Exodus 16:15
ESV
When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.
NIV
When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.
NASB
When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, 'What is it?' For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, 'It is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.
CSB
When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, "What is it?" because they didn’t know what it was. Moses told them, "It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.
NLT
The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. 'What is it?' they asked each other. They had no idea what it was. And Moses told them, 'It is the food the Lord has given you to eat.
KJV
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.
NKJV
So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.
What does Exodus 16:15 mean?
When the Israelites find a strange, tiny, flaky substance on the ground, it is completely new to them (Deuteronomy 8:3) So they ask, "what is it?" or "what is that?" using the Hebrew phrase "mān hū?" As Moses explains, this is the bread which the Lord promised (Exodus 16:6–7, 12). In Hebrew, the word for "bread" is also used of food in general. This grain-like material (Numbers 11:8) will be collected each day (Exodus 16:16) and can be prepared in diverse ways (Exodus 16:23).Israel will come to call this substance "manna" (Exodus 16:31), using the same word which means "what?" This would be like an English-speaking person referring to a strange new food as "whatsit." For the next forty years (Exodus 16:35; Joshuia 5:12), the people will depend on manna to survive in the wilderness. When the Messiah, Jesus, ministers on earth, He will explain how manna symbolized His role in salvation (John 6:48–51).
The Lord's intent for this daily provision is to make Israel trust in Him. What they gather cannot be stored or stockpiled (Exodus 16:19–20). Every day will remind them of their dependence on God.
