1Und die Söhne Israels, die ganze Gemeinde, kamen in die Wüste Zin im ersten Monate, und das Volk wohnte in Kadesch; und Mirjam starb allda und ward allda begraben. 2Und die Gemeinde hatte kein Wasser; und sie versammelten sich wider Mose und wider Aharon. 3Und das Volk haderte mit Mose und sie sprachen und sagten: Ach, hätten wir doch dürfen verscheiden bei dem Verscheiden unserer Brüder vor Jehovah. 4Und wozu habt ihr die Versammlung Jehovahs in diese Wüste hereingebracht, auf daß wir darin sterben, wir und unser Vieh? 5Und warum habt ihr uns aus Ägypten heraufgebracht, um uns an diesen schlechten Ort hereinzubringen, wo kein Ort ist zur Saat, noch Feigenbaum, noch Weinstock, noch Granatbaum, noch Wasser zum trinken ist? 6Und Mose und Aharon gingen von der Versammlung hinein nach dem Eingang des Versammlungszeltes und fielen auf ihr Angesicht; und die Herrlichkeit Jehovahs erschien ihnen. 7Und Jehovah redete zu Mose und sprach: 8Nimm den Stab und versammle die Gemeinde, du und dein Bruder Aharon, und redet zu dem Felsen vor ihren Augen, daß er sein Wasser gebe. Und du sollst für sie Wasser aus dem Felsen hervorbringen und die Gemeinde und ihr Vieh tränken. 9Und Mose nahm den Stab vor dem Angesichte Jehovahs, wie Er ihm geboten hatte. 10Und Mose und Aharon ließen die Versammlung vor dem Felsen sich versammeln und er sprach zu ihnen: So höret denn, ihr Widerspenstigen! Sollen wir aus dem Felsen da für euch Wasser hervorbringen? 11Und Mose hob seine Hand empor und schlug den Felsen zweimal mit seinem Stab. Und viele Wasser kamen heraus, und die Gemeinde trank und ihr Vieh. 12Und Jehovah sprach zu Mose und zu Aharon: Darum, daß ihr nicht an Mich geglaubt habt, daß ihr Mich heiligtet vor den Augen der Söhne Israels, deshalb sollt ihr diese Versammlung nicht zum Land hineinbringen, das Ich ihnen gegeben habe. 13Dies sind die Wasser des Haders, den die Söhne Israels haderten mit Jehovah und Er heiligte Sich unter ihnen. 14Und Mose sandte von Kadesch Boten an den König von Edom: So spricht dein Bruder Israel: Du weißt all das Mühsal, das uns getroffen hat; 15Und unsre Väter gingen hinab nach Ägypten und wir wohnten viele Tage in Ägypten, und die Ägypter taten übel an uns und an unseren Vätern; 16Und wir schrien zu Jehovah, und Er hörte unsere Stimme und sandte einen Engel und brachte uns aus Ägypten heraus, und siehe, wir sind in Kadesch, einer Stadt am Ende deiner Grenze. 17Laß uns durch dein Land durchziehen. Wir wollen nicht durch Feld und durch Weinberg gehen, und nicht Wasser aus den Brunnen trinken, sondern auf dem Wege des Königs gehen, nicht rechts oder links ablenken, bis wir deine Grenze durchzogen haben. 18Edom aber sprach zu ihm: Du sollst nicht durch mich hindurchziehen, sonst gehe ich mit dem Schwerte aus dir entgegen. 19Und die Söhne Israels sprachen zu ihm: Auf der Landstraße wollen wir hinaufziehen, und wenn wir von deinem Wasser trinken, ich und meine Viehherden, so will ich dir den Preis dafür geben. Das ist nichts nur zu Fuß will ich durchziehen. 20Er aber sprach: Du sollst nicht durchziehen; und Edom ging aus mit schwerem Volk und starker Hand ihm entgegen. 21Und Edom weigerte sich, Israel zu gewähren durch seine Grenzen durchzuziehen, und Israel lenkte von ihm ab. 22Und sie brachen auf von Kadesch, und die Söhne Israels, die ganze Gemeinde, kamen nach dem Berge Hor. 23Und Jehovah sprach zu Mose und zu Aharon an dem Berge Hor, an der Grenze des Landes Edom, und er sprach: 24Aharon soll versammelt werden zu seinem Volke; denn er soll nicht in das Land hineinkommen, das Ich den Söhnen Israels gegeben habe, darum, daß ihr an dem Haderwasser gegen Meinen Befehl widerspenstig waret. 25Nimm Aharon und Eleasar, seinen Sohn, und laß sie hinaufgehen auf den Berg Hor. 26Und laß Aharon seine Kleider ausziehen und ziehe sie Eleasar, seinem Sohne an, und Aharon soll gesammelt werden und sterben allda. 27Und Mose tat, wie Jehovah geboten hatte, und sie stiegen hinauf auf den Berg Hor vor den Augen der ganzen Gemeinde. 28Und Mose zog dem Aharon seine Kleider aus und zog sie Eleasar, seinem Sohne, an; und Aharon starb daselbst auf der Spitze des Berges; und Mose und Eleasar kamen vom Berge herab. 29Und die ganze Gemeinde sah, daß Aharon verschieden, und sie beweinten den Aharon dreißig Tage, das ganze Haus Israel.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE DEATH OF MIRIAM. (Num. 20:1-29)
Then came the children of Israel . . . into the desert of Zin in the first month--that is, of the fortieth year (compare
Num 20:22-
Num 20:23, with
Num 33:38). In this history only the principal and most important incidents are recorded, those confined chiefly to the first or second and the last years of the journeyings in the wilderness, thence called Et-Tih. Between
Num 19:22 and
Num 20:1 there is a long and undescribed interval of thirty-seven years.
the people abode in Kadesh--supposed to be what is now known as Ain-el-Weibeh, three springs surrounded by palms. (See on
Num 13:26). It was their second arrival after an interval of thirty-eight years (
Deut 2:14). The old generation had nearly all died, and the new one encamped in it with the view of entering the promised land, not, however, as formerly on the south, but by crossing the Edomite region on the east.
