GEBible — Godless Engineer's Bible App
Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
Yahweh said to Moses, “Walk on before the people, and take the elders of Israel with you, and take the rod in your hand with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb. You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Exodus 17:4-6 sits inside this longer paragraph.
Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
Yahweh said to Moses, “Walk on before the people, and take the elders of Israel with you, and take the rod in your hand with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb. You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because the children of Israel quarreled, and because they tested Yahweh, saying, “Is Yahweh among us, or not?”
Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
Yahweh said to Moses, “Walk on before the people, and take the elders of Israel with you, and take the rod in your hand with which you struck the Nile, and go.
Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb. You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying: 'What shall I do unto this people? they are almost ready to stone me.'
And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Pass on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thy hand, and go.
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink.' And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v4 How ready the people are for their own matters…
How ready the people are for their own matters to slay the true Prophets, and how slow they are to revenge God’s cause against his enemies and false Prophets.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv4–6 Exo 17:4 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying,…
Exo 17:4 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
Ver. 4. Ready to stone me.] Well might he ask with our Saviour, "For which of my good works do ye stone me?" {Joh 10:32} But the belly hath no ears.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv5–6 Take with thee of the elders of Israel, that…
Take with thee of the elders of Israel, that they may be eye-witnesses of this glorious work, and may report it to the people.
The river; either the Red Sea, for an arm of the sea is sometimes called a river; or the river Nilus.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv4–6 And Moses cried unto the Lord..... Or prayed unto…
And Moses cried unto the Lord..... Or prayed unto him, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; which shows the distress he was thrown into, the vehemence of his prayer, and perhaps the loud and lamentable tone in which he expressed it: this was the method he always took, and the refuge he fled unto in all his times of trouble; in which he did well, and set a good example of piety and devotion to God, of faith and trust in him: saying:
what shall I do unto this people? or, "for this people" (h); to relieve them in their present exigency; suggesting his own inability to do any thing for them: yet not despairing of relief, but rather expressing faith in the power and goodness of God to keep them, by his application to him; desiring that he would open a way for their help, and direct him what he must do in this case for them: something, he intimates, must be done speedily for the glory of God, for his own safety, and to prevent the people sinning yet more and more, and so bring destruction upon them; for, adds he:
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they be almost ready to stone me or, "yet a little, and they will stone me" (i); if the time of help is protracted, if relief is not in a short time given, he had reason to believe from the menaces they had given out, the impatience they had showed, the rage they were in, they would certainly take up stones and stone him, being in a stony and rocky place; and this they would do, not as a formal punishment of him as a false prophet, telling them they should be brought to Canaan, when they were brought into the wilderness and perishing there; which law respecting such an one was not yet in being; but this he supposed as what an enraged multitude was wont to do, and which was more ready at hand for them to do than anything else, see Exo 8:26.
(h) "populo haic", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, &c. (i) "adhuc paululum et lapidabit me." V. L. "parum abest", Tigurine version; "adhuc modicum", Pagninus, Montanus; "adhuc paulisper", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Ainsworth.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On v5 Go on before the people - Though they spake…
Go on before the people - Though they spake of stoning him. He must take his rod with him, not to summon some plague to chastise them, but to fetch water for their supply. O the wonderful patience and forbearance of God towards provoking sinners! He maintains those that are at war with him, and reaches out the hand of his bounty to those that lift up the heel against him. If God had only shewed Moses a fountain of water in the wilderness, as he did to Hagar, not far from hence, Gen. xxi, 19, that had been a great favour; but that he might shew his power as well as his pity, and make it a miracle of mercy, he gave them water out of a rock. He directed Moses whither to go, appointed him to take of the elders of Israel with him, to be witnesses of what was done, ordered him to smite the rock, which he did, and immediately water came out of it in great abundance, which ran throughout the camp in streams and rivers, Psalm lxxviii, 15, 16, and followed them wherever they went in that wilderness: God shewed his care of his people in giving them water when they wanted it; his own power in fetching it out of a rock, and put an honour upon Moses in appointing the water to flow out upon his smiting of the rock. This fair water that came out of the rock is called honey and oil, Deut. xxxii, 13, because the people's thirst made it doubly pleasant; coming when they were in extreme want. It is probable that the people digged canals for the conveyance of it, and pools for the reception of it. Let this direct us to live in a dependance,
