Exodus

Exodus 17:2–7

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!”

5And 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. 6Behold, 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. 7He named the place Massahc and Meribahd because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

Footnotes

  • b 17:6 Horeb is another name for Sinai.
  • c 17:7 Massah means testing.
  • d 17:7 Meribah means quarreling.

Read all of Exodus 17

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

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
So the peopleהָעָם֙hā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
contendedוַיָּ֤רֶבway·yā·reḇConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH7378 strive, contend
withעִם־‘im-PrepositionH5973 with
Mosesמֹשֶׁ֔הmō·šehNoun - proper - masculine singularH4872 Moses
Giveתְּנוּ־tə·nū-Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralH5414 give, put, set
usלָ֥נוּlā·nūPreposition; first person common plural
waterמַ֖יִםma·yimNoun - masculine pluralH4325 water, juice, urine
to drinkוְנִשְׁתֶּ֑הwə·niš·tehConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common pluralH8354 drink
Whyמַה־mah-InterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
do you contendתְּרִיבוּן֙tə·rî·ḇūnVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural; Paragogic nunH7378 strive, contend
with meעִמָּדִ֔י‘im·mā·ḏîPreposition; first person common singularH5978 along with
Mosesמֹשֶׁ֔הmō·šehNoun - proper - masculine singularH4872 Moses
repliedוַיֹּ֤אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
Whyמַה־mah-InterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
do you testתְּנַסּ֖וּןtə·nas·sūnVerb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural; Paragogic nunH5254 test, try
the LORDיְהוָֽה׃Yah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh

Exodus 17:3

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
But the peopleהָעָם֙hā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
thirstedוַיִּצְמָ֨אway·yiṣ·māConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH6770 be thirsty
for waterלַמַּ֔יִםlam·ma·yimPreposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine pluralH4325 water, juice, urine
thereשָׁ֤םšāmAdverbH8033 there, thither
and they grumbledוַיָּ֥לֶןway·yā·lenConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH3885 lodge, pass the night
againstעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
Mosesמֹשֶׁ֑הmō·šehNoun - proper - masculine singularH4872 Moses
Whyלָ֤מָּהlām·māhInterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
have you brought usהֶעֱלִיתָ֣נוּhe·‘ĕ·lî·ṯā·nūVerb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular; first person common pluralH5927 go up, ascend, climb
out of Egyptמִמִּצְרַ֔יִםmim·miṣ·ra·yimPreposition-m; Noun - proper - feminine singularH4714 Egypt, Egyptians
to makeלְהָמִ֥יתlə·hā·mîṯPreposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructH4191 die
usאֹתִ֛י’ō·ṯîDirect object marker; first person common singularH853 mark of the accusative
andוְאֶת־wə·’eṯ-Conjunctive waw; Direct object markerH853 mark of the accusative
our childrenבָּנַ֥יbā·nayNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common singularH1121 son
and livestockמִקְנַ֖יmiq·nayNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common singularH4735 cattle
of thirstבַּצָּמָֽא׃baṣ·ṣā·māPreposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singularH6772 thirst

Exodus 17:4

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Then Mosesמֹשֶׁה֙mō·šehNoun - proper - masculine singularH4872 Moses
cried outוַיִּצְעַ֤קway·yiṣ·‘aqConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH6817 cry, cry out, call
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
the LORDיְהוָ֣הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
Whatמָ֥הmāhInterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
should I doאֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה’e·‘ĕ·śehVerb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularH6213 do, make
with theseהַזֶּ֑הhaz·zehArticle; Pronoun - masculine singularH2088 this, that
peopleלָעָ֣םlā·‘āmPreposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
A little moreע֥וֹד‘ō·wḏAdverbH5750 a going round, continuance
and they will stone meוּסְקָלֻֽנִי׃ū·sə·qā·lu·nîConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural; first person common singularH5619 stone, put to death by stoning

Exodus 17:5

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
And the LORDיְהוָ֜הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
saidוַיֹּ֨אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
Mosesמֹשֶׁ֗הmō·šehNoun - proper - masculine singularH4872 Moses
Walk onעֲבֹר֙‘ă·ḇōrVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
ahead ofלִפְנֵ֣יlip̄·nêPreposition-l; Noun - common plural constructH6440 face, before
the peopleהָעָ֔םhā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
and takeוְקַ֥חwə·qaḥConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH3947 take
some of the eldersמִזִּקְנֵ֣יmiz·ziq·nêPreposition-m; Adjective - masculine plural constructH2205 old
of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לyiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel
with youאִתְּךָ֖’it·tə·ḵāPreposition; second person masculine singularH854 with
Take alongקַ֥חqaḥVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH3947 take
in your handבְּיָדְךָ֖bə·yā·ḏə·ḵāPreposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singularH3027 hand
the staffוּמַטְּךָ֗ū·maṭ·ṭə·ḵāConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH4294 staff, rod, shaft
with whichאֲשֶׁ֨ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
you struckהִכִּ֤יתָhik·kî·ṯāVerb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singularH5221 smite
the Nileהַיְאֹ֔רhay·’ōrArticle; Noun - proper - feminine singularH2975 stream
and goוְהָלָֽכְתָּ׃wə·hā·lā·ḵə·tāConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularH1980 go, come, walk

