Exodus 16:15

“When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” for they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that YHWH has given you to eat.”

Exodus 16:15 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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15

Exodus 16:15, word by word

When the sonsבְנֵיvene

descendant

A descendant or member of a people: "sons of Israel".

Where else “vene” appears
of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael

Israel

Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.

Where else “yisrael” appears
saw itיִּרְאוּyiru

see

To see with one's eyes.

Where else “yiru” appears
they saidיֹּאמְרוּyomru

say

To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.

Where else “yomru” appears
to one anotherאִישׁish

each

Literally "a man": any person; with "not", not a single person.

Where else “ish” appears
to one anotherאָחִיachi

one another

Together with "one", it is used to say "one another".

Where else “achi” appears
“Whatמָןman

what is it

"Man hu?", the question they asked on seeing it, from which it got its name.

Where else “man” appears
knowיָדְעוּyadu

know

To know something, realize.

Where else “yadu” appears
Mosesמֹשֶׁהmoshe

Moses

Moses, the man God called to bring Israel out of Egypt and through whom he gave the Law. His name sounds like "draw out" (Exodus 2:10).

Where else “moshe” appears
is the breadלֶּחֶםlechem

bread

Food made of kneaded, baked flour: the basis of each day's meal.

Where else “lechem” appears
YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears
has givenנָתַןnatan

give

To hand something over to someone: a gift, a payment, a charge or a land.

Where else “natan” appears
to eatאָכְלָהachla

food

What nourishes: the bread from heaven and the sustenance God gives to every creature.

Where else “achla” appears

Translation note

“What is it?” is in Hebrew “man hu”; from it comes the name “manna” (man, 16:31).

The context

14When the layer of dew had gone up, look, on the surface of the wilderness there was something fine, flaky, fine as frost on the ground.

15 · This verse (above)

16This is the thing that YHWH has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one according to what he can eat, an omer per head, according to the number of your persons; each one for those in his tent you shall take.’ ”

Read all of Exodus 16

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