Exodus 16:4
ESV
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven 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.
NIV
Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.
NASB
Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, so that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction.
CSB
Then the Lord said to Moses, "I am going to rain bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. This way I will test them to see whether or not they will follow my instructions.
NLT
Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions.
KJV
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.
NKJV
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.
What does Exodus 16:4 mean?
Moses and Aaron endured bitter complaints from Israelites about food (Exodus 16:1–3). Rather than trusting the Lord and seeking Him, the people react with snide pessimism.In response, God explains that He is staging another test for the people (Exodus 15:25–26). He will provide them with bread, but they will need to demonstrate dependence. God plans to arrange this miraculous provision so that each morning's harvest lasts only for that day (Exodus 16:19–20). An exception to this will be Sabbath days, where the prior harvest will yield twice as much and will not spoil for the two days of storage.
This "bread" is manna, one of the most important symbols of Scripture (Exodus 16:15, 31).
