The Fourth Book of Moses: Numbers

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- Chapter 20 -

(Exodus 17:1–7)

So the people of Israel, the whole community, went into the wilderness of Sin in the first month; they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.

There was no water for the community, so they assembled together against Moses and Aaron.

The people complained against Moses. They said, “It would have been better if we had died when our fellow Israelites died in front of Yahweh!

Why have you brought Yahweh’s community into this wilderness to die here, we and our animals?

Why did you make us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this horrible place? Here there is no seed, figs, vines, or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.”

So Moses and Aaron went away from in front of the assembly. They went to the entrance of the tent of meeting and lay facedown. There Yahweh’s brilliant glory appeared to them.

Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

“Take the staff and assemble the community, you, and Aaron your brother. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and command it to flow with water. You will produce water for them out of that rock, and you must give it to the community and their cattle to drink.”

Moses took the staff from before Yahweh, as Yahweh had commanded him to do.

Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock. Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels. Must we bring water out of this rock for you?”

Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, and much water came out. The community drank, and their cattle drank.

Then Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me or honor me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.”

This place was called the waters of Meribah because the people of Israel had quarreled with Yahweh there, and he showed himself to them as holy.

Edom Refuses Passage

Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: Your brother Israel says this: “You know all the difficulties that have happened to us.

You know that our ancestors went down to Egypt and lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians treated us harshly and also our ancestors.

When we called out to Yahweh, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. Look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the border of your land.

I am asking you to let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, nor will we drink the water in your wells. We will go along the king’s highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed your border.”

But the king of Edom replied to him, “You may not pass through here. If you do, I will come with the sword to attack you.”

Then the people of Israel said to him, “We will go along the highway. If we or our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. Just let us walk through on foot, without doing anything else.”

But the king of Edom replied, “You may not pass through.” So the king of Edom came against Israel with a strong hand with many soldiers.

The king of Edom refused to allow Israel to cross over their border. Because of this, Israel turned away from the land of Edom.

The Death of Aaron

So the people journeyed from Kadesh. The people of Israel, the whole community, came to Mount Hor.

Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on Edom’s border. He said,

“Aaron must be gathered to his people, for he will not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel. This is because you both rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah.

Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor.

Take Aaron’s priestly garments off him and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron must die and be gathered to his people there.”

Moses did as Yahweh commanded. They went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the community.

Moses took Aaron’s priestly garments off him and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down.

When all the community saw that Aaron was dead, the entire nation wept for Aaron for thirty days.

(Exodus 17:1–7)

The 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.

There was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

The people quarreled with Moses, and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before the LORD!

Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals?

Why 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.”

Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. The LORD’s glory appeared to them.

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“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.”

Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.

Moses 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?”

Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice, and water came out abundantly. The congregation and their livestock drank.

The LORD 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.”

These are the waters of Meribah;(a) because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

Edom Refuses Passage

Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying: “Your brother Israel says: You know all the travail that has happened to us;

how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers.

When we cried to the LORD, 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.

“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.”

Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against you.”

The 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.”

He said, “You shall not pass through.” Edom came out against him with many people, and with a strong hand.

Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border, so Israel turned away from him.

The Death of Aaron

They traveled from Kadesh, and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.

The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying,

“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.

Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor;

and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron shall be gathered, and shall die there.”

Moses did as the LORD commanded. They went up onto Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

Moses 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.

When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

Footnotes

(a)20:13 “Meribah” means “quarreling”.