And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
They went out on the Sabbath because they simply did not believe Moses when he told them there would be no manna that day, they trusted their own eyes over his word. This was not mere hunger but stubborn rebellion against God's hallowed day itself, and the charge comes down hard on the whole people because their perversity knows no end; they keep adding new crimes to old ones.
AI summary
The sabbath was no new thing when God gave the double portion on the sixth day; the people grasped His meaning at once, which proves they knew of it before Egypt or Sinai. Setting apart one day in seven for holy rest is the most ancient of all positive laws, the good old way. God will never let a man lose by serving Him.
AI summary
Commenting on Exodus 16:22-31
God's complaint through Moses is not only about breaking the Sabbath command just given, but about their long pattern of refusing His laws. One breach of the Sabbath gave Him occasion to rebuke them for all their former transgressions, which proved their constant rebellion against Him despite His constant kindness.
AI summary