{ "entry_id": "TSP-ENT-000050", "slug": "marah-bitter-waters-tree", "url_path": "/types-symbols/marah-bitter-waters-tree/", "canonical_name": "Marah / Bitter Waters and Tree", "entry_classifications": [ "ANALOGY", "ORDINARY_DESCRIPTION" ], "modules": [ "PLANTS_AGRICULTURE", "CHRISTOLOGICAL_TYPES" ], "aliases": [ { "alias_text": "WATERS (bitter)", "alias_type": "POINTER" } ], "legacy_present": true, "legacy_raw_wording_public": false, "senses": [ { "sense_id": "TSP-SNS-000099", "label": "Marah tree/cross interpretation", "classification": "ANALOGY", "definition": "A longstanding Christian interpretation sees the wood/tree that sweetens the bitter water as an analogy or type of Christ's cross transforming bitterness/death.", "not_always": "No NT writer cites Exodus 15:25 as a cross text, so the proposal remains traditional rather than canonically established.", "scope_note": "Preserve literal history first; label the cross relation as traditional interpretation.", "claims": [ { "claim_id": "TSP-CLM-000099", "statement": "The Marah tree/wood as a figure of Christ's cross is a documented traditional Christian interpretation with lexical and theological analogy, but it is not explicitly or strongly canonically identified by Scripture as a formal type.", "asserted_classifications": [ "ANALOGY" ], "type_kinds": [], "evidence_grade": 6, "grade_basis": "G6_PLAUSIBLE_OR_TRADITIONAL", "status": "TRADITIONAL_INTERPRETATION", "public_wording_class": "TRADITIONAL_INTERPRETATION", "scope_limitation": "Present as a traditional analogy/type proposal; do not state that Exodus 15 itself predicts the cross.", "strongest_alternative_explanation": "The tree/wood is simply God's historical means of sweetening the water within a wilderness test; later cross language supplies analogy rather than intended typology.", "residual_uncertainty": "Patristic and later evangelical interpretation is substantial, but canonical evidence is indirect.", "theological_intersections": [ "CHRISTOLOGY", "SOTERIOLOGY" ], "scripture_references": [ { "passage_ref_id": "TSP-PAS-000199", "osis_start": "Exod.15.23", "osis_end": "Exod.15.26", "display_label": "Exodus 15:23-26", "versification_system": "ENGLISH_STANDARD" }, { "passage_ref_id": "TSP-PAS-000200", "osis_start": "Acts.5.30", "osis_end": null, "display_label": "Acts 5:30", "versification_system": "ENGLISH_STANDARD" }, { "passage_ref_id": "TSP-PAS-000201", "osis_start": "Gal.3.13", "osis_end": null, "display_label": "Galatians 3:13", "versification_system": "ENGLISH_STANDARD" }, { "passage_ref_id": "TSP-PAS-000202", "osis_start": "1Pet.2.24", "osis_end": null, "display_label": "1 Peter 2:24", "versification_system": "ENGLISH_STANDARD" } ], "source_citations": [ { "source_id": "TSP-SRC-000088", "author_editor": "Adam Clarke", "title": "Commentary on Exodus 15:25", "publication_data": "Adam Clarke Commentary", "locator": "https://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/cmt/clarke/exo015.htm", "verification_level": "V4_QUOTATION_VERIFIED", "source_function": [ "INTERPRETIVE_HISTORY" ], "locator_targets": [ { "kind": "EXTERNAL_URL", "target": "https://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/cmt/clarke/exo015.htm" } ] }, { "source_id": "TSP-SRC-000089", "author_editor": "Arno C. Gaebelein", "title": "Gaebelein's Annotated Bible: Exodus 15", "publication_data": "BibleHub mirror", "locator": "https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gaebelein/exodus/15.htm", "verification_level": "V3_CLAIM_VERIFIED", "source_function": [ "INTERPRETIVE_HISTORY" ], "locator_targets": [ { "kind": "EXTERNAL_URL", "target": "https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gaebelein/exodus/15.htm" } ] }, { "source_id": "TSP-SRC-000090", "author_editor": "John Schultz", "title": "Commentary on Exodus 15", "publication_data": "Bible-commentaries.com", "locator": "https://www.bible-commentaries.com/source/johnschultz/exodus/15.html", "verification_level": "V3_CLAIM_VERIFIED", "source_function": [ "SCHOLARLY_ARGUMENT" ], "locator_targets": [ { "kind": "EXTERNAL_URL", "target": "https://www.bible-commentaries.com/source/johnschultz/exodus/15.html" } ] }, { "source_id": "TSP-SRC-000075", "author_editor": null, "title": "Canonical Scripture: MT/LXX/NA28 with ESV/NET comparison", "publication_data": "Canonical text loci verified for TSP-S0F Batch 10", "locator": null, "verification_level": "V4_QUOTATION_VERIFIED", "source_function": [ "CANONICAL_AUTHORITY", "TEXT_ESTABLISHMENT" ], "locator_targets": [] } ], "s8_wording_provenance": { "decision": "RETAIN_FROZEN_GRADE_STATUS_WORDING", "source_family_result": "PASS_TRADITION_PLUS_INTERNAL_SCOPE_CONTROL", "alternative_control": "Historical means of sweetening water during wilderness testing remains sufficient contextual explanation.", "supplemental_sources": [] } } ] }, { "sense_id": "TSP-SNS-000100", "label": "Legacy bitter-waters/Calvary equation", "classification": "ANALOGY", "definition": "The legacy list proposes bitter waters as the sufferings/bitterness of Calvary.", "not_always": "Exodus 15 explains Marah as real bitter water in Israel's wilderness testing and healing; no inspired text identifies the water with Calvary suffering.", "scope_note": "Do not turn the literal waters into a fixed Calvary symbol without later canonical warrant.", "claims": [ { "claim_id": "TSP-CLM-000100", "statement": "The legacy claim that Marah's bitter waters symbolize the sufferings or bitterness of Calvary has insufficient biblical evidence; Exodus 15 presents literal bitter water, wilderness testing, divine provision, and healing without identifying the waters with Christ's sufferings.", "asserted_classifications": [ "ANALOGY" ], "type_kinds": [], "evidence_grade": 7, "grade_basis": "G7_INSUFFICIENT_BIBLICAL_EVIDENCE", "status": "INSUFFICIENT_BIBLICAL_EVIDENCE", "public_wording_class": "INSUFFICIENT_BIBLICAL_EVIDENCE", "scope_limitation": "The Grade 6 tree/cross tradition does not automatically validate the separate Grade 7 water/Calvary equation.", "strongest_alternative_explanation": "The waters are literal bitter water in a wilderness test; any spiritual application to suffering should remain application rather than canonical symbolism.", "residual_uncertainty": "The tree/cross analogy may be taught as interpretive history, but the waters themselves lack a canonical Calvary interpretation.", "theological_intersections": [ "CHRISTOLOGY", "ATONEMENT" ], "scripture_references": [ { "passage_ref_id": "TSP-PAS-000199", "osis_start": "Exod.15.23", "osis_end": "Exod.15.26", "display_label": "Exodus 15:23-26", "versification_system": "ENGLISH_STANDARD" } ], "source_citations": [ { "source_id": "TSP-SRC-000076", "author_editor": null, "title": "Legacy Symbols & Types list supplied for TSP project", "publication_data": "User-supplied legacy corpus", "locator": null, "verification_level": "V4_QUOTATION_VERIFIED", "source_function": [ "INTERPRETIVE_HISTORY" ], "locator_targets": [] }, { "source_id": "TSP-SRC-000075", "author_editor": null, "title": "Canonical Scripture: MT/LXX/NA28 with ESV/NET comparison", "publication_data": "Canonical text loci verified for TSP-S0F Batch 10", "locator": null, "verification_level": "V4_QUOTATION_VERIFIED", "source_function": [ "CANONICAL_AUTHORITY", "TEXT_ESTABLISHMENT" ], "locator_targets": [] } ], "s8_wording_provenance": null } ] } ], "lexeme_mappings": [ { "lexeme_link_id": "TSP-LEX-000071", "language": "HEBREW", "lemma_unicode": "עֵץ", "transliteration": "ets", "strongs_id": "H6086", "owner_tier": "TSP_MAPPING_ONLY", "semantic_domain_ids": [] }, { "lexeme_link_id": "TSP-LEX-000072", "language": "GREEK", "lemma_unicode": "ξύλον", "transliteration": "xylon", "strongs_id": "G3586", "owner_tier": "TSP_MAPPING_ONLY", "semantic_domain_ids": [] } ], "canonical_relationships": [], "negative_guardrails": [] }