John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 8. [And] the people went about and gathered [it] , etc.] Went about the camp on all sides, where it fell in plenty; this they did every morning, and this was all the trouble they were at; they had it for gathering, without any expense to them: and ground [it] in mills : in hand mills, as Aben Ezra; for though it melted through the heat of the sun, and became a liquid, yet, when gathered in the morning, it was hard like grains of corn, or other seeds, and required to be ground in mills: or beat [it] in a mortar ; with a pestle, as spices are beaten and bruised: and baked [it] in pans ; or rather boiled it in a pot, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, since it follows: and made cakes of it ; which were baked on the hearth; all which may denote the sufferings of Christ, who was beaten, and bruised, and broken, that he might become fit food for faith, ( Isaiah 53:4,5,10); and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil ; which is very grateful and pleasant, as well as very fattening and nourishing; so that the Israelites had no reason to complain of their being dried away by continual eating of it; (see Gill on “ Exodus 16:31”).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 4-9 - Man, having forsaken his proper rest, feels uneasy and wretched, thoug prosperous. They were weary of the provision God had made for them although wholesome food and nourishing. It cost no money or care, an the labour of gathering it was very little indeed; yet they talked of Egypt's cheapness, and the fish they ate there freely; as if that cos them nothing, when they paid dearly for it with hard service! Whil they lived on manna, they seemed exempt from the curse sin has brough on man, that in the sweat of his face he should eat bread; yet the speak of it with scorn. Peevish, discontented minds will find faul with that which has no fault in it, but that it is too good for them Those who might be happy, often make themselves miserable be discontent. They could not be satisfied unless they had flesh to eat It is evidence of the dominion of the carnal mind, when we want to have the delights and satisfaction of sense. We should not indulge in an desire which we cannot in faith turn into prayer, as we cannot when we ask meat for our lust. What is lawful of itself becomes evil, when God does not allot it to us, yet we desire it.
Original Hebrew שׁטו7751 העם5971 ולקטו3950 וטחנו2912 ברחים7347 או176 דכו1743 במדכה4085 ובשׁלו1310 בפרור6517 ועשׂו6213 אתו853 עגות5692 והיה1961 טעמו2940 כטעם2940 לשׁד3955 השׁמן׃8081
