Numbers 20: Water from the rock at Meribah, and the death of Aaron
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What happens?
Miriam dies at Kadesh, and when there is no water the people quarrel with Moses and Aaron. Yahweh tells Moses to speak to the rock; Moses speaks to the people and strikes the rock twice, water comes out, and Yahweh says that Moses and Aaron will not bring the people into the land. Edom refuses to let Israel pass through, and on Mount Hor Aaron's garments are put on his son Eleazar and Aaron dies.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God's own words are in 5 of the 29 verses: what he tells Moses about the rock in verse 8, his words to Moses and Aaron in verse 12, and what he says about Aaron's death in verses 24 to 26. The people speak in verses 3 to 5, and Moses speaks to them in verse 10. Moses' messengers speak to the king of Edom in verses 14 to 17, Edom answers in verses 18 and 20, and the Israelites speak in verse 19. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1The children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month. The people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died there, and was buried there.
In plain English: The Israelites, the whole community, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there.
Good to know: The verse gives the first month but not the year. says Aaron, who dies later in this chapter, died in the fortieth year after Israel came out of Egypt. Miriam is first named in , where she is called a prophetess.
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2There was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
In plain English: There was no water for the community, and they gathered together against Moses and against Aaron.
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3The people quarreled with Moses, and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before Yahweh!
In plain English: The people quarreled with Moses and said, "If only we had died when our brothers died before Yahweh!
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4Why have you brought Yahweh’s assembly into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals?
In plain English: Why have you brought Yahweh's assembly into this wilderness, for us and our animals to die here?
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5Why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.”
In plain English: Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil (or: bad) place? It is no place for grain (literally: seed), or figs, or vines, or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink."
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6Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. Yahweh’s glory appeared to them.
In plain English: Moses and Aaron went away from the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting and fell on their faces. Yahweh's glory appeared to them.
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7Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
In plain English: Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
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8“Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it pour out its water. You shall bring water to them out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink.”God speaks
In plain English: "Take the rod, and gather the community, you and your brother Aaron. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will give out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for them, and give the community and their livestock a drink."
Good to know: The text does not say whose rod this is. says Moses took it "from before Yahweh", and in Aaron's rod was put back "before the covenant" to be kept. calls it "his rod".
Good to know: In , at the first place called Meribah, Yahweh told Moses to strike the rock. Here he tells him to speak to it.
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9Moses took the rod from before Yahweh, as he commanded him.
In plain English: Moses took the rod from before Yahweh, as he had commanded him.
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10Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?”
In plain English: Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock, and he said to them, "Listen now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?"
The Hebrew word: "Rebels" comes from marah, which the dictionary gives as "to be bitter", and "to rebel (or resist)". Yahweh uses the same word in : "you rebelled against my word".
How it is translated: This Bible says "rebel" or a longer form such as "rebelled" in 38 of the 44 verses that use marah.
What changes: The Hebrew is a plain question: "from this rock will we bring out water for you?" It can be read as anger ("must we"), as doubt ("can we"), or as Moses and Aaron speaking as if they were the ones giving the water. The text does not say which.
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11Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice, and water came out abundantly. The congregation and their livestock drank.
In plain English: Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his rod two times, and a great deal of water came out. The community and their livestock drank.
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12Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”God speaks
In plain English: Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe (or: trust) in me, to treat me as holy in the eyes of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them."
The Hebrew word: "Believe" is aman. The dictionary gives it as "to be firm or faithful, to trust or believe".
Good to know: Yahweh says Moses and Aaron did not believe in him and did not treat him as holy before the people. The text does not spell out what they did wrong. Later verses add that they "rebelled against my word" ( and ), "trespassed" and "didn't uphold my holiness" (). says Moses "spoke rashly with his lips".
Church tradition: Jewish and Christian readers have given different answers: that Moses struck the rock when he was told to speak to it; that he struck it twice; that his words "shall we bring water" spoke as if he and Aaron gave it, not Yahweh; or that he spoke in anger and called the people rebels. The text does not choose between them.
