H4809 H4809
Meribah: a place name meaning 'strife/contention,' where Israel quarreled with God over water.
A proper noun meaning 'strife' or 'contention,' designating the location(s) where Israel tested God by quarreling over water. Two distinct incidents may be in view: one at Rephidim early in the wilderness journey (Exod 17:7, paired with Massah) and another at Kadesh near the end (Num 20:13, 24; 27:14; Deut 32:51; 33:8). The phrase mei meribah ('waters of Meribah') became a byword for Israel's rebellious spirit, echoed in the psalms as a cautionary memory (Ps 81:8; 95:8; 106:32). The Septuagint renders it variously as antilogia ('contradiction') and parapikrasmos ('provocation').
Senses
1. Meribah (place name) — The place name Meribah ('strife, contention'), associated with Israel's quarreling with YHWH over water in the wilderness. It designates both Rephidim (Exod 17:7, paired with Massah) and Kadesh (Num 20:13, 24; Deut 33:8), where Moses struck the rock. The phrase mei meribah ('waters of Meribah') became proverbial for rebellion (Ps 81:8; 95:8; 106:32). Multilingual evidence is remarkably consistent — Spanish 'Meriba/Meribah,' French 'Meribah/Meriba,' English 'Meribah' — all transliterating rather than translating, though the Septuagint rendered it interpretively as antilogia ('contradiction'). 6×
AR["مَرِيبَةَ", "مَرِيبَةِ", "وَ-مَرِيبَةَ"]·ben["এবং-মরীবা", "বিবাদের", "মরীবার"]·DE["Meribah", "Merivah", "strife-von", "und-Meribah"]·EN["Meribah", "Merivah", "and-Meribah", "strife-of"]·FR["Meribah", "Merivah", "Mériba", "et-Mériba", "strife-de"]·heb["ו-מריבה", "מריבה", "מריבת"]·HI["और-मरीबा", "झगड़े-के", "मरीबा-के", "मरीबाह-के", "मेरीबाह-के।"]·ID["Meriba", "dan-Meriba"]·IT["Meribah", "Merivah", "da-difendi", "e-Meribah", "strife-di"]·jav["Meriba", "Meribah", "Mériba", "lan-Meribah"]·KO["그리고-메리바라", "다투-의", "다투의", "메리바"]·PT["Meribá", "Merivah", "Merivat", "de-Meribá", "e-Merivah,"]·RU["Меривы", "и-Мерива", "распри"]·ES["Meriba", "Meribah", "Meribá", "contienda-de", "y-Meribah"]·SW["Meriba", "na-Meriba"]·TR["Meriva", "Meriva'nın", "ve-Meriva", "çekişmenin"]·urd["اور-مریبہ", "جھگڑے-کا", "مریباہ-کے", "مریبہ", "مریبہ-کے"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. מְרִיבָה n.pr.loc. (place of strife);— 1. at Rephidim, מַסָּה וּמ׳ Ex 17:7 (J), Λοιδόρησις. 2. at Kadesh, especially in מֵי מְרִיבָה water of M. (𝔊 ὕδωρ ἀντιλογίας) Dt 33:8 Nu 20:13 (P) ψ 81:8; 106:32, also (𝔊 ὕδωρ τῆς λοιδορίας, 𝔊L as above) Nu 20:24 (P); מ׳ cstr. in מֵי מְרִיבַת קָדֵשׁ (𝔊 ὕδωρ ἀντιλογίας [ἐν] Καδης) Nu 27:14 Dt 32:51 (both P), and (𝔊 ὕδωρ βαριμωθ Καδης) Ez 48:28; so…