But when they measured it with an omer suggests that they did not measure the manna until after they had gathered it. He that gathered much had nothing left over is literally “and did not cause a surplus the one making many.” He that gathered little had no lack is literally “and the one making less did not cause a shortage,” or “those who gathered less did not have too little.”

This should not be understood as a miraculous equalizing of manna, for some households were larger than others and required more manna. Translator’s Old Testament is helpful here: “But when they measured it out in omers, they discovered that those who had collected a large amount did not have too much, and those who had collected a small amount did not have too little.”

Each gathered according to what he could eat is the same as verse 16, literally “according to his eating” (King James Version). But it probably means “as much as he should eat” (New American Standard Bible), not what he could eat. New Revised Standard Version now has “as much as each of them needed,” and Contemporary English Version has “according to their needs.”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .