📖 Biblical Definition
The water-from-the-rock was the wilderness miracle of YHWH providing water from a stone when Israel was dying of thirst. The first occurrence was at Rephidim, where Moses struck the rock with his rod at YHWH’s command and water gushed forth (Exodus 17:1-7). The second was at Meribah-Kadesh, where Moses — in anger — struck the rock twice instead of speaking to it as commanded, and was excluded from the promised land for it (Numbers 20:1-13). Paul reads the rock typologically: "and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:4). The smitten Rock is Christ; from His side flowed living water.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Wilderness miracle of water from rock; Christ as the smitten Rock.
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Two wilderness miracles where YHWH provided water from a rock: Exodus 17 at Rephidim (Moses commanded to strike the rock with his rod; water came forth) and Numbers 20 at Meribah-Kadesh (Moses commanded to speak to the rock; struck it instead and was barred from entering Canaan). Paul reads the rock typologically in 1 Cor 10:4 — "that Rock was Christ." The rock smitten once gave water; the rock thereafter to be only spoken to. Christ struck once; thereafter His word releases living water.
📖 Key Scripture
Exodus 17:6 — "Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink."
Numbers 20:11-12 — "And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly... And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them."
1 Corinthians 10:4 — "And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
The two episodes (smiting then speaking) often blurred; the typological precision — Christ smitten once, thereafter spoken to — gets lost.
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Moses' second-strike sin in Numbers 20 cost him entry into Canaan. The reason becomes clear typologically: Christ was struck ONCE for sin (Heb 9:28); to strike Him again is to deny the sufficiency of the first stroke. From Numbers 20 onward, the rock is only to be spoken to.
Recover the precision: the smitten Rock is Christ; the saint thereafter speaks to Him in prayer and the living water flows.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Hebrew tsur + mayim.
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['Hebrew', 'H6697', 'tsur', 'rock']
['Hebrew', 'H4325', 'mayim', 'waters']
Usage
"Christ struck once; thereafter spoken to."
"Living water flows from the smitten Rock."
"Moses struck twice; barred from Canaan."