Exodus 17:6

Hebrew Bible

5 The Lord said to Moses, “Go over before the people; take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile and go. 6 I will be standing before you there on the rock in Horeb, and you will strike the rock, and water will come out of it so that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in plain view of the elders of Israel. 7 He called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contending of the Israelites and because of their testing the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Onkelos Exodus 17:6

Targum

5 The Lord said to Moses, Go ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take the staff with which you struck the Nile in your hand, and go. 6 I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it so that the people can drink. Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord, saying, Is the Shekinah of the Lord among us or not?

 Notes and References

"... Onkelos retains this glaring anthropomorphism. As we have pointed out, the targumist is not always consistent in this regard. However, Saadiah renders it as 'I shall place a sign before you there' ..."

Drazin, Israel, and Stanley M. Wagner Onkelos on the Torah, Exodus: Understanding the Bible Text (p. 104) Gefen, 2006

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