7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they had tempted Jehovah, saying, Is Jehovah among us, or not?
Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder; I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.
These are the waters of Meribah, where the children of Israel contended with Jehovah, and he hallowed himself in them.
And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibroth-hattaavah, ye provoked Jehovah to wrath.
And the people contended with Moses, and said, Give us water, that we may drink! And Moses said to them, Why do ye dispute with me? Why do ye tempt Jehovah?
Aaron shall be gathered unto his peoples; for he shall not enter into the land that I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my commandment at the waters of Meribah.
This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, A prophet shall God raise up to you out of your brethren like me [him shall ye hear]. This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers; who received living oracles to give to us; to whom our fathers would not be subject, but thrust [him] from them, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,
And my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them, and they will say in that day, Have not these evils befallen me because my God is not in my midst?
And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that Jehovah is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against Jehovah: now have ye delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of Jehovah.
The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money; yet do they lean upon Jehovah, and say, Is not Jehovah in the midst of us? no evil shall come upon us.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Exodus 17
Commentary on Exodus 17 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 17
Two passages of story are recorded in this chapter,
And these things which happened to them are written for our instruction in our spiritual journey and warfare.
Exd 17:1-7
Here is,
Exd 17:8-16
We have here the story of the war with Amalek, which, we may suppose, was the first that was recorded in the book of the wars of the Lord, Num. 21:14. Amalek was the first of the nations that Israel fought with, Num. 24:20. Observe,