Meribah
“Strife or quarrel”
Summary
Meribah ('strife' or 'quarrel') is the name given to two different locations where the Israelites contended with God over water during their wilderness wanderings.
☩Meribah at Rephidim
The first Meribah was located at Rephidim in the wilderness of Sin, on the route to Sinai, early in Israel's wilderness journey. When the people lacked water and complained against Moses, God commanded him to strike the rock at Horeb, and water gushed forth. Moses named the place both Massah ('testing') and Meribah ('strife') 'because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they did there tempt the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us or not?'
☩Meribah at Kadesh
Thirty-eight years later, near the end of the wilderness wanderings, a second incident occurred at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. Again the people lacked water and complained bitterly. God instructed Moses to speak to the rock, but in frustration Moses struck it twice with his rod, saying 'Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?' Though water flowed abundantly, God declared that Moses and Aaron would not enter Canaan because they failed to sanctify Him before the people. This second location is often called 'the waters of Meribah' or 'Meribah-Kadesh' to distinguish it from the earlier incident.
Related Verses8 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Meribah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VI (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Meribah," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).