Exodus 15 · Verse 25

Exodus 15:25

And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
Exodus 15:25, King James Version

Exodus 15:25 in other translations

BSBAnd Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log. And when he cast it into the waters, they were sweetened. There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them,
WEBThen he cried to the LORD. The LORD showed him a tree, and he threw it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there he tested them.
ASVAnd he cried unto Jehovah; and Jehovah showed him a tree, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them;
YLTand he crieth unto Jehovah, and Jehovah sheweth him a tree, and he casteth unto the waters, and the waters become sweet. There He hath made for them a statute, and an ordinance, and there He hath tried them,
DARBYAnd he cried to Jehovah; and Jehovah shewed him wood, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters became sweet. There he made for them a statute and an ordinance; and there he tested them.
BBEAnd in answer to his prayer, the Lord made him see a tree, and when he put it into the water, the water was made sweet. There he gave them a law and an order, testing them;
WebsterAnd he cried to the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, which he cast into the waters, and the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

What does Exodus 15:25 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
25. the Lord showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet--Some travellers have pronounced this to be the Elvah of the Arabs--a shrub in form and flower resembling our hawthorn; others, the berries of the Ghurkhud--a bush found growing around all brackish fountains. But neither of these shrubs are known by the natives to possess such natural virtues. It is far more likely that God miraculously endowed some tree with the property of purifying the bitter water--a tree employed as the medium, but the sweetening was not dependent upon the nature or quality of the tree, but the power of God (compare Joh 9:6). And hence the "statute and ordinance" that followed, which would have been singularly inopportune if no miracle had been wrought. and there he proved them--God now brought the Israelites into circumstances which would put their faith and obedience to the test (compare Ge 22:1).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 25 He cried unto the Lord - Moses was not only their leader, but also their mediator. Of prayer and dependence on the Almighty, the great mass of the Israelites appear to have had little knowledge at this time. Moses, therefore, had much to bear from their weakness, and the merciful Lord was long-suffering. The Lord showed him a tree - What this tree was we know not: some think that the tree was extremely bitter itself, such as the quassia; and that God acted in this as he generally does, correcting contraries by contraries, which, among the ancient physicians, was a favourite maxim, Clavus clavo expellitur. The Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem say that, when Moses prayed, "the Word of the Lord showed him the tree ארדפני ardiphney, on which he wrote the great and precious name of (Jehovah), and then threw it into the waters, and the waters thereby became sweet" But what the tree ardiphney was we are not informed. Many suppose that this tree which healed the bitter waters was symbolical of the cross of our blessed Redeemer, that has been the means of healing infected nature, and through the virtue of which the evils and bitters of life are sweetened, and rendered subservient to the best interests of God's followers. Whatever may be in the metaphor, this is true in fact; and hence the greatest of apostles gloried in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world was crucified to him and he unto the world. It appears that these waters were sweetened only for that occasion, as Dr. Shaw reports them to be still brackish, which appears to be occasioned by the abundance of natron which prevails in the surrounding soil. Thus we may infer that the natural cause of their bitterness or brackishness was permitted to resume its operations, when the occasion that rendered the change necessary had ceased to exist. Thus Christ simply changed that water into wine which was to be drawn out to be carried to the master of the feast; the rest of the water in the pots remaining as before. As the water of the Nile was so peculiarly excellent, to which they had been long accustomed, they could not easily put up with what was indifferent. See Clarke's note on Exo 7:18. There he made for them - Though it is probable that the Israelites are here intended, yet the word לו lo should not be translated for them, but to him, for these statutes were given to Moses that he might deliver them to the people. There he proved them - נסהו nissahu, he proved Him. By this murmuring of the people he proved Moses, to see, speaking after the manner of men, whether he would be faithful, and, in the midst of the trials to which he was likely to be exposed, whether he would continue to trust in the Lord, and seek all his help from him.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 15:22-27

In the wilderness of Shur the Israelites had no water. At Marah they had water, but it was bitter; so that they could not drink it. God can make bitter to us that from which we promise ourselves most, and often does so in the wilderness of this world, that our wants, and disappointments in the creature, may drive us to the Creator, in whose favour alone true comfort is to be had. In this distress the people fretted…

Read the full comment on Exodus 15:22-27 →

Exodus 15:25 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּצְעַ֣קvai.yitz.'Akand he cried outH6817
אֶל\־'el-toH413
יְהוָ֗הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וַיּוֹרֵ֤הוּvai.yo.Re.huand he showed himH3384
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
עֵ֔ץ'Etza treeH6086
וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ֙vai.yash.leKhand he threw [it]H7993
אֶל\־'el-intoH413
הַמַּ֔יִםha.Ma.yimthe watersH4325
וַֽיִּמְתְּק֖וּvai.yim.te.Kuand they became sweetH4985
הַמָּ֑יִםha.Ma.yimthe watersH4325
שָׁ֣םshamthereH8033
שָׂ֥םsamhe madeH7760
ל֛וֹlofor <the> it
חֹ֥קchoka decreeH2706
וּמִשְׁפָּ֖טu.mish.Patand a customH4941
וְשָׁ֥םve.Shamand thereH8033
נִסָּֽהוּ\׃ni.Sa.huhe put to [the] test itH5254

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 15:25

  • Deuteronomy 8:2

    And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

  • Psalms 66:10

    For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.

  • Judges 3:1

    Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

  • Judges 3:4

    And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

  • Judges 2:22

    That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.

  • Deuteronomy 8:16

    Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;

  • Exodus 16:4

    Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

  • 2 Kings 2:21

    And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.

  • 1 Peter 1:6-7

    Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

  • Psalms 91:15

    He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

  • 1 Corinthians 1:18

    For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

  • Psalms 50:15

    And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
cried.
14:10; 17:4; Ps 50:15; 91:15; 99:6; Jer 15:1
a tree.
2Ki 2:21; 4:41; 1Co 1:18
a statute.
Jos 24:21-25
proved.
16:4; De 8:2,16; 13:3; Jud 2:22; 3:1,4; Ps 66:10; 81:7; Pr 17:3
Jer 9:7; 1Pe 1:6,7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 15:24

    And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

  • Exodus 15:25

    And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

  • Exodus 15:26

    And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

Read all of Exodus 15

Exodus 15:25 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Moisés clamó á Jehová; y Jehová le mostró un árbol, el cual metídolo que hubo dentro de las aguas, las aguas se endulzaron. Allí les dió estatutos y ordenanzas, y allí los probó;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il cria à l’ Éternel; et l’ Éternel lui enseigna un bois, et il le jeta dans les eaux, et les eaux devinrent douces. Là il lui donna un statut et une ordonnance, et là il l’éprouva,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er schrie zu Jehova, und Jehova wies ihm ein Holz; und er warf es in das Wasser, und das Wasser wurde süß. Dort stellte er ihm Satzung und Recht, und dort versuchte er es;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		At ille clamavit ad Dominum, qui ostendit ei lignum: quod cum misisset in aquas, in dulcedinem versæ sunt: ibi constituit ei præcepta, atque judicia, et ibi tentavit eum,