Exodus 15:27
in Exodus 15Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there by the waters.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they came to Elim, where were twelve springs of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
KJV
And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
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This verse in Exodus 15
Commentary
9 notes on this verseAnd they came to Elim,.... On the twenty fifth of Nisan; for, according to Aben Ezra, they stayed but one day at Marah.
This site's exposition
they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water
Twelve wells and threescore and ten palm trees, and Numbers 33:9 records the same stop with the same two counts. Matthew Henry and other commentators read the numbers against the twelve tribes and the seventy souls who went down into Egypt at Genesis 46:27, and the text itself draws neither line. The chapter that opened with a song closes with an encampment beside water, one stage past the place where there was none.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
They arrived at a place called Elim, where there were twelve very pure springs of water and a multitude of seventy flourishing palm trees. See the mystery of God—how, after the bitterness of the law, the richness of gospel piety abounds. There the one spring …
The Medieval Church2 voices
When the people of God went out from Egypt, their sixth resting place, in which "there were twelve fountains of water and seventy palm trees," was called Elim (that is, "of rams"), so that both by its name and by its appearance it might contain …
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 7 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Again, you can multiply the four cardinal virtues by the three theological, and then there are twelve: for prudence must be faithful, trusting, and loving; and so it is with the others. And they are represented by the twelve springs, the twelve gems in the …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Let us therefore learn both how to be abased and how to abound, to rejoice as though we rejoiced not when we are full, and to weep as though we wept not when we are emptied.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Elim - The valley of Gharandel, two hours’ journey south of Huwara. Twelve wells - Read springs; the Hebrew denotes natural sources. These springs may have been perennial when a richer vegetation clothed the adjacent heights.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It is estimated to be a mile in breadth, but stretching out far to the northeast. After the weary travel through the desert, this must have appeared a most delightful encampment from its shade and verdure, as well as from its abundant supply of sweet water for the thirsty multitude. The palm is called "the tree of the desert," as its presence is always a sign of water.
They came to Elim - This was in the desert of Sin, and, according to Dr. Shaw, about two leagues from Tor, and thirty from Marah or Corondel. Twelve wells of water - One for each of the tribes of Israel, say the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem. And threescore and ten palm trees - One for each of the seventy elders - Ibid. Dr. Shaw found nine of the twelve wells, the other three having been choked up with sand; and the seventy palm trees multiplied into more than 2000, the dates of which bring a considerable revenue to the Greek monks at Tor. See his account at the end of this book, (Exo 40:38 (note)) and see also the map. Thus sufficient evidence of the authenticity of this part of the sacred history remains, after the lapse of more than 3000 years. In the preceding notes the reader has been referred to Dr. Kennicott’s translation and arrangement of the song of Moses. To this translation he prefixes the following observations: - “This triumphant ode was sung by Moses and the sons of Israel: and the women, headed by Miriam, answered the men by repeating the two first lines of the song, altering only the first word, which two lines were probably sung more than once as a chorus. “The conclusion of this ode seems very manifest; and yet, though the ancient Jews had sense enough to write this song differently from prose; and though their authority has prevailed even, to this day in this and three other poems in the Old Testament, (Deut. 22; Judges 5; and 2 Sam. 22)., still expressed by them as poetry; yet have these critics carried their ideas of the song here to the end of Exo 15:19. The reason why the same has been done by others probably is, they thought that the particle כי for, which begins Exo 15:19, necessarily connected it with the preceding poetry. […]
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ | vaiyavou | and they came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵילִ֔מָה | ʾeilimah | Elim towards | H362 → | 6 times |
| וְשָׁ֗ם | vesham | and [were] there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| שְׁתֵּ֥ים | sheteim | two [plus] | H8147 → | 768 times |
| עֶשְׂרֵ֛ה | ʾesreh | ten | H6240 → | 338 times |
| עֵינֹ֥ת | ʾeinot | springs of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| מַ֖יִם | mayim | water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| וְשִׁבְעִ֣ים | veshivim | and seventy | H7657 → | 91 times |
| תְּמָרִ֑ים | temarim | palm trees | H8558 → | |
| וַיַּחֲנוּ־ | vaiyachanu- | and they encamped | H2583 → | 143 times |
| שָׁ֖ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | at | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַמָּֽיִם׃ | hamayim | the water | H4325 → | 581 times |
וַיָּבֹ֣אוּand they came
vaiyavouH935 →2568 times
אֵילִ֔מָהElim towards
ʾeilimahH362 →6 times
וְשָׁ֗םand [were] there
veshamH8033 →834 times
שְׁתֵּ֥יםtwo [plus]
sheteimH8147 →768 times
עֶשְׂרֵ֛הten
ʾesrehH6240 →338 times
עֵינֹ֥תsprings of
ʾeinotH5869 →887 times
מַ֖יִםwater
mayimH4325 →581 times
וְשִׁבְעִ֣יםand seventy
veshivimH7657 →91 times
תְּמָרִ֑יםpalm trees
temarimH8558 →
וַיַּחֲנוּ־and they encamped
vaiyachanu-H2583 →143 times
שָׁ֖םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
עַל־at
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַמָּֽיִם׃the water
hamayimH4325 →581 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 22:2down the middle of the main street of the city. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month.…
it leads to
- Revelation 22:1
Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 2:9
Out of the ground the LORD God gave growth to every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Peter 2:24
He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”
- Revelation 22:1
Through
Revelation 7:17For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
it leads to
- John 7:37–38
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
- Psalms 36:8–9
They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from Your river of delights.
- John 4:14
But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
- Psalms 23:1–2
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
- John 4:11
“Sir,” the woman replied, “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then will You get this living water?
- John 7:37–38
Where this verse is studied
About Exodus
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, On the Tabernacle 2.4; Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 7; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Maximus of Turin, SERMON 68.2.