1Na ka tae nga tama a Iharaira, ara te whakaminenga katoa, ki te koraha o Hini i te marama tuatahi: a ka noho te iwi ki Karehe; na ka mate a Miriama ki reira, a tanumia ana ki reira. 2A kahore he wai mo te whakaminenga: a ka huihui ki te ngangare ki a Mohi raua ko Arona. 3Na ka ngangau te iwi ki a Mohi, ka korero, ka mea, Aue, me i mate matou i te matenga o o matou tuakana i te aroaro o Ihowa! 4He aha hoki i kawea mai ai e korua te whakaminenga a Ihowa ki tenei koraha, kia mate tahi matou me a matou kararehe ki konei? 5He aha hoki matou i meinga ai e korua kia haere mai i Ihipa, kia kawea mai matou ki tenei wahi kino? ehara nei i te wahi purapura, i te wahi piki, waina, pamekaranete; kahore ano hoki he wai hei inu. 6Na ka haere a Mohi raua ko Arona i te aroaro o te whakaminenga ki te whatitoka o te tapenakara o te whakaminenga, a ka kupapa iho o raua mata: na ko te putanga mai o te kororia o Ihowa ki a raua. 7A ka korero a Ihowa ki a Mohi, ka mea, 8Maua atu te tokotoko, huihuia mai ano te whakaminenga e korua ko tou tuakana, ko Arona, ka korero ai korua ki te kamaka i mua i o ratou kanohi, kia tukua mai tona wai; a ka whakaputaina mai e koe he wai mo ratou i roto i te kamaka: a ka meinga e koe te whakaminenga me a ratou kararehe kia inu. 9Na ka maua e Mohi te tokotoko i te aroaro o Ihowa, pera ana ia me tana i whakahau ai. 10I huihuia hoki te whakaminenga e Mohi raua ko Arona ki mua o te kamaka, a ka mea ia ki a ratou, Whakarongo mai, e te hunga tutu; me whakaputa mai ranei e maua he wai mo koutou i roto i tenei kamaka? 11Na ka ara te ringa o Mohi, a e rua ana patunga i te kamaka ki tana tokotoko; ko te tino putanga mai o te wai, tona nui, a inu ana te iwi me a ratou kararehe. 12Na ka mea a Ihowa ki a Mohi raua ko Arona, Kahore nei korua i whakapono ki ahau, kia whakatapu i ahau i te tirohanga a nga tama a Iharaira, mo reira e kore korua e kawe i tenei whakaminenga ki te whenua e hoatu nei e ahau ki a ratou. 13Ko te wai tena o Meripa; i ngangau hoki nga tama a Iharaira ki a Ihowa ki reira, a meinga ana ratou hei whakatapu mona. 14Na ka unga tangata a Mohi i Karehe ki te kingi o Eroma, Ko te kupu tenei a tou teina, a Iharaira, E mohio ana koe ki nga he katoa i pono mai ki a matou; 15Ki te hekenga o o matou matua ki Ihipa, ki to matou nohoanga hoki i Ihipa, a maha noa nga ra; a ka tukino nga Ihipiana i a matou ko o matou matua: 16A, i ta matou karangatanga atu ki a Ihowa, na ka rongo ia ki to matou reo, a unga ana e ia he anahera hei whakaputa mai i a matou i Ihipa: na, kei Karehe tenei matou, kei te pa whakamutunga o tou rohe: 17Tena, tukua atu matou ma tou whenua: e kore matou e haere na nga mara, na nga mara waina ranei, e kore ano matou e inu i te wai o nga puna: ka haere matou i te huanui o te kingi, e kore matou e peka ki matau, ki maui, kia pahemo ra ano i a matou ou rohe. 18Na ka mea a Eroma ki a ia, E kore koe e tika na toku wahi, kei haere ahau me te hoari ki te tu i a koe. 19Na ka mea nga tama a Iharaira ki a ia, Ka haere matou na te huanui: a ki te inu ahau me aku kahui i tou wai, me utu e ahau: heoi rawa taku e mea ai, ko te haere kau o oku waewae na kona. 20Na ka mea ia, E kore koe e haere ra konei. A ka puta a Eroma me te ope nui, me te ringa kaha, ki te tu i a ia. 21Heoi kihai a Eroma i pai ki te tuku i a Iharaira kia haere na tona rohe: na peka ke ana a Iharaira i a ia. 22Na ka turia atu e ratou i Karehe: a ka tae nga tama a Iharaira, ara te whakaminenga katoa ki Maunga Horo. 23Na ka korero a Ihowa ki a Mohi raua ko Arona i Maunga Horo, i te rohe o te whenua o Eroma, ka mea, 24Ka kohia atu a Arona ki tona iwi; e kore hoki ia e tae ki te whenua ka hoatu nei e ahau ki nga tama a Iharaira, mo korua i whakatoi ki taku kupu i te wai o Meripa. 25Tangohia a Arona raua ko Ereatara, ko tana tama, kawea hoki raua ki runga ki Maunga Horo: 26Unuhia hoki nga kakahu o Arona, ka whakakakahu ai ki tana tama, ki a Ereatara: a ka kohia atu a Arona ki tona iwi, ka mate hoki ki reira. 27Na ka pera a Mohi me ta Ihowa i whakahau ai, a haere ana ratou ki runga ki Maunga Horo i te tirohanga a te whakaminenga katoa. 28Na ka unuhia e Mohi nga kakahu o Arona, a whakakakahuria ana e ia ki tana tama, ki a Ereatara; a ka mate a Arona ki reira, ki te tihi o te maunga: a ka heke iho a Mohi raua ko Ereatara i runga i te maunga. 29A, no te kitenga o te whakaminenga katoa kua mate a Arona, e toru tekau nga ra i tangihia ai a Arona e ratou, e te whare katoa o Iharaira.
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).