8589. 'Because of the wrangling of the children of Israel' means complaining on account of the bitterness of the temptation, so severe that they were close to giving in. This is clear from the meaning of 'the wrangling' as bitter complaining, dealt with in 8563. The fact that their being close to giving in is meant is clear from the nature of their wrangling; that is to say, it was such that they were on the verge of stoning Moses, they were tempting Jehovah, and they were saying, Is Jehovah in the midst of us?

8587. 'And he called the name of the place Massah' means the essential nature of the state of the temptation. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2628, 2724, 3006, 3421, 6674, 6887; and from the meaning of 'the place' as the state, dealt with in 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387, 4321, 4882, 5605, 7381. The reason why the essential nature of the state of the temptation is meant is that the temptation is the subject. The essential nature of its state is meant by 'Massah'; also Massah in the original language means temptation. The essential nature of it will be stated in what follows next.