Focused Passage

Exodus 15:22-27

The Song of the Sea and the Testing at Marah

Israel praises the LORD for triumphing over Pharaoh at the sea, Miriam leads the women in responsive worship, the people enter the wilderness and complain over bitter water, and the LORD provides water while revealing Himself as healer and testing Israel’s obedience.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Desert of Shur. For three days they walked in the desert without finding water.

23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the water there because it was bitter. (That is why it was named Marah.)

24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”

25 And Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log. And when he cast it into the waters, they were sweetened. There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them,

26 saying, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, then I will not bring on you any of the diseases I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”

27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there by the waters.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 22

Original words

Then Moses מֹשֶׁ֤ה H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker led וַיַּסַּ֨ע H5265 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Israel יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular from the Red ס֔וּף H5488 Noun - masculine singular Sea מִיַּם־ H3220 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct and they went out וַיֵּצְא֖וּ H3318 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural into אֶל־ H413 Preposition the Desert מִדְבַּר־ H4057 Noun - masculine singular construct of Shur שׁ֑וּר H7793 Noun - proper - feminine singular For three שְׁלֹֽשֶׁת־ H7969 Number - masculine singular construct days יָמִ֛ים H3117 Noun - masculine plural they walked וַיֵּלְכ֧וּ H1980 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural in the desert בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר H4057 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular without וְלֹא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle finding מָ֥צְאוּ H4672 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural water מָֽיִם׃ H4325 Noun - masculine plural
Verse 23

Original words

And when they came וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural to Marah מָרָ֔תָה H4785 Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular they could יָֽכְל֗וּ H3201 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural not וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle drink לִשְׁתֹּ֥ת H8354 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct the water מַ֙יִם֙ H4325 Noun - masculine plural [there] מִמָּרָ֔ה H4785 Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular because כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction it הֵ֑ם H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural was bitter מָרִ֖ים H4751 Adjective - masculine plural That is why עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . כֵּ֥ן H3651 Adverb it was named קָרָֽא־ H7121 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular . . . שְׁמָ֖הּ H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular Marah מָרָֽה׃ H4785 Noun - proper - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Marah means bitter.
Verse 24

Original words

So the people הָעָ֛ם H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular grumbled וַיִּלֹּ֧נוּ H3885 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural against עַל־ H5921 Preposition Moses מֹשֶׁ֥ה H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular saying לֵּאמֹ֖ר H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct What מַה־ H4100 Interrogative are we to drink נִּשְׁתֶּֽה׃ H8354 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural
Verse 25

Original words

And [Moses] cried out וַיִּצְעַ֣ק H6817 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition the LORD יְהוָ֗ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular and the LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular showed him וַיּוֹרֵ֤הוּ H3384 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular a log עֵ֔ץ H6086 Noun - masculine singular And when he cast it וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ֙ H7993 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular into אֶל־ H413 Preposition the waters הַמַּ֔יִם H4325 Article | Noun - masculine plural [they] הַמָּ֑יִם H4325 Article | Noun - masculine plural were sweetened וַֽיִּמְתְּק֖וּ H4985 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural There שָׁ֣ם H8033 Adverb [the LORD] made שָׂ֥ם H7760 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular for them ל֛וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular a statute חֹ֥ק H2706 Noun - masculine singular and an ordinance וּמִשְׁפָּ֖ט H4941 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular and there וְשָׁ֥ם H8033 Conjunctive waw | Adverb He tested them נִסָּֽהוּ׃ H5254 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Verse 26

Original words

saying וַיֹּאמֶר֩ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular If אִם־ H518 Conjunction you will listen carefully שָׁמ֨וֹעַ H8085 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . תִּשְׁמַ֜ע H8085 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular to the voice לְק֣וֹל׀ H6963 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular and do תַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular what is right וְהַיָּשָׁ֤ר H3477 Conjunctive waw, Article | Adjective - masculine singular in His eyes בְּעֵינָיו֙ H5869 Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | third person masculine singular and pay attention וְהַֽאֲזַנְתָּ֙ H238 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular to His commands לְמִצְוֺתָ֔יו H4687 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular and keep וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֖ H8104 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct His statutes חֻקָּ֑יו H2706 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular [then] I will not לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle bring שַׂ֤מְתִּי H7760 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular on you עָלֶ֔יךָ H5921 Preposition | second person masculine singular any כָּֽל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct of the diseases הַמַּֽחֲלָ֞ה H4245 Article | Noun - feminine singular - אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative I inflicted אָשִׂ֣ים H7760 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular on the Egyptians בְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ H4714 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular For כִּ֛י H3588 Conjunction I אֲנִ֥י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular am the LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular who heals you רֹפְאֶֽךָ׃ס H7495 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Verse 27

Original words

Then they came וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural to Elim אֵילִ֔מָה H362 Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular where וְשָׁ֗ם H8033 Conjunctive waw | Adverb there were twelve שְׁתֵּ֥ים H8147 Number - fd . . . עֶשְׂרֵ֛ה H6240 Number - feminine singular construct springs עֵינֹ֥ת H5869 Noun - common plural construct of water מַ֖יִם H4325 Noun - masculine plural and seventy וְשִׁבְעִ֣ים H7657 Conjunctive waw | Number - common plural palm trees תְּמָרִ֑ים H8558 Noun - masculine plural and they camped וַיַּחֲנוּ־ H2583 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural there שָׁ֖ם H8033 Adverb by עַל־ H5921 Preposition the waters הַמָּֽיִם׃ H4325 Article | Noun - masculine plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.