Reference: Massah and Meribah
Hastings
Ex 17:1-7 (Jewish Encyclopedia) tells of a miraculous gift of water at a spot near Horeb, which was called Massah and Meribah ('testing' and 'contention') because the people tested Jahweh by doubting His providence and contended with Moses. It is implied that this occurred about a year after the Exodus. Nu 20:1-18, a later narrative (Priestly Narrative), gives a similar account, but puts it thirty-seven years later, and with important variations. The scene is now laid at Kadesh, which receives the name Meribah from the contention of Israel with Jahweh. Moses and Aaron also sin against Him. There are references to the first passage in De 6:16; 9:22; Ps 95:8; and to the second in De 32:51; Ps 106:32; in Ps 81:7 the two are apparently confused. De 33:8 regards the events at Kadesh in a peculiar light: here Jahweh proves Levi at Massah and strives with (or for) him at Meribah. The tendency of recent criticism is to consider Ex 17 and Nu 20 as duplicate records of the same event, the locality of which must be fixed at Kadesh, where the spring 'Ain Kad
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and they turn back and come in unto En-Mishpat, which is Kadesh, and smite the whole field of the Amalekite, and also the Amorite who is dwelling in Hazezon-Tamar.
And all the company of the sons of Israel journey from the wilderness of Sin, on their journeyings, by the command of Jehovah, and encamp in Rephidim, and there is no water for the people to drink; and the people strive with Moses, and say, 'Give us water, and we drink.' And Moses saith to them, 'What? -- ye strive with me, what? -- ye try Jehovah?' read more. and the people thirst there for water, and the people murmur against Moses, and say, 'Why is this? -- thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to put us to death, also our sons and our cattle, with thirst.' And Moses crieth to Jehovah, saying, 'What do I to this people? yet a little, and they have stoned me.' And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Pass over before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel, and thy rod with which thou hast smitten the River take in thy hand, and thou hast gone: Lo, I am standing before thee there on the rock in Horeb, and thou hast smitten on the rock, and waters have come out from it, and the people have drunk.' And Moses doth so before the eyes of the elders of Israel, and he calleth the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the 'strife' of the sons of Israel, and because of their 'trying' Jehovah, saying, 'Is Jehovah in our midst or not?'
And the sons of Israel come in, -- all the company -- to the wilderness of Zin, in the first month, and the people abide in Kadesh, and Miriam dieth there, and is buried there. And there hath been no water for the company, and they are assembled against Moses, and against Aaron, read more. and the people strive with Moses, and speak, saying, 'And oh that we had expired when our brethren expired before Jehovah! and why have ye brought in the assembly of Jehovah unto this wilderness to die there, we and our beasts? and why hast thou brought us up out of Egypt to bring us in unto this evil place? no place of seed, and fig, and vine, and pomegranate; and water there is none to drink. And Moses and Aaron go in from the presence of the assembly unto the opening of the tent of meeting, and fall on their faces, and the honour of Jehovah is seen by them. And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 'Take the rod, and assemble the company, thou and Aaron thy brother; and ye have spoken unto the rock before their eyes, and it hath given its water, and thou hast brought out to them water from the rock, and hast watered the company, and their beasts.' And Moses taketh the rod from before Jehovah, as He hath commanded him, and Moses and Aaron assemble the assembly unto the front of the rock, and he saith to them, 'Hear, I pray you, O rebels, from this rock do we bring out to you water?' and Moses lifteth up his hand, and smiteth the rock with his rod twice; and much water cometh out, and the company drink, also their beasts. And Jehovah saith unto Moses, and unto Aaron, 'Because ye have not believed in Me to sanctify Me before the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore ye do not bring in this assembly unto the land which I have given to them.' These are waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel have 'striven' with Jehovah, and He is sanctified upon them. And Moses sendeth messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, 'Thus said thy brother Israel, Thou -- thou hast known all the travail which hath found us; that our fathers go down to Egypt, and we dwell in Egypt many days, and the Egyptians do evil to us and to our fathers; and we cry unto Jehovah, and He heareth our voice, and sendeth a messenger, and is bringing us out of Egypt; and lo, we are in Kadesh, a city in the extremity of thy border. Let us pass over, we pray thee, through thy land; we pass not over through a field, or through a vineyard, nor do we drink waters of a well; the way of the king we go, we turn not aside -- right or left -- till that we pass over thy border.' And Edom saith unto him, 'Thou dost not pass over through me, lest with sword I come out to meet thee.'
and houses full of all good things which thou hast not filled, and wells digged which thou hast not digged, vineyards and olive-yards which thou hast not planted, and thou hast eaten, and been satisfied;
'Ye do not try Jehovah your God as ye tried in Massah;
'And in Taberah, and in Massah, and in Kibroth-Hattaavah, ye have been making Jehovah wroth:
'And in Taberah, and in Massah, and in Kibroth-Hattaavah, ye have been making Jehovah wroth:
Because ye trespassed against me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribath-Kadesh, the wilderness of Zin -- because ye sanctified Me not in the midst of the sons of Israel;
and he saith: -- 'Jehovah from Sinai hath come, And hath risen from Seir for them; He hath shone from mount Paran, And hath come with myriads of holy ones; At His right hand are springs for them.
And of Levi he said: -- Thy Thummim and thy Urim are for thy pious one, Whom Thou hast tried in Massah, Thou dost strive with Him at the waters of Meribah;
In distress thou hast called and I deliver thee, I answer thee in the secret place of thunder, I try thee by the waters of Meribah. Selah.
Harden not your heart as in Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,
And they cause wrath by the waters of Meribah, And it is evil to Moses for their sakes,
And the east quarter is from between Havran, and Damascus, and Gilead, and the land of Israel, to the Jordan; from the border over-against the eastern sea ye measure: and this is the east quarter. And the south quarter southward is from Tamar unto the waters of Meriboth-Kadesh, the stream unto the great sea: and this is the south quarter southward.
and by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border hath been from Tamar to the waters of Meriboth-Kadesh, the stream by the great sea.