King James Version

Exodus 15:23

And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.

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Hebrew

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וַיָּבֹ֣אוּvayavovand to comeבּוֹאconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and to come”, the next action in the storyH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…מָרָ֔תָהmaratahMarahמָרָהnoun, proper name, directional ending — “Marah”H4785Marah, a place in the DesertMarah.וְלֹ֣אveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יָֽכְל֗וּyakhelvbe ableיָכֹלverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “be able”, a completed actionH3201to be able, literally (can, could) or morally (may, might)be able, any at all (ways), attain, can (away with, (-not)), could, endure, might, overcome, have power, prevail, still, suffer.לִשְׁתֹּ֥תlishtotto banquetשָׁתָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to banquet”, the to-form of the verbH8354to imbibe (literally or figuratively)[idiom] assuredly, banquet, [idiom] certainly, drink(-er, -ing), drunk ([idiom] -ard), surely. (Prop. intensive of H8248 (שָׁקָה).)מַ֨יִם֙mayimwaterמַיִםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “water”, the ordinary formH4325water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen[phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).מִמָּרָ֔הmimarahfrom Marahמָרָהpreposition, noun, proper name — “from Marah”H4785Marah, a place in the DesertMarah.כִּ֥יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…מָרִ֖יםmarimbitterמַרadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “bitter”, the ordinary formH4751bitter (literally or figuratively); also (as noun) bitterness, or (adverbially) bitterly[phrase] angry, bitter(-ly, -ness), chafed, discontented, [idiom] great, heavy.הֵ֑םhemtheyהֵםpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “they”H1992they (only used when emphatic)it, like, [idiom] (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, [idiom] so, [idiom] such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…כֵּ֥ןkenas... asכֵּןparticle, demonstrative — “as... as”H3651properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and relation; often with other particles)[phrase] after that (this, -ward, -wards), as... as, [phrase] (for-) asmuch as yet, [phrase] be (for which) cause, [phrase] following, howbeit, in (the) like (manner, -wise), [idiom] the more, right, (even) so, state, straightway, such (th…קָרָֽאqaracallקָרָאverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “call”, a completed actionH7121to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)bewray (self), that are bidden, call (for, forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest, invite, mention, (give) name, preach, (make) proclaim(-ation), pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say.שְׁמָ֖הּshemahfameשֵׁםnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “fame”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8034an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character[phrase] base, (in-) fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.מָרָֽהmarahMarahמָרָהnoun, proper name — “Marah”H4785Marah, a place in the DesertMarah.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.

Young’s Literal Translation

and they come in to Marah, and have not been able to drink the waters of Marah, for they [are] bitter; therefore hath [one] called its name Marah.

World English Bible

When they came to Marah, they couldn’t drink from the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore its name was called Marah.

Darby Translation

And they came to Marah, and could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore the name of it was called Marah.

Douay-Rheims

And they came into Mara, and they could not drink the waters of Mara, because they were bitter: whereupon he gave a name also agreeable to the place, calling it Mara, that is, bitterness.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And they came to Merrha, and could not drink of Merrha, for it was bitter; therefore he named the name of that place, Bitterness.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἦλθον δὲ εἰς Μεῤῥᾶ, καὶ οὐκ ἠδύναντο πιεῖν ἐκ Μεῤῥᾶς· πικρὸν γὰρ ἦν· διὰ τοῦτο ἐπωνόμασε τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου, Πικρία.