rephidim Summary and Overview

supports, one of the stations of the Israelites, situated in the Wady Feiran, near its junction with the Wady esh-Sheikh. Here no water could be found for the people to drink, and in their impatience they were ready to stone Moses, as if he were the cause of their distress. At the command of God Moses smote "the rock in Horeb," and a copious stream flowed forth, enough for all the people. After this the Amalekites attacked the Israelites while they were here encamped, but they were utterly defeated (Ex. 17:1, 8-16). They were the "first of the nations" to make war against Israel (Num. 24:20). Leaving Rephidim, the Israelites advanced into the wilderness of Sinai (Ex. 19:1, 2; Num. 33:14, 15), marching probably through the two passes of the Wady Solaf and the Wady esh-Sheikh, which converge at the entrance to the plain er-Rahah, the "desert of Sinai," which is two miles long and about half a mile broad. (See SINAI T0003442; MERIBAH T0002498.)

#Ex 17:1,8; 19:2| The name means rests or stays, i.e. resting places. The place lies in the march of the Israelites from Egypt to Sinai. Its site is not certain, but it is perhaps Wady Feiran, a rather broad valley about 25 miles from Jebel Musa (Mount Sinai). Others place it in Wady es Sheikh, an eastern continuation of Feiran, and about 12 miles from Sinai. Here the Israelites fought their first battle and gained their first victory after leaving Egypt, the Amalekites having attacked them; here also the people murmured from thirst, and Moses brought water for them out of the rock. From this murmuring the place was called "Massah" and "Meribah."

REPH'IDIM (rests, refreshments), the last station of the Israelites before reaching Sinai, and where Moses smote the rock and the Amalekites were defeated. Ex 17:1, Ex 17:8-16. The location of this station and of the battle-field has been a difficult problem in biblical geography. The members of the British Ordnance party, after a thorough scientific survey of the whole region, concluded that the battle of Rephidim must have been fought in one of two places. 1. In the Wady Feiran. - This place was approved as the site of Rephidim by all of the party except the Rev. F. W. Holland, and this has been the prevalent view ever since the fifth century. Feiran is rather a broad valley, and would furnish a practicable route for a large body like the Israelites, going from the wilderness of Sin into the mountain-region, where they received the Law. The Amalekites would regard themselves as threatened by such a company, and would attempt to defend their country. The Feiran would be a strong military position. In this deep valley they might defend themselves from invasion, secure from the danger of a flank attack. Palmer discovered an Arab tradition pointing to the rock from which Moses brought the water, Ex 17:1, 1 Kgs 15:8, at a place called Hesy el-Khattatin. Bedouins say of this rock, which is found a few miles before the fertile part of the valley commences, "Our lord Moses smote it, and water miraculously flowed from the stone." Nearly opposite Wady Aleyat, which comes into Feiran from the south, is a mountain, Jebel Tahunah, which the British party consider to be the hill on which Moses sat and surveyed the battle, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands. There are churches and chapels on this hill, which mark it as a very sacred spot in the eyes of the old inhabitants of Paran, and Antoninus Martyr, in the seventh century, mentions a chapel built there in honor of Moses. This spot is 25 miles from Sinai (Jebel Musa), which would be more than a day's journey; but Palmer thinks there was a break in the march, Ex 19:2, and that the operations of "pitching in the wilderness" and "encamping before the mount" were separate and distinct. Rephidim has been located in Feiran by Stanley, Ritter, Stewart, Lepsius, and others. See Sinai. 2. In Wady es-Sheikh. - This is an easterly continuation of Wady Feiran, and is the site advocated for the battle of Rephidim by Rev. F. W. Holland. It includes the pass of el- Watiyeh, a narrow defile 300 yards long and from 40 to 60 yards wide, having a level bed, but enclosed on either side by perpendicular rocks. A conspicuous hill on the north side of the defile is observed, at the foot of which the Arabs point out a rock that they call "the seat of the prophet Moses." This is about 12 miles from Sinai (Jebel Musa), and hence within a day's journey. Ex 19:2; Num 33:15. Robinson, Keil, Delitzsch, Porter, and others locate Rephidim in some part of this valley en-Sheikh.

("rests" or "stays") (Exodus 17:1; Exodus 17:8; Exodus 19:2). Here Israel first suffered from want of water, and here they defeated Amalek. Captains Wilson and Palmer make the battle in wady Feiran, near the ancient city of Feiran (amidst traces of building and cultivation) under Mount Serbal. But Holland (Canon Cook's essay on Exodus 16; 17; 19; Speaker's Commentary) places Rephidim after Israel traversed the wady es Sheikh at the pass el Watiyeh shut in by perpendicular rocks on either side; a choice position for Amalek as it commands the entrance to the wadies round the central group of Sinai. On the N. is a plain without water, Israel's encampment. N. of the defile is a hill and bore cliff such as Moses struck with his rod. S. of the pass is another plain, Amalek's encampment, within reach of abundant water. At the foot of the hill whereon Moses sat (Exodus 17:12 or else Exodus 18:13) the Arabs call a rock "the seat of the prophet Moses." frontEXODUS.) The fertility of Feiran is Stanley's argument for it as the site of Rephidim, Amalek being likely to contend for it against Israel. The "hill" in Exodus 17:9-10, he identifies with that on which the church of Paran stood (Numbers 33:12-13). Holland's view is probably the truer one, for wady es Sheikh is the only open broad way from the N.W. into the "wilderness of Sinai", Ras Sufsafeh before the open er Rahah or "desert of Sinai" being the true Mount Sinai, not Serbal. The Bir Musa, "well of Moses," in the wide part of wady es Sheykh, is immediately outside or N. of the pass out of Horeb. Wady es Sheykh, "the valley of the chiefs," may allude to the elders appointed at Jethro's suggestion to be rulers and judges under Moses (Exodus 18:21-26). Forster (if his reading be correct: Voice of Israel, p. 118) interprets an inscription with a man's figure with uplifted hands on a rock, "the prophet upon a hard great stone prayeth unto God, Aaron and Hur sustaining his hands." It was after receiving the water supply at Rephidim from God that Israel conquered Amalek. So it is only after the Christian receives the living water front Christ the smitten Rock that he can effectively conquer his spiritual foes (1 John 5:4). Faith and prayer go together, as at Rephidim. Lift up, not an empty hand, but like Moses grasping the rod hold fast God's word of promise, filling the hand with this effectual plea (Exodus 17:9; Exodus 17:11-12; Job 23:4; Psalm 119:49; Isaiah 43:26; James 5:16). (See MASSAH; MERIBAH.) Moses struck the rock in Horeb at some point not in the people's sight, therefore not near the summit, but in the presence of selected witnesses, the elders (Exodus 17:5-6). The "spiritual rock, Christ, followed all the Israelites" (1 Corinthians 10:4). The repetition of the miracle (Numbers 20:11) at Kadesh shows that the rabbinical tradition is incorrect, that the rock or the stream followed them literally in all their journeys. Rather He of whom the rock was type accompanied them and supplied all their needs (1 Corinthians 10:4).