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Exodus 17:6
Verse
Context
Water from the Rock
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. 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 Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
Sermons
Leonard Ravenhill
Chuck MisslerLeonard Ravenhill
David Wilkerson
J. Vernon McGee
Carter Conlon
George WarnockSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
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 neighborhood, 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." 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 scepter 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, 4th., where there is an accurate drawing of it; Dr. Pocock, vol. i., p. 143, etc., 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 travelers, 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.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb,.... Or "upon that rock" (k), a particular rock which was pointed unto, where the Lord in the pillar of cloud would stand; not as a mere spectator of this affair, but as a director of Moses where to smite the rock; and to exert his power in producing water from it, and by his presence to encourage Moses to do it, and to expect and believe the issue of it: and thou shalt smite the rock: or "on the rock", or "in it" (l); which made Jarchi fancy that the rod of Moses was something very hard, that it was a sapphire by which the rock was cleft: and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink, they, their children, and their cattle, ready to die for thirst. Thus God showed himself gracious and merciful to a murmuring and ungrateful people: and Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel; he smote the rock with his rod, and the waters gushed out in great abundance, like streams and rivers, for the refreshment of the people, and their flocks, Psa 78:20. The Heathens have preserved some footsteps of this miracle in their writings, though disguised. Pausanias (m) speaks of a fountain of cold water springing out of a rock, and reports how Atalantes, coming from hunting thirsty, smote a rock with his spear, and water flowed out. This rock at Rephidim, and the apertures through which the waters flowed, are to be seen to this day, as travellers of veracity relate. Monsieur Thevenot (n) says the rock at Rephidim is only a stone of a prodigious height and thickness, rising out of the ground: on the two sides of that stone we saw several holes, by which the water hath run, as may be easily known by the prints of the water, which hath much hollowed it, but at present no water issues out of them. A later traveller (o) gives us a more distinct account of it: after we had descended the western side of this Mount (Sinai), says he, we came into the plain or wilderness of Rephidim, where we saw that extraordinary antiquity, the rock of Meribah, which was continued to this day, without the least injury from time or accidents. This is rightly called, from its hardness, Deu 8:15, , "a rock of flint", though, from the purple or reddish colour of it, it may be rather rendered the rock of or amethyst, or the amethystine, or granite rock. It is about six yards square, lying tottering as it were, and loose, near the middle of the valley, and seems to have been formerly a cliff of Mount Sinai, which hangs in a variety of precipices all over this plain; the water which gushed out, and the stream which flowed withal, Psa 78:20 have hollowed across one corner of this rock, a channel about two inches deep, and twenty wide, all over incrusted like the inside of a tea kettle that has been long used. Besides several mossy productions that are still preserved by the dew, we see all over this 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. Neither could art nor chance be concerned in the contrivance, inasmuch as 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 the greatest seriousness and devotion in all who see it. The Arabs, who were our guards, were ready to stone me in attempting to break off a corner of it: and another late traveller (p) informs us, that the stone called the stone of the fountains, or the solitary rock, is about twelve feet high, and about eight or ten feet broad, though it is not all of one equal breadth. It is a granite marble, of a kind of brick colour, composed of red and white spots, which are both dusky in their kind; and it stands by itself in the fore mentioned valley (the valley of Rephidim) as if it had grown out of the earth, on the right hand of the road toward the northeast: there remains on it to this day the lively impression of the miracle then wrought; for there are still to be seen the places where the water gushed out, six openings towards the southwest, and six towards the northeast; and in those places where the water flowed the clefts are still to be seen in the rock, as it were with lips. The account Dr. Pocock (q) gives of it is this,"it is on the foot of Mount Seriah, and is a red granite stone, fifteen feet long, ten wide, and about twelve high: on both sides of it toward the south end, and at the top of it for about the breadth of eight inches, it is discoloured as by the running of water; and all down this part, and both sides, and at top, are a sort of openings and mouths, some of which resemble the lion's mouth that is sometimes cut in stone spouts, but appear not to be the work of a tool. There are about twelve on each side, and within everyone is an horizontal crack, and in some also a crack down perpendicularly. There is also a crack from one of the mouths next to the hill, that extends two or three feet to the north, and all round to the south. The Arabs call this the stone of Moses; and other late travellers (r) say, that about a mile and a half, in the vale of Rephidim, is this rock; this, say they, is a vast stone, of a very compact and hard granite, and as it were projecting out of the ground; on both sides are twelve fissures, which the monk our guide applied to the twelve apostles, and possibly not amiss, had he joined the twelve tribes of Israel with them: as we were observing these fissures, out of which the water gushed, one would be tempted to think, added he, it is no longer ago than yesterday the water flowed out; and indeed there is such an appearance, that at a distance one would think it to be a small waterfall lately dried up: and one (s) that travelled hither in the beginning of the sixteenth century says, that to this day out of one of the marks or holes there sweats a sort of moisture, which we saw and licked.''We are taught by the Apostle Paul the mystical and spiritual meaning of this rock, which he says was Christ, that is, a type of him, Co1 10:4 as it was for his external unpromising appearance among men at his birth, in his life and death; for his height, being higher than the kings of the earth, than the angels of heaven, and than the heavens themselves, and for strength, firmness, and solidity. The water that flowed from this rock was typical of the grace of Christ, and the blessings of it, which flow from him in great abundance to the refreshment and comfort of his people, and to be had freely; and of the blood of Christ, which flowed from him when stricken and smitten. And the rock being smitten with the rod of Moses, typified Christ being smitten by the rod of the law in the hand of justice, for the transgressions of his people; and how that through his having being made sin, and a curse for them, whereby the law and justice of God are satisfied, the blessings of grace flow freely to them, and follow them all the days of their lives, as the waters of the rock followed the Israelites through the wilderness. (k) "super illam petram", Junius & Tremellius; "super illa petra", Piscator. (l) "in petram", Pagninus, Montanus, "in petra seu rupe"; so Jarchi, and the Targums. (m) Laconic sive, l. 3. p. 209. (n) Travels into the Levant, par. 1. B. 2. ch. 26. p. 167. (o) Dr. Shaw's Travels, p. 317. Ed. 2. (p) Journal from Cairo to Mount Sinai, A. D. 1722, 35, 36, 37. Ed. 2. (q) Travels, p. 148. (r) Egmont and Heyman's Travels, vol. 2. p. 174, 175. (s) Baumgarten. Peregrinatio, l. 1. c. 24. p. 62.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
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).
Exodus 17:6
Water from the Rock
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. 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 Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
1 Kings 16-18 - Part 2
By Leonard Ravenhill7.6K12:47Christian LifeGEN 21:2EXO 17:61KI 18:391KI 18:45MAT 6:33PHP 4:4REV 1:9In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the story of Elijah and his encounter with King Ahab. He emphasizes the power of one person with God, using Elijah as an example. The preacher highlights the miraculous events that occurred when Elijah prayed, such as fire falling from heaven and rain pouring down. He also discusses the loneliness and testing that Elijah experienced during his time in the cave. The sermon concludes with a reminder to obey God's teachings and the importance of having a personal relationship with Him.
Esther #2 Ch. 3-4
By Chuck Missler6.6K56:26EstherGEN 25:21GEN 25:23EXO 17:61CO 10:10In this sermon, the speaker discusses the concern for the commitment and agenda of those who seek to wipe out Israel, specifically comparing the PLO to Haman's plan. The speaker then focuses on the crisis faced by Mordecai, a Jew, and his expression of deep grief through mourning. The role of money is highlighted, with its significance mentioned multiple times in the text. Additionally, the speaker suggests that the book of Esther has underlying themes that relate to the readers, drawing parallels to the book of Romans. The sermon also references the story of Moses delivering water from the rock and connects it to lessons from Israel's time in the wilderness as discussed in 1 Corinthians 10.
