Numbers 20
20
Water from the Rock
1The entire Israelite community entered the Wilderness of Zin # 20:1 Nm 13:21; 27:14; 33:36; 34:3; Dt 32:51; Jos 15:1 in the first month, and they # 20:1 Lit the people settled in Kadesh. # 20:1 Nm 13:26; 27:14; 33:36–37; Dt 1:46; Jdg 11:16–17; Ps 29:8 Miriam # 20:1 Ex 15:20–21; Nm 12:1; 26:59; Dt 24:9 died and was buried there.
2There was no water for the community, so they assembled against Moses and Aaron. 3The people quarreled with Moses and said, # 20:3 Ex 17:2 “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord. # 20:3 Nm 16:31–35,41–50 4Why have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness # 20:4 Nm 11:11 for us and our livestock to die here? # 20:4 Gn 47:15,19; Ex 14:11–12; Nm 21:5 5Why have you led us up from Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It’s not a place of grain, figs, vines, and pomegranates, # 20:5 Ex 13:5; Nm 13:23–27; Dt 8:8 and there is no water to drink! ”
6Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7The Lord spoke to Moses, 8“Take the staff # 20:8 Ex 4:2–5; 7:15,17,20; 17:4–9; Nm 17:8; 2Kg 4:31 and assemble the community. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock # 20:8 Gn 49:24; Ex 17:6; Dt 32:13–18; Neh 9:15; Jb 29:6; Ps 78:20; 81:16; 114:8 while they watch, and it will yield its water. You will bring out water for them from the rock and provide drink for the community and their livestock.”
9So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence # 20:9 Nm 17:10 just as he had commanded him. 10Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you? ” 11Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that abundant water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. # 20:11 Ex 17:6; Ps 78:15; 1Co 10:4
12But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me to demonstrate my holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.” # 20:12 Nm 27:12–14; Dt 1:37; 3:26; 32:51 13These are the Waters of Meribah, # 20:13 = Quarreling,# 20:13 Ex 17:7; Nm 27:14; Dt 32:51; Ps 95:8; 106:32 where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord, and he demonstrated his holiness to them. # 20:13 Nm 27:14; Ezk 28:22; 38:23
Edom Denies Passage
14Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel # 20:14 Gn 25:23–26,30; 36:8 says, ‘You know all the hardships that have overtaken us. 15Our ancestors went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt many years, but the Egyptians treated us and our ancestors badly. 16When we cried out to the Lord, he heard our plea, # 20:16 Lit voice and sent an angel, # 20:16 Or a messenger,# 20:16 Ex 3:7–10; 14:19; 23:20 and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the border of your territory. 17Please let us travel through your land. We won’t travel through any field or vineyard, or drink any well water. We will travel the King’s Highway; we won’t turn to the right or the left until we have traveled through your territory.’ ” # 20:17 Nm 21:22; Dt 2:27
18But Edom answered him, “You will not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront you with the sword.”
19“We will go on the main road,” the Israelites replied to them, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay its price. # 20:19 Dt 2:1–7 There will be no problem; only let us travel through on foot.”
20Yet Edom insisted, “You may not travel through.” And they came out to confront them with a large force of heavily-armed people. # 20:20 Lit with numerous people and a strong hand 21Edom refused to allow Israel to travel through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.
Aaron’s Death
22After they set out from Kadesh, the entire Israelite community came to Mount Hor. # 20:22 Nm 21:4; 33:37–41; Dt 32:50 23The Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor on the border of the land of Edom, 24“Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land I have given the Israelites, because you both rebelled against my command at the Waters of Meribah. 25Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor. 26Remove Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered to his people and die there.”
27So Moses did as the Lord commanded, and they climbed Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. 28After Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29When the whole community saw that Aaron had passed away, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Numbers 20
20
On the way to Moab
Water from a rock
1The people of Israel arrived at the Zin Desert during the first month#20.1 first month: See the note at 9.3. and set up camp near the town of Kadesh. It was there that Miriam died and was buried.
2The Israelites had no water, so they went to Moses and Aaron#Ex 17.1-7. 3and complained, “Moses, we'd be better off if we had died along with the others in front of the LORD's sacred tent.#20.3 if we had died…sacred tent: See 16.41-49. 4You brought us into this desert, and now we and our livestock are going to die! 5Egypt was better than this horrible place. At least there we had grain and figs and grapevines and pomegranates.#20.5 pomegranates: See the note at 13.23,24. But now we don't even have any water.”
6Moses and Aaron went to the entrance to the sacred tent, where they bowed down. The LORD appeared to them in all his glory 7-8and said, “Moses, get your walking stick.#20.7,8 walking stick: A symbol of his authority. Then you and Aaron call the people together and command that rock to give you water. That's how you will provide water for the people of Israel and their livestock.”
9Moses obeyed and took his stick from the sacred tent. 10After he and Aaron had gathered the people around the rock, he said, “Look, you rebellious people, and you will see water flow from this rock!” 11He raised his stick in the air and struck the rock two times. At once, water gushed from the rock, and the people and their livestock had water to drink.
12But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you refused to believe in my power, these people did not respect me. And so, you will not be the ones to lead them into the land I have promised.”
13The Israelites had complained against the LORD, and he had shown them his holy power by giving them water to drink. So they named the place Meribah, which means “Complaining”.
Israel isn't allowed to go through Edom
14Moses sent messengers from Israel's camp near Kadesh with this message for the king of Edom:
We are Israelites, your own relatives, and we're sure you have heard the terrible things that have happened to us. 15Our ancestors settled in Egypt and lived there a long time. But later the Egyptians were cruel to us, 16and when we begged our LORD for help, he answered our prayer and brought us out of that land.
Now we are camped at the border of your territory, near the town of Kadesh. 17Please let us go through your country. We won't go near your fields and vineyards, and we won't drink any water from your wells. We will stay on the main road#20.17 the main road: The Hebrew text has “the King's Highway”, which was an important trade route through what is today the country of Jordan. It connected the city of Damascus in Syria with the Gulf of Aqaba in southern Jordan. until we leave your territory.
18But the Edomite king answered, “No, I won't let you go through our country! And if you try, we will attack you.”
19Moses sent back this message: “We promise to stay on the main road, and if any of us or our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. We just want to pass through.”
20But the Edomite king insisted, “You can't go through our land!”
Then Edom sent out its strongest troops 21to keep Israel from passing through its territory. So the Israelites had to go in another direction.
Aaron dies
22After the Israelites had left Kadesh and had gone as far as Mount Hor 23on the Edomite border, the LORD said, 24“Aaron, this is where you will die. You and Moses disobeyed me at Meribah, and so you will not enter the land I promised the Israelites. 25Moses, go with Aaron and his son Eleazar to the top of the mountain. 26Then take Aaron's priestly robe from him and place it on Eleazar. Aaron will die there.”
27Moses obeyed, and everyone watched as he and Aaron and Eleazar walked to the top of Mount Hor. 28Moses then took the priestly robe from Aaron and placed it on Eleazar. Aaron died there.#Ex 29.29; Nu 33.38; Dt 10.6.
When Moses and Eleazar came down, 29the people knew that Aaron had died, and they mourned his death for thirty days.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012