Numbers 11:7
New International Version
The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin.

New Living Translation
The manna looked like small coriander seeds, and it was pale yellow like gum resin.

English Standard Version
Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium.

Berean Standard Bible
Now the manna resembled coriander seed, and its appearance was like that of gum resin.

King James Bible
And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.

New King James Version
Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium.

New American Standard Bible
Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium.

NASB 1995
Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium.

NASB 1977
Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium.

Amplified Bible
The manna was like coriander seed, and it looked like bdellium.

Christian Standard Bible
The manna resembled coriander seed, and its appearance was like that of bdellium.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The manna resembled coriander seed, and its appearance was like that of bdellium.

American Standard Version
And the manna was like coriander seed, and the appearance thereof as the appearance of bdellium.

Contemporary English Version
The manna was like small whitish seeds

English Revised Version
And the manna was like coriander seed, and the appearance thereof as the appearance of bdellium.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
(Manna was [small] like coriander seeds and looked like resin.

Good News Translation
Manna was like small seeds, whitish yellow in color.

International Standard Version
Now manna was reminiscent of coriander seed, with an appearance similar to amber.

Majority Standard Bible
Now the manna resembled coriander seed, and its appearance was like that of gum resin.

NET Bible
(Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium.

New Heart English Bible
The manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like the appearance of bdellium.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the manna was as coriander-seed, and the color of it as the color of bdellium.

World English Bible
The manna was like coriander seed, and it looked like bdellium.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the manna is as coriander seed, and its aspect as the aspect of bdellium;

Young's Literal Translation
And the manna is as coriander seed, and its aspect as the aspect of bdolach;

Smith's Literal Translation
And the manna it as the seed of coriander, and its eye as the eye of bdellium.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
A Now the manna was like coriander seed, of the colour of bdellium.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Now the manna was like coriander seed, but with the color of bdellium.

New American Bible
Manna was like coriander seed and had the appearance of bdellium.

New Revised Standard Version
Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color was like the color of gum resin.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the manna was like coriander seed, and its color as the color of beryllium.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And manna was like the seed of coriander and its color like the color of pearl.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Now the manna was like coriander seed, and the appearance thereof as the appearance of bdellium.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the manna is as coriander seed, and the appearance of it the appearance of hoar-frost.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Complaints of the People
6But now our appetite is gone; there is nothing to see but this manna!” 7Now the manna resembled coriander seed, and its appearance was like that of gum resin. 8The people walked around and gathered it, ground it on a handmill or crushed it in a mortar, then boiled it in a cooking pot or shaped it into cakes. It tasted like pastry baked with fine oil.…

Cross References
Exodus 16:31
Now the house of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.

Psalm 78:24-25
He rained down manna for them to eat; He gave them grain from heaven. / Man ate the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance.

John 6:31-33
Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” / Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. / For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

John 6:49-51
Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. / This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. / I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”

Nehemiah 9:15
In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land that You had sworn to give them.

Psalm 105:40
They asked, and He brought quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

1 Corinthians 10:3
They all ate the same spiritual food

Deuteronomy 8:3
He humbled you, and in your hunger He gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your fathers had known, so that you might understand that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

John 6:58
This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

Exodus 16:14-15
When the layer of dew had evaporated, there were thin flakes on the desert floor, as fine as frost on the ground. / When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. So Moses told them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.

Deuteronomy 8:16
He fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers had not known, in order to humble you and test you, so that in the end He might cause you to prosper.

John 6:35
Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.

John 6:48
I am the bread of life.

Exodus 16:4
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions.

John 6:41
At this, the Jews began to grumble about Jesus because He had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”


Treasury of Scripture

And the manna was as coriander seed, and the color thereof as the color of bdellium.

the manna

Exodus 16:14,15,31
And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground…

1 Corinthians 1:23,24
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; …

Revelation 2:17
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

colour thereof as the colour of.

