MASSAH AND MERIBAH măs’ ə, mĕr’ ə bə (מַסָּ֖ה וּמְרִיבָ֑ה, LXX πειρασμὸ̀ς καὶ̀ λοιδόρησις, testing and contention). These two words occur in combination in Exodus 17:7, and in parallelism in Deuteronomy 33:8 and Psalm 95:8. The name Massah is mentioned in Deuteronomy 6:16 and 9:22, and Meribah in Numbers 20:13, 24; Psalms 81:7; and 106:32. The combination Meribath-kadesh occurs in Numbers 27:14; Deuteronomy 32:51; Ezekiel 47:19; 48:28.

Massah and Meribah is the name given to a place near Rephidim where the Israelites arrived on their Egyp. exodus after moving on from the Wilderness of Sin. Not finding drinking water there, they murmured against Moses and were almost ready to stone him. At the command of the Lord he went on before the people to the rock at Horeb which he struck with his rod so that it brought forth water. Moses named the location “Proof and Contention” because of the Israelites’ faultfinding and their putting the Lord to the test (Exod 17:1-7).

The account in Numbers 20:1-13 refers to an event in Israel’s history some forty years later. This Meribah must be distinguished from Massah and Meribah. It is located in southern Pal. and received its name from an incident rather similar to the one related in Exodus 17. Here, instead of speaking to the rock as the Lord had commanded him to do, Moses struck the rock and as a consequence forfeited the right to enter the Promised Land (Deut 32:51).