SEV Biblia, Chapter 17:6
He aquí que yo estoy delante de ti allí sobre la peña en Horeb; y herirás la peña, y saldrán de ella aguas, y beberá el pueblo. Y Moisés lo hizo así en presencia de los ancianos de Israel.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Exodus 17:6
Verse 6. I will stand before thee there, upon the rock in Horeb] THE rock, rwxh 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." 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.
plhxen orov skhptrw, to de oi deca poulu diesth.
ek dÆ eceen mega ceuma.
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, 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 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.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-7 - The children of Israel journeyed according to the commandment of the Lord, led by the pillar of cloud and fire, yet they came to a plac where there was no water for them to drink. We may be in the way of duty, yet may meet with troubles, which Providence brings us into, for the trial of our faith, and that God may be glorified in our relief They began to question whether God was with them or not. This is calle their "tempting God," which signifies distrust of him after they ha received such proofs of his power and goodness. Moses mildly answere them. It is folly to answer passion with passion; that makes bad worse God graciously appeared to help them. How wonderful the patience an forbearance of God toward provoking sinners! That he might show his power as well as his pity, and make it a miracle of mercy, he gave the water out of a rock. God can open fountains for us where we leas expect them. Those who, in this wilderness, keep to God's way, ma trust him to provide for them. Also, let this direct us to depend of Christ's grace. The apostle says, that Rock was Christ, 1Co 10:4, it was a type of him. While the curse of God might justly have bee executed upon our guilty souls, behold the Son of God is smitten for us. Let us ask and receive. There was a constant, abundant supply of this water. Numerous as believers are, the supply of the Spirit of Christ is enough for all. The water flowed from the rock in streams to refresh the wilderness, and attended them on their way towards Canaan and this water flows from Christ, through the ordinances, in the barre wilderness of this world, to refresh our souls, until we come to glory A new name was given to the place, in remembrance, not of the mercy of their supply, but of the sin of their murmuring: "Massah," Temptation because they tempted God; "Meribah," Strife, because they chid with Moses. Sin leaves a blot upon the name.
Original Hebrew
הנני 2005 עמד 5975 לפניך 6440 שׁם 8033 על 5921 הצור 6697 בחרב 2722 והכית 5221 בצור 6697 ויצאו 3318 ממנו 4480 מים 4325 ושׁתה 8354 העם 5971 ויעשׂ 6213 כן 3651 משׁה 4872 לעיני 5869 זקני 2205 ישׂראל׃ 3478
