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<< Exodus 16: Food in the Desert >>
 WE have left Egypt with the children of Israel, and are following them southward near the shore of the Red Sea, till they come to the valley which will lead them among the mountains of Sinai. As they journeyed southward sandy hills were between them and and the sea, rocky hills made a wall along on the otherside. There were few clouds to shade the sky, and the sun, even in the spring, was very hot. The water that fell in the winter rains had nearly disappeared, and there were at this season scorching southeast winds, full of stifling dust. It was restful and refreshing when they came to an oasis in the desert. You can hardly imagine how good the green and the shade and the water look after walking over the bare sand and stones. The place was Elim (probably Wady Ghurundel), where there were and still are good springs of water and palms and other trees. The name Elim means " trees." There they camped and, as it seems, rested nearly a month.
They journeyed on from Elim and soon their way drew nearer to the shore of the sea. They were now in the wilderness of Sin. The people cried to Moses and Aaron for food, and remembered the plenty that they had left in Egypt. The Lord sent them food, quails in the evening and manna in the morning.
The quails did not live in Sinai, but in the spring great flocks pass over, migrating from their winter home in Africa. They are not strong flyers; they go with the wind, and after crossing the water they are tired and settle down to rest. We think of such a flock of birds sent by the Lord at evening to the camp of Israel, flying along near the ground and easily caught. Later in the journey quails were sent to the people again. (Numb, xi.)
The manna did not come from any natural source. The gums which drop in small quantities from the tamarisk and other trees were well known to the people. The manna was new and strange. It was bread from heaven, angel food made natural for the people to eat. It came with the dew and was found lying on the ground in the early morning. It was small and round like hoar frost or like coriander seed, pearly white in color, and sweet to the taste, like fresh oil, or like wafers made with honey. The people gathered it early, for when the sun grew hot it melted. They crushed it in mortars, or ground it in their little mills, and baked it in pans and made cakes of it. They gathered it each day, an omer for every one (about two and a half quarts), and it spoiled if they tried to keep it until the next day. Only on the sixth day they gathered for two days, and on the Sabbath there was none upon the ground. On that day the people rested.
By the Lord's command, Aaron filled a jar with manna, and by and by, when the ark was made for the commandments, the jar of manna was kept near it.
And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters. And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: 16:3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from theland of Egypt: And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD. And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings. And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God. And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.
And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them. And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? 16:29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day. And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations. As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan. Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.---Exodus XV. 27; XVI.
Author: William L. Worcester 1904
Spiritual Correspondences
Spiritual Meaning
EXODUS XV
27. And they came to Elim, and there were twelve springs of waters there, and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there by the waters.
"And they came to Elim," signifies a state of enlightenment and of affection, thus of consolation after temptation; "and there were twelve springs of waters there," signifies that they had truths there in all abundance; "and seventy palm-trees," signifies the goods of truth in like manner; "and they encamped there by the waters," signifies that after temptation the truths of faith were set in order by means of the good of love.
EXODUS XVI
1. And they journeyed from Elim, and all the assemblage of the sons of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, in the fifteenth day of the second month of their going out of the land of Egypt.
"And they journeyed from Elim," signifies what is successive; "and all the assemblage of the sons of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin," signifies unto another state of temptation; "which is between Elim and Sinai," signifies what is continuous and its quality; "In the fifteenth day of the second month," signifies the state relatively; "of their going out of the land of Egypt," signifies to their state when they were first liberated from infestations.
2, 3. And all the assemblage of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness. And the sons of Israel said unto them, Oh that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pot, when we did eat bread to satiety! for ye have brought us forth unto this wilderness, to kill this whole congregation with hunger.
"And all the assemblage of the sons of Israel murmured," signifies the suffering and the consequent complaint on account of the grievousness of the temptation; "against Moses and against Aaron," signifies against truth Divine; "in the wilderness," signifies a state of temptation; "and the sons of Israel said unto them," signifies thought from anxiety; "Oh that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt," signifies that it would have been better for them to have been left by the Lord when they were in a state of infestations; "when we sat by the flesh-pot," signifies a life according to what they like, and as they had desired; "when we did eat bread to satiety," signifies that thus they had enjoyed the good of pleasures as much as they wished; "for ye have brought us out," signifies after they were liberated; "unto this wilderness," signifies a state of temptations; "to kill this whole congregation with hunger," signifies that they were expiring from a lack of delight and of good.