Genesis 2:12
And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

Jump to Previous
Appearance Aspect Bdellium Bdolach Clear Color Coriander Coriander-Seed Drops Resin Seed Small Thereof
Jump to Next
Appearance Aspect Bdellium Bdolach Clear Color Coriander Coriander-Seed Drops Resin Seed Small Thereof
Numbers 11
1. The burning at Taberah quenched by Moses' prayer
4. The people crave meat, and loathe manna
10. Moses complains of his charge
16. God promises to divide his burden unto seventy elders,
18. and to give the people meat for a month
21. Moses' faith is staggered
31. Quails are given in wrath at Kibroth Hattaavah














Now the manna
The term "manna" is derived from the Hebrew word "מָן" (man), which is believed to be a question meaning "What is it?" This reflects the Israelites' initial reaction to this miraculous provision from God. Manna symbolizes God's faithful provision and care for His people during their wilderness journey. It serves as a reminder of God's ability to provide for our needs in unexpected ways, encouraging believers to trust in His provision even when circumstances seem dire.

resembled coriander seed
The Hebrew word for "coriander" is "גַּד" (gad), which refers to a small, round seed. Coriander is a spice known for its aromatic qualities, and its mention here provides a tangible description of the manna's physical characteristics. This comparison helps readers visualize the manna, emphasizing its smallness and simplicity. Spiritually, it suggests that God's provisions, though they may appear humble or ordinary, are sufficient and perfectly suited to meet our needs.

and its appearance was like that of gum resin
The phrase "gum resin" translates from the Hebrew "בְּדֹלַח" (bedolach), which is often associated with a precious, translucent substance, possibly similar to bdellium. This description highlights the manna's unique and divine origin, setting it apart from ordinary food. The comparison to a precious resin suggests that God's gifts, while meeting basic needs, also possess a beauty and value that transcend their immediate utility. This encourages believers to appreciate the divine nature of God's provisions and to recognize the beauty in His care for us.

(7) And the manna was . . . --The design of the description of the manna in this place (comp. Exodus 16:14; Exodus 16:31, and Notes in loc.; also Article Manna, in "Smith's Dictionary of the Bible") was probably to exhibit in its just light the sinfulness of the Israelites in repining at the merciful provision which God had made for the supply of their wants. The dissatisfaction of the Israelites with the sweet bread of heaven, and their craving after the more savoury and more stimulating food of Egypt may be regarded as typical of man's natural repugnance to the spiritual food which is provided in the Gospel, and his restless cravings after the pleasures of the world.

Verse 7. - The manna was as coriander seed. On the name and the nature of the manna see Exodus 16:31. It is commonly supposed that the brief description here inserted was intended to show the unreasonableness of the popular complaints. There is no trace whatever of any such purpose. So far as the description conveys fresh information, it was simply suggested by the occurrence of the word "manna," according to the artless style of the narrative. If any moral purpose must be assigned to this digression, it would rather be to suggest that the people had some real temptation to complain. It is often forgotten that, although the manna was supernatural, at least as to the amount and regularity of its supply, yet as an article of food it contained no supernatural elements. If we had to live upon nothing but cakes flavored with honey or with olive oil, it is certain that we should soon find them pall upon our appetite. To the eye of the Psalmist the manna appeared as angels' food (Psalm 78:25); but then the Psalmist had not lived on manna every day for a year. We have to remember, in this as in many other cases, that the Israelites would not be "our ensamples" (τύποι ἡμῶν, 1 Corinthians 10:6) if they had not succumbed to real temptations. As the colour of bdellium. See on Genesis 2:12. As no one knows anything at all about bdellium, this adds nothing to our knowledge of the manna. The Septuagint has here εῖδος κρυστάλλου, "the appearance of ice," or perhaps "of hoar-frost." As it translates bdellium in Genesis 2:12 by ἄνθραξ (carbuncle), it is probable that the comparison to ice here is due to some tradition about the manna. Taking this passage in connection with Exodus 16:31, we may reasonably conjecture that it was of an opalescent white, the same colour probably which is mentioned in connection with manna in Revelation 2:17.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now the manna
וְהַמָּ֕ן (wə·ham·mān)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4478: Manna (a kind of bread)

resembled coriander
גַּ֖ד (gaḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1407: Coriander seed

seed,
כִּזְרַע־ (kiz·ra‘-)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2233: Seed, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity

and its appearance
וְעֵינ֖וֹ (wə·‘ê·nōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

was like that
כְּעֵ֥ין (kə·‘ên)
Preposition-k | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

of gum resin.
הַבְּדֹֽלַח׃ (hab·bə·ḏō·laḥ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 916: Something in pieces, bdellium, a, gum, a, pearl


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OT Law: Numbers 11:7 The manna was like coriander seed (Nu Num.)
Numbers 11:6
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