Lexical Summary meribah: Quarreling, Strife, Contention Original Word: מְרִיבָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance provocation, strife From riyb; quarrel -- provocation, strife. see HEBREW riyb NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom rib Definition strife, contention NASB Translation strife (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. מְרִיבָה noun feminine strife, contention; — absolute ׳מ, of quarrel between herdsmen Genesis 13:8 (J); construct מְרִיבַת הָעֵדָה, of people's strife with Moses at Kadesh Numbers 27:14 (P), compare II. ׳מ 2 Topical Lexicon Semantic ScopeThe noun מְרִיבָה denotes interpersonal or communal strife and, by extension, the physical place where such contention came to a head. Its seven occurrences form two primary clusters: (1) ordinary quarrelling between people (Genesis 13:8) and (2) covenantal contention between the covenant community and the LORD that became memorialized in the place-name “Meribah” (Numbers 27:14; Deuteronomy 32:51; Psalm 95:8; Psalm 106:32; Ezekiel 47:19; Ezekiel 48:28). Genesis 13:8 – Preventing Family Division Abram’s appeal, “Let there be no quarreling between you and me… for we are brothers,” highlights מְרִיבָה as a threat to covenantal harmony. Abram’s voluntary concession of land prefigures New Testament teaching on yielding rights for the sake of peace (Philippians 2:3-4). Strife is presented as spiritually corrosive long before Israel becomes a nation, emphasizing that peacekeeping is foundational to the people of God. Meribah of Kadesh – Waters of Contention 1. Historical Narrative The watershed episode at Kadesh (Numbers 20, recalled in Numbers 27:14; Deuteronomy 32:51) casts מְרִיבָה into Israel’s collective memory. The verb “you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah” (Numbers 27:14) ties Moses’ and Aaron’s failure to Israel’s complaints, underscoring corporate responsibility. 2. Sanctity Violated Moses’ striking of the rock misrepresented God’s holiness. Deuteronomy 32:51 charges the leaders with failure “to uphold My holiness among the Israelites.” The incident teaches that leadership under the covenant is evaluated not by pragmatism (water did flow) but by precision in obeying God’s word. 3. Lasting Name, Enduring Warning By fixing the memory in a toponym, Scripture turns geography into theology. Every mention of “Meribah” in Psalms or Ezekiel triggers reflection on faithless contention. The land itself becomes a living sermon. Liturgical Memory – Psalms 95 and 106 Psalm 95:8 warns worshipers, “Do not harden your hearts, as you did at Meribah.” Psalm 106:32 laments, “At the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them.” In corporate worship, Israel rehearses Meribah to cultivate tender hearts. The New Testament book of Hebrews 3:7-19 draws directly from Psalm 95, demonstrating the continuing pastoral utility of the episode. מְרִיבָה thus functions as a perpetual call to persevering faith. Prophetic Geography – Ezekiel 47:19; 48:28 Ezekiel’s restoration oracle places “the waters of Meribah-kadesh” on Judah’s ideal southern border. A site once synonymous with rebellion is folded into the eschatological inheritance, illustrating redemption of both people and place. The boundary marker signifies that, in the renewed land, former failures no longer define the covenant community. Ministry and Discipleship Applications • Guard leadership integrity: Meribah shows that a single lapse in honoring God’s holiness carries generational consequences. Related Themes Strife (Proverbs 17:14), hard-heartedness (Exodus 17:7), and testing God (Psalm 78:40-41) orbit the concept of מְרִיבָה. Together they map a progression: discontent → contention → rebellion → divine discipline, countered by repentance and covenant faithfulness. Summary מְרִיבָה captures the peril of contentious unbelief and the possibility of redeemed memory. From Abram’s peace-making to Ezekiel’s restored borders, Scripture weaves this term into a moral geography that urges God’s people to choose trust over strife and to anticipate that grace can transform even the ground once marred by rebellion. Forms and Transliterations בִּמְרִיבַת֙ במריבת כִּמְרִיבָ֑ה כמריבה מְרִיב֣וֹת מְרִיבַ֣ת מְרִיבַ֥ת מְרִיבָ֑ה מְרִיבָה֙ מריבה מריבות מריבת bim·rî·ḇaṯ bimrîḇaṯ bimriVat kim·rî·ḇāh kimrîḇāh kimriVah mə·rî·ḇāh mə·rî·ḇaṯ mə·rî·ḇō·wṯ mərîḇāh mərîḇaṯ mərîḇōwṯ meriVah meriVat meriVotLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 13:8 HEB: נָ֨א תְהִ֤י מְרִיבָה֙ בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֔יךָ NAS: let there be no strife between KJV: no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen INT: Please Let there be strife between between Numbers 27:14 Deuteronomy 32:51 Psalm 95:8 Psalm 106:32 Ezekiel 47:19 Ezekiel 48:28 7 Occurrences |
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