Psalms 106:32
They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:
Original Language Analysis
וַ֭יַּקְצִיפוּ
They angered
H7107
וַ֭יַּקְצִיפוּ
They angered
Strong's:
H7107
Word #:
1 of 7
to crack off, i.e., (figuratively) burst out in rage
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
2 of 7
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
מֵ֥י
him also at the waters
H4325
מֵ֥י
him also at the waters
Strong's:
H4325
Word #:
3 of 7
water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen
וַיֵּ֥רַע
so that it went ill
H3415
וַיֵּ֥רַע
so that it went ill
Strong's:
H3415
Word #:
5 of 7
properly, to be broken up (with any violent action) i.e., (figuratively) to fear
Cross References
Psalms 81:7Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.Deuteronomy 1:37Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.Deuteronomy 3:26But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter.Deuteronomy 4:21Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and sware that I should not go over Jordan, and that I should not go in unto that good land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance:
Historical Context
This was the second water-from-rock incident. Forty years earlier, Moses struck the rock at Horeb as commanded (Exodus 17:6). At Meribah/Kadesh, God told Moses to speak to the rock, but Moses struck it twice in anger, saying 'Must we fetch you water out of this rock?' (Numbers 20:10). Moses's 'we' suggested human rather than divine agency, and striking (rather than speaking) violated God's command. The struck rock at Horeb represented Christ struck once for sin; the spoken-to rock at Kadesh should have shown Christ's ongoing provision without repeated striking. Moses's error obscured this typology.
Questions for Reflection
- How can leaders be drawn into sin by those they lead?
- What does Moses's exclusion from Canaan teach about the seriousness of dishonoring God?
- How did Moses's striking (rather than speaking) obscure the rock as a type of Christ?
Analysis & Commentary
This verse recounts the incident at Meribah (Numbers 20:1-13). 'They angered him also at the waters of Meribah' refers to Israel's quarreling over water scarcity. 'So that it went ill with Moses for their sakes' explains that Moses suffered consequences because of the people's provocation. When the people quarreled, Moses struck the rock in anger rather than speaking to it as God commanded. This cost Moses entry into the Promised Land (Numbers 20:12; Deuteronomy 32:51-52). The verse teaches that leaders can be drawn into sin by those they lead, and that even faithful servants aren't exempt from consequences when they fail. It also shows the serious burden of leadership—others' sins can contribute to a leader's downfall.