In Exodus 16:2-15, the people God had freed from slavery in Egypt stopped celebrating and began to grumble. As Dr. Anathea Portier-Young of Duke Divinity School puts it, "As their journey continued and rations dwindled, their joy and wonder at God's saving power was overtaken by thirst, hunger, fear, and anger. Victory song was replaced by grumbling."

In her commentary, Portier-Young emphasizes that God understands that "their hunger is real. When they voice it, God hears their complaint, a detail so important it is repeated four times (Exodus 16:7-9, 12). Instead of responding with rebuke or anger, God responds by meeting the needs they have voiced. God also responds by showing up: because God has heard their complaint, the people will see God's glory....a term that denotes the awesome visible manifestation of divine presence."

Dr. Anathea Portier-Young is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Duke Divinity School. Her full reflections on Exodus 16:2-15 can be found in Connections: A Lectionary Commentary, Year A, Volume 3, 2020, pages 318-319.