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Text -- Numbers 20:1-13 (NET)
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Strongs On/Off
Context
The Israelites Complain Again
20:1 Then the entire community of Israel entered the wilderness of Zin in the first month , and the people stayed in Kadesh . Miriam died and was buried there .
20:2 And there was no water for the community , and so they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron .
20:3 The people contended with Moses , saying , “If only we had died when our brothers died before the Lord !
20:4 Why have you brought up the Lord’s community into this wilderness ? So that we and our cattle should die here ?
20:5 Why have you brought us up from Egypt only to bring us to this dreadful place ? It is no place for grain , or figs , or vines , or pomegranates ; nor is there any water to drink !”
Moses Responds
20:6 So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting . They then threw themselves down with their faces to the ground, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
20:7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses :
20:8 “Take the staff and assemble the community , you and Aaron your brother , and then speak to the rock before their eyes . It will pour forth its water , and you will bring water out of the rock for them, and so you will give the community and their beasts water to drink .”
20:9 So Moses took the staff from before the Lord , just as he commanded him.
20:10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the community together in front of the rock , and he said to them, “Listen , you rebels , must we bring water out of this rock for you?”
20:11 Then Moses raised his hand , and struck the rock twice with his staff . And water came out abundantly . So the community drank, and their beasts drank too.
The Lord’s Judgment
20:12 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron , “Because you did not trust me enough to show me as holy before the Israelites , therefore you will not bring this community into the land I have given them.”
20:13 These are the waters of Meribah , because the Israelites contended with the Lord , and his holiness was maintained among them.
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
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Names, People and Places:
Dictionary Themes and Topics:
Aaron |
Moses |
Meribah |
MASSAH AND MERIBAH |
PENTATEUCH, 2A |
PENTATEUCH, 2B |
JEPHTHAH |
NUMBERS, BOOK OF |
Israel |
Trouble |
Exodus |
CRITICISM |
Quotations and Allusions |
God |
Miriam |
Complaint |
BEAST |
Miracles |
Rashness |
POMEGRANATE |
more
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expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes: Num 20:1 The death of Miriam is recorded without any qualifications or epitaph. In her older age she had been self-willed and rebellious, and so no doubt humbl...
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NET Notes: Num 20:3 The particle לוּ (lu) indicates the optative nuance of the line – the wishing or longing for death. It is certainly an absurdi...
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NET Notes: Num 20:4 The clause uses the infinitive construct with the lamed (ל) preposition. The clause would be a result clause in this sentence: “Why have y...
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NET Notes: Num 20:5 Here also the infinitive construct (Hiphil) forms the subordinate clause of the preceding interrogative clause.
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NET Notes: Num 20:8 Heb “give.” The verb is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive, as are the next two in the verse. These are not now equal to the...
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NET Notes: Num 20:10 The word order and the emphasis of the tense are important to this passage. The word order is “from this rock must we bring out to you water?...
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NET Notes: Num 20:12 There is debate as to exactly what the sin of Moses was. Some interpreters think that the real sin might have been that he refused to do this at first...
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