John 7:37
By Leonard Ravenhill6.4K1:41:40EXO 16:15EXO 17:6PSA 137:1LAM 2:9JOL 2:17MRK 3:10JHN 7:15In this sermon, the speaker discusses a period of 400 years of darkness and stillness without any prophetic voice. Suddenly, a man appears in the wilderness, wearing a piece of old camel skin over his shoulder. Despite his unconventional appearance, the speaker acknowledges the power of the Spirit of God upon him. The speaker also highlights the forgetfulness and lack of repentance shown by the people, even after experiencing God's love, power, and mercy. The sermon emphasizes the importance of truly knowing God and seeking a deeper relationship with Him, rather than focusing solely on ministry, power, or authority.
Let Him That Thinks He Stands Take Heed Lest He Fall
By David Wilkerson4.8K49:10EXO 14:22EXO 16:15EXO 17:61CO 10:61CO 10:11In this sermon, the preacher begins by expressing his pain and asking God for relief. He then encourages the congregation to look to Jesus as the author and finisher of their faith. He urges them to believe in the impossible and not be discouraged by the challenges they face. The preacher also addresses the issue of societal changes, such as the removal of God's name from coins and the pledge of allegiance, and emphasizes the need for believers to stand up and defend God's name. He warns against giving in to temptation and highlights the importance of self-discipline. The preacher concludes by reminding the congregation of the examples and privileges they have as believers and urges them to beware of falling into unbelief.
(Exodus) Exodus 19:1-4
By J. Vernon McGee3.5K09:05ExpositionalEXO 16:14EXO 17:6EXO 19:1In this sermon, the preacher discusses the journey of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to their arrival at Mount Sinai. He emphasizes that it was only through the power of God that they were able to make this journey. The preacher highlights seven significant experiences that the Israelites had along the way, such as God providing them with manna and water from a rock. The sermon also focuses on the importance of the law, stating that it is a form of condemnation and that the Israelites had the choice to accept or reject it.
First Commandment With a Promise
By Carter Conlon2.5K52:19Promises Of GodEXO 15:27EXO 17:6EXO 23:25DEU 5:16MAT 15:3ACT 5:29EPH 6:2In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of obeying and yielding to the word of God. He draws parallels between the story of Pharaoh and the choices we have in our own lives. The preacher highlights the consequences of hardening our hearts and not obeying God's commands, such as losing provisions and experiencing destruction. He also addresses the issue of honoring parents, even if they have passed away or are not physically present, emphasizing the sin of unforgiveness and bitterness. The sermon concludes with a reminder of God's message to turn our hearts back to Him and His established order, starting with the family.
Charlotte Seminar 5-27-00 Pm
By George Warnock2.4K1:19:58SeminarEXO 13:21EXO 16:4EXO 17:6PSA 95:1ROM 4:202CO 3:6HEB 3:10In this sermon, the preacher reflects on the Israelites' journey in the wilderness for 40 years. Despite witnessing numerous miracles and provisions from God, the generation of Israelites during that time did not truly know God or understand His ways. The preacher emphasizes the importance of genuine worship and praise, rather than using it as a form of entertainment. He also highlights the faithfulness of God in providing for His people, such as giving them manna from heaven and water from a rock. The sermon concludes with a reminder of God's power and victory in the story of Gideon and how God fought for His people.
If Any Man Thirst
By Vance Havner2.4K36:04Thirsting For GodEXO 17:6PSA 123:2ISA 12:3ISA 45:22JHN 3:14JHN 4:14JHN 7:37In this sermon, the preacher discusses the issue of empty religiosity and the lack of true spiritual fulfillment. He uses the analogy of birdwatching to illustrate how some people are constantly seeking new experiences and not fully appreciating what they already have in their faith. The preacher emphasizes the importance of enjoying and appreciating one's current spiritual journey while also continuing to grow in faith. He also highlights the need for genuine encounters with God and warns against engaging in empty religious activities that lack true spiritual substance.
