Exodus 16:12
in Exodus 16“I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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 Jehovah your God.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Exodus 16
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis gave proof of his power as the Lord, and his particular favour to them as their God. When God plagued the Egyptians, it was to make them know that he was the Lord; when he provided for the Israelites, it was to make them know that he was their God. How God himself manifested his glory, to still the murmurings of the people, and to put a reputation upon Moses and Aaron,
This site's exposition
I have heard the grumbling
on Exodus 16:12-13
The stated purpose of the food is knowledge, Then you will know that I am the LORD your God. The plagues kept saying that sentence at 7:5 and 6:7.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Many there are of whom we say that they are better fed than taught; but the Israelites were thus fed, that they might be taught. He led him about, he instructed him ( Deut. xxxii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel,....
We must not think, because God does not immediately take vengeance on men for their sins, that therefore he does not take notice of them; no, he hears the murmurings of Israel, and is grieved with this generation, and yet continues his care of them, as the tender parent of the froward child. (2.) He promises them a speedy, sufficient, and constant supply,
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
SPEAK UNTO THEM, SAYING: AT DUSK YE SHALL EAT FLESH. This communication [ at dusk ye shall eat, etc.], had already been conveyed by Moses to Israel, 365 Above, Verse.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
The Israelites saw that Moses went to the glory of the Lord and spoke to God.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי | shama'ti | I have heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| תְּלוּנֹּת֮ | telunot | [the] grumblings of | H8519 → | 8 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| דַּבֵּ֨ר | daber | speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֲלֵהֶ֜ם | ʾalehem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לֵאמֹ֗ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בֵּ֤ין | bein | between | H996 → | 407 times |
| הָֽעַרְבַּ֙יִם֙ | haarbayim | the two evenings | H6153 → | 134 times |
| תֹּאכְל֣וּ | tokhelu | you will eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| בָשָׂ֔ר | vasar | meat | H1320 → | 270 times |
| וּבַבֹּ֖קֶר | uvaboker | and in the morning | H1242 → | 214 times |
| תִּשְׂבְּעוּ־ | tisbeu- | you will be satisfied | H7646 → | |
| לָ֑חֶם | lachem | bread | H3899 → | 298 times |
| וִֽידַעְתֶּ֕ם | vida'tem | and you will know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| כִּ֛י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֲנִ֥י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | [am] Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ | ʾeloheikhem | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
שָׁמַ֗עְתִּיI have heard
shama'tiH8085 →1159 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
תְּלוּנֹּת֮[the] grumblings of
telunotH8519 →8 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֒Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
דַּבֵּ֨רspeak
daberH1696 →1141 times
אֲלֵהֶ֜םto them
ʾalehemH413 →5510 times
לֵאמֹ֗ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
בֵּ֤יןbetween
beinH996 →407 times
הָֽעַרְבַּ֙יִם֙the two evenings
haarbayimH6153 →134 times
תֹּאכְל֣וּyou will eat
tokheluH398 →810 times
בָשָׂ֔רmeat
vasarH1320 →270 times
וּבַבֹּ֖קֶרand in the morning
uvabokerH1242 →214 times
תִּשְׂבְּעוּ־you will be satisfied
tisbeu-H7646 →
לָ֑חֶםbread
lachemH3899 →298 times
וִֽידַעְתֶּ֕םand you will know
vida'temH3045 →945 times
כִּ֛יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
אֲנִ֥יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
יְהוָ֖ה[am] Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃God your
ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 6:7I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 7:6
For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of…
- Deuteronomy 29:13
and so that He may establish you today as His people, and He may be your God as He promised you and as He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- Deuteronomy 4:20
Yet the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of His inheritance, as you are today.
- Deuteronomy 7:6
Through
Joel 3:17Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who dwells in Zion, My holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy, never again to be overrun by foreigners.
it leads to
- Joel 2:27
Then you will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.
- Isaiah 52:1
Awake, awake, clothe yourself with strength, O Zion! Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, holy city! For the uncircumcised and unclean will no longer enter you.
- Nahum 1:15
Look to the mountains—the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Celebrate your feasts, O Judah; fulfill your vows. For the wicked will never again march through you; they will be…
- Joel 2:27
Through
Ezekiel 34:30Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,’ declares the Lord GOD.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 34:24
I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be a prince among them. I, the LORD, have spoken.
- Ezekiel 37:27
My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people.
- Ezekiel 34:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies9
About Exodus
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.