Numbers 20:11
in Numbers 20Then 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Moses lifted up his hand, and smote the rock with his rod twice: and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their cattle.
KJV
And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
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This verse in Numbers 20
Commentary
12 notes on this verseAnd Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice,.... At first it only brought out some drops, as Jarchi conjectures, and therefore Moses smote again, when it brought forth water plentifully: the Targum of Jonathan says,"at the first time it dropped blood, at the second time came out much water.''Could this be credited, it would make the agreement between this rock and Christ appear very manifest, from whom, when his side was pierced with a spear, there came out blood and water, Joh 19:34 for justification and sanctification.
This site's exposition
with his rod he smote the rock twice
He was told to speak and he struck, and he struck twice. The water comes abundantly all the same, and the congregation and their cattle drink, so the people lose nothing by what he did. 1 Corinthians 10:4 says of the rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ, which is the New Testament stating the link itself. The older reading, that a rock struck once and afterward only spoken to shows one offering never repeated, is held by Matthew Henry and taught by Chuck Missler, and the New Testament does not say it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
Priests also must take care lest they be insincere, lest they doubt the power of God. If Aaron and Moses (who seemed to waver at the waters of contradiction) did not deserve to enter the Promised Land, does it not stand to reason that we, bent under the burden of sin, shall be far less able to cross the river Jordan and reach Gilgal, the place of circumcision, if we shall cause one of these little ones to sin?
A commentator
Augustine of HippoTRACTATE ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 26.12.2 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
The rock is Christ in a sign, the true Christ in the Word and in the flesh. And how did they drink? The rock was struck twice with a rod. The double striking prefigures the two pieces of wood on the cross.
A commentator
Augustine of HippoTRACTATE ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 28.9.4 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
We recognize that we are taking a trip in a wasteland. If we recognize ourselves in a wasteland, we are in a wasteland. What does it mean, in a wasteland? In a desert. Why in a desert? Because in this world, one thirsts on a waterless road. But let us thirst that we may be filled. For "blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice; for they shall have their fill." And our thirst is filled from a rock in the wasteland. For "the rock was Christ." And it was struck with a rod that water might flow. But that it might flow, it was struck twice; for there are the two pieces of wood on the cross.
"Therefore Moses struck the rock twice with his staff." What does this mean, brethren? I do not think it is without mystery. What does it mean that the rock was not struck once but twice with the staff? The rock was struck a second time …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
), but in it he made them to drink spiritual drink, which typified spiritual blessings, for that rock was Christ. Moses and Aaron acted improperly in the management of this matter, so much so that God in displeasure told them immediately that they should not have the honour of bringing Israel into Canaan,
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5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): The water came out abundantly. This is an instance, not only of the power of God, that he could thus fetch honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock, but of his mercy and grace, that he would do it for such a provoking people.
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(1.) This is a strange passage of story, yet very instructive. [1.] It is certain that God was greatly offended, and justly, for he is never angry without cause.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The command Num 20:8 was “Speak ye unto the rock.” The act of smiting, and especially with two strokes, indicates violent irritation on the part of Moses; as does also his unseemly mode of addressing the people: “Hear now, ye rebels.” The form too of the question, “must we, etc.,” directs the people not, as ought to have been the case, to God as their deliverer, but to Moses and Aaron personally.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
there was no water for the congregation--There was at Kadesh a fountain, En-Mishpat (Ge 14:7), and at the first encampment of the Israelites there was no want of water.
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A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the congregation drank, and their beasts--Physically the water afforded the same kind of needful refreshment to both. But from a religious point of view, this, which was only a common element to the cattle, was a sacrament to the people (1Co 10:3, 4) --It possessed a relative sanctity imparted to it by its divine origin and use.
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How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
פעמים [HE SMOTE THE ROCK] TWICE, because at the first attempt it did not bring forth more than a few drops, for God had not bidden him smite it, but He had said, (v. 8) “and ye shall speak to the rock”. They had, indeed, spoken, but to a different rock (not that which God had intended) and it had not given forth water.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
ARE WE TO BRING YOU FORTH WATER OUT OF THIS ROCK? Far be it and [G-d] forbid that [we should explain this] as a question indicating impossibility! For Moses our teacher, who was trusted in all G-d’s house, 160 See above,:7.
Moshe and Aharon assembled the community before the rock; [Moshe] said to them, “Listen, you rebels! Can we extract water from this rock for you?”
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֨רֶם | vaiyarem | and he raised | H7311 → | 190 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֜ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יָד֗וֹ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וַיַּ֧ךְ | vaiyakh | and he struck | H5221 → | 499 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַסֶּ֛לַע | hasela' | the rock | H5553 → | 58 times |
| בְּמַטֵּ֖הוּ | bematehu | with rod his | H4294 → | 252 times |
| פַּעֲמָ֑יִם | paamayim | two times | H6471 → | 118 times |
| וַיֵּצְאוּ֙ | vaiyetzeu | and they came out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| מַ֣יִם | mayim | waters | H4325 → | 581 times |
| רַבִּ֔ים | rabim | many | H7227 → | 454 times |
| וַתֵּ֥שְׁתְּ | vateshet | and it drank | H8354 → | 217 times |
| הָעֵדָ֖ה | haedah | the congregation | H5712 → | 149 times |
| וּבְעִירָֽם׃ ס | uveiram | and livestock their | H1165 → | 6 times |
וַיָּ֨רֶםand he raised
vaiyaremH7311 →190 times
מֹשֶׁ֜הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יָד֗וֹhand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
וַיַּ֧ךְand he struck
vaiyakhH5221 →499 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַסֶּ֛לַעthe rock
hasela'H5553 →58 times
בְּמַטֵּ֖הוּwith rod his
bematehuH4294 →252 times
פַּעֲמָ֑יִםtwo times
paamayimH6471 →118 times
וַיֵּצְאוּ֙and they came out
vaiyetzeuH3318 →1067 times
מַ֣יִםwaters
mayimH4325 →581 times
רַבִּ֔יםmany
rabimH7227 →454 times
וַתֵּ֥שְׁתְּand it drank
vateshetH8354 →217 times
הָעֵדָ֖הthe congregation
haedahH5712 →149 times
וּבְעִירָֽם׃ סand livestock their
uveiramH1165 →6 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
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…
it leads to
- Nehemiah 9:15
In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land which You had sworn to…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 105:41
He opened a rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 8:15
He led you through the vast and terrifying wilderness with its venomous snakes and scorpions, a thirsty and waterless land. He brought you water from the rock of flint.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Corinthians 10:4
and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
- Numbers 20:9–11
So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he had been commanded.
- Nehemiah 9:15
Through
1 Corinthians 10:4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
it leads to
- Isaiah 48:21
They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts; He made water flow for them from the rock; He split the rock, and water gushed out.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 17:6
Behold, 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…
- John 7:37
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
- Isaiah 48:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
About Numbers
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, TRACTATE ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 26.12.2; Augustine of Hippo, TRACTATE ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 28.9.4; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 103.3; Chuck Missler, Learn the Bible in 24 Hours; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, HOMILY 90; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.