Exodus 16:15 · Bible study
Exodus 16:15 Commentary: “What Is It?”, The Mystery of Manna
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What did the Israelites mean by 'manna'? Explore the Hebrew question that became a name, and the deeper meaning of God's daily bread.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Israelites’ question “What is it?” (man hu) becomes the name “manna,” preserving their initial awe and ignorance.
- Key words: מָן (man), an interrogative particle “what?”; הוּא (hu) “it”, together forming the question that named the bread.
- Main debate: Did the Israelites say “It is manna” (KJV) or “What is it?” The weight of commentary (Clarke, Keil, Gill, Cambridge) strongly favours the interrogative reading.
- Theological theme: God provides daily bread to test and teach dependence on His word; the manna prefigures Christ as the true bread from heaven (John 6).
- Best use: A vivid entry point for sermons on God’s provision, the testing of faith, and the challenge to recognise grace in unfamiliar forms.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. So Moses told them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.
WEB World English Bible 2000
When the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they didn’t know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread which Yahweh has given you to eat.
KJV King James Version 1769
And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, What is it? for they knew not what it was. And Moses said unto them, It is the bread which Jehovah hath given you to eat.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And the sons of Israel see, and say one unto another, `What is it?' for they have not known what it is ; and Moses saith unto them, `It is the bread which Jehovah hath given to you for food.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And the children of Israel saw [it], and said one to another, What is it? for they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, This is the bread which Jehovah has given you to eat.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another: Manhu! which signifieth: What is this! for they knew not what it was. And Moses said to them: This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y viéndolo los hijos de Israel, se dijeron unos á otros: ¿ Qué es esto? porque no sabían qué era. Entonces Moisés les dijo: Es el pan que Jehová os da para comer.
E vendo-o os filhos de Israel, se disseram uns aos outros: Que é isto? porque não sabiam que era. Então Moisés lhes disse: É o pão que o SENHOR vos dá para comer.
Les enfants d’ Israël regardèrent et ils se dirent l’ un à l’ autre: Qu’est-ce que cela? Car ils ne savaient pas ce que c’ était. Moïse leur dit: C’ est le pain que L’ Éternel vous donne pour nourriture.
Und da es die Kinder Israel sahen, sprachen sie untereinander: Man hu? (Das heißt: Was ist das?); denn sie wußten nicht was es war. Mose aber sprach zu ihnen: es ist das Brot, das euch der HERR zu essen gegeben hat.
Toen het de kinderen Israels zagen, zo zeiden zij, de een tot den ander: Het is Man, want zij wisten niet wat het was. Mozes dan zeide tot hen: Dit is het brood, hetwelk de HEERE ulieden te eten gegeven heeft.
E i figliuoli d’Israele, veduta che l’ebbero, dissero l’uno all’altro: “Che cos’è?” perché non sapevan che cosa fosse. E Mosè disse loro: “Questo è il pane che l’Eterno vi dà a mangiare.
Co gdy ujrzeli synowie Izraelscy, mówili jeden do drugiego: Man hu? bo nie wiedzieli, co było. I rzekł Mojżesz do nich: Tenci jest chleb, który wam dał Pan ku jedzeniu.
И увидели сыны Израилевы и говорили друг другу: что это? Ибо не знали, что это. И Моисей сказал им: это хлеб, который Господь дал вам в пищу;
以色列 人 看見，不 知道 是 甚麼，就彼此 對問說：「這 是 甚麼呢？」摩西 對他們 說：「這 就是 耶和華 給 你們 吃的 食物。
And when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, What is it? for they had no idea what it was. And Moses said to them, It is the bread which the Lord has given you for your food.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Exodus 16:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the name “manna” originates from the Israelites’ question in this verse. The Hebrew phrase man hu (מָ֣ן ה֔וּא) is a question: “What is it?” As Adam Clarke notes, the KJV rendering “It is manna” contradicts the text’s own explanation that “they wist not what it was.” The people had never seen anything like this small, flaky substance, so they asked one another what it could be. Moses answered directly: “It is the bread which Yahweh has given you to eat.”
