Essay for Exodus 17:1
וַ֠יִּסְעוּ כָּל־עֲדַ֨ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל מִמִּדְבַּר־סִ֛ין לְמַסְעֵיהֶ֖ם עַל־פִּ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַֽיַּחֲנוּ֙ בִּרְפִידִ֔ים וְאֵ֥ין מַ֖יִם לִשְׁתֹּ֥ת הָעָֽם׃
And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, by their stages, according to the commandment of the LORD, and encamped in Rephidim; and there was no water for the people to drink.
The Five Books of Moses, by Everett Fox
With the third wilderness story we return to the water theme. This time the element of “quarreling” with Moshe is added, in addition to the portrayal of Moshe’s eroding patience (v.4). Otherwise it is a variation on the basic theme (notice, for instance, the similarities between 16:3 and 17:3). The ending is ominous, reversing the previously held idea of God’s testing Israel.
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The Five Books of Moses, by Everett Fox
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