Exodus 15:27 · Bible study
Exodus 15:27 Commentary: The Oasis of Elim’s Provision
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the meaning of twelve springs and seventy palm trees at Elim in Exodus 15:27, God’s provision after the bitter waters of Marah.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s precise provision after testing, an oasis of rest for the covenant community.
- Key words: “springs” (עֵינֹת, natural water sources), “palm trees” (תְּמָרִים), “encamped” (חָנָה, settled down).
- Main debate: Whether the numbers are symbolic (12 tribes, 70 elders) or merely a factual record of the oasis.
- Theological theme: God as provider and restorer, turning bitterness into refreshment.
- Best use: Encouragement for those in a “Marah season” that Elim is coming; a model of gratitude for detailed blessings.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there by the waters.
WEB World English Bible 2000
They came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. They encamped there by the waters.
KJV King James Version 1769
And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And they came to Elim, where were twelve springs of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And they come to Elim, and there are twelve fountains of water, and seventy palm trees; and they encamp there by the waters.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And they came to Elim; and twelve springs of water were there, and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there by the waters.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the children of Israel came into Elim, where there were twelve fountains of water, and seventy palm trees: and they encamped by the waters.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y llegaron á Elim, donde había doce|strong="H8147, H6240" fuentes de aguas, y setenta palmas; y asentaron allí junto á las aguas.
E chegaram a Elim, onde havia doze fontes de águas, e setenta palmeiras; e assentaram ali junto às águas.
Ils arrivèrent à Élim, où il y avait douze sources d’ eau et soixante-dix palmiers. Ils campèrent là, près de l’ eau.
Und sie kamen gen Elim, da waren zwölf Wasserbrunnen und siebzig Palmbäume, und sie lagerten sich daselbst ans Wasser.
Toen kwamen zij te Elim, en daar waren twaalf waterfonteinen, en zeventig palmbomen; en zij legerden zich aldaar aan de wateren.
Poi giunsero ad Elim, dov’erano dodici sorgenti d’acqua e settanta palme; e si accamparono quivi presso le acque.
I przyszli do Elim, gdzie było dwanaście źródeł wód, i siedmdziesiąt palm; i położyli się tam obozem nad wodami.
И пришли в Елим; там было двенадцать источников воды и семьдесят финиковых дерев, и расположились там станом при водах.
他們到了 以琳，在那裡 有十 二 股水 泉，七十 棵棕樹；他們就在 那裡 的水 邊安營。
And they came to Elim where there were twelve water-springs and seventy palm-trees: and they put up their tents there by the waters.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Exodus 15:27
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse describes Israel’s arrival at a refreshing oasis after the hardship of Marah. The specific numbers, twelve springs and seventy palm trees, are consistently noted as significant. Clarke reports that the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem interpreted one spring for each of the twelve tribes and one palm for each of the seventy elders. Both Barnes and the Cambridge Bible identify Elim with the fertile Wady Gharandel, a valley with abundant water and palms. Calvin views this stop as a concession to the people’s weakness after their bitter testing. The consensus is that God provided both physical rest and symbolic assurance, showing his care for the whole community in precise detail.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Israel arrived at an oasis with twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees and camped there by the waters.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Location of Elim | Commentators agree Elim was an oasis with abundant water and palms. | Some identify it with Wady Gharandel; others suggest alternative sites in the Sinai. The identification is not certain. |
| Meaning of the numbers twelve and seventy | All agree the numbers are deliberately recorded and likely significant. | Jewish tradition (Targums) saw them as representing the twelve tribes and seventy elders. Modern scholars often read them as symbolic of Israel’s full community, while others see only a literal oasis count. |
| God's purpose for Elim | Elim was a gift of rest and refreshment after the testing at Marah. | Calvin sees it as a concession to human weakness; other readers emphasize it as a foretaste of the Promised Land. Some see it as simply the next geographical stop with no special theology. |
| Connection to Christ and the Church | The verse points to God’s care for his people. | Christian readers often see a type: the twelve springs as the apostles and the seventy palms as the disciples sent out (Luke 10). Other traditions read the text as historical narrative without typology. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Israel had just come from Marah, where the water was too bitter to drink (Exodus 15:23). After God healed the waters and gave a promise of healing, he led them to Elim. The name “Elim” likely means “terebinths” or “sacred trees”; the Cambridge Bible notes that such groves were often venerated in antiquity. The place has been traditionally identified with the Wady Gharandel, a valley about seven miles southeast of Howara (ancient Marah). Travellers like Dr. Shaw found nine of the twelve springs still flowing, the other three choked with sand, while the seventy palm trees had multiplied into more than two thousand. This oasis provided abundant water, from natural springs, not wells, and shade from the sun. For a people who had wandered for three days without water and then tasted only bitter water, Elim was a gift. The numbers themselves match Israel’s structure: twelve tribes and seventy elders (Exodus 24:1, Numbers 11:16). Whether the count was exactly twelve and seventy or recorded symbolically, the text stresses the adequacy and order of God’s provision. The encampment “by the waters” suggests a pause, a breath before the next trial, which came almost immediately in the wilderness of Sin (Exodus 16:1).
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Exodus 15:27. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the verse reads consistently in all major translations.
Reception History
Jewish exegesis in the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem interpreted the twelve springs as corresponding to the twelve tribes and the seventy palm trees as representing the seventy elders of Israel. This symbolic reading influenced later rabbinic commentary. Early Christian writers and medieval interpreters often saw a foreshadowing of the twelve apostles and the seventy disciples sent out by Jesus (Luke 10:1). The site itself became a place of pilgrimage; the Greek monks at Tor maintained a garden at the location, and travellers from the 6th century onward visited the “Bath of Moses.” Reformation commentators like Matthew Henry emphasized the generosity of God in providing such a pleasant resting place after affliction. Modern scholarship balances symbolic readings with historical and archaeological investigation of possible sites.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God tests before he refreshes. The bitter waters of Marah come before the sweet springs of Elim. Testing is not the destination; it is preparation for blessing.
