Moses Striking the Rock

Joachim Wtewael · 1624
National Gallery of Art, Washington

Joachim Wtewael of Utrecht signed and dated this small panel in 1624, late in his long career. It is only 67 centimetres wide, yet packed with figures, animals and shining objects in the polished, crowded style he kept all his life.

In the middle Moses, in green with a pink mantle, touches the rock with his staff, and thin jets of water spring out at the right. All around, people and animals rush to drink: women hold out jugs and dishes, a goat bends to the pool, a dog noses among the pots.

From the text

Moses strikes the rock with his staff (Exodus 17:6)

Water comes out “for the people to drink” (Exodus 17:6)

The people and their livestock, thirsty in the desert (Exodus 17:3)

The elders of Israel standing by (Exodus 17:5–6)

The artist’s own

Aaron beside Moses, dressed as a high priest in a tall mitre — Exodus 17:1–7 does not name him

A shady wood of tall trees instead of a bare desert

Jugs, baskets, brass pans and dishes of the painter’s own time

Camels, horses and a covered wagon in the distance

Details

Moses

In green with a pink mantle, he touches the rock with his staff.

In a mitre

A man in a red vestment and a tall mitre — painters often showed Aaron dressed like this.

Water from the rock

Thin jets spring out of the rock; a woman catches them in a dish.

Thirsty animals

A goat bends to drink at the pool.

Pots and pans

A dog sniffs among baskets, pottery and brass dishes.

Joachim Anthonisz Wtewael, Dutch, 1566–1638. National Gallery of Art, Washington (Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 1972.11.1) · Oil on panel · NGA Open Access: "Images of these works are available free of charge for any use, commercial or non-commercial, under Creative Commons Zero (CC0)." (NGA open data: published_images.csv openaccess = 1)

The verses

Exod 17:1–7Then the whole congregation of Israel left the Desert of Sin, moving from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?” But the people thirsted for water there, and they grumbled against Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt—to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? A little more and they will stone me!” And the LORD said to Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take along in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”