Exodus 17:1

1 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the wilderness of Sin, according to their encampments, by the word of the Lord; and they encamped in Raphidin: and there was no 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.

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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 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the wilderness of Sin, according to their encampments, by the word of the Lord; and they encamped in Raphidin: and there was no water for the people to drink.

2 And the people reviled Moses, saying, Give us water, that we may drink; and Moses said to them, Why do ye revile me, and why tempt ye the Lord?

3 And the people thirsted there for water, and there the people murmured against Moses, saying, Why is this? hast thou brought us up out of Egypt to slay us and our children and our cattle with thirst?

4 And Moses cried to the Lord, saying, What shall I do to this people? yet a little while and they will stone me.

5 And the Lord said to Moses, Go before this people, and take to thyself of the elders of the people; and the rod with which thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and thou shalt go.