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Exodus 15:23

Marah

21 And Miriam sang back to them: “Sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; the horse and rider He has thrown into the sea.”

22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Desert of Shur. For three days they walked in the desert without finding water.

And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the water there because it was bitter. (That is why it was named Marah.)

24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”

25 And Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log. And when he cast it into the waters, they were sweetened. There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them,

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Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the water there because it was bitter. (That is why it was named Marah.)
KJV
And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
WEB
When they came to Marah, they couldn’t drink from the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore its name was called Marah.
ASV
And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
DARBY
And they came to Marah, and could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore the name of it was called Marah.
BLB
And they came to Marah, and they were not able to drink the waters of Marah, for they [were] bitter. (Upon thus its name was called Marah.)
ÅB
Så kom de til Mara; men de kunne ikke drikke vannet i Mara fordi det var beskt; derfor ble stedet kalt Mara[^1].
OTB
Da de nådde Mara, kunne de ikke drikke vannet der fordi det var bittert. (Det er derfor stedet kalles Mara.)
B1930
Så kom de til Mara; men de kunde ikke drikke vannet i Mara fordi det var beskt; derfor blev stedet kalt Mara. / < beskhet.>

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Ruth 1:20

    “Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me.

    Read in context

  • Numbers 33:8

    They set out from Pi-hahiroth and crossed through the sea, into the wilderness, and they journeyed three days into the Wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.

    Read in context