Psalms 78:25 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Angels' food— Most excellent food—divine food. Hiller. part 2: p. 165. The bread of the mighty. Houbigant. The Chaldee Paraphrase explains it by, food which came from the habitation of angels; so that this verse is almost synonymous with the last; where it is called food, or corn from heaven. Some of the Jewish rabbis tell us, that as the blessed in the future state, children of the age to come, as they call them, shall be fed or sustained by the light and splendor of the divine Majesty; so this manna was no other than the divine light incorporate. That it was no very solid or substantial food, we learn from the complaints of the grosser Israelites, who spoke of it with contempt: Our soul loatheth this light food; Numbers 21:5. But the lighter it was, the better probably it would fit them for contemplation, and so answer one chief end for which we may suppose it given to those whose hopes were terminated as to this world; and who therefore could not possibly be easy under these circumstances, had not their minds been raised, and turned towards those celestial regions from whence this manna came. But, whatever might be the natural effect of this food, that it had a typical reference we are sure, from the words of Him who was the true divine light incorporate; and who calls himself that bread of God which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world, John 6:33; John 6:71. That the Israelites were not unacquainted with this typical reference, appears plain from the testimony of St. Paul, who says of their fathers, i.e. the Israelites in the wilderness, that they did all eat the same spiritual meat, &c. 1 Corinthians 10:3. Here then the manna, for this no doubt is meant, is said to be to the Israelites a spiritual meat; but how was it possible it should be so, unless they were taught the spiritual meaning of it. That it had some reference to another life, seems not obscurely hinted by the great lawgiver himself, Deuteronomy 8:3. He fed thee with manna, &c. as if he had said, "You see from this plain instance, that life depends upon the will of God; who, as he gave it at the first, so he can preserve, restore, and perpetuate it at his pleasure. His word alone gives life; believe it and obey it therefore, live a life of faith, and you will live for ever." Man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord.—The words that I speak unto you, says our Saviour, in the same divine phraseology, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63. See Critical Dissert. on the Book of Job, p. 297.