Keil and Delitzsch, the Cambridge Bible, and Gill each affirm that from this question the substance received its name, recorded later in Exodus 16:31. The interrogative man (a contraction or colloquial form of mah) passed into permanent usage as the noun “manna.” Thus the very name preserves the Israelites’ initial wonder and ignorance. The consensus is clear: the people’s confusion, not their knowledge, gave the bread its enduring title.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The name 'manna' originates from the Israelites' question 'man hu?' (What is it?), reflecting their initial unfamiliarity with God's provision.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Origin of the name 'manna' | The name is derived from the Israelites' phrase 'man hu' (What is it?) spoken in this verse. | Some argue 'man' is a contraction of the Hebrew interrogative 'mah' plus enclitic 'nun'; others see it as an Aramaic or Egyptian loanword used colloquially by the people. |
| Natural vs. miraculous nature of manna | The manna was a real, physical substance that sustained Israel for forty years, provided by God's direct action. | Some point to the natural tamarisk exudation of the Sinai as a parallel; others (Clarke, Keil) stress that the biblical manna was unique in its timing, quantity, and properties, exceeding any natural phenomenon. |
| Typological significance | The manna is presented as a foreshadowing of spiritual nourishment, especially Christ as the bread of life (John 6). | Catholic and Orthodox traditions connect manna to the Eucharist in a more direct sacramental typology; Protestant interpreters often read it as a typological pointer to Christ's person and teaching, while emphasizing the historical literalness of the event. |
| The ‘test’ embedded in the manna command | God used the manna to test Israel's obedience (Exodus 16:4) by giving specific gathering instructions. | Some see the test primarily as about trust in daily provision; others emphasize the Sabbath observance as the central command being established. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The setting is the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Sinai, roughly a month after Israel’s exodus from Egypt. The people had already run out of food and had complained bitterly to Moses and Aaron, saying they wished they had died in Egypt where they “sat around the pots of meat and ate bread to the full” (Exodus 16:3). In response, God promised to “rain bread from the sky” (Exodus 16:4), testing whether Israel would obey His instructions.
In the morning, after the dew had lifted, the ground was covered with “a small round thing, small as the frost on the ground” (Exodus 16:14). Natural manna, a sweet resin exuded by tamarisk trees, was known in the Sinai peninsula, and some commentators (Barnes) suggest the Israelites recognised its appearance. Yet the biblical account emphasises that this substance was unlike anything they had experienced: it appeared on the open plain, not under tamarisk, in quantities far exceeding natural production. Deuteronomy 8:3 later explains that God gave them manna precisely because they had never known it before, “that he might teach you that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of Yahweh’s mouth.”
The manna would become Israel’s staple for forty years (Exodus 16:35), a daily reminder of their total dependence on God. It came with specific commands: gather only a day’s portion, no leftovers (except before the Sabbath). Those who disobeyed found the manna spoiled and wormy (Exodus 16:19, 20). The question “What is it?” thus stands at the threshold of a lifelong lesson in trust.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Exodus 16:15. The Hebrew text reads consistently across manuscripts, with the question man hu (מָ֣ן ה֔וּא) well preserved. The main interpretive variation, whether the phrase is a statement or a question, stems from early translation choices (e.g., KJV's “It is manna” vs. modern versions' “What is it?”), but the underlying Hebrew and the surrounding context support the interrogative reading.
Reception History
From the early church onward, Exodus 16:15 has been read as a key type of Christ. Justin Martyr and Irenaeus saw the manna as a foreshadowing of the Eucharist, the true bread from heaven. Augustine drew moral lessons from the daily gathering, teaching dependence on God’s grace one day at a time. In the medieval period, the verse was used in devotional treatises on Providence. Reformation commentators like Calvin and Luther emphasized that the manna demonstrated God’s free and undeserved provision, while also testing Israel’s faith. The question “What is it?” became a motif for the mystery of divine grace: a gift that exceeds human understanding. Modern scholarship has focused on the linguistic origins of man and on comparing the biblical account with natural manna in Sinai, yet the central theological reading, God feeding His people to teach them trust, remains constant across traditions.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Confusion at the gift. The Israelites saw something new and said “What is it?” Their question came from honest ignorance, they had never seen this bread. God often provides in ways we do not recognise at first.
- Clarification through the word. Moses did not leave them guessing. He explained, “This is the bread which Yahweh has given you to eat.” God not only provides; He interprets His provision through Scripture and faithful teachers.
- Testing in the daily rhythm. The manna arrived each morning, and the people had to gather it according to God’s instructions. The daily act of gathering became a test of obedience and trust (Exodus 16:4).
Five-point outline
- The scene of need: The wilderness of Sin, no food, murmuring against Moses.
- The promise of bread from heaven: God announces He will rain down food to test His people.
- The appearance of the unknown: Fine, flaky substance on the ground, the people ask “What is it?”
- The declaration of God’s gift: Moses names it as the bread from Yahweh, connecting provision directly to God’s covenant faithfulness.
- The call to gather in trust: Each person collects an omer; no storing beyond need (except for the Sabbath). The test continues.
Illustration hooks
- Daily provision: Think of a time you had just enough for the day, a bill paid unexpectedly, a meal that stretched further than expected. The manna mirrors that daily dependence.
