Exodus 16:9

_AND MOSES SPAKE UNTO AARON, SAY UNTO ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, COME NEAR BEFORE THE LORD: FOR HE HATH HEARD YOUR MURMURINGS._ Come near before the Lord ... they looked toward the wilderness. They were called to leave their tents, and stand looking toward the wilderness of Sin, over which the cloud was hovering; and in the awful phase which that cloud then exhibited-in the light that glared from it they witnessed the majesty of God; while in the sounds that were heard from it they received at once a rebuke to their own reproaches, and a confirmation of the veracity of His servants....

9._And Moses spoke unto Aaron. _There is no question but that he here cites them as criminals before the tribunal of God, as if he had said that they were mistaken, if they thought that their murmurings were unobserved. Nevertheless, he alludes also to the cloud, which was the visible symbol of God’s presence; and thus reproves their folly in not hesitating to provoke a God, who was so near, and almost; before their very eyes. First, then, we must remark, that they were in a manner drawn from their hiding-places, that their pride might be broken; and, secondly, that their stupidity was rebuked, for not reverencing God though present. And this is made more clear by the context, where it is said, that the glory of the Lord appeared “toward the wilderness,” by which word I imagine the less habitable region to be indicated. For, although the country on all sides was barren, and uninhabited,...

1-12 The provisions of Israel, brought from Egypt, were spent by the middle of the second month, and they murmured. It is no new thing for the greatest kindness to be basely represented as the greatest injuries. They so far undervalue their deliverance, that they wished they had died in Egypt; and by the hand of the Lord, that is, by the plagues which cut off the Egyptians. We cannot suppose they had plenty in Egypt, nor could they fear dying for want in the wilderness, while they had flocks and herds: none talk more absurdly than murmurers. When we begin to fret, we ought to consider, that God hears all our murmurings. God promises a speedy and constant supply. He tried whether they would trust him, and rest satisfied with the bread of the day in its day. Thus he tried if they would serve him, and it appeared how ungrateful they were. When God plagued the Egyptians, it was to make them...

Verse Exodus 16:9. _COME NEAR BEFORE THE LORD_] This has been supposed to refer to some particular _place_, where the Lord manifested his presence. The great tabernacle was not yet built, but there appears to have been a small _tabernacle_ or _tent_ called the _Tabernacle of the Congregation_, which, after the sin of the golden calf, was always placed without the camp; see Exodus 33:7: _And Moses took the Tabernacle and pitched it without the camp,_ _afar off from the camp, and called it The Tabernacle of the_ _Congregation_; _and it came to pass that every one that sought the_ _Lord went out unto the Tabernacle of the Congregation, which was_ _without the camp_. This could not be that portable temple which is described...

EXPOSITION THE PROMISE FULFILLED. Moses had made a double promise to the Israelites in God's name. "The Lord shall give you," he had said," in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full" (Exodus 16:8). And now the time for the fulfilment of the double promise approached. First, however, before they received the blessings, he required them to present themselves before the Lord. As they had rebelled in murmuring, an act of homage was proper; and as they had called in question the conduct of Moses and Aaron. some token that God approved the action of these his faithful servants, and would support them, was needed. Hence the appearance of the Lord to the congregation in the cloud (Exodus 16:10). After this, when evening approached

AND MOSES SPAKE UNTO AARON,.... Who was his prophet and spokesman to the people: SAY UNTO ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL; to the heads of them, to as many as could conveniently hear him, and were to report what he said to the rest: COME NEAR BEFORE THE LORD; who was in the pillar of cloud, which from the first appearance of it never removed from them, nor the Lord from that; though some have thought, that before the tabernacle was built, there was some small tent or little tabernacle where the Shechinah was; but for this there is no foundation, there is for the other suggested: FOR HE HATH HEARD YOUR MURMURINGS; which is repeated again and again, to observe to them the evil of it, and what notice the Lord took of it, though he indulged them in so gracious a manner he did....

Exodus 16:1. _And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:_ They have been only about six weeks in the wilderness, and already they are up in arms against their leaders. Remember that we have the same kind of people to deal with as Moses and Aaron had. The children of Israel were no better than any other nation; and I do not think they were any worse. We may take them as a fair average of human nature, which is a discontented, rebellious thing in the best of circumstances. Exodus 16:3. A

XVI. MANNA AND QUAILS (Exodus 16:1 P, Exodus 16:4 a(b) - Exodus 16:5 J, (Exodus 16:6 f., Exodus 16:8) Rp, Exodus 16:9 a (morning) P, Exodus 16:13 b - Exodus 16:15 J, Exodus 16:16 P,...

III. THE GLORY IN THE CLOUD. 9. COME NEAR BEFORE THE LORD. That is, before the cloud that showed forth his presence and his glory, and which, as far as Israel was concerned, constituted the shekinah or habitation of the Lord. The symbols of God's presence are repeatedly in the Scriptures called by his name (See 1 Chronicles 13:10; 2 Samuel 6:7; Exodus 23:17). They are cited to appear before this awe-inspiring manifestation of the divine presence, as before. tribunal....

THE TEXT OF EXODUS TRANSLATION 16 AND THEY TOOK THEIR JOURNEY FROM E-LIM, AND ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF IS-RA-EL CAME UNTO THE WILDERNESS OF SIN, WHICH IS BETWEEN E-IIM AND SI-NAI, ON THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF THE SECOND MONTH AFTER THEIR DEPARTING OUT OF THE LAND OF E-GYPT. (2) AND THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF IS-RA-EL MURMURED AGAINST MO-SES AND AGAINST AAR-ON IN THE WILDERNESS: (3) AND THE CHILDREN OF IS-RA-EL SAID UNTO THEM, WOULD THAT WE DIED BY THE HAND OF JE-HO-VAH IN THE LAND OF E-GYPT, WHEN WE SAT BY THE FLESH-POTS, WHEN WE DID EAT BREAD TO THE FULL; FOR YE HAVE BROUGHT US FORTH INTO THIS WILDERNESS, TO KILL THIS WHOLE ASSEMBLY WITH HUNGER. (4) Then said Je-ho-vah unto Mo-ses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not. (5)...