Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 6:32

"Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, It was not Moses that gave you the bread out of heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread out of heaven." — John 6:32 (ASV)

Jesus informed the people that Moses had not given them the genuine spiritual bread. He did not mean that the manna had no food value; rather, it was not the means of sustaining spiritual life. Jesus himself claimed to be the only true source of spiritual nourishment (he may have had Dt 8:3 in mind here). As physical food is necessary for physical life, so spiritual food is necessary for spiritual life.