1. Upon God's providence even in the greatest straits and difficulties;
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2. And upon Christ's grace; that rock was Christ, 1 Cor. x, 4. The graces and comforts of the Spirit are compared to rivers of living waters, John vii, 38, 39; iv, 14. These flow from Christ. And nothing will supply the needs and satisfy the desires of a soul but water out of this rock. A new name was upon this occasion given to the place, preserving the remembrance of their murmuring, Massah - Temptation, because they tempted God, Meribah - Strife, because they chide with Moses.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v6 Verse 6. I will stand before thee there, upon…
Verse 6. I will stand before thee there, upon the rock in Horeb] THE rock, הצור hatstsur. It seems as if God had directed the attention of Moses to a particular rock, with which he was well acquainted; for every part of the mount and its vicinity must have been well known to Moses during the time he kept Jethro's flocks in those quarters. Dr. Priestley has left the following sensible observations upon this miracle: -
"The luminous cloud, the symbol of the Divine presence, would appear on the rock, and Horeb was probably a part of the same mountain with Sinai. This supply of water, on Moses only striking the rock, where no water had been before nor has been since, was a most wonderful display of the Divine power. The water must have been in great abundance to supply two millions of persons, which excluded all possibility of artifice or imposture in the case. The miracle must also have been of some continuance, no doubt so long as they continued in that neighbourhood, which was more than a year. There are sufficient traces of this extraordinary miracle remaining at this day. This rock has been visited, drawn, and described by Dr. Shaw, Dr. Pocock, and others; and holes and channels appear in the stone, which could only have been formed by the bursting out and running of the water. No art of man could have done it, if any motive could be supposed for the undertaking in such a place as this."
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This miracle has not escaped the notice of the ancient Greek poets. Callimachus represents Rhea bringing forth water from a rock in the same way, after the birth of Jupiter.
Πληξεν ορος σκηπτρῳ, το δε οἱ δεχα πουλυ διεστη.
Εκ δ' εχεεν μεγα χευμα.
Hymn ad Jov., ver. 31.
_____________ With her sceptre struck
The yawning cliff; from its disparted height
Adown the mount the gushing torrent ran.
PRIOR.
The rock mentioned above has been seen and described by Norden, p. 144, 8vo.; Dr. Shaw, p. 314, 4to., where there is an accurate drawing of it; Dr. Pocock, vol. i., p. 143, &c., where the reader may find some fine plates of Mount Horeb and Sinai, and four different views of the wonderful rock of Meribah. It is a vast block of red granite, fifteen feet long, ten broad, and twelve high. See Dr. Shaw's account at the end of Exodus. My nephew, who visited this rock in 1823, confirms the account of the preceding travellers, and has brought a piece of this wonderful stone. The granite is fine, and the quartz mica, and feldspar equally mixed in it. This rock or block of granite is the only type of Christ now existing.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v5 Exo 17:5-6. Go before the people — Though they…
Exo 17:5-6. Go before the people — Though they spoke of stoning him. He must take his rod with him, not to summon some plague to chastise them, but to fetch water for their supply. O the wonderful patience and forbearance of God toward provoking sinners! He maintains those that are at war with him, and reaches out the hand of his bounty to those that lift up the heel against him. If God had only showed Moses a fountain of water in the wilderness, as he did to Hagar, not far from hence, (Gen 21:19,) that had been a great favour; but that he might show his power as well as his pity, and make it a miracle of mercy, he gave them water out of a rock. He directed Moses whither to go, appointed him to take of the elders of Israel with him, to be witnesses of what was done, ordered him to smite the rock, which he did, and immediately water came out of it in great abundance, which ran throughout the camp in streams and rivers, Psa 78:15-16. God showed his care of his people in giving them water when they wanted it; his own power in fetching it out of a rock, and put an honour upon Moses in appointing the water to flow out upon his smiting of the rock. This fair water that came out of the rock is called honey and oil, (Deu 32:13,) because the people’s thirst made it doubly pleasant; coming when they were in extreme want. It is probable that the people digged canals for the conveyance of it, and pools for the reception of it. Let this direct us to live in a dependance, 1st, Upon God’s providence, even in the greatest straits and difficulties; and, 2d, Upon Christ’s grace; that rock was Christ, 1Co 10:4. The graces and comforts of the Spirit are compared to rivers of living waters, Joh 7:38-39; Joh 4:14. These flow from Christ. And nothing will supply