Moshe did not relay this information about the mahn to the people. Instead, Moshe and Aharon told the people that in the evening they would know that G-d took them out of Egypt, that in the morning they would see the glory of G-d and that the people should not complain to them, 16:6,7. This announcement is puzzling. Moshe and Aharon only referred obscurely to some event that was to occur at night, but they did not explain what was to happen. How did Moshe and Aharon know that something was to happen at night, as G-d had only told Moshe about the mahn? Finally, how also did Moshe and Aharon know about the appearance of the glory of G-d in the morning?
Amos Chacham (1991, pp. 299,300) writes that Moshe and Aharon's statement concerning the evening was to the birds, quails, that would arrive at night, and the reference to the glory of G-d in the morning was to the miracle of the mahn. This approach connects 16:6,7, with G-d's instructions to Moshe in the previous verses, 16:4,5, but G-d had not mentioned the birds in 16:4,5.
Benno Jacob (on 16:4, see also Bekhor Shor on 16:11) notes that 16:11,12 record that G-d told Moshe about the birds coming in the evening, and he argues that the conversation of 16:11,12 occurred at the same time as the conversation of 16:4,5 just that they were recorded separately. According to this idea, Moshe was told about the birds before he spoke to the people, and then Moshe was referring to the birds with his statement concerning the evening in 16:6. Yet, this approach is also difficult, since the information about the birds, 16:11,12, is recorded separate from 16:4,5 and after Moshe spoke to the people. If Moshe knew about the birds, why did he not mention them explicitly in 16:6,7?
I believe that the situation here is similar to that of Bemidbar 16:29 by the rebellion of Korah. In that case, Moshe was being accused of acting on his own, and he responded by proclaiming a test with no apparent source, that if the rebels would die a strange death, then that would show that he was acting under G-d's orders. Here too Moshe had been attacked by the people that he taken the people out of Egypt to die in the desert, 16:2,3, and his response was to predict a demonstration of G-d's powers that would convince the people that he was not acting on his own. This prediction had no source. Moshe was relying on G-d to do something to help him, and hence he left the prediction of what was to happen hazy.
With regard to Moshe's statement about the glory of G-d in the morning, it is likely that Moshe was referring to the mahn, as G-d had told him about the mahn. However, Moshe was not content to just mention that something would occur in the morning since he wanted to stop the complaints by the evening, so he stated that something would also happen in the evening. (Note that Moshe was more timid here than by Korah's rebellion, where he specified a dramatic test, possibly since he had not yet experienced the events at Mount Sinai. In general, a person cannot suppose that G-d will do a miracle, but here and in Bemidbar 16:29, the question was the authenticity of the messenger of G-d, and then Moshe could depend on a miracle, also see Devarim 18:21,22.)
The Torah does not record any response by the people to Moshe and Aharon's statements concerning the evening and the morning. Instead, 16:8 records that Moshe again spoke to the people, and this time he said specifically that the people would get meat in the evening, bread in the morning, and again that the people should not complain to him. This was Moshe's second response to the peoples' complaints, but why was it necessary after his first response? Amos Chacham answers that Moshe's first response was unsatisfactory since it was so vague, and hence Moshe had to make a second statement where he more explicit. Yet, again how could Moshe know about the meat?
Cassuto (1967, p.193) answers that "Moshe understood that it was the Lord's will to give the people the two things for which they craved, meat and bread." Cassuto also claims that when G-d told Moshe about the mahn, God used the word lehem, 16:4, which could be broadly translated as all foods including meat.
I prefer to follow the idea that Moshe was relying on G-d to back him up. Initially Moshe did not want to specify what G-d would do since he did not know what would happen. However, after the people ignored his first statement, he had to be bolder so he referred to the meat based on Cassuto's idea that he thought that G-d would respond specifically to the people's complaint for meat.
Yet, again there is no response from the people to Moshe's second statement, as 16:9 records that Moshe told Aharon to tell the people to come before G-d. This was Moshe's third response to the people's complaint for food, but why did Moshe have to tell the people to come before G-d? Also, what does it mean "before G-d?"
Ibn Ezra (short commentary on 16:9,10) explains that Moshe went to his special tent outside the camp (see 33:7) and he wanted the people to meet him there. This was a third attempt to get the people to listen to him after his first two attempts were unsuccessful, 16:16:67, 16:8. Moshe was making another prediction that G-d would appear to him by the special tent and then the people would know that he always acted on G-d's command.
Moshe went to his special tent outside the camp and Aharon went to tell the people to go to the tent where Moshe would speak to them. When Aharon was speaking to the people, G-d's glory appeared in the distance by Moshe's special tent, 16:10. This appearance of G-d's glory fulfilled Moshe's statement in 16:9 for Aharon to tell the people "to come before G-d." This appearance of G-d's glory was not the reference to Moshe's prediction in 16:6 since that was to occur in the following morning. However, once the glory of G-d appeared during the day, there was no need for it to reappear the following morning.
The glory of G-d got the people's attention, (see Bemidbar 14:10, 17:7, 20:6) and then Moshe went to speak to G-d, which showed the people that Moshe was acting on G-d's behalf, 16:11,12, see Ibn Ezra, long commentary on 16:11. G-d told Moshe that he should tell the people that G-d heard their complaints and that they would get meat at night and bread (mahn) in the morning. In this case, as opposed to 16:4,5, G-d said he heard the complaints of the people, which implies that the meat was only because the people complained. Also, G-d only granted the people meat to back up Moshe's prediction. Yet, why did Moshe have to be told to relate this information to the Jewish people if he had already told the people that they would get meat in the evening and bread in the morning?
