Exodus 15 25

Exodus 15:25 kjv

And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD showed 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 nkjv

So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them,

Exodus 15:25 niv

Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the LORD issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.

Exodus 15:25 esv

And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them,

Exodus 15:25 nlt

So Moses cried out to the LORD for help, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink. It was there at Marah that the LORD set before them the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to him.

Exodus 15 verses

Exodus 15 25 Meaning

Exodus 15:25 describes a critical moment in Israel's journey from Egypt. Upon discovering bitter waters at Marah, Moses, at the people's outcry, appeals to the LORD. In response, God divinely reveals a specific tree. When Moses cast this tree into the waters, the bitter waters were miraculously transformed into sweet, drinkable water. Following this provision, the LORD used the event to establish a foundational statute and ordinance for the people and to test their obedience and faith. This passage signifies God's power to turn difficult circumstances into sources of blessing and His expectation of Israel's faithfulness to His commands.

Exodus 15 25 Context

Exodus chapter 15 records the Israelites' journey immediately following their miraculous crossing of the Red Sea and the song of Moses. They enter the Wilderness of Shur. After three days of travel without finding water, they arrived at Marah, only to find the water bitter and undrinkable. This discovery quickly led the people to grumble against Moses, a recurring theme in their wilderness wanderings. Verse 25 directly addresses this crisis, portraying Moses' immediate recourse to the LORD through prayer as the solution, rather than human efforts. The event at Marah thus serves as the very first major test of faith and obedience after their spectacular deliverance from Egypt and sets a precedent for how God would guide, provide for, and progressively reveal His covenant and laws to His people in the wilderness.

Exodus 15 25 Word analysis

• And he cried (וַיִּצְעַק, vayyiṣ‘aq, from צָעַק, tsa‘aq): This Hebrew word implies a desperate, urgent cry or shout, usually indicative of distress or oppression. It is not merely a polite request but an appeal from deep need, much like Israel’s cry to the LORD from their bondage in Egypt (Exod 2:23). It signifies complete dependence on divine intervention.
• unto the LORD (אֶל־יְהוָה, ’el YHWH): Direct appeal to God, specifically by His covenant name YHWH (Yahweh). This emphasizes that it is a relational cry to the God who delivered them from Egypt and made a covenant with them.
• and the LORD showed him (וַיּוֹרֵהוּ יְהוָה, vayyorēhū YHWH, from יָרָה, yarah): The verb yarah means "to show, to teach, to instruct, to direct." It implies divine guidance and revelation. It's not a mere physical pointing but an act of divine instruction, which is the root of Torah (God's instruction/law). God proactively provides a specific, unexpected solution.
• a tree (עֵץ, ‘eṣ): A literal tree. Its power is not inherent but conferred by God for this specific miracle. The "tree" in biblical context also has symbolic weight, representing life (Tree of Life), knowledge, and judgment (crucifixion as a cursed tree). This particular tree's role in making bitter water sweet serves as a prefigurement.
• which when he had cast (וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ, vayyashlekh, from שָׁלַךְ, shalakh): To throw or cast. A simple, immediate action based on God's instruction, emphasizing Moses' obedience as an intermediary.
• into the waters, the waters were made sweet (אֶל־הַמָּיִם וַיִּמְתְּקוּ הַמָּיִם, ’el-hammayim vayyimtqū hammayim): A clear miracle. Mataq (sweeten) signifies a complete chemical and qualitative transformation by divine power, making the undrinkable drinkable. This demonstrates God's power to reverse adverse circumstances and provide life where there was bitterness.
• there he made for them a statute and an ordinance (שָׁם שָׂם לוֹ חֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט, sham sam lo khoq u-mishpat): This marks a transition from physical provision to moral governance.
  • Statute (חֹק, khoq): A fixed, prescribed rule, often unalterable, given by authority. It refers to a decree or a portion of the divine law.
  • Ordinance (מִשְׁפָּט, mishpat): A judgment, custom, right procedure, or legal decision. Often paired with khoq to indicate the breadth of divine legislation, encompassing both explicit decrees and general principles of justice and right conduct. The location "there" implies the lesson from the miracle directly informs the law.
• and there he proved them (וְשָׁם נִסָּהוּ, vᵉsham nissāhū, from נָסָה, nasah): "To test, try, prove." Not to tempt into evil, but to demonstrate or reveal their character, commitment, and spiritual condition. It serves to build their faith and to teach them to trust in God's ways, preparing them for the demands of the covenant. This incident became a baseline for future expectations of obedience.

Words-Group Analysis

• "And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree": This sequence highlights divine response to human desperation. Moses's intercession is met by God's direct revelation of an improbable, counter-intuitive solution, showcasing God's sovereign wisdom and intervention beyond human logic.
• "which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet": This illustrates miraculous transformation through obedience. The "tree" as an agent points typologically to an ultimate solution (Christ on the cross) that turns the bitterness of sin and judgment into the sweetness of redemption and new life. It underscores the efficacy of divinely appointed means.
• "there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them": This segment connects immediate physical salvation with long-term spiritual formation and covenant responsibility. The miracle at Marah immediately becomes a teaching moment for Israel to learn the importance of obedience and reliance on God's laws, and a demonstration that God would test their hearts. It implies that provision is often accompanied by spiritual instruction and an opportunity to grow in faithfulness.

Exodus 15 25 Bonus section

• The unexpected nature of the "tree" as a solution highlights that God's ways are often counter-intuitive and beyond human understanding or scientific explanation. It requires simple faith and obedience.
• The "there" (שָׁם) connecting the miracle and the law-giving is emphatic. It implies that the experience itself provided the context and the immediate grounds for the new commands, reinforcing the principle that divine intervention often precedes and sets the stage for new levels of obedience or revelation of God's character.
• Marah prefigures the wilderness as a place of testing, where God proves His people's loyalty and teaches them reliance on His Word. It transitions Israel from being passive recipients of deliverance to active participants in a covenant relationship, where their choices matter.

Exodus 15 25 Commentary

Exodus 15:25 serves as a pivotal passage in Israel's wilderness journey, encapsulating core truths about God's nature and His relationship with His people. When confronted with bitter reality (the water at Marah), Israel's grumbling led Moses to a desperate cry, underscoring their utter dependence on God. God's response was not to alter their circumstances directly, but to provide a divinely revealed, non-obvious solution—the "tree." This miraculous transformation of bitter to sweet water showcases God's power over creation and His provision in unexpected ways. The theological significance of the "tree" has been profoundly explored; many Christian scholars see it as a powerful type or foreshadowing of Christ's cross (often referred to as a "tree" in Scripture), which transforms the bitterness of sin and death into the sweetness of forgiveness and eternal life.

Crucially, the Marah incident culminates in God establishing "a statute and an ordinance" and "proving them." This immediate connection between miraculous provision and divine law is significant. God first demonstrates His faithfulness and ability to save, and then calls for reciprocal obedience and trust. The test at Marah was not to see if God could make the water sweet, but if His people would learn to trust Him and obey His instructions. This establishes a foundational pattern for their future: God's guidance and provision would always be accompanied by a call to covenant faithfulness and a testing of their hearts, preparing them to live as a people set apart. Marah thus initiated a crucial period of spiritual schooling for Israel, emphasizing that their relationship with God was one of dependent trust and faithful obedience, rather than mere miraculous interventions.