the needs and satisfy the desires of a soul but water out of this rock. A new name was, upon this occasion, given to the place, preserving the remembrance of their murmuring; Massah — Temptation, because they tempted God; Meribah — Strife, because they chid with Moses. Several commentators have here quoted the following passage from Shaw’s Travels, as a wonderful confirmation of this great miracle: “Here (in the plain of Rephidim) we still see that extraordinary antiquity, the rock of Meribah, which hath continued down to this day, without the least injury from time or accident. It is a block of granite marble, about six yards square, lying tottering as it were, and loose in the middle of the valley, and seems to have formerly belonged to mount Sinai, which hangs in a variety of precipices all over this plain. The waters which gushed out, and the stream which followed, (Psa 78:20,) have hollowed, across one corner of this rock, a channel about two inches deep and twenty wide, appearing to be incrustated all over, like the inside of a teakettle that had been long in use. Besides several mossy productions that are still preserved by the dew, we see all over the channel a great number of holes, some of them four or five inches deep, and one or two in diameter, the lively and demonstrative tokens of their having been formerly so many fountains. It likewise may be further observed, that art or chance could by no means be concerned in the contrivance; for every circumstance points out to us a miracle; and, in the same manner with the rent in the rock of mount Calvary, at Jerusalem, never fails to produce a religious surprise in all who see it. The Arabs, who were our guard, were ready to stone me for attempting to break off a corner of it.” — Shaw’s Travels, pp. 252, 253.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On v6 The rock in Horeb - (a rock situated, according…
The rock in Horeb - (a rock situated, according to Arab tradition, in Wady Feiran. Horeb was a name given to the whole desert of Sinai and subsequently attached to the mountain. Palmer).
It is questioned whether the water thus supplied ceased with the immediate occasion; see 1Co 10:4, the general meaning of which appears to be that their wants were ever supplied from Him, of whom the rock was but a symbol, and who accompanied them in all their wanderings.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v6 Before thee, ready to grant thy request at Horeb,…
Before thee, ready to grant thy request at Horeb, a rock to the west of Sinai, and a figure of Jesus Christ, according to St. Paul; who says, (1 Corinthians x. 4,) that the spiritual rock followed the Hebrews. Some say a part of the real rock was carried in a chariot. (St. Chrysostom) Others, that the rivulet of waters accompanied them till it fell into the sea near Asiengaber. (Usher.) --- The Rabbins say, that these waters never failed the Israelites till the death of Mary, for whose sake they were given, and that the bright cloud disappeared with Aaron, and manna at the decease of Moses.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv4–5 Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I…
Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people?--His language, instead of betraying any signs of resentment or vindictive imprecation on a people who had given him a cruel and unmerited treatment, was the expression of an anxious wish to know what was the best to be done in the circumstances (compare Mat 5:44; Rom 12:21).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv4–6 4. What shall I do — There was now…
4. What shall I do — There was now another mutiny, as in the Desert of Sin, but apparently more dangerous, for Moses regards his life as in peril. Yet, though himself in as great perplexity as the people, he consults Jehovah in simple faith, and meekly bears the threats of the insurgent crowd.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv4–6 4. cried unto Jehovah] Exo_14:15, Exo_15:25.
4. cried unto Jehovah] Exo_14:15, Exo_15:25.
to stone me] Cf. 1Sa_30:6.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv4–5 (4) They be almost ready to stone me.—Heb., Yet…
(4) They be almost ready to stone me.—Heb., Yet a little and they will stone me. On tumultuary stoning, see the second Note on Exo_8:26.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv4–6 And Moses cried unto the Lord. It is one…
And Moses cried unto the Lord. It is one of the most prominent traits of the character of Moses, that, at the occurrence of a difficulty, he always carries it straight to God. (see Exo_15:25 Exo_24:15 Exo_32:30 Exo_33:8; Num_11:2, 11 12:11 14:13-19, etc.) They be almost ready to stone me. This is the first which we hear of stoning as a punishment. It is naturally one of the easiest modes of wreaking popular vengeance on an obnoxious individual, and was known to the Greeks as early as the time of the Persian war (Heb_9:5), to the Macedonians (Q. Curt. Vit. Alex. 6:11, 38), and others. There is, however, no trace of it among the Egyptians.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v4 Thou shalt smite the rock.
Exo_17:4-7
Thou shalt smite the rock.
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Horeb; or, great mercies from unlikely sources
I. The secular department of human history will furnish abundant illustrations of this principle.
1. Does intelligence conduce to this end? Undoubtedly knowledge tends to make men secularly happy. How often, then, do you find streams of intelligence gushing from the most unlikely sources. Demosthenes was a stammerer; Homer and Milton were blind; Shakespeare was the son of a butcher.
