Bamidbar 27:14

14 For ye rebelled against My command in the Midbar Tzin, in the merivat HaEdah (strife of the Assembly) to honor Me as Kodesh before their eyes at the mayim: that is, the mayim of Merivah in Kadesh in the Midbar Tzin.

Bamidbar 27:14 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 27:14

For ye rebelled against my commandment the desert of Zin
Both Moses and Aaron, which was the reason why they were not suffered to go into the land of Canaan, but died a little before the children of Israel came into it: what their sin was, called here a rebelling against the commandment of the Lord; (See Gill on Numbers 20:12), and is next suggested:

in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me before their eyes;
when the congregation of Israel strove against the Lord for want of water, they did not sanctify the Lord by believing in him; but expressed some degree of diffidence before the congregation about fetching water out of the rock, or questioning whether the Lord would give it to such a rebellious people, though they had his order for it:

that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin;
so called to distinguish it from another Meribah, or water of strife, at Rephidim, ( Exodus 17:7 ) ( Deuteronomy 32:51 ) .

Bamidbar 27:14 In-Context

12 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Get thee up on this har haAvarim, and see HaAretz which I have given unto the Bnei Yisroel.

13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aharon achicha was gathered.

14 For ye rebelled against My command in the Midbar Tzin, in the merivat HaEdah (strife of the Assembly) to honor Me as Kodesh before their eyes at the mayim: that is, the mayim of Merivah in Kadesh in the Midbar Tzin.

15 And Moshe spoke unto Hashem, saying,

16 Let Hashem Elohei HaRuchot L’khol Basar appoint an Ish over HaEdah,