These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the LORD, and through them he showed himself holy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse reveals that God's holiness was displayed not just through the miracle, but specifically through the people's conflict and even Moses and Aaron's failure. It's in the midst of their strife and rebellion that God's power, truth, and justice—His very holiness—were vindicated for all to see.
These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the LORD, and through them he showed himself holy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Just after Miriam's death, the people cry out to Moses and Aaron because there's no water, accusing them of bringing them into the desert to die. God instructs Moses to speak to a rock, but Moses, in anger at the people's rebellion, strikes the rock twice instead, leading to water but also his own condemnation along with Aaron for failing to trust and sanctify God before the people.
Why would a people who had experienced so many miracles still complain so bitterly about a lack of water?
The story of Meribah isn't just about thirst; it's about a deep-seated rebellion that plagued Israel.
A Pattern of Complaint
Even after witnessing God's power firsthand—from the Exodus to daily manna—the Israelites quickly forgot His faithfulness when faced with hardship. Their complaint wasn't just about wanting water; it was an accusation against God Himself, questioning His motives for bringing them out of Egypt.
Blaming God, Not Themselves
Instead of seeking God or remembering His past provisions, they lashed out at Moses and Aaron, and by extension, at God. This reveals a common human tendency: when we face difficulties, it's easier to blame others or circumstances than to examine our own hearts and reliance on God.
How can God be 'holy' in a situation where His own leaders failed and the people were rebellious?
The name 'Meribah' means 'strife,' but the deeper truth is that God used this moment of conflict to reveal His holiness.
Holiness Declared Through Judgment and Mercy
God's holiness means He is set apart, righteous, and just. In this instance, His holiness was displayed in two ways:
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The Meaning of Being 'Sanctified'
When the verse says God 'showed himself holy' (or was 'sanctified'), it means He vindicated His own character. He proved that He is God – holy, powerful, and just – even when faced with human failure and rebellion. He was made distinct and recognized as truly God in the midst of their strife.
Understand the original words
Meribah · Hebrew Proper Noun
A word deriving from 'rib' (to strive or contend); it signifies a place of contention, strife, or finding fault, often used to describe Israel's complaining against God's provision.
This event, occurring late in the Israelites' 40-year wilderness journey, highlights the profound consequences of disobedience and the absolute necessity of honoring God publicly, even for leaders like Moses and Aaron.
c. 1406 BC
Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites, over 600,000 men plus women and children, leave slavery in Egypt after God's powerful intervention.
c. 1406 BC
Miriam's Death
Miriam, Moses and Aaron's sister, dies at the encampment in Kadesh. Her death marks a significant loss for the community.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Nationwide Thirst in Kadesh
The entire congregation faces a severe water shortage in the Zin wilderness, leading to intense grumbling and rebellion.
c. 1406 BC
Moses Strikes the Rock
Instead of speaking to the rock as commanded, Moses strikes it twice in anger, disobeying God's specific instructions.
c. 1406 BC
Divine Judgment Pronounced
Because of their disobedience and failure to sanctify God before the people, Moses and Aaron are barred from entering the Promised Land.
c. 1406 BC
Naming of Meribah
The place is named Meribah, meaning 'strife' or 'quarrel,' a perpetual reminder of the people's rebellion and God's response.
This earlier instance of the people thirsting and quarreling with Moses, also resulting in God providing water from a rock, highlights a pattern of testing and provision for Israel, but also their recurring distrust.
Psalm 106:32-33This psalm directly references the event at Meribah, focusing on how Moses' spirit was provoked by Israel's rebellion, leading him to speak rashly and sin.
1 Corinthians 10:4The Apostle Paul draws a spiritual parallel, stating that the Israelites drank from the 'spiritual Rock that followed them,' identifying Christ as the source of that life-giving water.
Deuteronomy 32:51This passage, a song of Moses, foreshadows his own exclusion from the Promised Land due to the incident at Meribah, linking his sin directly to God's holiness being demonstrated.
calvinNumbers 20:1-13: "Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there."
And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there ally water to drink.
Et quare ascendere fecistis nos ex AEgypto, ut venire faceretis nos ad locum malum istum, n…
ellicottNumbers 20:13: "This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them."
(13) This is the water of Meribah.— i.e., of strife. (See Exodus 17:7 , and Note; also Numbers 27:14 , where the words “in Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin,” are added to distinguish the latter from the earlier miracle.) In Deuteronomy 32:51 the waters are spoken of as those of “Meribah of Kadesh.” And he was sanctified in them.—The reference in the words in them se…
The verse reveals that God's holiness was displayed not just through the miracle, but specifically through the people's conflict and even Moses and Aaron's failure. It's in the midst of their strife and rebellion that God's power, truth, and justice—His very holiness—were vindicated for all to see.
Just after Miriam's death, the people cry out to Moses and Aaron because there's no water, accusing them of bringing them into the desert to die. God instructs Moses to speak to a rock, but Moses, in anger at the people's rebellion, strikes the rock twice instead, leading to water but also his own condemnation along with Aaron for failing to trust and sanctify God before the people.
Just after Miriam's death, the people cry out to Moses and Aaron because there's no water, accusing them of bringing them into the desert to die. God instructs Moses to speak to a rock, but Moses, in anger at the people's rebellion, strikes the rock twice instead, leading to water but also his own condemnation along with Aaron for failing to trust and sanctify God before the people.
"These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the LORD, and through them he showed himself holy." — The verse reveals that God's holiness was displayed not just through the miracle, but specifically through the people's conflict and even Moses and Aaron's failure. It's in the midst of their strif…
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Last reviewed October 2026