Numbers 20:24

24 1"Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel, because 2you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah.

Numbers 20:24 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 20:24

Aaron shall be gathered unto his people
That is, shall die, for this phrase is a periphrasis of death, and is used in common both of good and bad men, and designs death in general, without regard to persons and places men go to at death:

for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the
children of Israel;
the land of Canaan; and Aaron the priest, and so Moses the lawgiver, not being suffered to enter into that land, show the weakness and imperfection of the law, and of the Levitical priesthood, and the insufficiency of them, and of obedience to them to bring men to, and give them an entrance into the heavenly glory; that is done by another person, the antitype of Joshua, even Jesus:

because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah;
that is, you Moses and Aaron; their unbelief is called a rebelling against the word of the Lord, for which it was threatened them, that they should not bring the people of Israel into the land of Canaan, and now the threatening begins to take place, see ( Numbers 20:12 ) .

Numbers 20:24 In-Context

22 And they journeyed from Kadesh, and the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.
23 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom,
24 "Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah.
25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor.
26 And strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron shall be gathered to his people and shall die there."

Cross References 2

  • 1. Numbers 27:13; Deuteronomy 32:50; [Numbers 31:2; Genesis 25:8]
  • 2. ver. 12
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.