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The creation of the present painting in the first decade of the 17th century is confirmed by the date of 1607 on the reverse of the copper plate. The Antwerp copper plate maker Pieter Stas, who is documented as the maker of other copper plates used by Brueghel and Balen, applied the date himself during production. As Dr Klaus Ertz points out, Brueghel's particularly finely painted landscape and Balen's figural style, which is closer to Hans Rottenhammer than Peter Paul Rubens, also correspond to this period of the two artists' careers. "In the first half of the 17th century, it was quite common and almost typical of Flemish painting for two painters (sometimes even more artists) from different genres to come together and create compositions that are astonishingly uniform for us viewers today. In addition to Jan Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens, the "star couple" was Jan Brueghel the Elder and Hendrik van Balen. Brueghel favoured van Balen above all for compositions with Christian figures from the Old and New Testaments." (Certificate Dr. Klaus Ertz, 6 April 2018)
The theme of Moses' "miracle of the waters" is an ideal vehicle for portraying scenes containing many figures, their bodies depicted from various angles. Here the artist has the opportunity to showcase all his talent in the realisation of the human form. In addition to the fabrics of the clothing, the large number of vessels, bowls and glasses, which emphasise the central pictorial theme of water, demonstrate the artists' skill in handling light and a wide variety of materials. The Old Testament story in which the Israelites travelling through the desert complain to Moses that they have no water, is thus impressively reproduced. Moses pleaded to God for help, to which God replied: "Go past the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take the staff in your hand with which you struck the Nile and go! Over there on the rock at Horeb I will stand before you. Then strike the rock! Water will come out and the people will be able to drink..." (Exodus 17:1-7).

Jan Brueghel the Elder and Hendrik van Balen also worked on the subject of the water miracle together in another composition, in which Moses striking the rock is only rendered in the background (fig. 1, cf. Klaus Ertz, Jan Brueghel the Elder (1568-1625). Lingen 2008, vol. III, cat.-no. 214, p. 479 et. seq.). In contrast to this work, which can be dated to around 1610, the main scene in this painting is placed in the left foreground. A light-filled tree frame surrounds the action and at the same time leaves a view of the meticulously executed background in the centre. This is also emphasised by the seated, only half-clothed repoussoir figure, which skilfully directs the viewer's gaze into the depths.

A painting with the same composition as the present painting, but differing in the figures and details, was sold at auction in 2012 for € 969,000 (Aguttes, Paris, 7 December 2012, lot 20). Another version, which also differs in details, is in unknown ownership and has been documented on the basis of an old black and white photograph (cf. Bettina Werche, Hendrick van Balen (1575-1632). Turnhout 2004).