Numbers 20:13

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.)

Numbers 20:13 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 20:13

This is the water of Meribah
Or "strife": this is the name by which the water had in this place, and from this rock, was called; and which is the same name given to the place at Horeb, where a rock had been smitten, and water had flowed, as now, the first year they came out of Egypt; and to distinguish this from that, this is sometimes called Meribah-Kadesh, ( Deuteronomy 32:51 ) , this being at Kadesh, as that was at Rephidim:

because the children of Israel strove with the Lord:
for their chiding and striving with Moses was interpretatively striving with the Lord himself, whose ministers and servants they were:

and he was sanctified in them;
that is, the glory of his divine perfections was displayed in them; either in the waters fetched out of the rock, which was a proof of the almighty power of God, and of his truth and faithfulness to his promises; or in the children of Israel, in whose sight, and for whose sake this miracle was wrought: the Targum of Jonathan expressly says, in Moses and Aaron, in not sparing these his saints, but expressing severity towards them for their sin; so Jarchi and Aben Ezra interpret it.

Numbers 20:13 In-Context

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);