The Difference Between Chants and Music
By Alan Ives1.6K1:21:38Godly MusicEXO 17:6JHN 4:10In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of receiving living water from the Lord. He refers to the story of Moses striking the rock and water flowing out to quench the thirst of the children of Israel. The speaker also connects this story to Jesus being the smitten rock, symbolizing the source of living water for believers. The sermon includes personal anecdotes about the speaker's family and their involvement in singing, highlighting the message of Christ's second coming. Overall, the sermon encourages listeners to seek the loving water of God and to be prepared for Christ's return.
Maximum Effort Noblest Cause
By Danny Bond1.4K00:00EffortGEN 9:20EXO 2:12EXO 17:62SA 11:2JOB 1:8MAT 6:33ACT 20:22In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the life and mindset of the apostle Paul, particularly in his letter to Timothy. The speaker highlights four key aspects of Paul's life that drove him: his maximum effort, noble cause, focused life, and treasuring of time. Despite being in a difficult situation, Paul's language and attitude were different because he understood the importance of these factors. The speaker also shares the story of a man who gave up his family's plans for him to pursue his calling to the mission field, demonstrating the importance of fully committing to God's purpose.
Studies in 1 Corinthians-08 1 Cor 10
By William MacDonald1.4K53:30EXO 14:22EXO 16:15EXO 17:6MAT 6:331CO 10:1In this sermon, the preacher discusses the story of the golden calf from the Bible, where the Israelites engaged in idolatrous feasting and dancing. He emphasizes that this seemingly tame act was actually a pagan orgy and a result of sin in the human heart. The preacher also highlights the connection between idolatry and sexual immorality. He then relates this story to the importance of self-control in the life of a believer and the responsibility that comes with privileges. The sermon concludes by emphasizing that every word of God has instruction for us, even if it isn't directly written to us.
God's Signs
By Reuben Walter1.4K25:22AfflictionsEXO 14:21EXO 17:6PSA 78:9MAT 6:33MAT 16:1In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the great privilege and responsibility of being a child of God. He urges believers to walk humbly and obediently before God, so that they can reflect the image of Jesus Christ to others. The speaker highlights the importance of discerning the signs of the times and not being like the hypocritical generation that seeks after signs. He references the story of the children of Israel and Jesus' rebuke of those who demanded more signs despite witnessing his miracles.
The Overflowing Life
By John Van Gelderen1.4K1:05:08Exchanged LifeEXO 17:6MAT 6:33JHN 7:37ROM 8:111CO 10:13The video is a sermon on the topic of the overflowing life. The speaker begins by referencing a verse from the Bible where Jesus invites anyone who is thirsty to come to him and drink, promising that rivers of living water will flow from within them. The speaker explains that this refers to the Holy Spirit, who provides the power for a life of holiness and service. He emphasizes the need for the reviving presence of God and the ongoing experience of his presence in order to live a truly fulfilling and abundant life.
Ezra's Reading of the Law to the People
By Chuck Smith1.1K25:04Law Of GodEXO 17:6NEH 8:7NEH 8:10MAT 25:35JHN 4:14JHN 7:37ACT 8:8In this sermon, Pastor Chuck Smith emphasizes the importance of experiencing the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He highlights the joy that comes from understanding and following God's word, as seen in the examples of the apostles and the people of Samaria. Pastor Chuck also discusses the significance of fasting and repentance as a means of seeking God's forgiveness and guidance. He encourages believers to rejoice in the work of the Spirit and to share their blessings with others, particularly the poor.
Right Jesus, Wrong Time
By Carter Conlon70340:09EXO 17:6PSA 40:1MAT 11:28LUK 24:13JHN 16:331CO 4:81CO 10:42CO 1:8HEB 12:1
This sermon emphasizes the importance of understanding that while we have the right Jesus, there is a timing and process to victory that involves trials, suffering, and perseverance. It encourages believers not to spike the ball too soon but to endure through difficulties, knowing that ultimate victory is assured through Christ. The message highlights the need for compassion, patience, and unity within the body of Christ, especially towards those who may have misunderstood the journey of faith.
