Exodus 16:4

“YHWH said to Moses, “Look, I am going to rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, so that I may test them, whether they will walk in my instruction or not.”
Exodus 16:4 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

YHWHיְהוָהsaidוַיֹּאמֶרto Moses,אֶל מֹשֶׁה“Look,הִנְIנִיam going to rainמַמְטִירbreadלֶחֶםfromמִןheavenהַשָּׁמָיִםfor you;לָכֶםand the peopleוְ הָעָםshall go outיָצָאand gatherוְלָקְטוּa day’s portionדְּבַר יוֹםevery day,בְּיוֹמוֹso thatלְמַעַןI may test them,אֲנַסֶּנּוּwhetherהֲthey will walkיֵלֵךְin my instructionבְּתוֹרָתִיorאִםnot.לֹא

Quotation · John 6:31

Go to John 6:31

The people quote a saying about the manna. “Bread from heaven” is in Exodus 16:4; “he gave them” is in Psalm 78:24, which in Hebrew says “grain of heaven.”

Formula: καθώς ἐστιν γεγραμμένον “as it is written” (John 6:31)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν τὸ μάννα ἔφαγον ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καθώς ἐστιν γεγραμμένον Ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς φαγεῖν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה הִנְנִי מַמְטִיר לָכֶם לֶחֶם מִן הַשָּׁמָיִם וְיָצָא הָעָם וְלָקְטוּ דְּבַר יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ לְמַעַן אֲנַסֶּנּוּ הֲיֵלֵךְ בְּתוֹרָתִי אִם לֹא

This passage could not be located with certainty in the transcription of the Septuagint we use, so it is not compared.

Exodus 16:4, word by word

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

saidיֹּאמֶרyomer

say

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

Where else “yomer” appears

to 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

am going to rainמַמְטִירmamtir

rain

Send rain, make it rain.

Where else “mamtir” appears

breadלֶחֶםlechem

bread

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

Where else “lechem” appears

heavenשָּׁמָיִםshamayim

sky

The high space seen above the earth, where the birds, clouds, sun and stars are.

Where else “shamayim” appears

and the peopleעָםam

crowd

The people gathered in a place: the crowd, or the troops that go out to war.

Where else “am” appears

shall go outיָצָאyatsa

go out

To go out of a place.

Where else “yatsa” appears

and gatherלָקְטוּlaktu

gather

To gather up from the ground or field what is scattered, to carry it away.

Where else “laktu” appears

a day’s portionדְּבַרdevar

thing

A matter, a thing; with "not", nothing.

Where else “devar” appears

a day’s portionיוֹםyom

day

The day, the hours of light, or a whole day.

Where else “yom” appears

I may test themאֲנַסֶּanase

test

To put someone in a situation to see how he responds and what is within him.

Where else “anase” appears

they will walkיֵלֵךְyelech

walk

To conduct oneself day by day in a certain way, as one walks along a road.

Where else “yelech” appears

in my instructionתוֹרָתִtorati

teaching of YHWH

What YHWH teaches his people so they may live.

Where else “torati” appears

Translation note

Jesus recalls this “bread from heaven” and says of himself: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:31-35).

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · John 6:31

The people quote a saying about the manna. “Bread from heaven” is in Exodus 16:4; “he gave them” is in Psalm 78:24, which in Hebrew says “grain of heaven.”

See them side by side

Exodus 16:4

⁴YHWH said to Moses, “Look, I am going to rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, so that I may test them, whether they will walk in my instruction or not.

John 6:31

³¹Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

The context

3The sons of Israel said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of YHWH in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full! But you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

4 · This verse (above)

5And on the sixth day they shall prepare what they bring in, and it will be twice as much as they gather each day.”

Read all of Exodus 16

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