Ramban (on 16:12) writes that the repetition was to emphasize that G-d was acting due to the people's complaints that they should know that they should not have complained. Ramban also suggests that initially the people might have thought that the promised food was only for one day, but now they would know that they would get the mahn everyday during their stay in the desert.
My guess is to follow our earlier idea that initially Moshe was making his prediction without any previous promise from G-d. 16:11,12 is when G-d first told Moshe that Moshe's prediction concerning the meat would be fulfilled that G-d would provide meat to the people as Moshe had said. G-d also told Moshe to tell this to the people since Moshe could now speak with greater confidence because he knew for sure that his prediction would come true, and also, now that the glory of G-d had appeared, the people would accept his words. 16:13,14 records that the people received meat (the birds) and the mahn, but since the meat was an addition due to Moshe and not part of G-d's plan to feed the people in the desert, the Torah records it very briefly, just the first half of verse 16:13.
The Torah does not record any response by the people to Moshe and Aharon's statements concerning the evening and the morning. Instead, 16:8 records that Moshe again spoke to the people, and this time he said specifically that the people would get meat in the evening, bread in the morning, and again that the people should not complain to him. This was Moshe's second response to the peoples' complaints, but why was it necessary after his first response? Amos Chacham answers that Moshe's first response was unsatisfactory since it was so vague, and hence Moshe had to make a second statement where he more explicit. Yet, again how could Moshe know about the meat?
Cassuto (1967, p.193) answers that "Moshe understood that it was the Lord's will to give the people the two things for which they craved, meat and bread." Cassuto also claims that when G-d told Moshe about the mahn, God used the word lehem, 16:4, which could be broadly translated as all foods including meat.
I prefer to follow the idea that Moshe was relying on G-d to back him up. Initially Moshe did not want to specify what G-d would do since he did not know what would happen. However, after the people ignored his first statement, he had to be bolder so he referred to the meat based on Cassuto's idea that he thought that G-d would respond specifically to the people's complaint for meat.
Yet, again there is no response from the people to Moshe's second statement, as 16:9 records that Moshe told Aharon to tell the people to come before G-d. This was Moshe's third response to the people's complaint for food, but why did Moshe have to tell the people to come before G-d? Also, what does it mean "before G-d?"
Ibn Ezra (short commentary on 16:9,10) explains that Moshe went to his special tent outside the camp (see 33:7) and he wanted the people to meet him there. This was a third attempt to get the people to listen to him after his first two attempts were unsuccessful, 16:16:67, 16:8. Moshe was making another prediction that G-d would appear to him by the special tent and then the people would know that he always acted on G-d's command.
Moshe went to his special tent outside the camp and Aharon went to tell the people to go to the tent where Moshe would speak to them. When Aharon was speaking to the people, G-d's glory appeared in the distance by Moshe's special tent, 16:10. This appearance of G-d's glory fulfilled Moshe's statement in 16:9 for Aharon to tell the people "to come before G-d." This appearance of G-d's glory was not the reference to Moshe's prediction in 16:6 since that was to occur in the following morning. However, once the glory of G-d appeared during the day, there was no need for it to reappear the following morning.
The glory of G-d got the people's attention, (see Bemidbar 14:10, 17:7, 20:6) and then Moshe went to speak to G-d, which showed the people that Moshe was acting on G-d's behalf, 16:11,12, see Ibn Ezra, long commentary on 16:11. G-d told Moshe that he should tell the people that G-d heard their complaints and that they would get meat at night and bread (mahn) in the morning. In this case, as opposed to 16:4,5, G-d said he heard the complaints of the people, which implies that the meat was only because the people complained. Also, G-d only granted the people meat to back up Moshe's prediction. Yet, why did Moshe have to be told to relate this information to the Jewish people if he had already told the people that they would get meat in the evening and bread in the morning?
Ramban (on 16:12) writes that the repetition was to emphasize that G-d was acting due to the people's complaints that they should know that they should not have complained. Ramban also suggests that initially the people might have thought that the promised food was only for one day, but now they would know that they would get the mahn everyday during their stay in the desert.
My guess is to follow our earlier idea that initially Moshe was making his prediction without any previous promise from G-d. 16:11,12 is when G-d first told Moshe that Moshe's prediction concerning the meat would be fulfilled that G-d would provide meat to the people as Moshe had said. G-d also told Moshe to tell this to the people since Moshe could now speak with greater confidence because he knew for sure that his prediction would come true, and also, now that the glory of G-d had appeared, the people would accept his words. 16:13,14 records that the people received meat (the birds) and the mahn, but since the meat was an addition due to Moshe and not part of G-d's plan to feed the people in the desert, the Torah records it very briefly, just the first half of verse 16:13.
Bibliography:
Cassuto, Umberto (1883-1951), 1967, A commentary on the book of Exodus, Jerusalem: The Magnes Press.
Chacham, Amos, 1991, Da'at Mikra: Commentary on Shemot, Jerusalem: Mossad Harav Kook.
Jacob, Benno (1869-1945), 1992, The second book of the Bible: Exodus, translated with an introduction by Walter Jacob, Hoboken: Ktav Publishing House.
Cassuto, Umberto (1883-1951), 1967, A commentary on the book of Exodus, Jerusalem: The Magnes Press.
Chacham, Amos, 1991, Da'at Mikra: Commentary on Shemot, Jerusalem: Mossad Harav Kook.
Jacob, Benno (1869-1945), 1992, The second book of the Bible: Exodus, translated with an introduction by Walter Jacob, Hoboken: Ktav Publishing House.
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