The Gift of Living Water
By K.P. Yohannan68326:58Living WaterEXO 17:6JHN 4:10In this sermon, the preacher discusses the concept of the gift of living water. He emphasizes that God often speaks to us through relatable experiences and situations in our lives. The preacher mentions examples such as gossip, misunderstandings, and financial struggles to illustrate how these physical realities can be used by God to draw us closer to Him. He also highlights the importance of making choices that align with Christ's teachings and being sensitive to His guidance. The sermon concludes with a reference to Paul's statement in Philippians 3, where he considers all his worldly achievements as insignificant compared to knowing Christ and experiencing resurrection from the dead.
2020 Spiritual Resolutions
By K.P. Yohannan47111:33ResolutionsEXO 17:6JOS 10:12MAT 9:2MRK 6:34MRK 16:17JHN 2:1HEB 13:8In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of simplifying one's life and avoiding the love of materialism. He states that material possessions can be destructive and hinder one's relationship with God. The preacher also highlights the power of forgiveness and the need to forgive others as we ourselves seek forgiveness from God. Additionally, he encourages believers to invest their resources in heavenly things rather than earthly possessions, as everything on earth will eventually be destroyed. Finally, the preacher urges believers to be witnesses of Christ by showing love and compassion to others, rather than simply preaching at them.
(The Full Gospel) 21. Helping God!!
By Zac Poonen0GEN 15:5EXO 17:6NUM 20:72SA 6:6ECC 10:8MAT 11:28JHN 5:19ACT 17:26ROM 2:4Zac Poonen preaches on the dangers of using human reasoning and trying to help God according to our own understanding, as seen in the stories of Abraham, Moses, and Uzzah. He emphasizes the importance of seeking God's will and guidance in all decisions, rather than relying on man-made plans. Poonen highlights the consequences of stepping outside of God's boundaries and the need to trust in God's ways, even when they may not align with our own thoughts or methods.
Exposition on Psalm 81
By St. Augustine0EXO 17:6PSA 80:1PSA 80:16MAT 11:281CO 3:12St. Augustine preaches on the Psalms, focusing on the symbolism of the presses as representing the mystery of the Church, where believers are under pressure but can choose to be like oil that is strained out for God. He emphasizes the importance of surrendering to God's will and not being swayed by worldly distractions or false gods. St. Augustine encourages believers to exult in God, to take in spiritual nourishment, and to boldly preach the word of God without fear. He warns against following the affections of the heart and urges believers to build their foundation on Christ to be saved through the refining fire.
Time for God
By Elisabeth Elliot0EXO 17:6PSA 46:10GAL 6:9HEB 12:1JAS 4:8Elisabeth Elliot emphasizes the importance of setting aside daily time for God, especially in the midst of busy days, highlighting the significance of prayer, Bible reading, and silent listening. Despite struggles with earthly distractions, the intentional act of dedicating time to God can be seen as an offering to Him, ultimately leading to spiritual gain. Elliot encourages perseverance in pursuing holiness, drawing parallels to Moses seeking God at the Rock of Horeb, where God promises to meet those who earnestly seek Him.
The Smitten Rock
By Henry Law0EXO 17:6PSA 62:7ISA 53:4JHN 4:141CO 10:4Henry Law preaches about the trials and temptations believers face in their faith journey, emphasizing the cyclical nature of afflictions and the need to find refuge in God during times of trouble. He highlights the significance of Christ as the Rock of salvation, symbolizing strength, love, and grace, and encourages believers to cast their cares and sins upon Him. Law delves into the concept of Christ being smitten for our sins, portraying the cross as the ultimate symbol of redemption and salvation. He urges readers to seek refuge in the wounds of Christ, where they are safe from all harm and guilt.
