Exodus 16:26

16:22-31 Here is mention of a seventh-day sabbath. It was known, not only before the giving of the law upon mount Sinai, but before the bringing of Israel out of Egypt, even from the beginning, Ge 2:3. The setting apart one day in seven for holy work, and, in order to that, for holy rest, was ever since God created man upon the earth, and is the most ancient of the Divine laws. Appointing them to rest on the seventh day, he took care that they should be no losers by it; and none ever will be losers by serving God. On that day they were to fetch in enough for two days, and to make it ready. This directs us to contrive family affairs, so that they may hinder us as little as possible in the work of the sabbath. Works of necessity are to be done on that day; but it is desirable to have as little as may be to do, that we may apply ourselves the more closely to prepare for the life that is to come. When they kept manna against a command, it stank; when they kept it by a command, it was sweet and good; every thing is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. On the seventh day God did not send the manna, therefore they must not expect it, nor go out to gather. This showed that it was produced by miracle.

Six days ye shall gather it,.... Day after day, every morning, as they had done the six days past, so they should during their stay in the wilderness: but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath; which is repeated, being a new thing, to impress it on their minds: in it there shall be none: no manna; none shall fall, and so none can be gathered, and therefore it would be to no purpose to go out and seek for it; as also there would be no need of it, since they would always have a double portion on the sixth day.

13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp—This bird is of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge, but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a wind from the Lord" as on another occasion (Nu 11:31). and in the morning … a small round thing … manna—There is a gum of the same name distilled in this desert region from the tamarisk, which is much prized by the natives, and preserved carefully by those who gather it. It is collected early in the morning, melts under the heat of the sun, and is congealed by the cold of night. In taste it is as sweet as honey, and has been supposed by distinguished travellers, from its whitish color, time, and place of its appearance, to be the manna on which the Israelites were fed: so that, according to the views of some, it was a production indigenous to the desert; according to others, there was a miracle, which consisted, however, only in the preternatural arrangements regarding its supply. But more recent and accurate examination has proved this gum of the tarfa-tree to be wanting in all the principal characteristics of the Scripture manna. It exudes only in small quantities, and not every year; it does not admit of being baked (Nu 11:8) or boiled (Ex 16:23).

Though it may be exhaled by the heat and afterwards fall with the dew, it is a medicine, not food—it is well known to the natives of the desert, while the Israelites were strangers to theirs; and in taste as well as in the appearance of double quantity on Friday, none on Sabbath, and in not breeding worms, it is essentially different from the manna furnished to the Israelites.

Moreover, God bestowed His gift in such a manner, that the Sabbath was sanctified by it, and the way was thereby opened for its sanctification by the law. On the sixth day of the week the quantity yielded was twice as much, viz., two omers for one (one person). When the princes of the congregation informed Moses of this, he said to them, "Let tomorrow be rest (שׁבּתון), a holy Sabbath to the Lord." They were to bake and boil as much as was needed for the day, and keep what was over for the morrow, for on the Sabbath they would find none in the field. They did this, and what was kept for the Sabbath neither stank nor bred worms. It is perfectly clear from this event, that the Israelites were not acquainted with any sabbatical observance at that time, but that, whilst the way was practically opened, it was through the decalogue that it was raised into a legal institution (see Exodus 10:8 .). שׁבּתון is an abstract noun denoting "rest," and שׁבּי a concrete, literally the observer, from which it came to be used as a technical term for the seventh day of the week, which was to be observed as a day of rest to the Lord.

[Reformed Biblical] st his will, and with his curse. Exodus 16:25 These words were spoken upon the morning of the sabbath day, as appears from the foregoing verse. ## A sabbath unto the Lord, i.e. wholly consecrated to his service, and therefore not to be employed in servile works. Exodus 16:26 Exodus 16:27 Exodus 16:28 ## The Lord spoke unto Moses, that he might speak it to the people. He signifies that this was an old disease in them, to disobey God’s precepts, and to pollute his sabbaths. Exodus 16:29 ## Hath given you the sabbath; hath given to you, and to your fathers, that great command and privilege of the sabbath. Let no man go out of his place, out of his house or tent, into the field to gather manna, as appears from the occasion and reason of the law here before mentioned. For otherwise they might and ought to go out of their houses to the public assemblies, as appears from Lev_23:3 Act_15:21; and to lead their cattle to watering, Luk_13:15; or to help them out of a pit, Mat_12:11; and a sabbath day’s journey was permitted, Act_1:12. Exodus 16:30 Or ceased, to wit, from gathering manna, by comparing this with Exo_16:27, and consequently from all works of that nature. Exodus 16:31 ## It was like coriander seed, in shape and figure, but not in colour, for that is dark-coloured, but this white, as it follows here, like bdellium, &c., Num_11:7. ## The taste of it, when it was raw; but when it was drest it was like fresh oil, Num_11:8.

[Reformed Biblical] rve the rest from the injury of the weather. Exodus 26:15 Exodus 26:16 Exodus 26:17 ## Two tenons , Heb. hands , i.e. parts of the boards, so cut and framed that like hands they may take hold of and be fastened into the sockets, Exo_26:19. Exodus 26:18 Exodus 26:19 ## Forty sockets , or bases, or pedestals, or feet , upon which the boards stood, and to which they were fastened. Exodus 26:20 Exodus 26:21 Exodus 26:22 Exodus 26:23 Which were of another fashion than the former, as may be gathered both from the distinct nomination and use of them, and from the laws of building. And whereas the rest were but single boards, these were double, for greater strength and conveniency of joining them together. Exodus 26:24 ## Coupled together , Heb. as twins , i.e. equal and equally joined together, and exactly answering one to the other. ## Unto one ring , which ring was exactly in the corner, and with the h elp of the b ars kept the corner boards, and with them the other boards of the tabernacle, close together. But you must note, that here were two rings in each corner, the one in the upper, the other in the lower parts. Exodus 26:25 Exodus 26:26 ## By bars you may understand either, 1. Several rows or orders of bars, one bar beginning at the end of the other, and each containing four cubits in length, and altogether twenty cubits, which was the length of the tabernacle ; or, 2. Single bars, which seem truer, 1. Because the wor

(16) The testimony which I shall give thee. —The two tables of stone were called “the Testimony” (comp. Exodus 16:34 ), as being God’s witness against sin ( Deuteronomy 31:26 ). As containing them, the ark was called “the ark of the testimony” ( Exodus 25:22 ; Exodus 26:34 ; Exodus 30:6 ; Exodus 30:26 , &c.; Numbers 4:5 ; Numbers 7:89 ; Joshua 4:16 ).