Exodus 17:6

“Look, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.”
Exodus 17:6 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

Look,הִנְIנִיwill standעֹמֵדbefore youלְפָנֶיךָthereשָּׁםonעַלthe rockהַצּוּרat Horeb;בְּחֹרֵבand you shall strikeוְהִכִּיתָthe rock,בַצּוּרand waterוְ מַיִםwill come outיָצְאוּof it,מִמֶּנּוּand the peopleוְ הָעָםwill drink.”שָׁתָהAnd Mosesוַ מֹשֶׁהdidיַּעַשׂsoכֵּןin the sightלְעֵינֵיof the eldersזִקְנֵיof Israel.יִשְׂרָאֵל

Explicit type · 1 Corinthians 10:4

Go to 1 Corinthians 10:4

Paul speaks of the rock from which Israel drank in the wilderness (Exodus 17:6) and says: “the rock was the Messiah.”

The biblical author himself makes the connection, in these words:

ἡ πέτρα δὲ ἦν ὁ Χριστός “and the rock was the Messiah” (1 Corinthians 10:4)

צּוּרtsurH6697πέτραςpetrasG4073“rock”
שָׁתָהshataH8354ἔπιονepionG4095“drink”

Exodus 17:6, word by word

will standעֹמֵדomed

stand

To be on one's feet, firm in a place, or to rise up to act.

Where else “omed” appears

before youפָנֶיfane

before

Literally "to the face of": in sight of someone, or on account of something.

Where else “fane” appears

the rockצּוּרtsur

rock

A large rock.

Where else “tsur” appears

at Horebחֹרֵבchorev

Horeb

See it on the map Where else “chorev” appears

and you shall strikeהִכִּיתָhikita

strike

To give a blow to someone or something, with the hand or a weapon.

Where else “hikita” appears

and waterמַיִםmayim

water

Water: for drinking, of rivers or seas.

Where else “mayim” appears

will come outיָצְאוּyatsu

go out

To go out of a place.

Where else “yatsu” appears

and the peopleעָםam

crowd

The people gathered in a place: the crowd, or the troops that go out to war.

Where else “am” appears

will drinkשָׁתָהshata

drink

Drink.

Where else “shata” appears

And Mosesמֹשֶׁהmoshe

Moses

Moses, the man God called to bring Israel out of Egypt and through whom he gave the Law. His name sounds like "draw out" (Exodus 2:10).

Where else “moshe” appears

didיַּעַשׂyaas

To carry out an act or to deal with someone in a certain way, for good or ill.

Where else “yaas” appears

in the sightעֵינֵיene

sight

"In the eyes of" someone: in their view.

Where else “ene” appears

of the eldersזִקְנֵיzikne

elder

The senior men who led a city or the people.

Where else “zikne” appears

of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael

Israel

Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.

Where else “yisrael” appears

Translation note

Paul recalls this rock in 1 Corinthians 10:4.

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

Horeb ?
Today: disputed; traditionally Jebel Musa, Sinai, Egypt
The mountain of God in the wilderness; another name for Sinai or a nearby mountain, and its location is not certain.
There God spoke to Moses from the bush that burned without burning up (Exod 3:1-2). Elijah came there fleeing from Jezebel (1 Kgs 19:8).
Exodus 3:1 Deuteronomy 5:2 1 Kings 19:8

The context

5YHWH said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and your staff, with which you struck the Nile, take in your hand, and go.

6 · This verse (above)

7He called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the sons of Israel, and because they tested YHWH, saying, “Is YHWH among us or not?”

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