Exodus 17:1-7

Water from the Rock

1 Then the whole congregation of Israel left the Desert of Sin, ^[a] moving from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. ¹

2 So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?”

3 But the people thirsted for water there, and they grumbled against Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt—to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? A little more and they will stone me!”

5 And the LORD said to Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take along in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.

6 Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. ^[b] And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

7 He named the place Massah ^[c] and Meribah ^[d] because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

Exodus 17:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 17

The children of Israel coming to Rephidim, want water, and chide with Moses about it, who, crying to the Lord, is bid to smite the rock, from whence came water for them, and he named the place from their contention with him, Ex 17:1-7 at this place Amalek came and fought with Israel, who, through the prayer of Moses, signified by the holding up of his hands, and by the sword of Joshua, was vanquished, Ex 17:8-13, for the remembrance of which it was ordered to be recorded in a book, and an altar was built with this inscription on it, "Jehovahnissi": it being the will of God that Amalek should be fought with in every generation until utterly destroyed, Ex 17:14-16.

Cross References

• 1. (Numbers 20:1–13)

Footnotes

• [a]. The geographical name Sin is related to Sinai and should not be mistaken for the English word sin.
• [b]. Horeb is another name for Sinai.
• [c]. Massah means testing.
• [d]. Meribah means quarreling.