Exodus 16:31
And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
Original Language Analysis
וַיִּקְרְא֧וּ
called
H7121
וַיִּקְרְא֧וּ
called
Strong's:
H7121
Word #:
1 of 13
to call out to (i.e., properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
בֵֽית
And the house
H1004
בֵֽית
And the house
Strong's:
H1004
Word #:
2 of 13
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל
of Israel
H3478
יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל
of Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
3 of 13
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
4 of 13
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
שְׁמ֖וֹ
the name
H8034
שְׁמ֖וֹ
the name
Strong's:
H8034
Word #:
5 of 13
an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character
מָ֑ן
thereof Manna
H4478
מָ֑ן
thereof Manna
Strong's:
H4478
Word #:
6 of 13
literally a whatness (so to speak), i.e., manna (so called from the question about it)
וְה֗וּא
H1931
וְה֗וּא
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
7 of 13
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
כְּזֶ֤רַע
seed
H2233
כְּזֶ֤רַע
seed
Strong's:
H2233
Word #:
8 of 13
seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity
וְטַעְמ֖וֹ
and the taste
H2940
וְטַעְמ֖וֹ
and the taste
Strong's:
H2940
Word #:
11 of 13
properly, a taste, i.e., (figuratively) perception; by implication, intelligence; transitively, a mandate
Cross References
Exodus 16:15And 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.Song of Solomon 2:3As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
Historical Context
The detailed physical description confirms historical reality while emphasizing the miraculous. No natural substance matches manna's complete profile: daily appearance, Sabbath cessation, double portions, 40-year duration.
Questions for Reflection
- How does manna's pleasant taste reveal God's provision includes satisfaction, not mere survival?
- What does naming the bread 'What is it?' teach about receiving God's gifts even when we don't understand them?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey—The official naming as 'Manna' (מָן, man, 'What is it?') permanently memorializes Israel's initial bewilderment. Physical descriptions—coriander seed size, white color, honey wafer taste—ground the miraculous in sensory reality. The comparison to 'honey' (דְּבַשׁ, d'vash) connects to the promised land 'flowing with milk and honey,' showing God provides promised-land sweetness even in wilderness. Numbers 11:7-8 adds that it could be ground, beaten, baked, or boiled, showing divine provision's versatility. This daily miracle of pleasant taste for 40 years demonstrates God's goodness—He didn't merely sustain life but gave satisfaction. Christ invites believers to 'taste and see that the Lord is good' (Ps 34:8).