4, 5. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Behold, I am making it rain bread for you from heaven, and the people shall go out, and they shall gather the word of a day in its day, in order that I may try them, whether they walk in My law, or not. And it shall be in the sixth day, that they shall prepare that which they have brought, and there shall be double over what they shall gather day by day.
"And Jehovah said unto Moses," signifies consolation from the Lord; "Behold, I am making it rain bread for you from heaven," signifies that heavenly good shall flow in; "and the people shall go out," signifies life therefrom; "and they shall gather the word of a day in its day," signifies continually according to need; "in order that I may try them," signifies that thereby they will be examined; "whether they will walk in My law, or not," signifies whether they can live a life of truth and good; "and it shall be in the sixth day," signifies in the end of every state; "that they shall prepare that which they have brought," signifies the disposal of the appropriated goods; "and there shall be double over what they gather day by day," signifies that the goods are to be conjoined.
6-8. And Moses and Aaron said unto all the sons of Israel, In the evening, then ye shall know that Jehovah hath brought you out from the land of Egypt. And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of Jehovah, in that He heareth your murmurings against Jehovah; and what are we, that ye murmur against us? And Moses said, In that Jehovah shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to satiety; in that Jehovah heareth your murmurings with which ye murmur against Him: what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against Jehovah.
"And Moses and Aaron said unto all the sons of Israel," signifies information from truth Divine; "In the evening, then ye shall know that Jehovah hath brought you out from the land of Egypt," signifies that in the end of the former state there shall be a revelation that they are liberated; "and in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of Jehovah," signifies that in the beginning of a new state there will be the advent of the Lord; "in that He heareth your murmurings," signifies that complaints will cease; "against Jehovah, and what are we, that ye murmur against us?" signifies that the complaints were against the Divine, and not against those who represented it; "and Moses said," signifies information; "In that Jehovah shall give you in the evening flesh to eat," signifies that in the end of the state good will be appropriated by means of delight; "and in the morning bread to satiety," signifies that in the beginning of a new state they shall have as much good as they can receive; "In that Jehovah heareth your murmurings," signifies that thus complaints will cease; "with which ye murmur against Him," signifies that these were against the Divine; "what are we? your murmurings are not against us," signifies that they were not against those who represented the Divine; "but against Jehovah," signifies that hereafter they must beware.
9-12. And Moses said unto Aaron, Say unto all the assemblage of the sons of Israel, Come ye near before Jehovah, for He hath heard your murmurings. And it was, as Aaron spake unto the whole assemblage of the sons of Israel, that they looked back unto the wilderness, and behold the glory of Jehovah was seen in the clouds. And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the sons of Israel; speak unto them, saying, Between the evenings ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be sated with bread; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah your God.
"And Moses said unto Aaron," signifies the influx of truth Divine proceeding immediately from the Lord through the truth Divine which proceeds mediately; "Say unto all the assemblage of the sons of Israel," signifies instruction; "Come ye near before Jehovah," signifies a state of reception, and the application thereto; "for He hath heard your murmurings," signifies that He may bring aid on account of the suffering in the temptation; "and it was, as Aaron spake unto the whole assemblage of the sons of Israel," signifies instruction from the Divine by means of influx; "that they looked back unto the wilderness," signifies a recalling to mind of the state of temptation in which they had been; "and behold the glory of Jehovah was seen in the cloud," signifies the presence of the Lord in truth accommodated to the perception; "and Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying," signifies the truth which proceeds from the Divine of the Lord, and in which is the Lord's presence; "I have heard the murmurings of the sons of Israel," signifies that the complaints arising from the temptation will cease; "speak unto them, saying," signifies information by means of influx; "Between the evenings ye shall eat flesh," signifies that in the end of the state good will be appropriated by means of delight; "and in the morning ye shall be sated with bread," signifies that in the beginning of a new state they shall have as much good as they can receive; "and ye shall know that I am Jehovah your God," signifies that they may know that the Lord is the only God.
