Exodus 15:24
New International Version
So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”

New Living Translation
Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded.

English Standard Version
And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”

Berean Standard Bible
So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”

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

New King James Version
And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”

New American Standard Bible
So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”

NASB 1995
So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”

NASB 1977
So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”

Legacy Standard Bible
So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”

Amplified Bible
The people [grew discontented and] grumbled at Moses, saying, “What are we going to drink?”

Christian Standard Bible
The people grumbled to Moses, “What are we going to drink? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The people grumbled to Moses, “What are we going to drink?”

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

Contemporary English Version
The people complained and said, "Moses, what are we going to drink?"

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The people complained about Moses by asking, "What are we supposed to drink?"

Good News Translation
The people complained to Moses and asked, "What are we going to drink?"

International Standard Version
Then the people complained against Moses: "What are we to drink?"

Majority Standard Bible
So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”

NET Bible
So the people murmured against Moses, saying, "What can we drink?"

New Heart English Bible
The people murmured against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

World English Bible
The people murmured against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the people murmur against Moses, saying, “What do we drink?”

Young's Literal Translation
And the people murmur against Moses, saying, 'What do we drink?'

Smith's Literal Translation
And the people will murmur against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the people murmured against Moses, saying: What shall we drink?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the people murmured against Moses, saying: “What shall we drink?”

New American Bible
As the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”

New Revised Standard Version
And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the people were enraged against Moshe and they were saying to him, “What will we drink?”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the people murmured against Moses, saying: 'What shall we drink?'

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

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Waters of Marah
23And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the water there because it was bitter. (That is why it was named Marah.) 24So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” 25And 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,…

Cross References
Numbers 14:2
All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!

Numbers 20:2-5
Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered against Moses and Aaron. / The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished with our brothers before the LORD! / Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? ...

Numbers 21:5
and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”

Exodus 16:2-3
And there in the desert the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. / “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!”

Exodus 17:2-3
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?” / But the people thirsted for water there, and they grumbled against Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt—to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

Psalm 106:25
They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the LORD.

Deuteronomy 1:27
You grumbled in your tents and said, “Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be annihilated.

Numbers 11:1
Soon the people began to complain about their hardship in the hearing of the LORD, and when He heard them, His anger was kindled, and fire from the LORD blazed among them and consumed the outskirts of the camp.

Numbers 16:41
The next day the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!”

1 Corinthians 10:10
And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.

Philippians 2:14
Do everything without complaining or arguing,

James 5:9
Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door!

Jude 1:16
These men are discontented grumblers, following after their own lusts; their mouths spew arrogance; they flatter others for their own advantage.

Matthew 20:11
On receiving their pay, they began to grumble against the landowner.

John 6:41-43
At this, the Jews began to grumble about Jesus because He had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” / They were asking, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then can He say, ‘I have come down from heaven?’” / “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus replied.


Treasury of Scripture

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

Exodus 14:11
And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

Exodus 16:2,8,9
And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: …

Exodus 17:3,4
And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? …

what

Exodus 17:3
And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?

Psalm 78:19,20
Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? …

Matthew 6:25
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

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Crying Drink Grumbled Moses Murmur Murmured
Exodus 15
1. The song of Moses, Miriam, and Israel on their deliverance
22. The people want water in the desert
23. The waters at Marah are bitter,
24. they murmur,
25. Moses prays, and sweetens the waters by God's direction
27. They encamp at Elim, where are twelve wells, and seventy palm trees














So the people grumbled
The Hebrew word for "grumbled" is "לון" (lun), which conveys a sense of murmuring or complaining. This word is often used in the context of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness, highlighting a recurring theme of dissatisfaction and lack of faith. Historically, this reflects the human tendency to focus on immediate discomfort rather than trusting in God's provision. The Israelites had just witnessed miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea, yet their faith quickly faltered. This serves as a reminder of the importance of gratitude and trust in God's ongoing care.

against Moses
Moses, as the leader appointed by God, often bore the brunt of the people's complaints. The phrase "against Moses" indicates a direct challenge to his leadership and, by extension, to God's authority. In the historical context, Moses was seen as God's chosen mediator, and grumbling against him was akin to questioning God's plan. This highlights the need for respect and support for God-appointed leaders, recognizing that they are instruments of His will.

saying, 'What are we to drink?'
This question reflects a legitimate concern for survival, yet it also reveals a lack of faith. The Israelites had just crossed the Red Sea and were in the wilderness, where water was scarce. The phrase "What are we to drink?" underscores their immediate physical need but also their spiritual short-sightedness. Instead of trusting in God's provision, they allowed fear to overshadow faith. This serves as a lesson in trusting God's provision even when circumstances seem dire, remembering that He is always aware of our needs and capable of meeting them in His perfect timing.

Verse 24. - And the people murmured against Moses. As they had already done on the western shores of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:11, 12), and as they were about to do so often before their wanderings were over. (See below, Exodus 16:2; Exodus 17:3; Numbers 14:2; Numbers 16:41; Deuteronomy 1:27, etc.) "Murmuring" was the common mode in which they vented their spleen, when anything went ill with them; and as Moses had persuaded them to quit Egypt, the murmuring was chiefly against him. The men who serve a nation best are during their lifetime least appreciated. What shall we drink? Few disappointments are harder to bear than that of the man, who after long hours of thirst thinks that he has obtained wherewith to quench his intolerable longing, and on raising the cup to his lips, finds the draught so nauseous that he cannot swallow it. Very unpalatable water is swallowed when the thirst is great (Eothen, p. 197). But there is a limit beyond which nature will not go. There "may be water, water everywhere, yet not a drop to drink."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So the people
הָעָ֛ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

grumbled
וַיִּלֹּ֧נוּ (way·yil·lō·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3885: To stop, to stay permanently, to be obstinate

against
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

Moses,
מֹשֶׁ֥ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

saying,
לֵּאמֹ֖ר (lê·mōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“What
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

are we to drink?”
נִּשְׁתֶּֽה׃ (niš·teh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 8354: To imbibe


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OT Law: Exodus 15:24 The people murmured against Moses saying What (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 15:23
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