Emblems of the Spirit
By D.L. Moody0Emblems of the Holy SpiritPower Of GodACT 2:3EXO 17:6PSA 51:10ISA 44:3MAT 3:11JHN 7:38JHN 14:26ROM 8:261CO 10:4EPH 1:13D.L. Moody emphasizes the various emblems of the Holy Spirit, illustrating how elements like water, fire, wind, rain, and the dove represent the Spirit's work in our lives. He explains that just as water from the smitten rock in Exodus symbolizes the cleansing and refreshing nature of the Holy Spirit, so too do fire and wind represent purification and revival. Moody encourages believers to invite the Holy Spirit to search their hearts and to recognize His gentle, guiding presence. He concludes with a call to rely not on human wisdom but on the power of God through the Spirit. This message serves as a reminder of the abundant blessings and transformative power of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.
God’s Ultimate Plan
By David Wilkerson0God's GuidanceTrust in God's PlanEXO 16:4EXO 17:6DEU 4:36PSA 78:24David Wilkerson emphasizes God's ultimate plan for Israel as a chosen people, illustrating how He guided them through the wilderness to demonstrate His goodness and power. In their isolation, Israel learned to rely entirely on God for their survival, receiving daily miracles such as food from heaven and water from a rock. This experience was meant to showcase the living God to surrounding nations, contrasting their mute idols with a God who speaks, loves, and provides. Wilkerson highlights that God desired complete trust and control over His people to lead them through the impossible, ultimately training them to be a testimony to the world.
- Adam Clarke
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
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 neighborhood, 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." 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 scepter 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, 4th., where there is an accurate drawing of it; Dr. Pocock, vol. i., p. 143, etc., 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 travelers, 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.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb,.... Or "upon that rock" (k), a particular rock which was pointed unto, where the Lord in the pillar of cloud would stand; not as a mere spectator of this affair, but as a director of Moses where to smite the rock; and to exert his power in producing water from it, and by his presence to encourage Moses to do it, and to expect and believe the issue of it: and thou shalt smite the rock: or "on the rock", or "in it" (l); which made Jarchi fancy that the rod of Moses was something very hard, that it was a sapphire by which the rock was cleft: and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink, they, their children, and their cattle, ready to die for thirst. Thus God showed himself gracious and merciful to a murmuring and ungrateful people: and Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel; he smote the rock with his rod, and the waters gushed out in great abundance, like streams and rivers, for the refreshment of the people, and their flocks, Psa 78:20. The Heathens have preserved some footsteps of this miracle in their writings, though disguised. Pausanias (m) speaks of a fountain of cold water springing out of a rock, and reports how Atalantes, coming from hunting thirsty, smote a rock with his spear, and water flowed out. This rock at Rephidim, and the apertures through which the waters flowed, are to be seen to this day, as travellers of veracity relate. Monsieur Thevenot (n) says the rock at Rephidim is only a stone of a prodigious height and thickness, rising out of the ground: on the two sides of that stone we saw several holes, by which the water hath run, as may be easily known by the prints of the water, which hath much hollowed it, but at present no water issues out of them. A later traveller (o) gives us a more distinct account of it: after we had descended the western side of this Mount (Sinai), says he, we came into the plain or wilderness of Rephidim, where we saw that extraordinary antiquity, the rock of Meribah, which was continued to this day, without the least injury from time or accidents. This is rightly called, from its hardness, Deu 8:15, , "a rock of flint", though, from the purple or reddish colour of it, it may be rather rendered the rock of or amethyst, or the amethystine, or granite rock. It is about six yards square, lying tottering as it were, and loose, near the middle of the valley, and seems to have been formerly a cliff of Mount Sinai, which hangs in a variety of precipices all over this plain; the water which gushed out, and the stream which flowed withal, Psa 78:20 have hollowed across one corner of this