Miriam died there--four months before Aaron [
Num 33:38].
2 there was no water for the congregation--There was at Kadesh a fountain, En-Mishpat (
Gen 14:7), and at the first encampment of the Israelites there was no want of water. It was then either partially dried up by the heat of the season, or had been exhausted by the demands of so vast a multitude.
6 Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly--Here is a fresh ebullition of the untamed and discontented spirit of the people. The leaders fled to the precincts of the sanctuary, both as an asylum from the increasing fury of the highly excited rabble, and as their usual refuge in seasons of perplexity and danger, to implore the direction and aid of God.
8 Take the rod--which had been deposited in the tabernacle (
Num 17:10), the wonder-working rod by which so many miracles had been performed, sometimes called "the rod of God" (
Exod 4:20), sometimes Moses' (
Num 20:11) or Aaron's rod (
Exod 7:12).
10 [Moses] said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?--The conduct of the great leader on this occasion was hasty and passionate (
Ps 106:33). He had been directed to speak to the rock [
Num 20:8], but he smote it twice [
Num 20:11] in his impetuosity, thus endangering the blossoms of the rod, and, instead of speaking to the rock, he spoke to the people in a fury.
11 the congregation drank, and their beasts--Physically the water afforded the same kind of needful refreshment to both. But from a religious point of view, this, which was only a common element to the cattle, was a sacrament to the people (
1Cor 10:3-4) --It possessed a relative sanctity imparted to it by its divine origin and use.
12 The Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, &c.--The act of Moses in smiting twice betrayed a doubt, not of the power, but of the will of God to gratify such a rebellious people, and his exclamation seems to have emanated from a spirit of incredulity akin to Sarai's (
Gen 18:13). These circumstances indicate the influence of unbelief, and there might have been others unrecorded which led to so severe a chastisement.
13 This is the water of Meribah--The word "Kadesh" is added to it [
Deut 32:51] to distinguish it from another Meribah (
Exod 17:7).
14 Moses sent messengers . . . to the king of Edom--The encampment at Kadesh was on the confines of the Edomite territory, through which the Israelites would have had an easy passage across the Arabah by Wady-el-Ghuweir, so that they could have continued their course around Moab, and approached Palestine from the east [ROBERTS]. The Edomites, being the descendants of Esau and tracing their line of descent from Abraham as their common stock, were recognized by the Israelites as brethren, and a very brotherly message was sent to them.
17 we will go by the king's highway--probably Wady-el-Ghuweir [ROBERTS], through which ran one of the great lines of road, constructed for commercial caravans, as well as for the progress of armies. The engineering necessary for carrying them over marshes or mountains, and the care requisite for protecting them from the shifting sands, led to their being under the special care of the state. Hence the expression, "the king's highway," which is of great antiquity.
19 if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it--From the scarcity of water in the warm climates of the East, the practice of levying a tax for the use of the wells is universal; and the jealousy of the natives, in guarding the collected treasures of rain, is often so great that water cannot be procured for money.
21 Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border, &c.--A churlish refusal obliged them to take another route. (See on
Num 21:4;
Deut 2:4; and
Judg 11:18; see also
1Sam 14:47;
2Sam 8:14, which describe the retribution that was taken.)
22 the children of Israel . . . came unto mount Hor--now Gebel Haroun, the most striking and lofty elevation in the Seir range, called emphatically "the mount" [
Num 20:28]. It is conspicuous by its double top.
24 Aaron shall be gathered unto his people--In accordance with his recent doom, he, attired in the high priest's costume, was commanded to ascend that mountain and die. But although the time of his death was hastened by the divine displeasure as a punishment for his sins, the manner of his death was arranged in tenderness of love, and to do him honor at the close of his earthly service. His ascent of the mount was to afford him a last look of the camp and a distant prospect of the promised land. The simple narrative of the solemn and impressive scene implies, though it does not describe, the pious resignation, settled faith, and inward peace of the aged pontiff.
26 strip Aaron of his garments--that is, his pontifical robes, in token of his resignation. (See
Isa 22:20-
Isa 22:25).
put them on his son--as the inauguration into his high office. Having been formerly anointed with the sacred oil, that ceremony was not repeated, or, as some think, it was done on his return to the camp.
28 Aaron died there in the top of the mount--(See on
Deut 10:6). A tomb has been erected upon or close by the spot where he was buried.
29 When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead--Moses and Eleazar were the sole witnesses of his departure (
Num 20:28). According to the established law, the new high priest could not have been present at the funeral of his father without contracting ceremonial defilement (
Lev 21:11). But that law was dispensed with in the extraordinary circumstances. The people learned the event not only from the recital of the two witnesses, but from their visible signs of grief and change; and this event betokened the imperfection of the Levitical priesthood (
Heb 7:12).
they mourned for Aaron thirty days--the usual period of public and solemn mourning. (See on
Deut 34:8).