Exodus 17:1

1 Directed by God, the whole company of Israel moved on by stages from the Wilderness of Sin. They set camp at Rephidim. And there wasn't a drop of water for the people to drink.

Exodus 17:1 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 17:1

And all the congregation of the children of Israel
journeyed from the wilderness of Sin
Where they had stayed some time, at least a week, as it should seem, from the gathering the manna there six days, and resting on the seventh:

after their journeys:
first from the wilderness of Sin to Dophkah, and from Dophkah to Alusb, and from Alush to Rephidim, as appears from ( Numbers 33:12-14 ) their two stations at Dophkah and Alush are here omitted, nothing very remarkable or of any moment happening at either place:

according to the commandment;
or "mouth of the Lord" F4, who, either with an articulate voice out of the cloud, ordered when they should march, and where they should encamp; or else this was signified by the motion or rest of the pillar of cloud or fire, which always went before them, in which the Lord was:

and pitched in Rephidim;
which was a place on the western side of Mount Sinai: according to Bunting F5, Dophkah was twelve miles from the wilderness of Sin, and Alush twelve miles from Dophkah, and Rephidim eight miles from Alush: and Jerom says F6, according to the propriety of the Syriac language, it signifies a remission of hands: and to which the Targum of Jonathan seems to have respect, adding,

``the place where their hands ceased from the precepts of the law, wherefore the fountains were dried up;''

and it follows:

and there was no water for the people to drink;
being a sandy desert place.


FOOTNOTES:

F4 (yp le) "super ore", Montanus, "ad os", Vatablus.
F5 Travels, p. 82.
F6 Epist. ad Fabiolam de 42 mansion. tom. 3. fol. 15. B.

Exodus 17:1 In-Context

1 Directed by God, the whole company of Israel moved on by stages from the Wilderness of Sin. They set camp at Rephidim. And there wasn't a drop of water for the people to drink.
2 The people took Moses to task: "Give us water to drink." But Moses said, "Why pester me? Why are you testing God?"
3 But the people were thirsty for water there. They complained to Moses, "Why did you take us from Egypt and drag us out here with our children and animals to die of thirst?"
4 Moses cried out in prayer to God, "What can I do with these people? Any minute now they'll kill me!"
5 God said to Moses, "Go on out ahead of the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile. And go.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.