arrival at the Promised Land's threshold. It prefaces the instruction in verse 36 to preserve an omer of manna for future generations, serving as a perpetual reminder of God's sustenance.

Exodus 16 35 Word analysis

• And (וַיֹּאכְל֞וּ - wa·yoklu): Connective, tying this final statement about manna to the detailed instructions and narrative in the preceding verses, signaling a summative conclusion.
• the children of Israel (בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל - bĕnê yiśrā'ēl): Refers to the entire community of the covenant people, emphasizing that God's provision was for all who belonged to Him, from generation to generation throughout their wilderness journey.
• ate (וַיֹּאכְל֞וּ - wa·yoklu): From the root 'āḵal (אָכַל), "to eat, consume." Highlights the continuous act of consumption, emphasizing the sustained physical sustenance provided by God.
• manna (מָן - man): The mysterious, divinely-provided food. The name itself (man meaning "What is it?") reflects its miraculous and unknown origin to the Israelites (Exo 16:15). It symbolized God's supernatural care and direct intervention in providing for their daily needs, unlike any food from natural processes known to them. This stands in contrast to dependence on human agriculture or pagan deities associated with harvests.
• forty years (אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה - arba‘îm shānāh): This precise duration is highly significant in biblical typology. Forty often represents a period of testing, purification, preparation, or judgment (e.g., the Flood, Moses on Sinai, Israel's spies, Jesus' wilderness temptation). Here, it encapsulates an entire generation's wilderness experience, marking God's sustained faithfulness even amidst their repeated disobedience and complaints. It represents the full completion of a divinely ordained period of time.
• until they came (עַד־בֹּאָ֧ם - ‘aḏ-bō’ām): Signals the definitive end point of the manna's provision. It establishes a clear boundary to the miraculous provision, correlating it with their geographic progression towards their inherited land.
• to a habitable land (אֶֽל־אֶ֫רֶץ נוֹשָׁ֙בֶת֙ - 'el 'ereṣ nōšāveṯ): Eretz noshavet literally means "land inhabited" or "settled land." This contrasts sharply with the "trackless waste" or "desolate wilderness" where they had been wandering. It refers to a land where human life is sustainable through agriculture and settlement, thus indicating the cessation of manna upon their arrival there. This implied a shift from divine miraculous sustenance to normal means of livelihood provided through the land's bounty.
• they ate manna (אֶת־הַמָּ֖ן אָֽכְלוּ - ’eṯ-hāmān ’oklû): A repetition of the initial phrase "ate manna," serving to powerfully emphasize the consistency and continuous nature of the provision for the entire forty-year duration. It highlights the main point of the verse.
• until they came (עַ֖ד־בֹּאָֽם - ‘aḏ-bō’ām): Reinforces the "until they came" clause, strengthening the specificity of the boundary marker.
• to the border of the land of Canaan (אֶל־קְצֵ֥ה אֶֽרֶץ־כְּנָֽעַן׃ - ’el qəṣēh ’ereṣ Kəna‘an): Specifies the "habitable land" more precisely. Ketsēh (קְצֵה) means "end, border, extremity." This indicates that the manna ceased precisely at the verge of the Promised Land, as narrated in Joshua 5:10-12, where they finally consumed the produce of Canaan. This transition highlights a new phase in God's covenant with them – a shift from direct, supernatural provision in the wilderness to the blessing of the promised land's natural produce.

Exodus 16 35 Bonus section

The long duration of the manna, specifically forty years, serves as a testament to God's enduring patience and grace, even in the face of the Israelites' frequent grumbling and rebellion (as documented throughout Exodus and Numbers). It was a period not only of sustenance but also of testing their obedience and humbling them, so that they might know their reliance upon Him (Deut 8:2-3, 16). The manna also highlights the nature of God's covenant blessings: His provision is continuous, personal, and tied to His presence with His people. The "hidden manna" mentioned in Revelation 2:17 is a spiritual fulfillment of this concept, promising nourishment and life to those who overcome, a reward found in Christ's intimate presence in the age to come.

Exodus 16 35 Commentary

Exodus 16:35 provides a powerful retrospective summary of God's faithfulness to the Israelites during their extended wilderness journey. For forty long years, every single day, excluding the Sabbath, the manna was their sole, miraculous sustenance. This extraordinary duration, covering an entire generation, underscored a crucial lesson: Israel's utter dependence on God for their very survival. It wasn't about their agricultural skill or human planning; it was purely divine provision, reminding them that "man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Deut 8:3).

The precise end point of this miraculous supply – "until they came to a habitable land," specified as "the border of the land of Canaan" – is significant. It marked a divinely ordained transition. Once they entered the fertile Promised Land, where normal means of sustenance through farming were possible, the miraculous provision ceased. This demonstrated that God provides what is needed for a particular season and purpose. The manna's cessation at Canaan's border signified the end of the wilderness phase of dependency and the beginning of a new chapter where God's blessings would come through the land they inherited. Spiritually, this consistent, daily manna foreshadowed the true "bread of life," Jesus Christ, who provides spiritual sustenance to His people until they enter their eternal rest.