Moses strikes the rock (Exodus 17:1-7)

After leaving Egypt, the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years. One day they set up camp at a place called Rephidim. Dying of thirst, they protested to Moses about the lack of water available for their families and their animals. So Moses consulted God in prayer. God told him to strike a rock with his staff, which caused water to miraculously gush forth for everyone to drink.

The Book of Exodus then says: “They called this place Massah [‘Test’] and Meribah [‘Quarrel’], because the children of Israel had protested and had put the Lord to the test, saying, “Is the Lord in our midst or not?” (Exodus 17:7) The supernatural sign was understood as proof that the Lord was very much in their midst.

From the Early Church onwards, this water miracle was believed to be a secret reference to Christ. God had told Moses: “Behold, I will stand before you on the rock at Horeb. You will strike the rock, and water will come out for the people to drink.” (Exodus 17:6) The Lord who stood on the rock was later identified by St Paul as Christ himself (1 Corinthians 10:4).

This stained glass scene picturing this story belongs within the West Window of the Cathedral of St Marie, in Sheffield. Dating to 1850, it was designed by A.W.N. Pugin and produced by John Hardman of Hardman & Co. The window pairs numerous scenes from the Old Testament with corresponding episodes in the life of Christ (here is another example).

In this instance, the story of Moses striking the rock is linked with the gospel story of the death of Christ. As water had gushed forth from the rock on which Christ stood, so water would later flow from his corpse on the cross (John 19:34). Here we see a comparison between the staff of Moses striking the rock, and the soldier’s spear piercing the body of Christ.

In the Old Testament scene, Moses is pictured with shining rays coming from the top of his head. This is based on a literal understanding of Exodus 34:9-10, where the Hebrew phrase describes the glorified face of Moses as ‘sending out rays’. In Latin the word used here is cornutam (‘horned’), which led to an artistic tradition of representing Moses with horns.

Next to Moses stands his brother Aaron, who is seen here dressed as a priest. To underline the parallels between both scenes, notice how both Moses and the soldier are both dressed in orange, while the Virgin Mary is dressed in a similar way to the woman with the water jug (who is probably Miriam).

Finally, Pugin has pictured Moses’ miraculous staff with flowers on the end of it. This is due to another desert miracle, where the staff of Aaron is said to have miraculously blossomed (Numbers 17:1-11). According to the Book of Numbers, this took place before Moses produced water from a rock (Numbers 20:1-13). This shows that Pugin believed both the staff of Moses and that of Aaron to be one and the same.

See the full image:

Detail of Moses striking the rock:

Where to find this work of art
Cathedral of St Marie, Sheffield

Read the relevant passage
Exodus 17:1-7

On a similar theme

• From the Old Testament: While the Israelites were in the wilderness, God miraculously provided food for the community in the form of the heavenly manna.
• From the New Testament: In this window, the story is linked with the piercing of the dead Christ with the Holy Lance.