- Unfamiliar gifts: A surprise inheritance or an offer of help from an unexpected source. At first it can feel confusing, even unsettling, before gratitude sets in.
- Instruction manual: An appliance that works only if you follow the directions. The manna came with commands; obedience made the gift effective.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Was the manna the same as the natural sap found in Sinai today? How does the Bible distinguish the miracle from a natural phenomenon?
- Why did God test Israel through the manna? What was He looking for?
- What does this account teach about handling physical needs today? Should we expect God to provide miraculously, or through ordinary means?
Leading a Discussion
Exodus 16:15 captures a moment of wonder. The Israelites had seen God’s power in the plagues and the Red Sea, but now they faced an ordinary yet strange need: hunger. The answer came in a form they could not identify. Their question, and Moses’ reply, opens a window into how God teaches His people.
Discussion questions
- What do you think the Israelites felt when they saw the flakes of manna? Why does the text emphasize that they “did not know what it was”?
- Moses immediately identifies the substance as “the bread which Yahweh has given you to eat.” How does this answer shape the meaning of the manna? What does it say about God’s character?
- Read Exodus 16:4 and Deuteronomy 8:3. Why did God give the manna in such a way that it could not be stored? What was He teaching His people about trust?
- The manna continued for forty years. In what ways does God provide “daily bread” for you, even when the form is unfamiliar or you struggle to recognise it?
- Compare the manna to Jesus’ words in John 6:31, 35. What connections do you see? How does Jesus fulfil the pattern of bread from heaven?
- How does the naming of the manna (from “What is it?” to a permanent name) reflect the process of learning to recognise God’s provision over time?
- In your own life, can you identify a season when God provided something you did not initially understand, only later to see His hand in it?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 16:4 | Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from the sky 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. |
| Exodus 16:31 | The house of Israel called its name “Manna”, and it was like coriander seed, white; and its taste was like wafers with honey. |
| Exodus 16:33 | Moses said to Aaron, “Take a pot, and put an omer-full of manna in it, and lay it up before Yahweh, to be kept throughout your generations.” |
| Numbers 21:5 | The people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, there is no water, and our soul loathes this disgusting food!” |
| Deuteronomy 8:3 | He humbled you, allowed you to be hungry, and fed you with manna, which you didn’t know, neither did your fathers know, that he might teach you that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of Yahweh’s mouth. |
| Deuteronomy 8:16 | who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers didn’t know, that he might humble you, and that he might prove you, to do you good at your latter end; |
| Joshua 5:12 | The manna ceased on the next day, after they had eaten of the produce of the land. The children of Israel didn’t have manna any more, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. |
| Nehemiah 9:15 | and gave them bread from the sky for their hunger, and brought water out of the rock for them for their thirst, and commanded them that they should go in to possess the land which you had sworn to give them. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the common English translation "It is manna" is misleading and contradictory. The Hebrew phrase literally means "What is this?" because the people had never seen the substance before. He notes it was later named manna to commemorate their original question.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes points out that the Israelites already knew the name "manna" from Egypt, where it was a scarce resin from tamarisk trees. Their surprise came from finding it on the open ground in immense quantities, unlike the small natural yield, so they recognized only what it resembled, not what it truly was.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights that the name the Israelites gave the food was both a recognition of God's generous provision without human labor and an indirect rebuke of their earlier grumbling. Yet their bewilderment at the sight, despite having been told beforehand, exposed their dullness of heart and continued unbelief.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator observes that the question "What is it?" in the text is a popular etymology for manna, but the word for "what" here is actually Aramaic, not Hebrew. This suggests the verse was written by someone familiar with Aramaic. The true origin of the word "manna" remains unknown.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes point out that the Israelites named the substance "Man" from their question "What is it?" because they did not know what it was. Moses then corrects them, calling it bread from the Lord, shifting focus from their confusion to God's provision.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that the Israelites did not call the substance "manna" because they knew what it was, but because they kept asking each other "Man hu?" — an Egyptian question meaning "What is it?" This ignorance of the bread from heaven, he says, pictures how Christ remains unknown to natural people until revealed by the Spirit.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues that the name "manna" derives from the people's puzzled question "man hu," meaning "what is it?" They reject interpretations that derive it from a word for gift or portion, since the people were ignorant of what they saw and had to be told it was bread from God.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that God provided both necessity and delight: quails for a feast, not just for survival, and manna for daily bread. The lesson is cheerful dependence on God's immediate provision, as hoarding manna bred worms, teaching Israel to trust each day's supply from His hand.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley draws attention to the physical nature of manna: it fell as dew but had substance for nourishment, pleasing all tastes and digesting easily. He sees this plain diet as a divine lesson in temperance, discouraging the craving for variety and rich foods.