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.

EXODUS 16:31KJV
Know the Bible

Exodus 16:31 (KJV)

What does Exodus 16:31 mean?

Exodus 16:31 describes how the people of Israel named the mysterious food God provided in the wilderness "Manna," and it gives a simple description of what it looked and tasted like: small and white like coriander seed, with a flavor similar to honey-sweetened wafers. This verse records the Israelites' firsthand experience of God's provision during their journey.

The verse comes as part of the story where the Israelites, having left Egypt, are wandering in the desert and need food. God provides them with something new and unfamiliar, which they call "Manna." The description in the verse helps readers picture what this food was like, emphasizing both its appearance and its pleasant, sweet taste.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 16:31

  • מָן (man, "Manna"): This word is unique and reflects the Israelites' question, "What is it?" since they had never seen anything like it before. The name itself captures their sense of wonder and unfamiliarity.
  • גֶּרַע (zera, "seed"): Used here for "seed," this word highlights that manna was small like a seed, giving a sense of its size and texture.
  • לָבָן (lavan, "white"): The word for "white" emphasizes the color of manna, which would have stood out in the desert landscape.
  • צַפִּיחִית (tsappichit, "wafers"): This word refers to a thin, crisp cake or wafer, suggesting the texture of manna when eaten.
  • דְּבַשׁ (devash, "honey"): The comparison to honey shows that manna was not only nourishing but also enjoyable to eat, with a naturally sweet taste.

Why Exodus 16:31 matters

  • Exodus 16:31 clarifies that manna was not just a bland or basic food, but something pleasant and sweet, countering any idea that God's provision was harsh or unappealing.
  • The verse connects the physical description of manna to the Israelites' experience, helping later readers understand why this food was so memorable in Israel's history.
  • By naming and describing manna, the verse sets up later references to it throughout the Bible, making it a symbol of God's care and faithfulness during difficult times.

Where else these words appear

“coriander” Hebrew H1407 · used in 2 verses

  • Numbers 11:7 And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.

“Manna” Hebrew H4478 · used in 12 verses

  • Exodus 16:15 And 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.
  • Numbers 11:6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
  • Deuteronomy 8:16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;

“taste” Hebrew H2940 · used in 12 verses

  • Numbers 11:8 And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.
  • Job 6:6 Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
  • Proverbs 11:22 As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.

“white” Hebrew H3836 · used in 24 verses

  • Genesis 30:35 And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
  • Leviticus 13:16 Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, he shall come unto the priest;
  • Leviticus 13:38 If a man also or a woman have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots;