Welcome to my Hebrew reading & language series.
Exodus 16:1-4
We are starting a new chapter this week. We only hear about the Mitsraim v'Mitsraim (Egyptians in Egypt) when the people grumble against Moshe (Moses). That is the case again today.
The people out and out accuse Moshe of bringing them out to the wilderness in order to kill them! They fondly remember being slaves and sitting next to pots filled with meat. I understand that it has been forty five days since they had left Mitsraim. So, I am sure they are getting hungry, or at least worried where food might be coming from to feed them.
The Almighty heard all of this talk and He spoke to Moshe, telling him about bread that will fall from heaven and they will gather a daily portion every day. God then adds that this is to test whether they will "Walk in my law or not."
Note: God called this "bread" from heaven, but the people end up calling it MaNa which is two words in Hebrew.
Ma = What
Na could mean now or please.
Many translate Mana as "what is this?" but if I translate that back to Hebrew, I get "ma ze" or "ma zot"
Their exact words and meaning is not so important to this passage. I am sure that each had slightly different exclamations. The name that stuck was Ma Na.
I picture the people seeing it (next week) and saying "what now?" or any number of sayings; What the heck?, Huh?, What? Oh please!, What's this? - any of those work. The people were surprised at what fell from heaven and they expressed that feeling.
Anyway, this week we are reading that God is about to rain bread down on them. He is instructing them on how to respond and how to use this new resource responsibly. Let's see how the people take his instructions in our reading next week.
Today's reading
English
They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of YHVH in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."
Then YHVH 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.
Hebrew
Next week, collect mana for two days...
Info on each letter starting at the beginning
If you are just starting, my lessons are all here starting at Alef, adding vowels (the dots and lines) as we go. I explain the meaning of each letter and its numerical value. Just go to my blog and scroll to the bottom or click here
Get your Hebrew Bible now!
Click here to obtain the book we are using. It is a free download or browser usable.
Thanks for reading.