13-15. And it was in the evening that the quail 8450-1 came up, and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a deposit of dew round about the camp. And the deposit of dew went up, and behold upon the faces of the wilderness a small round thing, small as the hoar frost upon the earth. And the sons of Israel saw, and they said a man to his brother, What is this [Man hoc]? for they knew not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which Jehovah hath given you to eat.
"And it was in the evening," signifies the end of the state; "that the quail came up," signifies natural delight through which is good; "and covered the camp," signifies that it filled the natural of the man; "and in the morning," signifies the beginning of a new state; "there was a deposit of dew round about the camp," signifies the truth of peace adjoining itself; "and the deposit of dew went up," signifies the insinuation of truth; "and behold upon the faces of the wilderness," signifies a new will part; "a small round thing," signifies the good of truth in the first formation; "small as the hoar frost upon the earth," signifies truth in the form of good consistent and flowing; "and the sons of Israel saw," signifies a perception; "and they said a man to his brother," signifies amazement; "What is this? for they knew not what it was," signifies at what was not known; "and Moses said unto them," signifies information through truth from the Divine; "This is the bread which Jehovah hath given you to eat," signifies that this is the good which must be appropriated and make their life, in the supreme sense that this is the Lord in you.
16-18. This is the word that Jehovah hath commanded, Gather ye of it everyone according to the mouth of his eating, an omer a head, according to the number of your souls, take ye everyone for him who is in his tent. And the sons of Israel did so, and they gathered, collecting for the numerous and for the few. And they measured it with the omer, and it made nothing over for the numerous; and for the few there was no lack; they gathered everyone according to his eating.
"This is the word that Jehovah hath commanded," signifies a mandate about it from the Divine; "Gather ye of it everyone according to the mouth of his eating," signifies reception and appropriation according to the capacity of each one; "an omer a head," signifies enough for everyone; "according to the number of your souls," signifies enough for all in the society; "take ye everyone for him who is in his tent," signifies communication with them, and from this the general good; "and the sons of Israel did so," signifies the effect; "and they gathered, collecting for the numerous and for the few," signifies reception according to the power of each society; "and they measured it with the omer," signifies the power of the reception of good; "and it made nothing over for the numerous; and for the few there was no lack," signifies that there was a just proportion for everyone in particular and in general; "they gathered everyone according to his eating," signifies reception according to the capacity of each one.
19, 20. And Moses said unto them, Let no one make a residue of it till the morning. And they heard not unto Moses; and men made a residue of it until morning and it bred worms and stank, and Moses was angry with them.
"And Moses said unto them," signifies exhortation; "Let no one make a residue of it till the morning," signifies that they should not be solicitous about acquiring it from themselves; "and they heard not unto Moses," signifies no faith and thence no obedience; "and men made a residue of it until the morning," signifies the abuse of good Divine, in that they desired to acquire it from themselves; "and it bred worms," signifies that consequently it became filthy; "and stank," signifies consequently infernal; "and Moses was angry with them," signifies that consequently they turned away truth Divine from themselves.
21-24. And they gathered it morning by morning, everyone according to the mouth of his eating: and the sun grew hot and it melted. And it was that on the sixth day they gathered bread double, two omers for each one; and all the princes of the assemblage came and told Moses. And he said unto them, This is what Jehovah spake, A rest, a Sabbath holy to Jehovah, is the morrow; what ye will bake, bake ye; and what ye will boil, boil ye; and all that is left over, this lay ye by for you to keep until the morning. And they laid it by till the morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink, and the worm was not in it.
"And they gathered it morning by morning," signifies the reception of good from the Lord continually; "every man according to the mouth of his eating," signifies by everyone according to his power of appropriation; "and the sun grew hot and it melted," signifies that it vanishes away according to the degree of the increase of concupiscence; "and it was on the sixth day," signifies at the end of every state; "they gathered bread double," signifies conjunction from the good received; "two omers for each one," signifies power then; "and all the princes of the assemblage came and told Moses," signifies reflection from primary truths; "and he said unto them," signifies instruction; "This is what Jehovah spake," signifies influx from the Divine; "a rest," signifies a state of peace when there is no temptation; "a Sabbath holy to Jehovah is the morrow," signifies the conjunction of good and truth to eternity; "what ye will bake, bake ye," signifies preparation for the conjunction of good; "and what ye will boil, boil ye," signifies preparation for the conjunction of truth; "and all that is left over, this lay ye by for you to keep until the morning," signifies the enjoyment of all good and truth then as it were from their own; "and they laid it by till the morning," signifies the enjoyment that is to come; "as Moses commanded," signifies according to instruction from truth Divine; "and it did not stink, and the worm was not in it," signifies that there was nothing filthy therein, because in this way it was made their own by the Lord.
