And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out in great amounts, and all the people drank, along with their animals.
Moses struck a rock with his staff and God provided abundant water for the thirsty Israelites and their livestock in the desert.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of Numbers, the Israelites were wandering in the desert after their exodus from Egypt and were facing a critical water shortage at a place called Meribah, leading to their complaints against Moses and God. God specifically instructed Moses to speak to a rock to bring forth water, as a miraculous sign of His provision and faithfulness to the people. However, Moses, in his anger toward the grumbling Israelites, chose to strike the rock twice with his rod instead, which fulfilled the immediate need but resulted in consequences for his disobedience.
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