John Calvin Commentary Exodus 16:15

"And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, What is it? For they knew not what it was. And Moses said unto them, It is the bread which Jehovah hath given you to eat." — Exodus 16:15 (ASV)

And when the children of Israel saw. The Israelites showed some sign of gratitude in calling the food given to them from heaven, Man,¹⁷⁸ which name means “something prepared.” However, if any prefer the opinion of those who interpret it as “a part or portion,” I do not debate the matter, although the former is more correct. Yet, whichever you choose, by this word they confessed that they were provided for abundantly, because God presented them with food without their having to labor for it.

Therefore, they indirectly condemned their own perverse and wicked murmuring, since it is much better to gather food prepared for them than to acquire it by the laborious and troublesome cultivation of the earth. Although this confession was forced from them by the incredible novelty of the thing, at that particular moment their intention was to proclaim God’s loving-kindness.

But, since unbelief had clouded their senses, so that they did not see clearly, Moses says that they wist not what it was. In these words he rebukes their slowness of heart, because, although previously informed of the miracle, they were astonished at the sight, as if they had heard nothing of it before.

We perceive, then, that they only partially acknowledged God’s mercy, for their gratitude was clouded with the darkness of ignorance, and they were compelled to confess that they did not altogether understand it. Therefore, their stupidity is rebuked not without bitterness when Moses tells them that this was the food promised to them by God. For, if they had recognized in it the fulfillment of the promise, there was no need of recalling it to their recollection.

Regarding the words themselves, the answer of Moses has misled the Greek and Latin translators into translating them as a question,¹⁷⁹ What is this? But their difficulty is easily removed. Moses does not directly state that they inquired about it as if it were something unknown, but expresses their knowledge mixed with ignorance. For the matter was partly doubtful, partly clear; for the power of God was visibly manifest, but the veil of unbelief prevented them from grasping God’s promised bounty.

¹⁷⁸ מן, Man. If this word be referred to the root מנן, it may mean a prepared thing; if to the root מנה, it would mean an assigned portion; but in Syriac and Chaldee man is incontestably what, and the LXX. bear testimony to the existence of the same monosyllabic relative in Hebrew by so rendering it here, to which the V. adds its authority, by saying, Man hu? Quod significat, Quid est hoc? C. found the two first interpretations in the notes of S. M., who makes no allusion to this last rendering. — W.

¹⁷⁹ See margin A. V.