25-27. And Moses said, Eat ye this today, because today is a Sabbath to Jehovah, today ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it, and on the seventh day is the Sabbath, it shall not be in it. And it was on the seventh day, there went out some of the people for to gather, and they found none.
"And Moses said," signifies information concerning this matter; "Eat ye this today," signifies appropriation to eternity; "because today is a Sabbath to Jehovah," signifies because good has been conjoined with truth by the Lord; "today ye shall not find it in the field," signifies that then good shall no longer be acquired by means of truth; "six days ye shall gather it," signifies the reception of truth before it is being conjoined with good; "and on the seventh day is the Sabbath," signifies that afterward there is conjunction; "it shall not be in it," signifies that no longer shall there be good by means of truth; "and it was on the seventh day," signifies a state of conjoined good and truth; "there went out some of the people for to gather, and they found none," signifies that they desired to acquire, but it was not possible.
28-31. And Jehovah said unto Moses, How long do ye refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? See ye, because Jehovah hath given you the Sabbath, therefore He giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; rest ye everyone in his place, let no one go forth from his place on the seventh day. And the people rested on the seventh day. And the house of Israel called the name of it Manna; and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like that of a cake in honey.
"And Jehovah said unto Moses," signifies the appearing of the Divine obscured; "How long do ye refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?" signifies on account of their not acting according to Divine order; "see ye," signifies that they should pay attention and reflect; "because Jehovah hath given you the Sabbath," signifies the conjunction of good and truth by the Lord; "therefore He giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days," signifies that on this account even to the end of the former state He gives as much good through truth as will afterward effect this conjunction; "rest ye everyone in his place," signifies a state of peace; "let no one go forth from his place on the seventh day," signifies that they must then remain in this state; "and the people rested on the seventh day," signifies a representative then of the conjunction of good and truth in a state of peace; "and the house of Israel called the name of it Manna," signifies its quality in respect to them; "and it was like coriander seed, white," signifies the truth therein that it was pure; "and the taste of it was like that of a cake in honey," signifies that the good was delightful because it had been made good from truth by means of delight.
32-34. And Moses said, This is the word which Jehovah hath commanded, Fill an omer with it to be kept for your generations, to the end that they may see the bread wherewith I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take an urn, and put the omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before Jehovah, to be kept for your generations. As Jehovah commanded Moses, and Aaron laid it up before the Testimony to be kept.
"And Moses said, This is the word which Jehovah hath commanded," signifies a mandate; "Fill an omer with it," signifies the highest degree of power; "to be kept for your generations," signifies which is for those who are of the spiritual church; "to the end that they may see the bread wherewith I fed you in the wilderness," signifies the good of truth when in a state of temptations; "when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt," signifies after they had been liberated from infestations; "and Moses said unto Aaron," signifies influx; "Take an urn," signifies truth; "and put the omer full of manna therein," signifies good therein as much as it will hold; "and lay it up before Jehovah," signifies that it may be in the presence of the Divine; "to be kept for your generations," signifies that it may be the measure for those who are of that spiritual church; "as Jehovah commanded Moses," signifies according to the mandate; "and Aaron laid it up before the Testimony to be kept," signifies that it was in the presence of the Divine.
35, 36. And the sons of Israel did eat the manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat the manna until they came unto the border of the land of Canaan. And an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.
"And the sons of Israel did eat the manna forty years," signifies the appropriation of the good of truth in the state of all temptations; "until they came to a land inhabited," signifies before they came to heaven, where good is everywhere; "they did eat the manna until they came unto the border of the land of Canaan," signifies that there was appropriation of good from truth by them until they came to the region of heaven; "and an omer is the tenth part of an ephah," signifies the amount of the good then. [AC 8366-8540]
Author: Emanuel Swedenborg
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