2. Do philanthropic institutions conduce to the secular well-being of man? Unquestionably. If you look to the origin of temperance societies, asylums, provident associations, etc., you will find they have generally sprung from the most unlikely sources.
3. Does political liberty conduce to the secular well-being of man? Undoubtedly. It, too, has come mostly from unlikely sources--Moses, Luther, etc.
II. The spiritual department of human history will furnish still greater illustrations of this principle.
1. See it exemplified in the spiritual Deliverer of the race. Babe in manger; Son of carpenter; Man of sorrows, etc.; malefactor on cross. This rock, says St. Paul, is Christ--is like Christ. How?
(1) In the value of the blessings which emanate therefrom.
(a) Most needed.
(b) Most adequate.
(2) In the method employed to secure the blessing. Rock smitten.
(3) In the fact under notice, the unlikelihood of the source.
2. See it exemplified in the first preachers of the gospel. Poor fishermen, etc.
3. See it exemplified in the missionary enterprise. Carey, the shoemaker; Williams, the blacksmith; Moffat, the gardener, etc.
Conclusion: This subject suggests--
1. Good ground for trusting God in the greatest difficulty.
2. To remove all ground for glorying in your usefulness. God could make the meanest creatures do all and more than you can accomplish. (Homilist.)
Crying unto the Lord for help
Hiacoomes, an early Indian convert, was a remarkable man. Two years after his conversion (1743), having in the meantime been prepared by Mr. Mayhew, he commented teaching to the Indians the things of Christianity. He was not suffered to proceed without opposition from the Paw-Waws, Sachems, and other Indians; but he made this improvement of the injustice done him. I had, he remarked, one hand for injuries and another hand for God; while I received wrong with the one, I laid the faster hold on God with the other. These words should be written in gold. (New York Independent.)
The needful things of life providentially supplied
I. That men are sometimes brought into great straits through lack of the ordinary things of life. And there was no water for the people to drink. Thus the Israelites lacked water. They had lacked bread only a few days previously.
1. It is not the lot of man to be long free from trial of some kind. Trials come successively. Job, Joseph, David. They are diversified according to the station in which our tent is fixed. Every sphere of life has something of perplexity connected with it, which tests our moral nature and brings the mercy of God near to us. We must learn both how to want and how to abound, to be sorrowful and yet always rejoicing.
2. Thus by the varied trials of life man is made to feel that earth cannot give him abiding satisfaction, and he is led to anticipate the rest of heaven. There the wilderness is unknown, and hunger and thirst are not experienced. The Lamb feeds them. They drink of the River of the Water of Life.
3. But we see from this narrative that each occasion of want on the part of Israel was signalized by a rich manifestation of the mercy of God. Their hunger was met by the manna. Their thirst was met by the streams of Horeb. The hour of mans need is often the hour of Gods richest gift and blessing.
II. That when men are brought into great straits through lack of the ordinary things of life, they often appeal to human agencies rather than to divine. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. How foolish, for did not he suffer from the same calamity? nor was it in his power to create fountains. How cruel, for was not he seeking their freedom? How fickle the approbation of men, it varies with the circumstances of life. People often go to the human in trouble when they ought to go to the Divine.
III. That when men are brought into straits through the lack of things they very much need, they often get them in the providence of God from the most unlikely sources. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. Thus we see that God did not flash immediate judgment upon these rebellious people. He is long-suffering toward the race. We must learn to be patient with those who injure us. God has regard to human need, and evil in men will not turn Him away from His promise, None need despair of His mercy. When the people chide, the minister should pray. Our heavenly Father is never absent from the good; goodness and mercy follow them all their days.
IV. That when men are brought into straits, the way in which they act therein will leave irreparable memorials of sin or victory. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, etc. Let us not leave behind in our life memorials of strife and unbelief, but of faith and good works. Such memorials are abiding; once erected, they cannot be removed; hence the need that they should be worthy. Lessons:
1. That man is frequently called upon in this life to endure great physical need.
2. That the physical needs of life often reveal our real and inner character.
3. That the physical needs of life are no indication that God has failed us.
4. That the physical needs of life give us a great insight into the wealth and method of the Divine mercy. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)
The smitten rock
I. The rock a type of Christ.
1. Its situation. In midst of wilderness.
2. Its stability (Isa_28:16).
3. Its durability. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.
II. Moses striking the rock. An act of violence required. When man is to be saved, the rod of Divine wrath strikes the Saviour, and the rock pours forth streams of everlasting salvation.