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13These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with Yahweh, and he was sanctified in them.
In plain English: These are the waters of Meribah, where (or: because) the Israelites quarreled with Yahweh, and he showed himself holy among them.
The Hebrew words: "Meribah" sounds like riv, to quarrel, the word in this verse ("strove") and in . The dictionary gives Meribah as "the name of two places in the Desert". "He was sanctified" (he showed himself holy) is qadash, which has the same Hebrew letters as Kadesh, the place in . The text does not draw that link.
Good to know: The first Meribah is in , where the people also quarreled about water. calls this one "Meribah of Kadesh".
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14Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying: “Your brother Israel says: You know all the travail that has happened to us;
In plain English: Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying, "This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has come on us:
Good to know: Edom is Esau (), the brother of Jacob, and Jacob was given the name Israel (). That is why the message says "your brother Israel".
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15how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers.
In plain English: how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time (literally: many days), and the Egyptians treated us and our fathers badly.
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16When we cried to Yahweh, he heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the edge of your border.
In plain English: When we cried out to Yahweh, he heard our voice, sent an angel (or: a messenger), and brought us out of Egypt. Now here we are at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory.
The Hebrew word: "Angel" is mal'akh, which the dictionary gives as "a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel". It is the same word as "messengers" in .
How it is translated: This Bible says "angel" or "angels" in 101 of its 196 verses, and "messenger" or "messengers" in 92. In Numbers it says "angel" in 11 of the 15 verses that use it.
What changes: Read as "a messenger", the verse does not have to mean a heavenly being. The text does not say who was sent.
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17“Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink from the water of the wells. We will go along the king’s highway. We will not turn away to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed your border.”
In plain English: "Please let us pass through your land. We will not go through any field or vineyard, and we will not drink water from any well. We will go along the king's highway, and not turn aside to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory."
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18Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against you.”
In plain English: Edom said to him, "You will not pass through my land (literally: through me), or I will come out against you with the sword."
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19The children of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway; and if we drink your water, I and my livestock, then I will give its price. Only let me, without doing anything else, pass through on my feet.”
In plain English: The Israelites said to him, "We will go up by the main road. If we drink your water, I and my livestock, I will pay for it. Only let me pass through on foot, and nothing more."
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20He said, “You shall not pass through.” Edom came out against him with many people, and with a strong hand.
In plain English: He said, "You will not pass through." Edom came out against him with a large army (literally: many people) and a strong hand.
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21Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border, so Israel turned away from him.
In plain English: So Edom refused to let Israel pass through his territory, and Israel turned away from him.
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22They traveled from Kadesh, and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.
In plain English: They set out from Kadesh, and the Israelites, the whole community, came to Mount Hor.
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23Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying,
In plain English: Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying,
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24“Aaron shall be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah.God speaks
In plain English: "Aaron is to be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I have given to the Israelites, because you two rebelled against my word (literally: my mouth) at the waters of Meribah.
The Hebrew word: "Gathered" is asaph, which the dictionary gives as "to gather", and also "to take away". "Gathered to his people" is a way of speaking of death, as with Abraham in .
Good to know: Here Yahweh gives the reason for Aaron's death: "you rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah". The Hebrew speaks to Moses and Aaron together. and say Aaron died on Mount Hor at 123 years old. says he died at Moserah. The text does not explain the two names, and readers explain them in different ways.
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25Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor;God speaks
In plain English: Take Aaron and his son Eleazar, and bring them up Mount Hor.
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26and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron shall be gathered, and shall die there.”God speaks
In plain English: Take Aaron's garments off him and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered, and will die there."
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27Moses did as Yahweh commanded. They went up onto Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.
In plain English: Moses did as Yahweh commanded. They went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community.
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28Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
In plain English: Moses took Aaron's garments off him and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
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29When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.
In plain English: When the whole community saw that Aaron had died, they wept for Aaron thirty days, the whole house of Israel.
Good to know: Israel also weeps thirty days for Moses, in .
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