Meribah
MERIBAH
Strife,1. A station of the Israelites between the Red Sea and Mount Sinai, where they murmured against the Lord, and a fountain gushed from the rock for their use, Exo 17:1-7 . It was also named Massah, temptation, when they tempted God there, Deu 33:8 Heb 3:8 .2. A similar miraculous fountain in the desert of Zin, near Kadesh, which see, Num 20:13,14 . This was the scene of the transgression of Moses and Aaron, for which they were precluded from crossing the Jordan. It is called “the waters of Meribah,” Deu 33:8 Psa 81:7 106:32, and also Meribah-kadesh, Num 27:14 Deu 32:51 Eze 47:19 .
Fuente: American Tract Society Bible Dictionary
Meribah
(Hebrews Meribah’, , quarrel, or strife, as in Gen 13:8; Num 27:14), the designation of two places, each marked by a spring.
1. (Sept. ; Vulg. joins with the preceding name in one, tentatio, Exo 17:7; but in Psa 81:8, , contradictio.) The latter of the two names given by Moses to the fountain in the desert of Sin, on the western gulf of the Red Sea, which issued from the rock which he smote by the divine command, the other equivalent name being MASSAH; and the reason is assigned, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they did there tempt the Lord (Exo 17:1-7). This spot is only named once again by this title (Psa 82:8). The general locality is designated by the name REPHIDIM (Psa 82:1; Psa 82:8). SEE EXODE.
The monks of Sinai still pretend to show the identical rock from which Moses brought forth the water (Olin’s Tavels, i,,416). Stephens describes it as an isolated stone, about twelve feet high, with several artificial gashes from which water trickles (Trav. 1:285). Burckhardt, also, who was one of the first travellers that critically examined the locality, thinks it bears indubitable marks of art, yet one of the later travellers, D. Roberts, holds that the orifice has been naturally formed by the oozing of water for a long period (Holy Land, Egypt, etc., vol. iii, pl. iii). The rock rests isolated where it has fallen from the face of the mountain. It is of red granite, fifteen feet long, and ten feet wide. Down the front of the block, in an oblique direction, runs a seam, twelve or fourteen inches wide, of apparently a softer material; the rock also has ten or twelve deep horizontal crevices, at nearly equal distances from each other. There are also other apertures upon its surface from which the water is said to have issued-in all about twenty in number, and lying nearly in a straight line around the three sides of the stone, and for the most part ten or twelve inches long, two or three inches broad, and from one to two inches deep; but a few are as deep as four inches. The rock is highly revered both by the Christians and Bedouins. It lies in the valley called Wady el-Lejah, in the very highest region of the Sinai group, running up narrow and choked with fallen rocks between the two peaks that claim to be the Mount of Moses, and contains the deserted convent of El-Abein (Kitto, Pict. Bible, ad loc.).
2. (Sept. , in Num 20:13; Num 27:14; Deu 32:51; in Num 20:24; Vulg. contradictio; but in Psa 95:8, , tentatio, AuthVers. provocation; and in Eze 47:19, ; 48:28, -in which last two passages, as well as in Psa 106:32, the AuthVers. has strife.) Another fountain produced in the same manner, and under similar circumstances, in the desert of Zin (Wady Arabah), near Kadesh; to which the name was given with a similar reference to the previous misconduct of the Israelites (Num 20:13; Num 20:24; Deu 33:8). In the last text, which is the only one where the two places are mentioned together, the former is called Massah only, to prevent the confusion of-the two Meribahs, Whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah. Indeed, this latter Meribah is almost always indicated by the addition of waters, as if further to distinguish it from the other (Num 20:13; Num 20:24; Deu 33:8; Psa 81:8; Psa 106:32; Eze 47:19; Eze 48:28), a title that is but once applied to the other Meribah (Psa 81:8); and the locality we are now considering is still more distinctly called waters of Meribah in Kadesh (Num 27:14), and even Meribah of Kadesh (AV. Meribah-Kadesh, Deu 32:51). Only once is this place called simply Meribah (Psa 95:8). It is strange that, with all this carefulness of distinction in Scripture, the two places should rarely have been properly discriminated. Indeed many commentators have regarded the one as a mere duplicate of the other, owing to a mixture of earlier and later legend. The above monkish tradition has contributed to confound the two localities. But, besides the differences already noted, there was this very important one, that in smiting the rock at the second place Moses himself exhibited impatience with the multitude (Num 20:10-12); whereas he showed no signs of passion on the former occasion. SEE MOSES. The distance of place from the former Meribah, the distance of time, and the difference of the people in a new generation, are circumstances which, when the positive conditions of the two wells were so equal, explain why Moses might give the same name to two places. SEE KADESH.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Meribah
quarrel or strife. (1.) One of the names given by Moses to the fountain in the desert of Sin, near Rephidim, which issued from the rock in Horeb, which he smote by the divine command, “because of the chiding of the children of Israel” (Ex. 17:1-7). It was also called Massah (q.v.). It was probably in Wady Feiran, near Mount Serbal.
