John Calvin Commentary Exodus 16:14

"And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness a small round thing, small as the hoar-frost on the ground." — Exodus 16:14 (ASV)

And when the dew that lay was gone up. The shape of the manna is here briefly described, namely, that it was like the dew condensed into small round grains. Its taste will also be mentioned elsewhere. But here it was sufficient to show that this provision was not natural, but miraculously given to the clouds, so that they should daily rain manna.

For as for the idle talk of certain irreverent people,¹⁷⁶ who claim that manna falls naturally in some countries—attempting in this way to display their own cleverness, as if they had convicted Moses of falsehood because he greatly praises what they consider an insignificant matter—it is all an absurdity that can be easily refuted.

It is indeed true that in certain parts of the world they collect white grains, to which the name of manna has been commonly given (and which¹⁷⁷ one of the Rabbis asserts is Arabic); however, this substance is neither a food, nor does it drop daily from the clouds, nor has it anything in common with this food, which the Prophet properly dignifies with the title of “angels’ food,” because God, who opens the earth to provide ordinary food for humanity, at that time made provision for the nourishment of His people from heaven.

And so that it may appear beyond a doubt that this food was then created miraculously and contrary to the order of nature, these points are to be taken into consideration:

1. It did not appear in the wilderness before the hour assigned by Moses in obedience to God’s command.
2. No change of weather prevented the manna from dropping in a regular measure; neither frost, nor rain, nor heat, nor winter, nor summer interrupted the course of its distillation.
3. A quantity sufficient for the immense multitude was found every day, when they took up an omer for every individual.
4. On the sixth day, the quantity was doubled, so that they might set aside a second omer for their Sabbath food.
5. If they preserved any beyond their allotted portion, it was subject to putrefaction; whereas, on the Sabbath day, the second portion remained good.
6. Wherever they were, this blessing of God always accompanied them, while the neighboring nations lived on grain, and the manna was only known in their camp.
7. As soon as they entered a fruitful and grain-growing country, the manna ceased.
8. That portion, which Moses was commanded to store in a vessel, did not spoil.

Let these points be carefully considered, and the miracle will be more than sufficiently evident, and will disperse all the clouds of objection by its intrinsic brightness.

¹⁷⁶ “And even now in all that place this manna comes down in rain, according to what Moses then obtained of God, to send it the people for their sustenance.” — Josephus. Antiq., 3: 1. 6. Burekhardt identifies it with a substance called manna, obtained still by the Arabs from the ., 3: 1. 6. Burekhardt identifies it with a substance called manna, obtained still by the Arabs from the tarfa or tamarisk; and Rosenmuller speaks of it as being obtained from various trees in different countries. We can well understand the name having been given to any substance, which in some respects resembled it; but there does not appear to be any real correspondence in those which the critics mention. or tamarisk; and Rosenmuller speaks of it as being obtained from various trees in different countries. We can well understand the name having been given to any substance, which in some respects resembled it; but there does not appear to be any real correspondence in those which the critics mention.

¹⁷⁷ This is from S. M., who says that Aben-Ezra has affirmed man to be an Arabic noun. — ., who says that Aben-Ezra has affirmed man to be an Arabic noun. — W..