Exodus 17:6 Explained in Context

Read It With

• Exodus 17:1–7

Read Exodus 17:6 with 17:1–7. The line at 17:6 records “Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come…” and gives this movement its next narrated or instructed action. The whole unit shows: At Rephidim thirst becomes accusation and a threat against Moses; God provides water from the Horeb rock, while the place-name preserves Israel's testing question about divine presence.

Why This Verse Appears Here

Exodus 16:31–36 establishes the preceding movement: The food is named and described, a measured jar is kept before the testimony, and forty years of provision are summarized for later generations. This unit continues that movement: At Rephidim thirst becomes accusation and a threat against Moses; God provides water from the Horeb rock, while the place-name preserves Israel's testing question about divine presence. At 17:6, the wording “Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come…” makes this verse's contribution precise. The line at 17:6 records “Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come…” and gives this movement its next narrated or instructed action.