The Meaning of Exodus 15:25 Explained

Exodus 15:25

KJV: And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

YLT: and he crieth unto Jehovah, and Jehovah sheweth him a tree, and he casteth unto the waters, and the waters become sweet. There He hath made for them a statute, and an ordinance, and there He hath tried them,

Darby: And he cried to Jehovah; and Jehovah shewed him wood, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters became sweet. There he made for them a statute and an ordinance; and there he tested them.

ASV: An he cried unto Jehovah; And Jehovah showed him a tree, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he cried  unto the LORD;  and the LORD  shewed  him a tree,  [which] when he had cast  into the waters,  the waters  were made sweet:  there he made  for them a statute  and an ordinance,  and there he proved  them, 

What does Exodus 15:25 Mean?

Study Notes

when he had cast into the waters
These bitter waters were in the very path of the Lord's leading, and stand for the trials of God's people, which are educatory and not punitive. The "tree" is the cross Galatians 3:13 which became sweet to Christ as the expression of the Father's will John 18:11 . When our Marahs are so taken we cast the "tree" into the waters. Romans 5:3 ; Romans 5:4 .

Context Summary

Exodus 15:19-27 - Marah's Waters Sweetened Elim's Rest
How rapid are the transitions of life! Today the song of victory, tomorrow the bitter wells of Marah, and the next the shadow of Elim's palms! One moment we are singing the joyous song of victory on the shores of the Red Sea, strewn with the bodies of foes, which we believe that we have seen for the last time; and then, by a sudden change, we find ourselves standing beside Marah-waters of pain and disappointment. We, however, learn more of God at Marah than at Elim; because He reveals to us the tree of the Cross. It was there that our Lord gave up His will absolutely to the Father. See Hebrews 10:5-7. "He bare our sins in His own body on the tree." Now, for us, there is but one way to bear sorrow and to extract its sweetness. We must yield our will to God; we must accept what He permits; we must do what He bids. So we come to find that dis-appointments are His appointments. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Exodus 15:25 mean?

so he cried out to Yahweh and showed him Yahweh a tree and when he cast [it] into the waters and were made sweet the waters There He made for them a statute and an ordinance and there He tested them
וַיִּצְעַ֣ק אֶל־ יְהוָ֗ה וַיּוֹרֵ֤הוּ יְהוָה֙ עֵ֔ץ וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ֙ אֶל־ הַמַּ֔יִם וַֽיִּמְתְּק֖וּ הַמָּ֑יִם שָׁ֣ם שָׂ֥ם ל֛וֹ חֹ֥ק וּמִשְׁפָּ֖ט וְשָׁ֥ם נִסָּֽהוּ

וַיִּצְעַ֣ק  so  he  cried  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, cry for help.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיּוֹרֵ֤הוּ  and  showed  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄורֶה 
Sense: to throw, shoot, cast, pour.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עֵ֔ץ  a  tree 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ֙  and  when  he  cast  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַמַּ֔יִם  the  waters 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
וַֽיִּמְתְּק֖וּ  and  were  made  sweet 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מָתַק  
Sense: to be or become sweet or pleasing.
הַמָּ֑יִם  the  waters 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
שָׂ֥ם  He  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
ל֛וֹ  for  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
חֹ֥ק  a  statute 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹק  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due.
וּמִשְׁפָּ֖ט  and  an  ordinance 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
וְשָׁ֥ם  and  there 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
נִסָּֽהוּ  He  tested  them 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: נָסָה  
Sense: to test, try, prove, tempt, assay, put to the proof or test.