Deuteronomy 8:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

You will be nourished by manna that has never been seen by you or your ancestors. In this context, the manna symbolizes the body of our Savior.

Anyone who experienced such deep satisfaction while simultaneously feeling a profound hunger was always inclined to pursue fresh pursuits, yearning for God and longing for the Lord. The one who understood true hunger, who recognized that those who hunger will be filled, was aware of abundance, possessing nothing yet having everything.

Moses revisits the memory of their journey through the desert, emphasizing the significance of their experiences. He states, "And thou shalt be afflicted, and thou shalt be blighted, and thou shalt be fed with manna, that he may tell thee, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." We, too, should strive to remain untroubled in challenging situations, embracing God's directives with love while patiently awaiting the resolution of our trials.

The one who is truly rich, possessing the Lord of all creation, God the Word, finds no lack in his essentials. For the Word embodies a wealth that requires nothing and is the source of all abundance. Should someone claim that a righteous individual sometimes lacks sustenance (cf. Psalm 36:25), such instances are rare and occur only in the absence of other righteous individuals. They should reflect on this: the righteous do not sustain themselves by bread alone, but by the eternal truth of God, who is the genuine bread, the bread that comes down from heaven (cf. Jn. 6:33,41). As long as a righteous person maintains a steadfast faith in God, they will never find themselves wanting.

The Israelites, after four decades of subsisting on manna—food that, from a human perspective, seemed inadequate for physical nourishment—continually retained their strength and perhaps even found increased vigor. This was because their sustenance came not from mere food, but from the divine commands that nourished both spirit and flesh. Thus, the lawgiver declared that one must understand that humanity does not live by bread alone, but by every utterance that comes from the mouth of the Lord. In a similar manner, Christ resisted the temptations of the devil, defeating him and triumphing over the powers of temptation.