Exodus 16 records the first gift of manna - bread rained from the sky to sustain Israel through forty years in the wilderness, and the first practical institution of the Sabbath rest.

Full sung version coming soon.

Lyrics

They took their journey from Elim And all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin Which is between Elim and Sinai On the fifteenth day of the second month

The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron In the wilderness And the children of Israel said to them We wish that we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt

When we sat by the meat pots When we ate our fill of bread For you have brought us out into this wilderness To kill this whole assembly with hunger

Then the LORD said to Moses Behold, I will rain bread from the sky for you And the people shall go out and gather A day’s portion every day

That I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not At evening you shall know that the LORD has brought you out From the land of Egypt In the morning you shall see the LORD’s glory

Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel At evening, you shall know that the LORD has brought you out In the morning you shall see the LORD’s glory Because the LORD hears your murmurings

Moses said to Aaron, tell all the congregation Come close to the LORD, for he has heard your murmurings In the evening, quail came up and covered the camp And in the morning the dew lay around the camp

When the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another What is it, for they didn’t know what it was Moses said to them, it is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat This is the thing which the LORD has commanded

Gather of it everyone according to his eating An omer a head, according to the number of your persons You shall take it, every man for those who are in his tent The children of Israel did so

On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much bread Two omers for each one, all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses This is that which the LORD has spoken Tomorrow is a solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD

Bake that which you want to bake and boil that which you want to boil And all that remains over lay up for yourselves They laid it up until the morning as Moses ordered And it didn’t become foul, and there were no worms in it The children of Israel ate the manna forty years

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Exodus 16 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.

Published 2026-05-22 · Last updated 2026-06-06
Written by Reid Wender, Editorial Director at Psalmody Press