Exodus 17:3

KJV

And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore [is] this [that] thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?

KJV (with Strong's)

And the people {H5971} thirsted {H6770} there for water {H4325}; and the people {H5971} murmured {H3885} against Moses {H4872}, and said {H559}, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought {H5927} us up out of Egypt {H4714}, to kill {H4191} us and our children {H1121} and our cattle {H4735} with thirst {H6772}?

Complete Jewish Bible

However, the people were thirsty for water there and grumbled against Moshe, "For what did you bring us up from Egypt? To kill us, our children and our livestock with thirst?"

Berean Standard Bible

But the people thirsted for water there, and they grumbled against Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt—to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

American Standard Version

And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore hast thou brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Exodus 17:3 powerfully encapsulates the Israelites' profound desperation in the arid wilderness of Rephidim, where an acute lack of water ignited a fervent outburst of complaint and accusation against Moses. This pivotal moment reveals the people's overwhelming fear for their lives, the lives of their children, and their precious livestock, leading them to question God's very purpose in delivering them from Egypt, perceiving His divine intention as one of destruction rather than faithful provision and guidance.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is deeply embedded within the broader narrative of the Israelites' challenging journey through the wilderness following their miraculous exodus from Egypt and the awe-inspiring crossing of the Red Sea. Immediately preceding this account, [Exodus 17:1-2](/exodus/17-1-2 "Exodus 17:1-2 - The Journey to Rephidim and Lack of Water") recounts their arrival at Rephidim, where the critical absence of water prompted their immediate and intense contention with Moses, demanding, "Give us water that we may drink." This instance of murmuring is not isolated but is part of a recurring pattern of discontent that began with the bitter waters at Marah ([Exodus 15:24](/exodus/15-24 "Exodus 15:24 - The Bitter Waters of Marah")) and the lack of food in the Wilderness of Sin ([Exodus 16:2-3](/exodus/16-2-3 "Exodus 16:2-3 - Murmuring for Food and God's Provision")). The accusation in [Exodus 17:3](/exodus/17-3 "Exodus 17:3 - The People Murmur at Rephidim") escalates their discontent from mere complaint to a direct challenge of Moses's, and by extension, God's, intentions, setting the dramatic stage for God's miraculous provision of water from the rock at Horeb, detailed in [Exodus 17:4-7](/exodus/17-4-7 "Exodus 17:4-7 - Water from the Rock at Horeb").
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The journey of the Israelites through the vast and unforgiving Sinai wilderness was inherently fraught with extreme environmental challenges. The arid desert landscape, characterized by expansive stretches of rock, sand, and scarce vegetation, offered minimal natural resources, especially water. For a multitude estimated to be as large as two million people, alongside their immense herds of livestock, the daily need for water was staggering and absolutely critical for survival. In the ancient Near East, leaders were fundamentally expected to provide for their people, and any perceived failure to do so could swiftly lead to rebellion, mutiny, or abandonment. The Israelites' recent experience as slaves in Egypt, where their basic needs, though met under harsh conditions, were consistently provided, likely contributed to their expectation of immediate provision and their quick descent into fear and accusation when faced with deprivation. Their desperate question, "Wherefore [is] this [that] thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?" vividly reflects a deeply ingrained survival instinct and a cultural understanding of leadership responsibility, but also a profound spiritual amnesia regarding God's recent, powerful acts of deliverance, such as the [plagues on Egypt](/exodus/7-12 "Exodus 7-12 - The Plagues on Egypt") and the miraculous [crossing of the Red Sea](/exodus/14 "Exodus 14 - The Crossing of the Red Sea").
* **Key Themes:** Exodus 17:3 contributes significantly to several overarching theological and narrative themes woven throughout the book of Exodus and the Pentateuch. Firstly, it powerfully illustrates the theme of **Divine Testing and Human Faithlessness**. God repeatedly leads Israel into situations that test their trust in His provision and promises, and repeatedly, the people fail these tests, revealing their spiritual fragility and tendency towards doubt. Secondly, it underscores the theme of **God's Unfailing Provision Amidst Rebellion**. Despite the Israelites' murmuring and accusations, God consistently demonstrates His faithfulness by providing for their needs, whether it be food ([Exodus 16](/exodus/16 "Exodus 16 - Manna and Quail")) or water ([Exodus 15:25](/exodus/15-25 "Exodus 15:25 - God Provides Sweet Water at Marah"); [Exodus 17:6](/exodus/17-6 "Exodus 17:6 - Water from the Rock")). This highlights God's patience and His commitment to His covenant people, even when they are undeserving. Finally, the narrative solidifies the theme of **Moses's Mediatorial Role and Burden**. Moses stands between God and the people, bearing the brunt of their complaints and interceding on their behalf, a role that foreshadows the ultimate mediator. The people's repeated challenges to Moses's leadership are implicitly challenges to God's authority, as Moses is God's chosen representative.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Thirsted (Hebrew, צָמֵא, _tsâmêʼ'_):** This verb denotes a deep, urgent, and often agonizing physical craving for water, indicating a life-threatening condition. It profoundly underscores the severity of the people's predicament and the immediacy of their physiological need. This intense physical desperation serves as the direct catalyst for their subsequent spiritual and relational failure, moving them from need to accusation.
* **Murmured (Hebrew, לוּן, _lûwn'_):** This word is frequently and significantly used throughout the Pentateuch to describe the Israelites' persistent grumbling, complaining, and often obstinate challenging of Moses and Aaron. Crucially, this murmuring is consistently interpreted by the divine narrative as being directed ultimately against God Himself. It signifies a deep-seated discontent, a profound lack of trust in divine leadership and provision, and a challenge to established authority that borders on open rebellion rather than a simple, humble expression of need.
* **Kill (Hebrew, מוּת, _mûwth'_):** This primitive root, used here in its causative form ("to kill" or "to put to death"), reveals the extreme and hyperbolic accusation leveled against Moses and, by direct implication, against God. It expresses the people's conviction that their miraculous deliverance from Egyptian bondage was not intended for life and freedom, but rather for a slow, agonizing death by thirst in the wilderness. This dramatic and unfounded accusation powerfully demonstrates their overwhelming fear, their profound lack of faith, and their complete misinterpretation of God's redemptive purposes for them.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And the people thirsted there for water;":** This initial clause establishes the dire and immediate physical reality confronting the Israelites. The complete absence of water in the arid wilderness of Rephidim was not merely an inconvenience but an existential threat to life, impacting every individual, including their vulnerable children and valuable livestock. This critical physical need serves as the undeniable trigger for their subsequent emotional and spiritual reactions.
* **"and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore [is] this [that] thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?":** This extended and highly charged clause reveals the people's desperate and rebellious response to their thirst. Their "murmuring" signifies a deep, grumbling discontent and a direct challenge to Moses's leadership, which, within the biblical narrative, is consistently understood as a challenge to God's divine plan and authority. Their rhetorical question, "Wherefore [is] this [that] thou hast brought us up out of Egypt," is not a genuine inquiry but a bitter, accusatory statement, implying that Moses's (and God's) intention was malicious—to lead them out of slavery only to perish miserably in the desert. The explicit inclusion of "our children and our cattle" emphasizes the perceived totality of their impending doom and their desperate fear for all that they held dear, powerfully highlighting the severity of their distrust and their complete loss of perspective.

