Numbers 20:8-18

8 Take the rod of Aaron, and gather together the people, thou, and Aaron thy brother; and speak ye to the stone before them, and it shall give out waters. And when thou hast led water out of the stone, all the multitude shall drink, and their beasts thereof. (Take the staff, and gather together the people, thou, and thy brother Aaron; and speak ye to the stone before them, and it shall give out water. And when thou hast led out water from the stone, all the multitude and their beasts shall drink it.)
9 Therefore Moses took the rod that was in the sight of the Lord, as the Lord commanded to him, (And so Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him,)
10 when the multitude was gathered before the stone; and he said to them, Hear ye, rebel[s], and unbelieveful; whether we may bring out of this stone water to you? (and when the multitude was gathered in front of the stone, Moses said to them, Listen, ye rebels and unbelievers; must we get water out of this stone for you?)
11 And when Moses had raised his hand, and had smitten the flint twice with the rod, most large waters went out, so that the people drank, and their beasts. (And when Moses had raised up his hand, and had struck the rock twice with the staff, a great deal of water came out, so that the people drank, and also their beasts.)
12 And the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron, For ye believed not to me, that ye should hallow me before the sons of Israel (For ye did not believe me, and uphold my holiness before the Israelites), ye shall not lead these peoples into the land which I shall give to them.
13 This is the water of against-saying; there the sons of Israel strived against the Lord, and he was hallowed in them. (This is the water of Meribah; there the Israelites complained against the Lord, but he was still holy before them.)
14 In the meantime Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, the which (messengers) said, Israel thy brother, sendeth these things to thee. Thou knowest all the travail that hath taken us,
15 how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we dwelled there much time, and (the) Egyptians tormented us, and our fathers (as well);
16 and how we cried to the Lord, and he heard us, and sent an angel that [hath] led us out of Egypt. And lo! we be set in the city of Kadesh, that is in thine uttermost coasts (that is on thy most distant border),
17 and we beseech thee that it be leaveful to us to pass through thy land; we shall not go by thy fields, neither by thy vineries, neither we shall drink waters of thy wells; but we shall go in the common way, and we shall not bow to the right side, neither to the left side, till we pass thy terms. (and we beseech thee that it be lawful for us to pass through thy land; we shall not go into thy fields, or into thy vineyards, and we shall not drink any water from thy wells; but we shall go on the common way, and we shall not turn to the right side, or to the left side, till we go out again over thy border.)
18 To whom Edom answered, Ye shall not pass by me, else I shall be armed, and come against thee. (To whom the Edomites answered, Ye shall not pass through our land, and if ye try, we shall be armed, and shall come out against thee.)

Numbers 20:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 20

In this chapter is an account of the children of Israel coming to the wilderness of Zin, where Miriam died, and where wanting water they murmured, Nu 20:1-5, upon which Moses and Aaron applied to the Lord, who ordered Moses to speak to a rock, which should give forth water, and which being smitten by him, accordingly did, Nu 20:6-11, but Moses and Aaron, in their conduct of this affair, displeased the Lord, Nu 20:12,13, after this, Moses sent to the king of Edom to desire a passage through his country, which request was refused, Nu 20:14-21, upon Israel's coming to Mount Hor, Aaron, by order, went up to the mount, and, when stripped of his clothes, which were put on his son Eleazar, he died, lamented by all the people, Nu 20:22-29.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.