Manna and Quail

The whole congregation of the children of Israel arrived at the wilderness of Sin, which is situated between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after departing from Egypt (Exodus 16:1). While in the wilderness, the congregation murmured against Moses and Aaron, expressing a desire to have died by the hand of the LORD in Egypt where they sat by flesh pots and ate bread to the full. They accused Moses and Aaron of bringing them into the wilderness to kill the assembly with hunger (Exodus 16:3).

In response, the LORD informed Moses that he would rain bread from heaven for the people. The people were instructed to go out and gather a certain rate every day to prove whether they would walk in the law of the LORD or not (Exodus 16:4). On the sixth day, they were to prepare twice as much as they gathered daily. Moses and Aaron told the Israelites that in the evening they would know the LORD brought them out of Egypt, and in the morning they would see the glory of the LORD (Exodus 16:6-7). The text does not say how the glory appeared other than it showed in the cloud (Exodus 16:10).

At evening, quails came up and covered the camp. In the morning, a layer of dew lay round about the host, and when the dew was gone, a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost, remained on the ground (Exodus 16:13-14). The Israelites called the substance Manna. Moses commanded them to gather an omer for every man. Some gathered more and some less, but when measured, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack (Exodus 16:17-18). Although Moses forbade leaving it until morning, some did so, and it bred worms and stank (Exodus 16:20). On the seventh day, which was a holy sabbath, no manna was found on the ground, as the people were commanded to rest (Exodus 16:26-30).