Deuteronomy 9:22

22 You continued to provoke the LORD at Taberah, ^[a] at Massah, ^[b] and at Kibroth-hattaavah. ^[c]

Deuteronomy 9:22 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 9:22

And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibrothhattaavah, ye
provoked the Lord to wrath.
] These places are not mentioned in the strict order in which the provocations were made at them; for they provoked the Lord at Massah by murmuring for water, before they provoked him at Taberah, by complaining as it should seem of their journeying; for Massah was before they came to Sinai, and Taberah after they departed from thence; though some, as Aben Ezra observes, say that Taberah is Massah; but it could not be the Massah in Rephidim, for that was on one side of Mount Sinai, and Taberah on another; though different places might be so called from their tempting the Lord at them; rather Taberah and Kibrothhattaavah seem to be the same; where the people died with the flesh in their mouths they lusted after, and were buried; since no mention is made of their removal at that time from the one place to the other, nor of Taberah in the account of their journeys, only Kibrothhattaavah; see ( Exodus 17:7 ) ( Numbers 11:8 Numbers 11:34 ) .

Deuteronomy 9:22 In-Context

20 The LORD was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him, but at that time I also prayed for Aaron.

21 And I took that sinful thing, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire. Then I crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust, and I cast it into the stream that came down from the mountain.

22 You continued to provoke the LORD at Taberah, at Massah, and at Kibroth-hattaavah.

23 And when the LORD sent you out from Kadesh-barnea, He said, “Go up and possess the land that I have given you.” But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. You neither believed Him nor obeyed Him.

24 You have been rebelling against the LORD since the day I came to know you.

Footnotes

• [a] Taberah means burning; see Numbers 11:3.
• [b] Massah means testing; see Exodus 17:7.
• [c] Kibroth-hattaavah means graves of craving; see Numbers 11:34.