Numbers 20:6
in Numbers 20Then 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tent of meeting, and fell upon their faces: and the glory of Jehovah appeared unto them.
KJV
And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them.
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This verse in Numbers 20
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly--Here is a fresh ebullition of the untamed and discontented spirit of the people. The leaders fled to the precincts of the sanctuary, both as an asylum from the increasing fury of the highly excited rabble, and as their usual refuge in seasons of perplexity and danger, to implore the direction and aid of God.
This site's exposition
unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation
on Numbers 20:6-7
Moses and Aaron leave the assembly and go face down at the door of the tent, which is the posture they took at 14:5, 16:4, 16:22 and 16:45. Each of those times the glory appeared and something was settled. Here the glory appears and the word that follows it is an instruction rather than a sentence.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
God appeared, to determine the matter; not on his tribunal of justice, to sentence the rebels according to their deserts; no, he will not return to destroy Ephraim ( Hosea xi. 9 ), will not always chide; see Gen. viii. But he appeared, (1.) On his throne of glory, to silence their unjust murmuring (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
): The glory of the Lord appeared, to still the tumult of the people, by striking an awe upon them. Note, A believing sight of the glory of the Lord would be an effectual check to our lusts and passions, and would keep our mouths as with a bridle. (2.) On his throne of grace, to satisfy their just desires.
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And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly,.... Like fugitives, as Aben Ezra; they fled from them through fear, lest they should rise and fall upon them, and stone them, as their fathers were ready to do in a like case, Exo 17:
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹא֩ | vaiyavo' | and he went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֨ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| וְאַהֲרֹ֜ן | veaharon | and Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| מִפְּנֵ֣י | mipenei | from before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַקָּהָ֗ל | hakahal | the assembly | H6951 → | 123 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| פֶּ֙תַח֙ | petach | [the] entrance of | H6607 → | 164 times |
| אֹ֣הֶל | ʾohel | [the] tent of | H168 → | 345 times |
| מוֹעֵ֔ד | moed | meeting | H4150 → | 223 times |
| וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ | vaiyipelu | and they fell | H5307 → | 435 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פְּנֵיהֶ֑ם | peneihem | faces their | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וַיֵּרָ֥א | vaiyera' | and it appeared | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| כְבוֹד־ | khevod- | [the] glory of | H3519 → | 200 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ פ | ʾaleihem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
וַיָּבֹא֩and he went
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
מֹשֶׁ֨הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
וְאַהֲרֹ֜ןand Aaron
veaharonH175 →347 times
מִפְּנֵ֣יfrom before
mipeneiH6440 →2123 times
הַקָּהָ֗לthe assembly
hakahalH6951 →123 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
פֶּ֙תַח֙[the] entrance of
petachH6607 →164 times
אֹ֣הֶל[the] tent of
ʾohelH168 →345 times
מוֹעֵ֔דmeeting
moedH4150 →223 times
וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּand they fell
vaiyipeluH5307 →435 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
פְּנֵיהֶ֑םfaces their
peneihemH6440 →2123 times
וַיֵּרָ֥אand it appeared
vaiyera'H7200 →1300 times
כְבוֹד־[the] glory of
khevod-H3519 →200 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ פto them
ʾaleihemH413 →5510 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
Numbers 14:5Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel.
it leads to
- Numbers 16:45
“Get away from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” And Moses and Aaron fell facedown.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 16:4
When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.
- Numbers 16:22
But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the whole congregation?”
- Numbers 16:45
Through
Numbers 16:22But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the whole congregation?”
it leads to
- Numbers 27:16
“May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation
- Zechariah 12:1
This is the burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD, who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth, who forms the spirit of man…
- Job 12:10
The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.
- Ecclesiastes 12:7
before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
- Numbers 27:16
Through
Numbers 16:4When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.
it leads to
- Numbers 14:5
Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel.
- Numbers 14:5
Where this verse is studied
About Numbers
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.