What Is Manna — In Biblical Context
Manna was the miraculous bread from heaven that God provided to sustain Israel during their forty years in the wilderness.
Manna was the miraculous bread from heaven that God provided to sustain Israel during their forty years in the wilderness.
"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." — Exodus 16:15 (KJV)
The Biblical Context
When Israel murmured against Moses for lack of food in the wilderness of Sin, God promised to 'rain bread from heaven.' The next morning, a small round substance as fine as frost covered the ground. The Israelites called it 'manna,' meaning 'What is it?' It was white like coriander seed, tasted like wafers made with honey, and melted in the sun. Each day the people gathered exactly one omer per person; any excess bred worms and stank. On the sixth day, twice as much fell so they could rest on the Sabbath. The manna ceased the moment Israel ate the produce of Canaan. Jesus later called Himself the true bread from heaven: 'Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.' Manna foreshadows Christ — the daily, sufficient, life-giving sustenance of God's people.
Where It Sits in Scripture
The core passage for this question, Exodus 16:15, sits inside Exodus 16. To grasp the full meaning, read the surrounding paragraph — the verses before set up the thought, the verses after carry it forward.
"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."
Supporting Passages
"And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey."
"Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven."
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