What is manna in the Bible? It is one of the questions scholars have debated through the ages. Where did it come from? Was it a natural phenomenon or was the appearance of manna a miracle? Read on to learn more about the first superfood, and thanks for visiting the Manna for bible study. Our desire is to help you grow in your spiritual walk.
Approximately 1450 years before the birth of Jesus, God made it possible for Moses to lead about 2,000,000 people out of bondage in Egypt. The people passed through the Red Sea (which parted for the Hebrews to pass through, then closed to swallow up the pursuing Egyptian army) and began to advance toward Canaan—the land that hundreds of years before, God promised Abraham his descendants would one day occupy.
This was a key moment in Hebrew history. After being held in bondage in Egypt for many years, the Hebrews were free, but they had no food and no supply chain. Within a month, the provisions they had brought from Egypt were low and by the second month, the people were complaining to Moses.
The Bible makes clear that it wasn't just a few who complained to Moses—all but a few leaders close to Moses complained. In Exodus 16:2-3 we read: "The whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, 'Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.'"
And so, God responded to their need in a way that for approximately 40 years, would serve as an object or teaching bible lesson. That is, God gave the Hebrews a daily provision of food (Manna), but in a way that was designed to teach the people something about His faithfulness and the importance of obedience and faith. What is Manna in the Bible? It was food but more; it was a gift from God that He used to teach humanity important physical and spiritual truths.
Note: we invite you to utilize the Manna App to learn more about this and other important spiritual precepts.
Related Reading: Bible Study Guide for Beginners
Some ask, Why did it take so long for the Israelites to cross the Jordan and arrive at their destination, the land of Canaan? The simple answer is, fear and a lack of faith. Just weeks after leaving Egypt, Moses sent out 12 men to survey the land—10 came back with a negative report, advising the group they should not enter Canaan because there were fortified cities, armies, and even giants in the land (at least it seemed that way to the frightened Hebrew spies). Though two men said the group should move forward, believing that as they were faithful to obey God would be faithful to bless, within 24 hours the people were in a panic and voiced their reservations about going forward to Moses. It was a dark day. Would moving forward in obedience be difficult? Yes, but with obedience comes blessing.
God saw the people were not yet ready (spiritually) to move forward, so He had them wander in the wilderness for 40 years before they would be given a second opportunity to cross the Jordan River and enter Canaan. God's presence was with them as a pillar of fire and cloud of smoke during this time, and through Moses, His Law (including the Ten Commandments) was given. It was a time of growing in the faith—of learning more about who God was and what He expected of His people.
One of the great lessons learned during this time was to trust and rely on God. The Lord used hunger and the need for daily sustenance to teach the Hebrews about their need to rely on the Lord daily for their every need. How did God do this? Manna.
What is Manna in the Bible? Interestingly, not even the Hebrews knew what manna was when they first saw it. In fact, the word manna is actually a play on the Hebrew word man, which is linked to the phrase, What is it? In the International Bible Dictionary, Dr. G.L. Carr notes the following:
"Exodus 16:15 explains the etymology of the Hebrew term: When the Israelites saw (the manna), they said to one another, mān hûʾ (RSV, NEB 'What is it?') because they did not know 'what it was'" (mah-hûʾ).
Manna was something new—a special divine provision of flake-like nutritious food that miraculously appeared on the ground like snow. It appeared six days a week, for the forty years the Hebrews were in the wilderness. God discontinued the daily provision of manna after the people entered Canaan because they were now able to eat of the abundant food that was in the new land (Josh. 5:12).
How was the Manna in the Bible collected? Exodus 16:16 notes that the Hebrews were to gather the manna that appeared on the ground six days a week (no gathering was done on the Sabbath). People were instructed to gather two days' worth of manna on the day before the Sabbath so their needs would be provided for as they gave their full attention to worshipping the Lord on the day of rest.
