Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 17:2
Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?
2. Wherefore ] the Heb. is simply And.
strove, i.e. disputed, expostulated. The word means properly to argue a case in a court of law; but it is often used more generally. Cf. as here, in the similar narrative, Num 20:3; Num 20:13; also Gen 26:20-22; Gen 31:36 (‘chode’), Jdg 11:25. (Not the word so rendered in Exo 2:13, Exo 21:22, which means to quarrel or fight.)
why [as just before] do ye put Jehovah to the proof? ] by doubting, viz. ( v. 7) whether He is really in your midst (cf. Num 11:20; Num 14:14), and able to supply your needs. Tempt is a misleading rendering: for to ‘tempt,’ in modern English, has acquired the sense of provoking or enticing a person in order that he may act in a particular way: whereas the Heb. nissh is a neutral word, and means to test or prove a person to see whether he will act in a particular way (Exo 16:4), or whether the character he bears is well established (1Ki 10:1). God thus ‘proves’ a person, or puts him to the test, when He subjects him to a trial, to ascertain what his character is, or whether his loyalty to Him is sincere (Exo 16:4, Deu 8:2; Deu 13:3; cf. Gen 22:1, Exo 15:25; Exo 20:20: so the ‘temptations’ of Deu 4:34; Deu 7:19; Deu 29:3 are really trials, or provings, of Pharaoh’s disposition and purpose); and men test or ‘prove’ God when they act as if questioning, and so challenging Him to give proof of, His word, or promise, or ability to help; so here and v. 7 (cf. Deu 6:16, Psa 95:9), Num 14:22, Psa 78:18 (see v. 19 f.), Psa 78:41;Psa 78:56, Psa 106:14, cf. Isa 7:12: in all these passages ‘tempt’ obscures the meaning.
If the analysis of the ch., adopted above, is correct, this clause will have stood originally after v. 3.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Tempt the Lord – It is a general characteristic of the Israelites that the miracles, which met each need as it arose, failed to produce a habit of faith: but the severity of the trial, the faintness and anguish of thirst in the burning desert, must not be overlooked in appreciating their conduct.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. Why chide ye with me?] God is your leader, complain to him; Wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? As he is your leader, all your murmurings against me he considers as directed against himself; why therefore do ye tempt him? Has he not given you sufficient proofs that he can destroy his enemies and support his friends? And is he not among you to do you good? Ex 17:7. Why therefore do ye doubt his power and goodness, and thus provoke him to treat you as his enemies?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
By distrusting Gods power, and providence, and faithfulness, and goodness, upon such a small occasion, by refusing to submit to Gods will, and to wait upon him by humble and fervent prayers for relief, and instead thereof quarrelling with me, as if it were my fault, and murmuring against God under my name.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2, 3. the people did chide withMoses, and said, Give us water that we may drink, c.The wantof water was a privation, the severity of which we cannot estimate,and it was a great trial to the Israelites, but their conduct on thisnew occasion was outrageous it amounted even to “a tempting ofthe Lord.” It was an opposition to His minister, a distrust ofHis care, an indifference to His kindness, an unbelief in Hisprovidence, a trying of His patience and fatherly forbearance.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Wherefore the people did chide with Moses,…. Contended with him by words, expostulating with him in a very angry and indecent manner for bringing them thither; loading him with reproaches and calumnies, wrangling and quarrelling with him, and using him very ill, giving hard words and bad language:
and said, give us water, that we may drink; directing their speech both to Moses and Aaron, as the word “give” g being in the plural number shows; which was requiring that of them which only God could do and signifying as if they were under obligation to do it for them, since they had brought them out of Egypt, and had the care of them; and having seen so many miracles wrought by them, might conclude it was in their power to get them water when they pleased: had they desired them to pray to God for them, to give them water, and exercised faith on him, that he would provide for them, they had done well; which they might reasonably conclude he would, who had brought them out of Egypt, led them through the Red sea, had sweetened the waters at Marah for them, conducted them to fountains of water at Elim, and had rained flesh and bread about their tents in the wilderness of Sin, and still continued the manna with them:
and Moses said unto them, why chide ye with me? as if it was I that brought you hither, whereas it is the Lord that goes before you in the pillar of cloud and fire, and as if I kept water from you, or could give it you at pleasure; how unreasonable, as well as how ungenerous is it in you to chide with me on this account
wherefore do you tempt the Lord? the Lord Christ, as appears from
1Co 10:9 who with the Father and Spirit is the one Jehovah; him they tempted or tried; they tried whether he was present with them or not,
Ex 17:7, they tried his power, whether he could give them water in a dry and desert land; and they tried his patience by chiding with his servants, and showing so much distrust of his power and providence, of his goodness and faithfulness; and by their wretched ingratitude and rebellion they tempted him to work a miracle for them.
