1Llegaron los hijos de Israel, toda la congregación, al desierto de Zin, en el primer mes, y acampó el pueblo en Cades.[1] Allí murió María, y allí fue sepultada. 2Porque no había agua para la congregación, se juntaron contra Moisés y Aarón.[2] 3Y el pueblo se quejó contra Moisés, diciendo: "¡Ojalá hubiéramos muerto cuando perecieron nuestros hermanos delante de Jehová![3] 4¿Por qué hiciste venir la congregación de Jehová a este desierto, para que muramos aquí nosotros y nuestras bestias? 5¿Y por qué nos has hecho subir de Egipto, para traernos a este horrible lugar? No es un lugar de sementera, de higueras, de viñas ni de granados, ni aun de agua para beber". 6Moisés y Aarón, apartándose de la congregación, fueron a la puerta del Tabernáculo de reunión y se postraron sobre sus rostros. Entonces la gloria de Jehová se les apareció. 7Y Jehová dijo a Moisés: 8"Toma la vara y reúne a la congregación, tú con tu hermano Aarón, y hablad a la peña a la vista de ellos. Ella dará su agua; así sacarás para ellos aguas de la peña, y darás de beber a la congregación y a sus bestias". 9Entonces Moisés tomó la vara de delante de Jehová, como él le mandó. 10Reunieron Moisés y Aarón a la congregación delante de la peña, y él les dijo: "¡Oíd ahora, rebeldes! ¿Haremos salir agua de esta peña para vosotros?" 11Y alzando su mano, Moisés golpeó la peña con su vara dos veces. Brotó agua en abundancia, y bebió la congregación y sus bestias. 12Pero Jehová dijo a Moisés y a Aarón: "Por cuanto no creísteis en mí, para santificarme delante de los hijos de Israel, por tanto, no entraréis con esta congregación en la tierra que les he dado".[4] 13Estas son las aguas de la rencilla,[5] por las cuales contendieron los hijos de Israel con Jehová, y él manifestó su santidad en medio de ellos. 14[6] Envió Moisés embajadores al rey de Edom desde Cades, con este mensaje: "Así dice Israel, tu hermano:[7] "Tú has sabido todas las dificultades por las que hemos pasado: 15cómo nuestros padres descendieron a Egipto, cómo estuvimos en Egipto largo tiempo y cómo los egipcios nos maltrataron a nosotros y a nuestros padres. 16Entonces clamamos a Jehová, que oyó nuestra voz, envió un ángel[8] y nos sacó de Egipto. Ahora estamos en Cades, ciudad cercana a tus fronteras. 17Te rogamos que nos dejes pasar por tu tierra. No pasaremos por los campos de labranza ni por las viñas, ni beberemos agua de los pozos; por el camino real[9] iremos, sin apartarnos a diestra ni a siniestra, hasta que hayamos atravesado tu territorio". 18Edom le respondió: --No pasarás por mi país; de otra manera, saldré contra ti armado. 19Los hijos de Israel le dijeron: --Por el camino principal iremos, y si bebemos tus aguas yo y mis ganados, pagaremos su precio. Déjame solamente pasar a pie, nada más. 20Pero él respondió: --No pasarás. Y salió Edom contra él con mucho pueblo y mano fuerte. 21No quiso, pues, Edom dejar pasar a Israel por su territorio. Entonces Israel se desvió de él.[10] 22Los hijos de Israel, toda aquella congregación, partieron de Cades y llegaron al monte Hor.[11] 23Jehová habló a Moisés y a Aarón en el monte Hor, en la frontera de la tierra de Edom, diciendo: 24"Aarón va a ser reunido a su pueblo, pues no entrará en la tierra que yo di a los hijos de Israel, por cuanto fuisteis rebeldes a mi mandamiento en las aguas de la rencilla.[12] 25Toma a Aarón y a Eleazar, su hijo, y hazlos subir al monte Hor; 26desnuda a Aarón de sus vestiduras y viste con ellas a Eleazar, su hijo, porque Aarón será reunido a su pueblo, y allí morirá". 27Moisés hizo como Jehová le mandó. Subieron al monte Hor a la vista de toda la congregación. 28Luego Moisés desnudó a Aarón de sus vestiduras y se las puso a Eleazar,[13] su hijo. Aarón murió[14] allí en la cumbre del monte, y Moisés y Eleazar descendieron del monte. 29Al saber toda la congregación que Aarón había muerto, le hicieron duelo por treinta días todas las familias de 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).