Exodus

Exodus 15:22–25

²²Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Desert of Shur. For three days they walked in the desert without finding water. ²³And when they came to Marah,^c they could not drink the water there because it was bitter. (That is why it was named Marah.)

²⁴So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” ²⁵And Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log. And when he cast it into the waters, they were sweetened.

There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them,

Footnotes

c 15:23 Marah means bitter.

Read all of Exodus 15

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Exodus 15:22

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then Moses	מֹשֶׁ֤ה	mō·šeh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4872 Moses
led	וַיַּסַּ֨ע	way·yas·sa‘	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5265 pull out or up, set out, journey
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵל֙	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
from the Red	ס֔וּף	sūp̄	Noun - masculine singular	H5488 reeds, rushes
Sea	מִיַּם־	mî·yam-	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3220 sea
and they went out	וַיֵּצְא֖וּ	way·yê·ṣə·’ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3318 go or come out
into	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the Desert	מִדְבַּר־	miḏ·bar-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4057 mouth
of Shur	שׁ֑וּר	šūr	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H7793 Shur
For three	שְׁלֹֽשֶׁת־	šə·lō·šeṯ-	Number - masculine singular construct	H7969 a three, triad
days	יָמִ֛ים	yā·mîm	Noun - masculine plural	H3117 day
they walked	וַיֵּלְכ֧וּ	way·yê·lə·ḵū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H1980 go, come, walk
in the desert	בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר	bam·miḏ·bār	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4057 mouth
without	וְלֹא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
finding	מָ֥צְאוּ	mā·ṣə·’ū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H4672 attain to, find
water	מָֽיִם׃	mā·yim	Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine

Exodus 15:23

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And when they came	וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ	way·yā·ḇō·’ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to Marah	מָרָ֔תָה	mā·rā·ṯāh	Noun - proper - feminine singular; third person feminine singular	H4785 Marah
they could	יָֽכְל֗וּ	yā·ḵə·lū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H3201 be able, have power, prevail, endure
not	וְלֹ֣א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
drink	לִשְׁתֹּ֥ת	liš·tōṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H8354 drink
the water	מַ֙יִם֙	ma·yim	Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine
because	כִּ֥י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
it	הֵ֑ם	hêm	Pronoun - third person masculine plural	H1992 they, them
was bitter	מָרִ֖ים	mā·rîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H4751 bitter, bitterness
That is why	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
it was named	קָרָֽא־	qā·rā-	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
Marah	מָרָֽה׃	mā·rāh	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4785 Marah

Exodus 15:24

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So the people	הָעָ֛ם	hā·‘ām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
grumbled	וַיִּלֹּ֧נוּ	way·yil·lō·nū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3885 lodge, pass the night
against	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
Moses	מֹשֶׁ֥ה	mō·šeh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4872 Moses
saying	לֵּאמֹ֖ר	lê·mōr	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H559 utter, say
What	מַה־	mah-	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
are we to drink	נִּשְׁתֶּֽה׃	niš·teh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural	H8354 drink

Exodus 15:25

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And	וַיִּצְעַ֣ק	way·yiṣ·‘aq	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6817 cry, cry out, call
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the LORD	יְהוָ֗ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
and the LORD	יְהוָה֙	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
showed him	וַיּוֹרֵ֤הוּ	way·yō·w·rê·hū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H3384 throw, shoot
a log	עֵ֔ץ	‘êṣ	Noun - masculine singular	H6086 tree, trees, wood
And when he cast it	וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ֙	way·yaš·lêḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7993 throw, fling, cast
into	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the waters	הַמַּ֔יִם	ham·ma·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine
were sweetened	וַֽיִּמְתְּק֖וּ	way·yim·tə·qū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H4985 become or be sweet, pleasant
There	שָׁ֣ם	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither
made	שָׂ֥ם	śām	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7760 put, place, set
for them	ל֛וֹ	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
a statute	חֹ֥ק	ḥōq	Noun - masculine singular	H2706 something prescribed, a statute or due
and an ordinance	וּמִשְׁפָּ֖ט	ū·miš·pāṭ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H4941 judgment
and there	וְשָׁ֥ם	wə·šām	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H8033 there, thither
He tested them	נִסָּֽהוּ׃	nis·sā·hū	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H5254 test, try