III. The purpose of the miracle. (I. Saunders.)
Water out of the rock, a type of Christ
I. As a rock it elegantly typed out Jesus Christ, fitly compared to a rock in five resemblances.
1. For the despicable appearance. The rock is in appearance dry and barren, the most unlikely thing in all the world to afford water, so as it was incredible to Moses and Aaron themselves to fetch water out of a rock. Even so Jesus Christ was (for outward form and appearance in the world) most unlikely of all men to afford any such waters of grace and salvation (Isa_53:2).
2. A Rock for exaltation and advancement. A rock is a promontory lifted up above the earth. Such a Rock was Christ advanced above the earth, yea, and the heavens; advanced above all men and creatures--
(1) In holiness and purity.
(2) In power and authority.
(3) In place and dignity(Joh_3:31).
3. A Rock for firmness and stability. He is the strength of Israel (Mat_16:18). Hence He is a rock of defence and safety to His chosen; and every wise man builds his house on this Rock.
4. A Rock of scandal and offence to wicked men (Rom_9:32).
5. A Rock for weight and danger and unavoidable judgment upon His adversaries, which, on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder (Mat_21:44).
II. It was a type of Christ, as it sent out water in abundance to the people of Israel ready to perish for thirst. For so Jesus Christ is the only Rock that sends from Himself all the sweet waters of life for the salvation of His elect, otherwise ready to perish eternally. For explanation whereof, mark--
1. As from that rock issued waters to wash and cleanse themselves and their garments, so from this Rock stream waters of ablution or washing, which serve to wash away both the guilt of sin and stain of sin.
2. As from that rook issued waters to cool and comfort Israel in their weariness and wanderings, so from Jesus Christ do issue the waters of refrigeration and comfort, to cool and refresh the dry and thirsty soul; to allay the heat of a raging and accusing conscience, and to revive with new strength the fainting soul in temptation or persecution.
3. As from that rock streamed abundance of waters to make fruitful that barren wilderness wheresoever they ran, so only from the true Rock issue plentiful waters of grace to make our dry and barren hearts fruitful in all works of righteousness (Isa_44:3-4).
III. In the manner of attaining this water are many sweet resemblances.
1. The people might ask Moses for water, but Moses cannot give it. It is God must give it, and miraculously fetch it out of a rock.
2. The rock gives water, but not till it be smitten (verse 6).
3. It was the rod in Moses hand that smites and breaks the rock. Even so it was the Law given by Moses hand and our transgression against it that breaks the true Rock (Isa_53:5; Gal_3:13).
4. The rock was smitten, but it was not so much the striking on the rock, but the Lords standing upon it that gets water for Israel (verse 6). There was no virtue in the stroke, but all depended on Gods commandment and presence; even so it is not the death of Christ, nor an abundance of price and merit of His blood, nor the striking on this rock before mens eyes in the ministry of the Word and sacraments that can bring one drop of true water of comfort, but by the presence and word of Gods blessing. The efficacy of grace depends not on any means or work wrought, but it is Gods word and presence that doth all in them. (T. Taylor, D. D.)
Help from an unlikely source
The manna was simply sent from heaven, but the water, on the contrary, was brought out of the smitten rock--the most unlikely place that could be imagined. Some men went about collecting funds for an important charity. They arrived in course of time at a very rich mans door who was known to be churlish in his manner and niggardly in his gifts; whereupon they said that there was no need to call on him, he is not likely to give. However, they entered, and laid their case before him, and to their surprise he at once responded by giving them the largest donation they had yet received. Rephidim-Rock was a most unlikely place from which to receive supplies of water.
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On v6 The rock, type of life through the Spirit by…
rock
The rock, type of life through the Spirit by grace:
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(1) Christ the Rock 1Co 10:4
(2) The people utterly unworthy Exo 17:2; Eph 2:1-6.
(3) Characteristics of life through grace:
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v4 a place in the desert whose name means "testing"…
Massah
a place in the desert whose name means "testing" (See: How to Translate Names)
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Meribah
a place in the desert whose name means "complaining" (See: How to Translate Names)
translationWords
stone
elder
staff
Horeb
call
lord
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v6 17:6 Mount Sinai: See study note on 3:1. •…
17:6 Mount Sinai: See study note on 3:1. • water gushed out: Note the similar provision in Num 20:11 (see also Ps 78:15-16; 105:41; 114:8; Isa 48:21).
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