Manna — Meaning in the Bible
The bread-like food God gave Israel each morning in the wilderness for forty years. Its name comes from the people asking "What is it?"
What it means
Each morning a thin, flaky substance lay on the ground; the people called it manna. They gathered enough for each day, and twice as much on the sixth day, because none fell on the Sabbath. Exodus 16:13–31Exodus 16:35
Deuteronomy says God fed them manna to teach that people do not live by bread alone. Jesus quoted this, and later called himself the bread of life. Deuteronomy 8:3Matthew 4:4John 6:31–35
Key passages
- Exodus 16:1–36 — Manna from heaven.
- Numbers 11:7–9 — What it was like.
- Deuteronomy 8:3 — Not by bread alone.
- Joshua 5:12 — The manna stops.
- John 6:31–35 — The bread of life.
Original language
A Strong’s number is a reference identifier, not a complete definition: what a word means in a passage depends on its context. Lexical data: STEPBible.org, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
How translations differ
- Exodus 16:15 explains the name: the people said to one another "What is it?" (Hebrew man hu). Exodus 16:15
For children
Manna was special food that God sent every morning in the wilderness. It tasted like wafers made with honey. Exodus 16:31
Study further
- Exodus 16 The gift.
- John 6:25–51 The true bread.