And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.

And the seventh day came: and some of the people going forth to gather, found none.

And it cometh to pass on the seventh day, some of the people have gone out to gather, and have not found.

But still on the seventh day some of the people went out to get it, and there was not any.

And the seventh day arrived. And some of the people, going out to collect it, did not find it.

Accidit autem die septimo ut egrederentur quidam e populo ad colligendum illud: et non invenerunt.

And it came to pass. This is the second transgression, that by going out on the seventh day they trenched upon its religious observance; and this monstrous greediness arose from their not believing to be true what we have just heard Moses saying, for he had plainly declared to them that they would not find the manna. They, therefore, accuse him of falsehood, refusing' to believe anything but their own eyes. Meanwhile the obligation of the Sabbath was set at naught by them, nay, they sought to profane the day which God had hallowed, so that it should in no wise differ from other days. Therefore does God justly inveigh against them with much bitterness, for, addressing Moses, in his person He arraigns the obstinate wickedness of the whole people. Assuredly Moses was not of the number of those who had refused to obey God's laws, but by this general charge, the multitude, who had transgressed, were more severely rebuked, and a greater obligation is laid on Moses to chastise the people, when a part of the blame is transferred to himself. By the expression "How long?" God implies the intolerableness of their perversity, because there is no end of their offenses, but, by thus provoking greater vengeance by new crimes, they prove themselves to be incorrigible.

There went out some of the people - This was an act of willful disobedience. It is remarkable, being the first violation of the express command, that it was not visited by a signal chastisement: the rest and peace of the "holy Sabbath" were not disturbed by a manifestation of wrath.

And it came to pass, [that] there (m) went out [some] of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
(m) Their unfaithfulness was so great, that they did exactly the opposite of God's commandment.

And it came to pass,.... Perhaps the next seventh day following:
that there went out some of the people for to gather; to gather manna, as on other days; which they did not through want of provision or a greedy appetite, for they had bread every day, and on that day to the full, but to gratify their curiosity, or to see whether the words of Moses stood, as Aben Ezra expresses it, that is, whether what he said was true, or came to pass, that there should be none, and they should not be able to find any on that day, and so it was:
and they found none; no manna; in the places where they used to find it in plenty on other days.

On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather manna, notwithstanding Moses' command, but they found nothing. Whereupon God reproved their resistance to His commands, and ordered them to remain quietly at home on the seventh day. Through the commandments which the Israelites were to keep in relation to the manna, this gift assumed the character of a temptation, or test of their obedience and faith (cf. Exodus 16:4).