Exodus 17:6

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Beholdהִנְנִ֣יhin·nîInterjection; first person common singularH2005 lo! behold
I will standעֹמֵד֩‘ō·mêḏVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH5975 take one's stand, stand
thereשָּׁ֥ם׀šāmAdverbH8033 there, thither
beforeלְפָנֶ֨יךָlə·p̄ā·ne·ḵāPreposition-l; Noun - common plural construct; second person masculine singularH6440 face, before
youעַֽל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
by the rockהַצּוּר֮haṣ·ṣūrArticle; Noun - masculine singularH6697 rock, cliff
at Horebבְּחֹרֵב֒bə·ḥō·rêḇPreposition-b; Noun - proper - feminine singularH2722 Horeb
And when you strikeוְהִכִּ֣יתָwə·hik·kî·ṯāConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularH5221 smite
the rockבַצּ֗וּרḇaṣ·ṣūrPreposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singularH6697 rock, cliff
waterמַ֖יִםma·yimNoun - masculine pluralH4325 water, juice, urine
will come outוְיָצְא֥וּwə·yā·ṣə·’ūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common pluralH3318 go or come out
of itמִמֶּ֛נּוּmim·men·nūPreposition; third person masculine singularH4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
for the peopleהָעָ֑םhā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
to drinkוְשָׁתָ֣הwə·šā·ṯāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH8354 drink
So Mosesמֹשֶׁ֔הmō·šehNoun - proper - masculine singularH4872 Moses
didוַיַּ֤עַשׂway·ya·‘aśConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH6213 do, make
thisכֵּן֙kênAdverbH3651 right, veritable, honest
in the sightלְעֵינֵ֖יlə·‘ê·nêPreposition-l; Noun - cdcH5869 eye
of the eldersזִקְנֵ֥יziq·nêAdjective - masculine plural constructH2205 old
of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃yiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel

Exodus 17:7

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
He namedוַיִּקְרָא֙way·yiq·rāConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH7121 call, proclaim, read
the placeהַמָּק֔וֹםham·mā·qō·wmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4725 standing, spot, condition
Massahמַסָּ֖הmas·sāhNoun - proper - feminine singularH4532 Massah
and Meribahוּמְרִיבָ֑הū·mə·rî·ḇāhConjunctive waw; Noun - proper - feminine singularH4809 Meribah
becauseעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
the Israelitesבְּנֵ֣יbə·nêNoun - masculine plural constructH1121 son
quarreledרִ֣יב׀rîḇNoun - masculine singular constructH7379 strife, dispute
and becauseוְעַ֨לwə·‘alConjunctive waw; PrepositionH5921 height
they testedנַסֹּתָ֤םnas·sō·ṯāmVerb - Piel - Infinitive construct; third person masculine pluralH5254 test, try
the LORDיְהוָה֙Yah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
sayingלֵאמֹ֔רlê·mōrPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH559 utter, say
Isהֲיֵ֧שׁhă·yêšAdverbH3426 being, substance, existence
the LORDיְהוָ֛הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
among usבְּקִרְבֵּ֖נוּbə·qir·bê·nūPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common pluralH7130 inward part, midst
orאִם־’im-ConjunctionH518 if
notאָֽיִן׃פ’ā·yinAdverbH369 nothing, nought

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

Exodus 17:5 Exodus 7:19–20 · Numbers 20:8–11 · Ezekiel 2:6

Exodus 17:6 1 Corinthians 10:4 · Nehemiah 9:15 · Numbers 20:9–11 · Psalm 105:41 · Deuteronomy 8:15 · John 4:10 · Psalm 78:15–16 · Psalm 78:20 · Psalm 114:8 · Isaiah 41:17–18 · Isaiah 43:19–20 · John 7:37–38

Exodus 17:7 Psalm 81:7 · Numbers 20:13 · Psalm 95:8 · Deuteronomy 9:22 · Exodus 17:2 · Hebrews 3:8–9

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.