- God provides with precision. Twelve springs for twelve tribes, seventy palms for seventy elders, the supply matches the need. Nothing is random; God knows exactly what his people require.
- Rest is a gift, not a reward. Israel did not earn Elim. It was given to strengthen them for the journey ahead. God invites his people to stop and receive his care.
Five-point outline
- From Marah to Elim. The movement from bitter to sweet, a pattern of redemption.
- The meaning of the numbers. Twelve tribes and seventy elders show God’s covenant community is in view.
- Encamped by the waters. The word “encamped” (חָנָה) implies a prolonged stay, not a quick stop. God gives time to recover.
- Or more than the eye sees. The palm trees become a sign of life in the desert, a foretaste of the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 8:7-9).
- The journey continues. Elim is not the goal. The next chapter shows Israel moving on to the wilderness of Sin, where hunger strikes. Rest prepares for the next test of faith.
Illustration hooks
- After a hard exam: A teacher schedules a break right after a difficult test. The relief of water and shade is felt deeply because of the strain just passed.
- A precise grocery delivery: A family receives exactly the number of chairs they need for a dinner party. The thoughtfulness of the gift speaks louder than the amount.
- Rest stops on a long drive: A driver plans an oasis with fuel and food after a stretch of empty road. It changes the whole mood of the trip.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does the Bible record the exact numbers of springs and palm trees?
- If God provided so richly at Elim, why did Israel complain again so soon (Exodus 16)?
- Is Elim a picture of the rest we find in Christ, or just a historical note?
Leading a Discussion
After the bitter waters of Marah, God led Israel to Elim, a place of abundance and rest. The text gives specific numbers: twelve springs, seventy palms. These details invite us to see God’s careful provision. Use these questions to explore the passage together.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What do we learn about Elim from this verse? What words describe the place?
- Observation: How does Elim contrast with Marah in the previous verses?
- Interpretation: Why might Moses record the precise numbers of springs and trees? What do the numbers remind you of in Israel’s story?
- Interpretation: The people “encamped there by the waters.” What does the act of camping suggest about God’s intentions for this stop?
- Application: Where in your life have you seen God provide “twelve springs and seventy palms” after a time of testing?
- Application: Elim was a rest stop, not the final destination. How do we enjoy God’s gifts without settling for them as the ultimate goal?
- Prayer focus: Ask God to open your eyes to the places of provision he has already given, and to trust him for the journey still ahead.
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Numbers 33:9 | They traveled from Marah, and came to Elim. In Elim, there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there. |
| Isaiah 12:3 | Therefore with joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation. |
| Ezekiel 47:12 | By the river banks, on both sides, will grow every tree for food, whose leaf won’t wither, neither will its fruit fail. It will produce new fruit every month, because its waters issue out of the sanctuary. Its fruit will be for food, and its leaf for healing.” |
| Revelation of John 7:17 | for the Lamb who is in the middle of the throne shepherds them and leads them to springs of life-giving waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” |
| Revelation of John 22:2 | in the middle of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the twelve wells at Elim correspond to the twelve tribes of Israel, and the seventy palm trees to the seventy elders, according to Jewish tradition. He then cites Dr. Shaw's finding that nine wells still existed after three thousand years, seeing this as enduring evidence of the account's historical authenticity.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies Elim as the valley of Gharandel, two hours south of Huwara. He notes that the Hebrew word designates natural springs, not dug wells, and suggests they were likely perennial when a richer vegetation covered the surrounding heights.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin treats Elim as a concession to human frailty rather than a reward. Because the people could not bear their thirst patiently, God gave them this well-watered spot with palm trees as a gentle relief for their weakness.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that Elim likely means sacred trees, not just terebinths, and that such trees were often venerated as inhabited by a deity. He also observes that the usual identification with Wady Gharandel is uncertain, with no name similarity to support it.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And they came to Elim, where were twelue fountaines of water, and seuentie palme trees, and they camped thereby the waters.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads Elim both as a literal oasis and as a layered symbol. He notes that Jewish tradition ties the twelve wells to the twelve tribes and the palm trees to the seventy elders. The Christian interpretation sees them pointing to Christ’s abundant grace, the Gospel preached by the apostles, and the seventy disciples sent out to
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB identifies Elim as the oasis of Wady-Ghurandel, the largest watercourse in the western desert. Its twelve wells, abundant stream and many palm trees made it a refreshing contrast to the weary travel through the barren wilderness. Palms signal water, and here they marked a welcome camp for the thirsty multitude.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch stress that at Marah God established an ordinance and a right through the divine act itself: leading Israel to bitter water and then sweetening it. This act was intended as a guiding principle for the nation and as an assurance that they could always count on God's help in distress. The wood used had no inherent power but was given its effect solely through God's word.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees the wilderness events as a progressive testing of Israel, where each new crisis reveals deeper murmurings and calls forth a corresponding divine ordinance. The bitter water at Marah establishes the sanitary law of obedience; the manna institutes the Sabbath; and the battles with Amalek and counsel from Jethro set forth the dual relationship of heathenism—hostile opposition to be destroyed and friendly wisdom to be welcomed.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that the Israelites were reluctant to leave the triumphant shore of the Red Sea, so Moses had to persuade them to move forward. He sees this as a lesson: the joys of our journey to Canaan must not slow our progress but actually quicken it, even when a wilderness of trials lies ahead.