Numberschapter 20

A.Moses strikes the rock twicevv. 1-13

1 In the first month, the whole congregation of Israel entered the Wilderness of Zin and stayed in Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried. 2 Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered against Moses and Aaron. 3 The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished with our brothers before the LORD! 4 Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? 5 Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates—and there is no water to drink!” 6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. 7 And the LORD said to Moses, 8 “Take the staff and assemble the congregation. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.” 9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he had been commanded. 10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink. 12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.” 13 These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD, and He showed His holiness among them.

B.Edom refuses Israel passagevv. 14-21

14 From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to tell the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us, 15 how our fathers went down to Egypt, where we lived many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers, 16 and when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. 17 Please let us pass through your land. We will not cut through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King’s Highway; we will not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.” 18 But Edom answered, “You may not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront you with the sword.” 19 “We will stay on the main road,” the Israelites replied, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay for it. There will be no problem; only let us pass through on foot.” 20 But Edom insisted, “You may not pass through.” And they came out to confront the Israelites with a large army and a strong hand. 21 So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.

C.Aaron's garments passed to Eleazarvv. 22-29

22 After they had set out from Kadesh, the whole congregation of Israel came to Mount Hor. 23 And at Mount Hor, near the border of the land of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 24 “Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land that I have given the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor. 26 Remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered to his people and will die there.” 27 So Moses did as the LORD had commanded, and they climbed Mount Hor in the sight of the whole congregation. 28 After Moses had 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. 29 When the whole congregation saw that Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

← Back: Numbers 19 Continue: Numbers 21 →

Chapter summary

Meribah.

Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴

Meribah. Moses strikes the rock. Miriam dies and is buried at Kadesh. The people chide Moses for water. The LORD tells him to take the rod and speak to the rock; he lifts the rod and strikes it twice. Water comes out, but the LORD rebukes: ‘because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them’. Edom refuses passage through his territory. Aaron dies on Mount Hor; his priestly garments transferred to Eleazar his son; the congregation mourns thirty days. The first generation's leadership begins to die.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Law · Moses — Numbers overview

A. 1–13 Moses strikes the rock twice
B. 14–21 Edom refuses Israel passage
C. 22–29 Aaron's garments passed to Eleazar

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Numbers 167 verses
- Numbers 16:4When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.
- Numbers 16:14Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? No, we will not come!”
- Numbers 16:19When Korah had gathered his whole assembly against them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole congregation.
- Numbers 16:31As soon as Moses had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open,
- Numbers 16:41The next day the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!”
- Numbers 16:42But when the congregation gathered against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the Tent of Meeting, and suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.
- Read Numbers 16: 1 more there →
Deuteronomy 24 verses
- Deuteronomy 2:6You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.’”
- Deuteronomy 2:27“Let us pass through your land; we will stay on the main road. We will not turn to the right or to the left.
- Deuteronomy 2:28You can sell us food to eat and water to drink in exchange for silver. Only let us pass through on foot,
- Deuteronomy 2:29just as the descendants of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for us, until we cross the Jordan into the land that the LORD our God is giving us.”
- Read Deuteronomy 2 →
Exodus 174 verses
- Exodus 17:2So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?”
- Exodus 17:3But 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?”
- Exodus 17:6Behold, 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.
- Exodus 17:7He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
- Read Exodus 17 →
Judges 114 verses
- Judges 11:16But when Israel came up out of Egypt, they traveled through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh.
- Judges 11:17Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel stayed in Kadesh.
- Judges 11:18Then Israel traveled through the wilderness and bypassed the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, since the Arnon was its border.
- Judges 11:20But Sihon would not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So he gathered all his people, encamped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.
- Read Judges 11 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Numbers 204 verses
- Numbers 20:1In the first month, the whole congregation of Israel entered the Wilderness of Zin and stayed in Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
- Numbers 20:14From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to tell the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us,
- Numbers 20:24“Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land that I have given the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah.
- Numbers 20:26Remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered to his people and will die there.”
- Read Numbers 20 →
Numbers 333 verses
- Numbers 33:36They set out from Ezion-geber and camped at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.
- Numbers 33:37They set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the outskirts of the land of Edom.
- Numbers 33:38At the LORD’s command, Aaron the priest climbed Mount Hor and died there on the first day of the fifth month, in the fortieth year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt.
- Read Numbers 33 →
Numbers 213 verses
- Numbers 21:1When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked Israel and captured some prisoners.
- Numbers 21:4Then they set out from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, in order to bypass the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient on the journey
- Numbers 21:22“Let us pass through your land. We will not cut through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.”
- Read Numbers 21 →
Exodus 152 verses
- Exodus 15:20Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing.
- Exodus 15:23And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the water there because it was bitter. (That is why it was named Marah.)
- Read Exodus 15 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.