rock, a channel about two inches deep, and twenty wide, all over incrusted like the inside of a tea kettle that has been long used. Besides several mossy productions that are still preserved by the dew, we see all over this 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. Neither could art nor chance be concerned in the contrivance, inasmuch as 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 the greatest seriousness and devotion in all who see it. The Arabs, who were our guards, were ready to stone me in attempting to break off a corner of it: and another late traveller (p) informs us, that the stone called the stone of the fountains, or the solitary rock, is about twelve feet high, and about eight or ten feet broad, though it is not all of one equal breadth. It is a granite marble, of a kind of brick colour, composed of red and white spots, which are both dusky in their kind; and it stands by itself in the fore mentioned valley (the valley of Rephidim) as if it had grown out of the earth, on the right hand of the road toward the northeast: there remains on it to this day the lively impression of the miracle then wrought; for there are still to be seen the places where the water gushed out, six openings towards the southwest, and six towards the northeast; and in those places where the water flowed the clefts are still to be seen in the rock, as it were with lips. The account Dr. Pocock (q) gives of it is this,"it is on the foot of Mount Seriah, and is a red granite stone, fifteen feet long, ten wide, and about twelve high: on both sides of it toward the south end, and at the top of it for about the breadth of eight inches, it is discoloured as by the running of water; and all down this part, and both sides, and at top, are a sort of openings and mouths, some of which resemble the lion's mouth that is sometimes cut in stone spouts, but appear not to be the work of a tool. There are about twelve on each side, and within everyone is an horizontal crack, and in some also a crack down perpendicularly. There is also a crack from one of the mouths next to the hill, that extends two or three feet to the north, and all round to the south. The Arabs call this the stone of Moses; and other late travellers (r) say, that about a mile and a half, in the vale of Rephidim, is this rock; this, say they, is a vast stone, of a very compact and hard granite, and as it were projecting out of the ground; on both sides are twelve fissures, which the monk our guide applied to the twelve apostles, and possibly not amiss, had he joined the twelve tribes of Israel with them: as we were observing these fissures, out of which the water gushed, one would be tempted to think, added he, it is no longer ago than yesterday the water flowed out; and indeed there is such an appearance, that at a distance one would think it to be a small waterfall lately dried up: and one (s) that travelled hither in the beginning of the sixteenth century says, that to this day out of one of the marks or holes there sweats a sort of moisture, which we saw and licked.''We are taught by the Apostle Paul the mystical and spiritual meaning of this rock, which he says was Christ, that is, a type of him, Co1 10:4 as it was for his external unpromising appearance among men at his birth, in his life and death; for his height, being higher than the kings of the earth, than the angels of heaven, and than the heavens themselves, and for strength, firmness, and solidity. The water that flowed from this rock was typical of the grace of Christ, and the blessings of it, which flow from him in great abundance to the refreshment and comfort of his people, and to be had freely; and of the blood of Christ, which flowed from him when stricken and smitten. And the rock being smitten with the rod of Moses, typified Christ being smitten by the rod of the law in the hand of justice, for the transgressions of his people; and how that through his having being made sin, and a curse for them, whereby the law and justice of God are satisfied, the blessings of grace flow freely to them, and follow them all the days of their lives, as the waters of the rock followed the Israelites through the wilderness. (k) "super illam petram", Junius & Tremellius; "super illa petra", Piscator. (l) "in petram", Pagninus, Montanus, "in petra seu rupe"; so Jarchi, and the Targums. (m) Laconic sive, l. 3. p. 209. (n) Travels into the Levant, par. 1. B. 2. ch. 26. p. 167. (o) Dr. Shaw's Travels, p. 317. Ed. 2. (p) Journal from Cairo to Mount Sinai, A. D. 1722, 35, 36, 37. Ed. 2. (q) Travels, p. 148. (r) Egmont and Heyman's Travels, vol. 2. p. 174, 175. (s) Baumgarten. Peregrinatio, l. 1. c. 24. p. 62.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
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).