Exodus 16:2

“And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured, etc.] For want of bread; for the Targum of Jonathan says, that day the dough ceased they brought of Egypt, on which, and the unleavened cakes they had lived thirty days; and for a longer space of time it was not sufficient, as Josephus f514 and other Jewish writers f515 observe; and now it was all spent, and they were in the utmost distress for bread, and fall a murmuring as they were used to do, when in any distress, even the whole congregation of them, at least the far greater part; some few might be excepted, as Caleb and Joshua, and some others: and they murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness; in the wilderness of…”

“the whole congregation . . . murmured against Moses and Aaron--Modern travellers through the desert of Sinai are accustomed to take as much as is sufficient for the sustenance of men and beasts during forty days. The Israelites having been rather more than a month on their journey, their store of corn or other provisions was altogether or nearly exhausted; and there being no prospect of procuring any means of subsistence in the desert, except some wild olives and wild honey (Deu 32:13), loud complaints were made against the leaders.”

“Murmured - The want of food was first felt after six weeks from the time of the departure from Egypt, see Exodus 16:1 : we have no notice previously of any deficiency of bread. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Then the whole congregation murmured against Moses and Aaron - God's viceregents among them. Exodus 16:3”

“16:2 complained: The people were developing a pattern of faithlessness manifested in complaining.”

“Exo 15:24; Gen 19:4; Psa 106:7, Psa 106:13, Psa 106:25; Co1 10:10 Exodus 16:3”

“Here, in this arid sandy waste, the whole congregation murmured against Moses and Aaron on account of the want of food. What they brought with them from Egypt had been consumed in the 30 days that had elapsed since they came out ( Exo 16:1). In their vexation the people expressed the wish that they had died in Egypt by the flesh-pot, in the midst of plenty, "by the hand of Jehovah," i.e., by the last plague which Jehovah sent upon Egypt, rather than here in the desert of slow starvation. The form ויּלּינוּ is a Hiphil according to the consonants, and should be pointed ילּינוּ, from הלּין for הלין (see Ges. 72, Anm. 9, and Ewald, 114c.). As the want really existed, Jehovah promised them help…”