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Marah Body of Water
About Marah
The first stop after the sea, three days into the wilderness of Shur, where Israel found water it could not drink. The name means bitterness. The Lord showed Moses a piece of wood; he cast it into the water and the water became sweet.
Events at Marah
History of Marah
Old Testament~1446 BC
Israel goes out from the sea into the wilderness of Shur and travels three days without finding water
Old Testament~1446 BC
They come to Marah and cannot drink its water, for it is bitter; that is why the place is so named
Old Testament~1446 BC
The people murmur against Moses, saying: what shall we drink?
Old Testament~1446 BC
The Lord shows Moses a piece of wood; he casts it into the water and the water becomes sweet
Old Testament~1446 BC
There he gives them a statute and an ordinance, and there he tests them; then they come to Elim and its twelve springs
Notable Characters in Marah
Locations Related to Marah
Biblical Significance of Marah
Marah is the first thing that happens after the deliverance, and it is a disappointment. Three days from the greatest rescue in their history, the people find water they cannot drink, and the singing of the previous chapter turns to murmuring. The name means bitterness. What the account records is not a failure of faith so much as its ordinary shape: the miracle does not exempt anyone from the next thirst, and the remedy comes through something as plain as a piece of wood.
