The Fourth Book of Moses: Numbers

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- Chapter 20 -

(Exodus 17:1–7)

In the first month of the next year, the Israelite people traveled to the wilderness of Zin and camped near Kadesh. While they were there, Moses’ sister Miriam died and was buried there.

There was no water for the people to drink there, so they came to Aaron and Moses.

They complained and said, “We wish that we had died in front of Yahweh’s sacred tent when our fellow Israelites died!

Did you bring us, who are Yahweh’s people, into this desert to die along with our livestock?

Why did you bring us from Egypt to this miserable place? There is no grain, there are no figs, no grapes, and no pomegranates here. And there is no water for us to drink!”

Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the sacred tent and prostrated themselves on the ground. Just then Yahweh appeared to them with his bright glory.

When Yahweh appeared in glory, he said,

“You and Aaron must take Aaron’s walking stick with you and gather all the people together. While the people are watching, command that large rock over there to pour out water. Water for the people will flow from it. All they and all their livestock will have enough water to drink.”

So Moses did what Yahweh told him to do. He took Aaron’s walking stick from the place in the sacred tent where it was kept.

Then Moses and Aaron summoned all the people to gather at the rock. Then Moses shouted to them, “All you rebellious people, listen! Is it necessary for us to bring to you water from this rock?”

Then Moses raised his hand and instead of speaking to the rock, he struck the rock two times with the walking stick. And water gushed out. So all the people and their livestock drank all the water that they wanted.

But Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses, “You did not trust me or honor me before the people of Israel, and so you will not lead them into the land I have given to them!”

Later this place was called the Meribah, which means ‘arguing’, because there the Israelite people argued against Yahweh, and there he showed his honor and holiness to them by giving them water.

Edom Refuses Passage

While the people were at Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom to tell him this, “Your relatives, the Israelite people, are sending you this message. You know the many troubles that have happened to us.

You know that our ancestors went down to Egypt. You know that they stayed there for many years. They suffered because the rulers of Egypt caused them to become their slaves and to work very hard.

But when they called out to Yahweh, he heard them and sent an angel who brought them out of Egypt. Now we have set up our tents here at Kadesh, a town on the border of your land.

Please allow us to travel through your country. We will be careful to not walk through your fields and your vineyards. We will not even drink water from your wells. As we travel, we will stay on the king’s highway, the main road that goes from the south to the north, and we will not leave that road until we have crossed the border of your country in the north.”

But the king of Edom refused. He replied, “Stay out of my country! If you try to enter it, I will send my army to attack you!”

The Israelite messengers replied, “If we travel through your country, we will stay on the main road. If we and any of our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We want only to travel through your country. We do not want anything else.”

But the king replied, “No! Stay out of our country! We will not allow you to travel through our land!” Then he sent the strongest soldiers in his army to prevent the Israelites from entering his country.

So, because the king of Edom refused to allow the Israelites to travel through his country, the Israelites turned and traveled a different way.

The Death of Aaron

The Israelite people left Kadesh. They went to Mount Hor,

which is at the border of Edom. While they were there, Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses,

“It is time for Aaron to die. He will not enter the land that I am giving to you Israelites, because the two of you disobeyed me when I told you to speak to the rock to cause the water to flow at Meribah.

Now you, Moses, take Aaron and his son Eleazar up on Mount Hor.

There you must remove Aaron’s clothes that he wears when he does the work of a priest, and put them on his son, Eleazar. Aaron will die up there.”

So Moses did what Yahweh commanded. The three of them climbed up Mount Hor, while all the Israelite people watched.

At the top of the mountain, Moses took off the clothes that Aaron wore while he did the work of a priest and put them on Eleazar. Then Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Eleazar and Moses went back down.

When the Israelite people realized that Aaron had died, they all mourned for him 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”.