1Y VINO toda la Congregación de los hijos de Israel al desierto de Zin, en el mes primero; y el pueblo hizo mansión en Cades; y allí murió María, y fué allí sepultada. 2Y no hubo agua para la Congregación; por lo cual ellos se juntaron contra Moisés y Aarón. 3Y contendió el pueblo con Moisés, y hablaron, diciendo: ¡Ojalá hubiéramos perecido cuando perecieron nuestros hermanos delante de Jehová! 4¿Y a qué intento habéis traído la Asamblea de Jehová a este desierto, para que muramos aquí nosotros y nuestros ganados? 5¿Y por qué nos hicisteis subir de Egipto, para traernos a este lugar detestable? ¡No es lugar de sementeras, ni de higueras, ni de viñas, ni de granados; y ni aun hay agua para beber! 6Entonces se retiraron Moisés y Aarón de delante de la Asamblea a la entrada del Tabernáculo de Reunión, y cayeron sobre sus rostros; y la gloria de Jehová se les apareció. 7¶Y Jehová habló a Moisés, diciendo: 8Toma la vara, y reune la Congregación, tú y Aarón tu hermano; y hablad a la peña, a vista de ellos, y ella dará sus aguas; así les sacarás agua de la peña, y darás de beber a la Congregación y a sus ganados. 9Tomó pues Moisés la vara de delante de Jehová, como él se lo había mandado. 10Y reuniendo Moisés y Aarón a toda la Asamblea enfrente de la peña, Moisés les dijo: ¡Oíd, rebeldes! ¿de esta peña hemos de sacaros aguas? 11Entonces alzó Moisés la mano, e hirió la peña con su vara dos veces: y salieron aguas abundantes; y bebió la Congregación y sus ganados. 12Jehová empero dijo a Moisés y a Aarón: Por cuanto no creisteis en mí para santificarme en presencia de los hijos de Israel, por tanto vosotros no introduciréis esta Congregación en la tierra que yo les he dado. 13Estas son aquellas aguas de Meriba, donde contendieron los hijos de Israel con Jehová; y él vindicó su santidad en ellos. 14¶Y Moisés envió mensajeros desde Cades al rey de Edom, diciendo: Así dice tu hermano Israel: Tú sabes todos los trabajos que nos han sobrevenido; 15cómo descendieron nuestros padres a Egipto, y habitamos en Egipto mucho tiempo: y nos maltrataron los Egipcios a nosotros y a nuestros padres. 16Mas cuando clamamos a Jehová, él oyó nuestra voz, y envió un Angel que nos sacó de Egipto; y henos aquí en Cades, ciudad al extremo de tu territorio. 17Permite que pasemos por tu tierra: no pasaremos por los campos ni por las viñas, y no beberemos del agua de los pozos. Por el camino real nos iremos, sin apartarnos a la derecha ni a la izquierda, hasta que hayamos pasado tu territorio. 18Pero Edom le contestó: ¡No pases por mi país, no sea que yo salga a recibirte con espada! 19Mas los hijos de Israel le respondieron: Por la calzada subiremos; y si bebiéremos de tus aguas, yo y mi ganado, te pagaré el valor de ellas: solamente pasaré a pie sin más ni más. 20Pero él dijo: No pasarás. Y salió Edom a encontrarle con mucha gente, y con mano fuerte. 21Así Edom rehusó permitir a Israel pasar por su territorio: Israel por tanto se apartó de él. 22¶Entonces levantaron el campamento de Cades, y vino toda la Congregación de los hijos de Israel al monte Hor. 23Y Jehová habló a Moisés y a Aarón en el monte Hor, junto a los confines de la tierra de Edom, diciendo: 24Aarón será agregado a su pueblo aquí, porque no podrá entrar en la tierra que he dado a los hijos de Israel; por cuanto fuisteis rebeldes a mis órdenes junto a las aguas de Meriba. 25Toma a Aarón y a Eleazar su hijo, y hazlos subir a este monte Hor. 26Luego despojarás a Aarón de sus vestiduras sacerdotales, y se las vestirás a Eleazar su hijo; y Aarón será agregado a su pueblo y morirá allí. 27Moisés pues hizo como le había mandado Jehová, y ellos tres subieron al monte Hor, a vista de toda la Congregación. 28Y Moisés despojó a Aarón de sus vestiduras sacerdotales, y se las vistió a Eleazar su hijo; y murió Aarón allí, en la cumbre del monte; luego Moisés y Eleazar descendieron del monte. 29Y cuando vió toda la Congregación que había muerto Aarón, toda la casa de Israel lloró a Aarón por espacio de treinta días.
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).