#### Literary Devices
Exodus 17:3 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey the depth of the Israelites' despair and faithlessness. **Hyperbole** is strikingly evident in the people's accusation that Moses brought them out of Egypt "to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst." While their situation was undeniably dire, this statement grossly exaggerates Moses's (and God's) intent, framing their miraculous deliverance as a premeditated death sentence rather than a liberation. This extreme language vividly underscores their panic, their profound lack of faith, and their short-sightedness. There is also a strong element of **Irony** in their complaint. They accuse Moses of leading them out to their demise, completely overlooking the countless instances where God had miraculously preserved their lives and provided for them, including their very escape from the formidable bondage of Egypt. This ironic accusation starkly reveals their spiritual blindness and their astonishingly short-term memory. Furthermore, the act of murmuring against Moses functions as a practical form of **Anthropomorphism** in the narrative; although their words are ostensibly directed at Moses, the biblical text consistently portrays such complaints as ultimately being directed against God Himself, as seen clearly in [Exodus 16:8](/exodus/16-8 "Exodus 16:8 - Murmuring Against God and God's Provision").

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Exodus 17:3 serves as a profound theological statement about the persistent nature of human faithlessness in the face of unwavering divine faithfulness. It powerfully highlights the recurring biblical theme of "testing God," where the people's complaints and accusations are not merely understandable expressions of physical need, but rather a deep-seated distrust in God's character, His redemptive purposes, and His providential care. Despite having recently witnessed God's mighty acts of deliverance, judgment, and provision—from the plagues on Egypt to the parting of the Red Sea and the provision of manna—their faith falters dramatically under the immediate pressure of thirst. This episode starkly reveals the human propensity to quickly forget divine goodness and revert to doubt, rebellion, and a self-centered perspective. It serves as a potent reminder that true, mature faith is not simply believing in God's existence, but actively trusting in His good intentions, His sovereign control, and His unfailing provision, even when circumstances appear overwhelming or contrary to expectation.