Exodus 16:16 notes that the Hebrews were instructed to gather "as much as he can eat... an omer [about 2.2 liters, or slightly more than 2 dry quarts] apiece, according to the number of persons whom each... has in his tent." Over collecting, wasting, or hording manna was forbidden. Scripture notes that manna could not be kept for more than a day or it would spoil; Exodus 16:19 notes that it would quickly become infested with maggots. The only exception was the gathering of a double portion on the eve of the Sabbath. Exodus 16:22-30 notes that the extra portion gathered for subsistence on the Sabbath Day never spoiled.
The first reference to manna is found in Exodus 16. Different Bible translations vary in describing manna. The New King James text of Exodus 16:14 described the new food as "a small round substance, as fine as frost." The New American Standard translation of Exodus 16:31 describes manna as "like coriander seed and was white, and it tasted like wafers with honey."
The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible notes that the Hebrews first noticed the Manna after the morning dew lifted and that it appeared each morning throughout their time in the wilderness of Zin (Sin).
Other divine provisions: God provided for His people in many ways as they wandered in the wilderness. He purified water that was "bitter" (stagnant or diseased), made water flow from a dry rock, and sent morning dew. God made it so their clothes and sandals did not wear out, and for a time, provided quail (meat) for them to eat. These life sustaining provisions were wonderful, but somehow manna stands apart in that it became a prominent object lesson for the people: I am teaching you that you can trust Me because I am providing for your basic needs each and every day.
Interestingly, manna became associated with bread (bread cakes) and later, the city of Bethlehem (Jesus' birthplace) became known as the House of Bread. In John 6, Jesus drew on these idioms when He fed the 5000 (bread and fish) and the next day, referred to Himself as the "living Bread." Though a little difficult for us to see, the Hebrews quickly realized that Jesus was associating Himself with God's provision of manna in the days of Moses.
How was manna in the Bible used? Scripture states that manna was used in many ways. A few decades ago, Christian music artist Keith Green wrote a humorous song about manna (click HERE for the YouTube track from his album, So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt?). Numbers 11:8 notes that manna was boiled, crushed into flour, used to make cakes and more. We read: "And the people went about and gathered it, and ground it with mills or pounded it in mortars; they baked it in pans and made cakes of it. It tasted like fresh olive oil."
Scriptural descriptions of manna include, round and seed like and fine and flake like. It appeared as frost on the ground. Exodus 16:14, 31 and Numbers 11:8 describes manna as "like a coriander seed, white, and tasting of a wafer made with honey. Other references describe manna as being like bdellium, having the texture of honey or resin, and being small (about 3-4 millimeters in diameter). The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia notes that manna could be baked or eaten raw.
Manna was nutritious (it was the primary food for the Hebrews for decades). Perhaps with a little poetic license, manna is described as "heaven's grain" in Deuteronomy 8:3, 16; Psalm 78:24, 105:40, and Nehemiah 9:20.
What is manna in the Bible: Scientific Theories: Many attempts have been made to assign a natural explanation for the appearance of manna in the days of Moses. Yes, strange things have happened. For example, in December 2021, a news network in America reported that fish fell from the sky during a rainstorm. A few theories are listed below but the short answer to the question, What is manna in the Bible and could there be a natural explanation? Is NO. The Baker Bible Encyclopedia notes that manna was "God's miraculous provision for his people (cf. Ex 14:16, 21, 31) [and that] the Bible stresses the fact that merely natural causes do not suffice by way of explanation. The regularity, periodicity, and abundance of the manna cannot be explained on any but miraculous grounds. The Israelites were to gather it for one day at a time. Anything collected above that measure was subject to spoiling (16:20). Only the sabbath day was an exception to that rule [and the miracle of manna appearing daily lasted for about 40 years]."
Nevertheless, some have noted that each June and July in the Sinai, the tamarisk tree exudes a sweet liquid. Actually, the liquid is the byproduct of a tiny insect, which produces a liquid that forms into what looks like small pieces of grain. These grains disappear when the temperature rises but can appear in the cool of the morning.
The Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land notes that each spring, tamarisk bushes, (Tamarix manifera) are attacked by the insect Cocidae. "Their secretion has a rough surface and is white at first, changing later to a yellowish-brown color. It becomes sweet, like honey, when kept for a long time. The local Bedouins call it 'manna of heaven'. They collect it very early in the morning, before the ants wake after the chill of the night, and very quickly, before it melts in the hot morning sun."
Others have suggested that manna could be like an edible lichen that appears periodically and has been used as a substitute for grain in times of famine.
Though interesting theories have been proposed, none come close to adequately addressing the important question: What is manna in the Bible?
The use of manna in the Bible has two distinct meanings: Spiritual and physical. The physical application is clear. The wilderness of Zin (Sin) offered little food for the many Hebrew sojourners and there was no supply chain to provide for their daily needs. Panicked that they would starve, the people cried out to Moses (Exodus 16). God responded by providing the food they needed to survive (manna) for the entire time they needed it (40 years). As soon as they had access to food in the land of Canaan, the daily provision of manna ended.
The spiritual application is equally important as the life-sustaining physical application (though less apparent). Spiritually, manna has the following implications:
The physical and spiritual applications for manna are important. They reveal the goodness, mercy and faithfulness of God, as well as His desire that we rely on and trust Him to provide for His people. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia notes that in Psalm 78, "the psalmist sharply contrasts the people's ingratitude and rebelliousness with God's faithful provision of the 'grain of heaven' (Heb. degan šemayim, v 24). Here we see how manna points to the nature of God, and how a physical blessing can point to profound spiritual truths.
Those who seek the answer to the question, What is Manna in the Bible? must see that Manna a teaching tool more than food. Young people can think of Manna as a kind of allowance. Is allowance money? Yes, but generally, an allowance is not just about financial gain—it has a higher purpose. It is designed to help people learn financial responsibility, advance good behavior, and develop good financial practices (such as saving and avoiding impulsive spending). So, just as an allowance is more than receiving money on a regular basis, manna is more than receiving food six days a week. Its higher purpose was to help the people continually see God as their Provider and to see Him as faithful—worthy of worship and able to meet their daily needs.
In general, the provision of manna communicated three things:
Manna is more than physical sustenance; it's a divine symbol of provision, obedience, and spiritual truth through Christ. God used manna to teach Israel the importance of being completely dependent on the Lord (Deut. 8:3). The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible states: "By means of this heavenly provision the Lord sought to 'test' and to 'humble' his people, in order to teach them that life in the full, biblical sense (cf. Gen 2:7b) is obtained when man lives by everything (every word) that proceeds from God's mouth (Dt 8:3, 16)."
Believers today are to put their complete trust in Jesus, who presented Himself as the giver of what people need to sustain them. In John 6, a riotous crowd asked, "What miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" (John 6:30-35). In response, Jesus provided an abundance of bread and fish, sufficient to feed 5000 men and their wives and families.
Scripture notes that the Hebrews preserved some manna in a golden pot and placed it with Aaron's budding staff in the Ark of the Covenant. Many believe the prophet Jeremiah moved the Ark to safety before Jerusalem fell to invading armies. The location of the Ark of the Covenant remains unknown (despite the storyline in the popular movie, Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark). Some believe the reference to hidden manna in Revelation 2:17 indicates that the lost manna (and Ark) will be revealed during the Millennial Reign of Christ.
Thank you for reading What is manna in the Bible? Please visit the Manna App to learn more about fascinating spiritual subjects.
The 'Manna' App is a digital tool designed to help Christians grow spiritually through regular Bible study. Inspired by the biblical manna that sustained the Israelites in the wilderness, the app provides spiritual nourishment by offering daily devotionals, scripture readings, and progress tracking features.
The Manna App includes a dedicated section for Bible lessons, accessible at https://www.themanna.app/bible-lessons. This page offers structured studies on various biblical themes, including foundational truths, practical Christian living, and deeper insights into God's Word. Each lesson is designed to be short, engaging, and spiritually enriching—ideal for daily meditation or group discussion.
