Rephidim

Exod. xvii. 1.REPHIDIM, or Raphidim, was a Station or Encampment of the Israelites in the Desart. Departing from the Wilderness of Sin, they came to Rephidim, where the People wanted Water; they began therefore to murmur against Moses, saying to him, Why have you brought us out of Egypt, to make us dye with Thirst in this Desart, we, and our Children, and our¹ Cattle? Moses then cry’d to the Lord, and said, What shall I do with this People? they are ready to stone me to death. God return’d him this Answer; Carry the People to the Rock of Horeb, and take some of the Elders along with you, I shall be there upon the Rock before you, and you shall strike it with your wonderful Rod, and Water shall gush out, that the People may drink. Moses in the Presence of the Elders, did what God had commanded him to do. He struck the Rock, and presently the Waters burst forth in abundance, with which the People quenched their Thirst. This Place is called Temptation, because of the Complaints of the Children of Israel, and because they there tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or is he not ?

Rephidim could not be far from Horeb, because God order’d Moses to go from thence to the Rock of Horeb, to give the People Water. And ‘twas this same Water that served the Israelites, not only in the Encampment of Rephidim, and in that of Mount Sinai, but also in their other Encampments, perhaps as far as Cadesh-barnea. 1 Cor. x. 4.St. Paul says, that this Rock followed them in their Journey, and that it was the Figure or Type of Jesus Christ. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. Whether it was that the Stream of Water follow’d them, or that they follow’d the Running of the Water, or whether they always carried of this Water along with them, as Ælian says the Water of Ælian. var. hist. l. 12. c. 40.Choaspes always followed the King of Persia, that is, that it was always carried after him, because he would drink no other : Or, lastly, whether the Rock of Horeb might not be drawn upon a Carriage, in the Manner of a great Tun always full, and always open to whoever had Inclination to drink.

This last Hypothesis is embraced by the Rabbins, and by some of the antient Fathers. Tertull. de Patientia. Ambros. de Sacrament. l. 1. c. 1.For example, Tertullian: Post mannæ scatilem pluviam, post petræ aquatilem sequelam. St. Ambrose, Nonne immobilis petra, quæ populum sequebatur? St. Chrysostom, Ambrosiaster, Phosius, as cited by Oecumenius, Thomas and Cantacuzenus, in their Commentaries upon the Tenth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, speak much after the same manner. The Jews add, that these Waters being granted for the Sake of the Merits of Miriam, the Sister of Moses, they failed as soon as she was dead ; and hence it is, that at the Encampment of Cadesh-barnea, which was soon after the Death of Miriam, we see the People again fall into Murmurings for want of Water. In Numb. xx. 1, 2, 3, &c.our Commentary upon Exodus xvii. and upon the first Epistle to the Corinthians x. 4. these several Opinions are further examin’d and inquired into ; the judicious Reader will easily form his own Sentiments, by having them barely mentioned here.

This Miracle at Rephidim happen’d in the Year of the World 2513, in the second Month after the Departure from Egypt. Travellers say, that at the Foot of the Mount of Horeb, is still to be seen the Brook of Water that God caused to gush out from thence, at the Instigation of Moses. Others say, that indeed there is a Stream that runs at the Foot of this Mountain ; but as to the Rock itself, there is no Water that runs from it, but there may be seen, as it were, twelve Mouths, from whence Water may have Morizon, Voiage, l. 1. c. 1. Exod. xviii. 8, 9, 10.flowed heretofore. ‘Twas at the same Encampment of Rephidim, that Joshua obtained that famous Victory against the Amalekites, of which we have already spoken more than once. See AMALEK and JOSHUA. While Joshua and the Israelites fought against Amalek, Moses lifted up his Hands towards Heaven, and when he began to be weary, Aaron and Hur, who were with him upon the Mountain, supported his Arms, for they perceived, that while they were elevated, Israel had the Advantage ; but as they began to sink, the Battle declined in favour of Amalek.

Read this article in its place on the printed pages