g “Date”, Pagninus, Montanus, &c.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
2. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses. Here now displays itself both their impiety against God, since neglecting and despising Him they make war against Moses, and also their malice and unkindness, because, forgetful of so many benefits, they wantonly insult Moses. They know that fountains and rivers cannot be created by mortal man; wherefore, then, do they quarrel with him, and not call directly upon God, in whose hand are the waters as well as all other elements? Certainly, if there had been a spark of faith in them, they would have had recourse to prayer. Rightly, then, does Moses expostulate, that in chiding with him, they tempt God Himself. What madness is there in their accusing Moses of cruelty in bringing them with him out of Egypt, that he might kill them, and their children, and cattle in the wilderness? But Moses chiefly reproves them on this ground, because God Himself is affected by this rebellious chiding. But the actual form of their tempting God is stated at the end, viz., because they had doubted “whether the Lord was among them or not?” Hence it follows, that the root of the whole evil was their unbelief; because they neither ascribed due honor to God’s power nor believed Him to be true to his promises.: For He had taken charge of them, and had promised that He would never fail them; why then, now, when circumstances demand it, do they not assure themselves that He will assist them, except because they wickedly detract both from His power and His truth?
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) The people did chide.Water is scanty along the route by which we have supposed Rephidim to have been reached. Such a supply as the people may have brought with them from Elim would have been exhausted. They would have looked forward to Rephidim both for their immediate necessity and for replenishing their water-skins. They would be suffering both from thirst and disappointment. The needs of their children and their cattle (Exo. 17:3) would be an aggravation of their pain. They would see no hope in the future. Under the circumstances we cannot be surprised at their chiding. Nothing but a very lively faith, or an utter resignation to the will of God, could have made a people patient and submissive in such an extremity.
Give us water.It was not faith that spoke in these words, but wrath. They had no belief that Moses could give them water, and were almost ready to stone him (Exo. 17:4).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Sad instance of renewed rebellion. Reader! do not overlook what Paul saith of this: 1Co 10:6-11 . The expression of tempting the Lord is a strong one. It should seem by the impious question which is mentioned in Exo 17:7 , but they questioned whether the Lord was with them or not. Reader! pause over this account and say, is it possible that they could so question after experiencing such a series of mercies, and being still under the light of the cloudy pillar by day, and surrounded by the fiery pillar by night? But while looking at Israel, look also within, and see whether traces of the same rebellion and unbelief be not there? 1Co 10:121Co 10:12 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 17:2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?
Ver. 2. The people did chide with Moses. ] As they did before for bread. And as thirst is the more eager appetite, so they are more eager and earnest for water than they were for bread.
Wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
chide. Murmuring was good policy. They would not “dig” (as at Beer and Elim) = to “beg “they were not ashamed. “Give us water. “See note on Exo 15:24.
Why chide . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.
wherefore. Some codices, with Samaritan Pentateuch, The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel, Sept, and Syriac, read “And why”.
tempt = put to the proof. Hebrew from nasah, to smell, hence, to try. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the people: Exo 5:21, Exo 14:11, Exo 14:12, Exo 15:24, Exo 16:2, Exo 16:3, Num 11:4-6, Num 14:2, Num 20:3-5, Num 21:5
Give us: Gen 30:1, Gen 30:2, 1Sa 8:6, Luk 15:12
wherefore: Exo 17:7, Exo 16:2, Num 14:22, Deu 6:16, Psa 78:18, Psa 78:41, Psa 78:56, Psa 95:9, Psa 106:14, Isa 7:12, Mal 3:15, Mat 4:7, Mat 16:1-3, Luk 4:12, Act 5:9, Act 15:10, 1Co 10:9, Heb 3:9
Reciprocal: Exo 32:22 – knowest Num 11:1 – And when Num 16:11 – what is Aaron Deu 9:7 – from the day 1Sa 8:8 – General Psa 81:7 – calledst Psa 95:8 – in the Pro 25:25 – cold Mar 8:11 – tempting 1Co 10:10 – murmur
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 17:2. Wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? By distrusting his power, providence, and faithfulness, upon such a small occasion; by refusing to submit to his will, and to wait upon him in humble fervent prayer for relief; and instead thereof quarrelling with me, as if it were my fault that you want water, and by murmuring against God under my name.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
17:2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye {b} tempt the LORD?
(b) Why do you distrust God? Why do you not look for comfort from him without complaining to us?