This document is about Massah (place name). For other homonyms, please refer to the Massah document. The place where the Israelites first received water during the Exodus. Upon arriving here, the people began to complain against God when their water ran out. Moses struck the rock, and water came out, and God continued to severely point out the sin of complaining against and testing God in this incident.
Exodus 17:1Therefore the people quarreled with Moses), and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test Yahweh?”Exodus 17:2The people were thirsty for water there; so the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”Exodus 17:3Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”Exodus 17:4Yahweh said to Moses, “Walk on before the people, and take the elders of Israel with you, and take the rod in your hand with which you struck the Nile, and go.Exodus 17:5Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb. You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.Exodus 17:6He called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because the children of Israel quarreled, and because they tested Yahweh, saying, “Is Yahweh among us, or not?”Exodus 17:7Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
Deuteronomy 6:16You shall diligently keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you.
Deuteronomy 9:22When Yahweh sent you from Kadesh Barnea, saying, “Go up and possess the land which I have given you,” you rebelled against the commandment of Yahweh your God, and you didn’t believe him or listen to his voice.
Deuteronomy 33:8He said of his father, and of his mother, ‘I have not seen him.’ He didn’t acknowledge his brothers, nor did he know his own children; for they have observed your word, and keep your covenant.
Psalms 95:8when your fathers tempted me, tested me, and saw my work.