When the sonsוַ בְנֵיof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלsaw it,יִּרְאוּthey saidוַיֹּאמְרוּto one another,אִישׁ אֶל אָחִיו“Whatמָןis it?”הוּאforכִּיthey did notלֹאknowיָדְעוּwhatמַהit was.הוּאMosesמֹשֶׁהsaidוַיֹּאמֶרto them,אֲלֵהֶם“Itהוּאis the breadהַלֶּחֶםthatאֲשֶׁרYHWHיְהוָהhas givenנָתַןyouלָכֶםto eat.לְאָכְלָה
Exodus 16:15
Study it in the app“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.”
With the Hebrew beneath
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.’ ”