manna

manna from heaven

An unexpected benefit or assistance, especially when it comes at the time when it is needed most. The phrase is a reference to the Biblical story of the food that God miraculously provided to the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness. I had no idea we would be getting a bonus this year, but it was like manna from heaven—just in time to pay some of my holiday bills. Having my family near me during this tragedy has been manna from heaven for me.
See also: heaven, manna
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

manna from heaven

Fig. unexpected help or comfort. (A biblical reference.) The arrival of the rescue team was like manna from heaven to the injured climber. The offer of a new job just as she had been fired was manna from heaven to Joan.
See also: heaven, manna
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

manna from heaven

An unexpected aid, advantage, or assistance, as in After all the criticism in the media, that favorable evaluation was like manna from heaven . This expression alludes to the food ( manna) that miraculously appears to feed the Israelites on their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land (Exodus 16:15).
See also: heaven, manna
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

manna from ˈheaven

something unexpected, for example a gift of money, which comes to help you when you are in difficulties: That cheque for £1 000 from my aunt came like manna from heaven as I had three or four big bills to pay.This phrase comes from the Bible. Manna was the food the Israelites found in the desert.
See also: heaven, manna
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

manna from heaven, like

Any sudden or unexpected advantage or help. The word manna is used in the Bible, in Exodus (16:15), where it means a miraculous food that suddenly appears to succor the children of Israel on their journey from Egypt to the Holy Land. Exactly what it meant is no longer known, but it may have been a corruption of the Egyptian word mennu, the sweet, waxy exudation of the tamarisk tree. In English the term came to mean an unexpected welcome gift from heaven or some other benevolent source. It was already being used humorously in the early eighteenth century by Matthew Green (1696–1737), who wrote (in The Spleen), “Or to some coffeehouse I stray, for news, the manna of a day.”
See also: like, manna
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • manna from heaven
  • manna from heaven, like
  • handwriting on the wall
  • land of milk and honey
  • land of milk and honey, the
  • a/the land of milk and honey
  • milk and honey
  • get thee behind me
  • for everything there is a season
  • promised land, the
References in periodicals archive
For the 40 years, the wandering Israelites who were obedient to God and were eating manna did not develop any ailment or sickness.
The wandering Israelites' miracle food
Al Manna called on the media to look into the historical and political context of events to effectively counter incitement and the narrative of religious and racial violence.
'Counter incitement with right stories'
Besides choosing eco-friendly materials, Manna also is a strong proponent of recycling and reducing waste.
MANNA HYDRATION QUENCHES THIRST FOR DYNAMIC--AND MEANINGFUL--DRINKWARE PRODUCTS: Core Home's successful collection brines eco-friendly, fun and function to everyday living
Although manna is mentioned many times in the Bible, the Hebrew word man-hu translates to "what is it," causing biblical scholars to debate for centuries exactly what it is.
Biblical bites
They came to realize that the manna and the quail were not just food, but signs, what we call sacraments of God's care for them.
'What is this?'
It was only a matter of time before Manna followed in the footsteps of her distinguished relatives.
Daughters in parents' footsteps
Manna leads Zurich's engagement with elected officials at the state and federal level on public policy issues that may impact the insurer's business and customers.
Zurich North America Names PCI's Manna as Head of Government Relations
Saeed Anwar IX and Afzal Manna IX topped their respective pools and would meet in the final on Saturday at 3pm.
Pool matches completed in 9-A-Hockey Gold Cup
Founder and namesake Manna Kadar created a three-step Beauty Simplified System--prime, perfect and polish--that gives women the innovative, performance-based cosmetics and other tools needed to put on a full face in under seven minutes.
Manna Radar's Beauty & the Bump Caters to New Mothers
"Items collected every week are going to be donated to the local Manna food banks for hungry people now and in the months to come."
Two Cans of Food and RC Racing Fun to Help Hungry Families in Pensacola
Edited by Amal Kumar Adak, Debashree Manna, and Manoranjan Bhowmik
Emerging Research on Applied Fuzzy Sets and Intuitionistic Fuzzy Matrices
"Making Manna" deftly explores the depths of betrayal, and the human capacity to love, flourish, and forgive in the face of heartbreaking odds.
Making Manna
M2 PHARMA-March 24, 2016-Oculus Innovative Sciences signs licensing agreement with Manna Pro Products for MicrocynAH animal healthcare products
Oculus Innovative Sciences signs licensing agreement with Manna Pro Products for MicrocynAH animal healthcare products
If I said it was like manna, I would not be exaggerating, but for the fact that manna didn't fall on Shabbat.
At Burning Man, Revelers Buy Into and Manifest the Values of Shabbat and Purim
CENEVRE (CyHAN)- As part of the ongoing Geneva Consultations on Syria, the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura met today with Haytham Manna, the deputy head of the National Coordination for Democratic Change.
De Mistura meets Syrian opposition within Geneva Consultations on Syria