Study Desk

There was no water for the congregation, and they assembled against Moses and Aaron.

And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

Then the people argued with Moses and spoke, saying, "If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD!

And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord !

"Why then have you brought the LORD'S assembly into this wilderness, for us and our livestock to die here?

And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?

"Why did you make us come up from Egypt, to bring us into this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink!"

And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them;

And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them.

then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

"Take the staff; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it shall yield its water. So you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and have the congregation and their livestock drink."

Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

So Moses took the staff from before the LORD, just as He had commanded him;

And Moses took the rod from before the Lord , as he commanded him.

and Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly in front of the rock. And he said to them, "Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring water for you out of this rock?"

And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their livestock drank.

And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Since you did not trust in Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, for that reason you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

Those were called the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel argued with the LORD, and He proved Himself holy among them.

This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the Lord , and he was sanctified in them.