Exodus 16:16 · measurement explained
One omer of manna per person
The gathering instruction assigns an omer for each person in a tent, connecting the unit with daily provision in the wilderness.
Read the verse first
This is the thing which the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it everyone according to his eating; an omer a head, according to the number of your persons, you shall take it, every man for those who are in his tent.’ ”
World English Bible · engwebp-source-2026-09-12
Modern measurement range
One omer
2.0–2.3 L
2.11–2.43 US qt · 1.76–2.02 Imp qt
Using the omer estimate. The biblical ratio is explicit; the litre equivalent remains an approximate reconstruction of the ephah.
Calculate another amount →Volume suggests the scale of the allocation, but manna is the text's own food and should not be assigned the density of a modern grain without evidence.
What this conversion does—and does not—show
It gives a defensible modern scale for the amount stated in the verse. Ancient standards varied by time and place, so the endpoints are deliberately approximate. A volume is not a food mass, a metal weight is not a modern cash value, and a conversion does not settle a textual, archaeological, or theological debate.
Conversion references: ESV weights and measures ↗, American Bible Society ↗, and Encyclopedia of the Bible ↗. Reference pages accessed October 10, 2026.