Deuteronomy 6:16
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Do not test the LORD your God as you tested Him at Massah.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Moses, in this chapter, goes on with his charge to Israel, to be sure to keep up their religion in Canaan. It is much the same with ch. 4. I. His preface is a persuasive to obedience (Deu 4:1-3). II. He lays down the great principles of obedience. The first truth to be believed, That God is one (Deu 4:4). The first duty to be done, To love him with all our heart (Deu 4:5). III. He prescribes the means for keeping up religion (Deu 4:6-9). IV. He cautions them against those things which would be the ruin of religion - abuse of plenty (Deu 4:10-12), inclination to idolatry (Deu 4:14, Deu 4:15), and gives them some general precepts (Deu 4:13, Deu 4:16-18). V. He directs them what instructions to give their children (Deu 4:20, etc.).
Open source ↗6:16 When Israel journeyed through the Sinai desert after the Exodus, they came to Rephidim, where they found no water (Exod 17:1-7). Moses saw the people’s demand for water as testing the Lord; hence the name Massah (“testing”) for this place. Jesus quoted this verse to rebut Satan (Matt 4:7; Luke 4:12).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
But Jesus answered, “It also says, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Jesus replied, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
We should not test Christ, as some of them did, and were killed by snakes.
So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?”
These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD, and He showed His holiness among them.