(2.) Another fountain having a similar origin in the desert of Zin, near to Kadesh (Num. 27:14). The two places are mentioned together in Deut. 33:8. Some think the one place is called by the two names (Ps. 81:7). In smiting the rock at this place Moses showed the same impatience as the people (Num. 20:10-12). This took place near the close of the wanderings in the desert (Num. 20:1-24; Deut. 32:51).
Fuente: Easton’s Bible Dictionary
Meribah
(“chiding”.) The designation which Moses gave the place at Rephidim where Israel, just before they reached Sinai in the second year after leaving Egypt, did chide with Moses, “give us water that we may drink,” and tempted (from whence came the other name Massah) Jehovah, saying “is Jehovah among us or not?” (Exo 17:7; compare as to the sin, Mat 4:7.) The severity of Israel’s trial, however, is to be remembered; our Lord’s own only expression of bodily suffering on the cross was cf6 “I thirst.” Thirty-eight years afterward at Kadesh, bordering on the promised laud, again, untaught by the severe discipline of the wilderness (Isa 9:13), Israel in want of water cried, “would God we had died when our brethren died before the Lord!”
God’s glory appeared, and the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “take the rod, and speak unto the rock before their eyes, and it shall give forth his water.” But here Moses’ old hastiness of spirit, which he had showed in the beginning of his career (Exodus 2), returned; “they provoked his spirit so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips” (Psa 106:32-33): “ye rebels, must we (forgetting that the power was that of God alone) fetch you water out of this rock?” Then lifting up his hand he smote twice, whereas God had told him, “speak unto the rock.” So Jehovah excluded Moses and Aaron from entering Canaan, for not “sanctifying” Him (Num 20:1-13). This repetition of the miracle disproves the notion from 1Co 10:4 that the stream literally “followed” them from Rephidim (Exodus 17) to Canaan; all that is meant is a supply of water from time to time was provided naturally or miraculously, so that they never perished from thirst (so Exo 15:24-25; Num 21:16).
Christ is the Rock (Joh 7:38); the water flowed, and the people drank, at Meribah Kadesh. Moses and Aaron typify ministers. The Rock Christ was smitten once for all, never to be so again (Heb 9:25-28; Heb 10:10; Heb 10:14). If Moses was so severely chastised for smiting again in violation of the type, what peril ministers run who pretend to offer Christ the Antitype in the Eucharist again! Psa 95:8, “provocation … temptation,” alludes to Meribah Massah. Also Num 27:14; Deu 32:51. The Hebrew for “rock” in Exodus 17 at Rephidim is tsur, but in Numbers 20 cela’ at Kadesh, marking undesignedly the distinctness of the miracles.
Fuente: Fausset’s Bible Dictionary
Meribah
MERIBAH.See Massah and Meribah.
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
Meribah
meri-ba, me-reba. See MASSAH AND MERIBAH.
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Meribah
Meribah, 1
Meribah (quarrel, strife), one of the names given by Moses to the fountain in the desert of Sin, on the western gulf of the Red Sea, that issued from the rock which he smote by the divine command (Exo 17:1-16). He called the place, indeed, Massa (temptation) and Meribah, and the reason is assigned ‘because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they did there tempt the Lord’ [WANDERING].
Meribah, 2
Meribah, another fountain produced in the same manner, and under similar circumstances, in the desert of Zin (Wady Arabah), near Kadesh; and to which the name was given with a similar reference to the previous misconduct of the Israelites (Num 20:13; Num 20:24; Deu 33:8). In the last text, which is the only one where the two places are mentioned together, the former is called Massah only, to prevent the confusion of the two Meribahs, ‘Whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah.’ Indeed this latter Meribah is almost always indicated by the addition of ‘waters,’ i.e. ‘waters of Meribah,’ as if further to distinguish it from the other (Psa 81:7; Psa 106:32); and still more distinctly ‘waters of Meribah in Kadesh’ (Num 27:14; Deu 32:51; Eze 47:19). Only once is this place called simply Meribah (Psa 95:8).
Fuente: Popular Cyclopedia Biblical Literature
Meribah
H4809
1. A place in Rephidim, where Moses struck a rock and brought forth water
Exo 17:1-7
2. Meribah-kadesh, fountain in the desert of Zin
Num 20:13; Num 20:24
Fuente: Nave’s Topical Bible
Meribah
Mer’ibah. (strife, contention). In Exo 17:7, we read, “he called the name of the place, Massah and Meribah,” where the people murmured, and the rock was smitten. [For the situation, see Rephidim.] The name is also given to Kadesh, Num 20:13; Num 20:24; Num 27:14; Deu 32:51, (Meribah-kadesh), because there also the people, when in want of water, strove with God.