Bible Strands
Exodus 17:1
Then the whole congregation of Israel left the Desert of Sin, moving from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrative reports the Israelite congregation departing the Desert of Sin and establishing camp at Rephidim at the precise moment the community encounters a complete lack of drinking water.
The words — וַיִּסְעוּ (va-yis-su) means "and they set out," while עֲדַת (adat) translates to "congregation," denoting the organized movement of the people.
The thread — This departure links to Exodus 16:1, which records the congregation's earlier journey after leaving Egypt, and Exodus 19:2, which tracks their subsequent arrival at the Wilderness of Sinai.
Why it lands — The text states that commanded movement does not preempt physical scarcity, requiring readers to recognize that immediate need often precedes divine provision rather than signaling abandonment.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.
Cross-references
- Exodus 16:1 On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt, the whole congregation of Israel set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai.
- Exodus 19:2 After they had set out from Rephidim, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai, and Israel camped there in front of the mountain.
- Exodus 17:8 After this, the Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.
- Numbers 33:12 They set out from the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah.