1The children of Israel come to Zin, where Miriam dieth. 2They murmur for want of water. 7Moses smiting the rock bringeth forth water. 12God is displeased with Moses and Aaron at Meribah. 14Moses at Kadesh desireth a passage through Edom, which is denied. 22At mount Hor Aaron resigneth his place to Eleazar, and dieth.
1THEN came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the 1first month: and the people abode in 2Kadesh; and 3Miriam died there, and was buried there.
1 Namely, of the fortieth year after the exodus out of Egypt, Num. 33:38.
2 This Kadesh was situated on the borders of Edom, verse 16, distinguished from Kadesh-barnea, Deut. 1:19.
3 The sister of Moses and Aaron, a prophetess. See Exod. 15:20. In this fortieth year of the exodus of the Israelites did likewise die, Aaron, Num. 33:38, and also Moses, Deut. 34:5.
2And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
3And the people chodea with Moses, and spake, saying, 4Would God that we had died when ourb brethren died before the LORD!
a complained
4 This sets forth the greatness of their heart’s grief, making the same to break out into the ensuing wish.
b Num. 16:32, 49.
4And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?
5And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in 5unto 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.
5 See Jer. 2:6.
6And Moses and Aaron went 6from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and 7they fell upon their faces: and the 8glory of the LORD appeared unto them.
6 Namely, being frightened for the violence and the inconvenience from the people.
7 They, namely, Moses and Aaron, calling upon God the LORD, as Exod. 17:4.
8 Appearing in the pillar of cloud.
7¶And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
8Take 9the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, andc thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
9 Namely, the staff of Aaron, which was kept before the ark of the covenant. See Num. 17:10. Some understand here the staff of Moses, wherewith he had wrought miraculous acts.
c Neh. 9:15; Psalm 78:15, 16; 105:41; 114:8.
9And Moses took the rod from 10before the LORD, as he commanded him.
10 That is, out of the tabernacle.
10And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, andd he 11said unto 12them, Hear now, ye rebels; 13muste we fetch you water out of this rock?
d Psalm 106:32, 33.
11 Namely, Moses.
12 Moses had received no command to address his speech unto the people, but to speak unto the rock, verse 8.
13 Of this they needed not to have doubted, for God had promised it to them, verse 8.
e Deut. 32:51.
11And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the 14rock 15twice: andf the water came out abundantly, andg the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
14 See 1 Cor. 10:4 of the spiritual signification of this rock.
15 This was also a sign of Moses’ hasty anger.
f Psalm 78:15; 105:41; Isa. 48:21; 1 Cor. 10:4.
g Isa. 43:20.
12¶And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Becauseh ye believed 16me not, 17to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, 18therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
h Num. 27:14; Deut. 1:37.
16 That is, because ye did not believe My words, to do and perform what I commanded you, as doubting whether I was sufficiently able to accomplish what I had commanded you to do.
17 Cheerfully at My command, charging the rock to yield forth water, and thus giving the people a good example to believe and to obey My words.
18 That which God here threatened, came also to pass, for, Aaron died on mount Hor, verse 28, and Moses on mount Nebo, Deuteronomy 34.
13This is the water of 19Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with 20the LORD, and he was sanctified 21in them.
19 That is, waters of strife or contention.
20 With Moses, the servant of the LORD, verse 3. See Exod. 16:8.
21 Namely, in Moses and Aaron, for, punishing their obedience, He hallowed Himself thereby. See Lev. 10:3; 22:32. Others apply this to the Israelites, to whom God made good His holy Word, when He brought forth water out of the rock.
14¶And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of 22Edom, Thusi saith thy 23brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail 24that hath befallen us:
22 Edom or Esau, and Jacob or Israel, were brethren indeed, and those who speak here together, their respective descendants.
i Deut. 23:7; Obadiah verses 10, 12.
23 Edom or Esau, and Jacob or Israel, were brethren indeed, and those who speak here together, their respective descendants.
24 Hebr. that hath found us.
15How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a 25long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers:
25 Or, many days.
16And when we criedj unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sentk an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:
j Exod. 2:23.
k Exod. 14:19.
17Let us pass, I pray thee, through 26thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the 27wells: we will go by the 28king’s high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.
26 This was for them at that time the nearest way to the land of Canaan.
27 Namely, without paying for it, as verse 19.
28 Or, the kingly way. Other, the highway, the common road.
18And Edom said 29unto him, Thou shalt not pass 30by me, lest I come out against thee 31with the sword.
29 Namely, to Moses, or to Israel.
30 That is, through my land, as it is written in verse 17. See similar expression, Deut. 2:30; Rom. 15:28.
31 That is, with force of arms, in hostile manner.
19And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, 32then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet.
32 God has commanded this expressly in Deut. 2:6, 7.
20And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.
21Thus Edom refused to give 33Israel passage through his border: 34wherefore Israel turnedl away from him.
33 The Israelites.
34 This the Israelites did by God’s command, Deut. 2:4, 5, notwithstanding that the way, which they passed through afterwards through the wilderness, proved very toilsome and difficult to them, Num. 21:4, 5.
l Judges 11:18.
22¶And the children of Israel, evenm the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.
m Num. 33:37.
23And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,
2435Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my 36word at the water of Meribah.
35 That is, Aaron shall die, verse 26.
36 That is, My command.
25Taken Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor:
n Num. 33:38; Deut. 32:50.
26And strip Aaron of 37his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered 38unto his people, and shall die there.
37 Namely, his priestly garments, described in Exod. 28:2.
38 Inserted here from verse 24. Or, unto his nation.
27And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and 39they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.
39 Namely, Moses, Aaron and Eleazar.
28And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; ando Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.
o Deut. 10:6; 32:50
29And when all the congregation 40saw that 41Aaron was dead, they 42mourned for Aaron 43thirty days, even all the house of Israel.
40 That is, understood, namely out of the mouth of Moses and Eleazar, and seeing that he did not return. See a similar phrase Gen. 42:1, compared with Acts 7:12.
41 Aaron died in the 123rd year of his age, Num. 33:38, 39, on the first day of the fifth month, in the fortieth year, after the exodus from Egypt. In Deut. 10:6 is spoken of his burial.
42 Or, they bewailed Aaron.
43 They also mourned for Moses thirty days, Deut. 34:8.