MERIBAH mĕr’ ĭ ba (מְרִיבָ֑ה, strife). A name applied to two different places where water was brought miraculously from rock to satisfy thirsty Israelites in the wilderness.

The first was before Mt. Horeb at Rephidim when Israel was less than two months out of Egypt (Exod 17:1-7). This place was called both Massah and Meribah as a result of complaint by the people. Massah means (place of) “testing,” “temptation.” The people “strove” against God and His servant Moses by their complaint concerning lack of water and so “tested” God’s patience with them. However, God still gave them water in an amount described as a “river” (Ps 105:41; cf. Deut 9:21).

The second place was at Kadesh-barnea nearly thirty-nine years later (Num 20:2-13). Only the name Meribah was applied to this place (v. 13). It was here that Moses disobeyed God by striking the rock twice, when told by God only to speak to it. In doing so Moses appeared to have had a part in producing the water. For this sin Moses was not permitted to enter Canaan (Num 20:12; 27:14). The name, Meribah, was assigned, however, because of the sin of the people in complaining again for lack of water.