Exodus 16:4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
The Quail and the Manna. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses:(A) I am going to rain down bread from heaven[a] for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not.
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- 16:4 Bread from heaven: as a gift from God, the manna is said to come down from the sky. Cf. Ps 78:24–25; Wis 16:20. Perhaps it was similar to a natural substance that is still found in small quantities on the Sinai peninsula—probably the honey-like resin from the tamarisk tree—but here it is, at least in part, clearly an extraordinary sign of God’s providence. With reference to Jn 6:32, 49–52, the Christian tradition has regarded the manna as a type of the Eucharist. Test: as the text stands, it seems to leave open the question whether the test concerns trusting in God to provide them with the daily gift of food or observing the sabbath instructions.
Numbers 11:8
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
8 When they had gone about and gathered it up, the people would grind it between millstones or pound it in a mortar, then cook it in a pot and make it into loaves, with a rich creamy taste.
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Psalm 78:24-25
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
24 God rained manna upon them for food;
grain from heaven he gave them.(A)
25 Man ate the bread of the angels;[a]
food he sent in abundance.
Footnotes
- 78:25 Bread of the angels: the translation “angels” comports with the supernatural origin of the manna, though the Hebrew lechem ‘abbirim is more literally translated as “bread of the strong ones” or “bread of the mighty.” In the context of the manna event, this phrase cannot possibly mean the Israelites or any human being.
John 6:31
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
31 [a]Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:(A)
‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.