6:31a
Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness: This clause refers to the event that Exodus 16 records. The event is that God supplied manna for the people of Israel to eat while they traveled through the wilderness.
Our fathers: The word Our includes Jesus and those speaking to him, so it is an inclusive pronoun. The word translated literally as fathers includes both men and women. These ancestors lived almost 1500 years earlier.
ate the manna: The Hebrews ate this manna for forty (40) years. Use a verb tense that indicates that this was a regular event that took place for a long time. See Exodus 16:35.
the manna: The word manna is a Hebrew word that means “what is it?” Manna was a white substance that God provided for the Israelites to eat in the wilderness. It appeared on the ground every morning except the Sabbath. It tasted like biscuits or crackers with honey and was used to make bread. See Exodus 16:31 and Numbers 11:8.
Bible translations usually transliterate (copy the sounds of) the word manna. You may also want to include some description. For example:
food called manna
-or-
manna, the food that God provided
6:31b
as it is written: This phrase indicates that the following words are from the Jewish Scriptures, what Christians call the Old Testament. This quotation is from the Psalms (Psalm 78:24, 105:40).
Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
This is written in the Scriptures. (New Century Version)
-or-
It happened just as the Scriptures say (Contemporary English Version)
He gave them bread from heaven to eat: It is not clear in this verse whether the pronoun He refers to Moses or to God. In Psalm 78:24 it is clear that the one who gave them bread was God. John 6:32b, however, strongly implies that the people thought that Moses was the one who gave the bread. It is recommended that you translate using a pronoun that can refer either to Moses or to God.
bread: In biblical times, bread was the most important food that people ate. The word bread was sometimes used to refer to food in general. However, in many language areas, bread is not that important. If bread is not important in your language area, you may want to use a more general word. For example:
He fed them food which came from heaven.
heaven: This word refers to the place where God lives. See Matthew 5:16, and Key Biblical Terms Heaven, Sky A2.
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