Exodus 16:36

36 (An omer is 1the tenth part of an ephah.)[a]

Exodus 16:36 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 16:36

Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.
] Frequent mention being made of this measure in the above relation, as containing the quantity of each man's share of the manna daily, during the forty years' stay in the wilderness; an account is given by the historian how much it contained, by which it may appear what a sufficient provision was made: an ephah, according to Jarchi, contained three seahs (or pecks); a scab, six kabs; a kab, four logs; a log, six egg shells; and the tenth part of an ephah was forty three egg shells, and the fifth part of one: but Dr. Cumberland F2 has reduced this to our measure, and has given it more clearly and distinctly; an ephah, according to him, contained, in wine measure, seven gallons, two quarts, and about half a pint; in corn measure, six gallons, three pints, and three solid inches; and an omer three quarts; which being made into bread, must be more than any ordinary man could well eat; for, as Ainsworth observes, an omer was twice as much as the choenix, (a measure mentioned in ( Revelation 6:6 ) .) which was wont to be a man's allowance of bread corn for a day; and what a vast quantity must fall every day to supply so large a number of people with such a measure; some have reckoned it at 94,466 bushels every day, and that there must be consumed in forty years 1,379,203,600 bushels F3.


FOOTNOTES:

F2 Of Scripture Weights and Measures, ch. 3. p. 64, 86, 87. ch. 4. p. 137.
F3 Vid. Scheuchzer. Physic. Saer. vol. 2. p. 177, 178.

Exodus 16:36 In-Context

34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept.
35 The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan.
36 (An omer is the tenth part of an ephah.)

Cross References 1

  • 1. Leviticus 5:11; Leviticus 6:20

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.