Exodus
Exodus 17:2–4
2So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.”
“Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?”
3But 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?”
4Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? A little more and they will stone me!”
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 17:2
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| So the people | הָעָם֙ | hā·‘ām | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H5971 people |
| contended | וַיָּ֤רֶב | way·yā·reḇ | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H7378 strive, contend |
| with | עִם־ | ‘im- | Preposition | H5973 with |
| Moses | מֹשֶׁ֔ה | mō·šeh | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H4872 Moses |
| Give | תְּנוּ־ | tə·nū- | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural | H5414 give, put, set |
| us | לָ֥נוּ | lā·nū | Preposition; first person common plural | |
| water | מַ֖יִם | ma·yim | Noun - masculine plural | H4325 water, juice, urine |
| to drink | וְנִשְׁתֶּ֑ה | wə·niš·teh | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common plural | H8354 drink |
| Why | מַה־ | mah- | Interrogative | H4100 what? how? aught |
| do you contend | תְּרִיבוּן֙ | tə·rî·ḇūn | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural; Paragogic nun | H7378 strive, contend |
| with me | עִמָּדִ֔י | ‘im·mā·ḏî | Preposition; first person common singular | H5978 along with |
| Moses | מֹשֶׁ֔ה | mō·šeh | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H4872 Moses |
| replied | וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | way·yō·mer | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H559 utter, say |
| Why | מַה־ | mah- | Interrogative | H4100 what? how? aught |
| do you test | תְּנַסּ֖וּן | tə·nas·sūn | Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural; Paragogic nun | H5254 test, try |
| the LORD | יְהוָֽה׃ | Yah·weh | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3068 Yahweh |
Exodus 17:3
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| But the people | הָעָם֙ | hā·‘ām | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H5971 people |
| thirsted | וַיִּצְמָ֨א | way·yiṣ·mā | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H6770 be thirsty |
| for water | לַמַּ֔יִם | lam·ma·yim | Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine plural | H4325 water, juice, urine |
| there | שָׁ֤ם | šām | Adverb | H8033 there, thither |
| and they grumbled | וַיָּ֥לֶן | way·yā·len | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H3885 lodge, pass the night |
| against | עַל־ | ‘al- | Preposition | H5921 height |
| Moses | מֹשֶׁ֑ה | mō·šeh | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H4872 Moses |
| Why | לָ֤מָּה | lām·māh | Interrogative | H4100 what? how? aught |
| have you brought us | הֶעֱלִיתָ֣נוּ | he·‘ĕ·lî·ṯā·nū | Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular; first person common plural | H5927 go up, ascend, climb |
| out of Egypt | מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם | mim·miṣ·ra·yim | Preposition-m; Noun - proper - feminine singular | H4714 Egypt, Egyptians |
| to make | לְהָמִ֥ית | lə·hā·mîṯ | Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | H4191 die |
| us | אֹתִ֛י | ’ō·ṯî | Direct object marker; first person common singular | H853 mark of the accusative |
| and | וְאֶת־ | wə·’eṯ- | Conjunctive waw; Direct object marker | H853 mark of the accusative |
| our children | בָּנַ֥י | bā·nay | Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular | H1121 son |
| and livestock | מִקְנַ֖י | miq·nay | Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular | H4735 cattle |
| of thirst | בַּצָּמָֽא׃ | baṣ·ṣā·mā | Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular | H6772 thirst |
Exodus 17:4
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Then Moses | מֹשֶׁה֙ | mō·šeh | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H4872 Moses |
| cried out | וַיִּצְעַ֤ק | 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 | יְהוָ֣ה | Yah·weh | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3068 Yahweh |
| What | מָ֥ה | māh | Interrogative | H4100 what? how? aught |
| should I do | אֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה | ’e·‘ĕ·śeh | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | H6213 do, make |
| with these | הַזֶּ֑ה | haz·zeh | Article; Pronoun - masculine singular | H2088 this, that |
| people | לָעָ֣ם | lā·‘ām | Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular | H5971 people |
| A little more | ע֥וֹד | ‘ō·wḏ | Adverb | H5750 a going round, continuance |
| and they will stone me | וּסְקָלֻֽנִי׃ | ū·sə·qā·lu·nî | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural; first person common singular | H5619 stone, put to death by stoning |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Exodus 17:2 Psalm 78:18 · Psalm 78:41 · 1 Corinthians 10:9 · Deuteronomy 6:16 · Hebrews 3:9 · Isaiah 7:12 · Acts 15:10 · Numbers 20:2–5 · Psalm 95:9 · Matthew 4:7 · Numbers 21:5 · Numbers 14:22
Exodus 17:3 Exodus 16:2–3 · Exodus 15:24
Exodus 17:4 1 Samuel 30:6 · Numbers 14:10 · John 10:31 · Acts 14:19 · John 8:59
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.