* [Deuteronomy 8:2-3](/deuteronomy/8-2-3 "Deuteronomy 8:2-3 - God's Purpose in the Wilderness Testing")
* [Psalm 78:18-20](/psalms/78-18-20 "Psalm 78:18-20 - Israel's Disbelief and God's Provision")
* [1 Corinthians 10:9-10](/1_corinthians/10-9-10 "1 Corinthians 10:9-10 - Warnings from Israel's Example")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Exodus 17:3 serves as a powerful and timeless mirror for contemporary believers, revealing the enduring struggle between human fear and divine faithfulness. When confronted with overwhelming challenges, persistent unmet needs, or prolonged periods of waiting and uncertainty, it is all too easy for us to succumb to the same destructive pattern of murmuring, complaint, and even accusation against God or His appointed leaders. This verse challenges us to deeply examine our hearts: do we truly trust God's good intentions and His perfect plan even when His path leads us through our own personal "wilderness moments"? Do we diligently remember His past faithfulness, His countless acts of provision and deliverance, when our present circumstances seem dire, confusing, or threatening? The Israelites' profound failure reminds us that true, resilient faith is not the absence of fear, difficulty, or doubt, but rather the unwavering conviction that God, who has already delivered us from the ultimate bondage of sin through Christ, will surely provide for our present needs and faithfully guide us to His ultimate, promised destination. Our authentic response to hardship, whether it be with trust or complaint, reveals the true depth of our reliance on the One who holds all things securely in His sovereign hands.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What are the "wilderness moments" or periods of intense testing in my life that tempt me to murmur against God or His appointed leaders?**
* **How quickly do I forget God's past faithfulness and His miraculous provisions when faced with new challenges or seemingly unmet needs?**
* **In what specific ways do my complaints, anxieties, or expressions of discontent reflect a deeper, underlying distrust in God's good intentions and His sovereign plan for my life?**
* **What practical steps can I take to cultivate a spirit of profound gratitude, unwavering trust, and patient endurance, even when circumstances appear to threaten my well-being or future?**

### FAQ

**Why did the Israelites murmur so quickly and severely after witnessing so many miracles?**

Answer: The rapid and severe murmuring of the Israelites, despite having recently witnessed awe-inspiring miracles such as the [crossing of the Red Sea](/exodus/14 "Exodus 14 - The Crossing of the Red Sea") and the daily provision of [manna and quail](/exodus/16 "Exodus 16 - Manna and Quail"), highlights a profound and recurring human tendency towards spiritual amnesia and a lack of sustained, deep-seated faith. Their faith was often circumstantial and superficial, heavily dependent on immediate gratification and visible, tangible provision rather than a robust, enduring trust in God's unchanging character and His long-term redemptive plan. Life in the wilderness was inherently harsh, unfamiliar, and stripped away all their former securities, forcing them into a state of complete and utter dependence on God. When that critical dependence felt immediately threatened by a lack of water, their primal fear for survival quickly overshadowed their memory of God's past faithfulness and power, leading them to revert to a mindset of complaint, accusation, and even a desire to return to their former bondage ([Numbers 14:3-4](/numbers/14-3-4 "Numbers 14:3-4 - Desire to Return to Egypt")). This pattern of testing God and murmuring is a recurring and lamentable theme throughout the wilderness narrative, powerfully demonstrating the ongoing struggle to walk by faith and not by sight (cf. [2 Corinthians 5:7](/2_corinthians/5-7 "2 Corinthians 5:7 - Walking by Faith")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Exodus 17:3, with its poignant depiction of a thirsty and murmuring people, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in multiple layers. The desperate physical need for water in the barren wilderness powerfully foreshadows humanity's deeper, spiritual thirst—a profound longing for meaning, forgiveness, and eternal life that only Christ can truly satisfy. Just as God miraculously provided life-giving water from the rock for the physical sustenance of Israel, so too does Jesus present Himself as the "living water" that eternally quenches the soul's deepest spiritual thirst (cf. [John 4:10-14](/john/4-10-14 "John 4:10-14 - Jesus, the Living Water") and [John 7:37-38](/john/7-37-38 "John 7:37-38 - Rivers of Living Water")). The Apostle Paul explicitly identifies Christ as the spiritual Rock that supernaturally accompanied Israel in the wilderness, from whom they drank, thus revealing His pre-incarnate presence and provision (cf. [1 Corinthians 10:4](/1_corinthians/10-4 "1 Corinthians 10:4 - Christ, the Spiritual Rock")). Furthermore, the Israelites' recurring pattern of murmuring, testing God, and accusing His chosen leader serves as a stark and sobering contrast to Christ's perfect obedience, unwavering trust, and steadfast faithfulness to the Father, even in the face of extreme temptation and profound suffering during His own wilderness experience (cf. [Matthew 4:1-11](/matthew/4-1-11 "Matthew 4:1-11 - The Temptation of Jesus")). Where Israel repeatedly failed to trust and accused their divine deliverer, Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Father's will, becoming the ultimate provision and the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, offering eternal life and spiritual satisfaction to all who believe (cf. [John 1:29](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God") and [John 3:16](/john/3-16 "John 3:16 - God's Love for the World")). He is the true and greater Moses, leading His people not merely out of physical bondage, but out of the spiritual slavery of sin and death into the promised land of eternal life and fellowship with God.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Exodus 16:2

And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

Exodus 16:3

And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, [and] when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

Exodus 15:24

And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?