1Es kamen die Söhne Israels, die ganze Gemeinde, in die Wüste Zin im ersten Monate, und das Volk blieb in Kadesch, und dort starb Mirjam und wurde daselbst begraben. 2Und die Gemeinde hatte kein Wasser; da rotteten sie sich zusammen gegen Mose und gegen Aaron. 3Und das Volk haderte mit Mose, und sie redeten, und sprachen: Hätten wir doch ausgehaucht, wie unsere Brüder ausgehaucht haben vor Jehova! 4Warum habet ihr die Gemeinde Jehova's in diese Wüste gebracht, wo wir sterben müssen, wir und unser Vieh? 5Und warum habet ihr uns von Aegypten heraufgeführt, und uns an diesen bösen Ort gebracht, wo keine Aussaat, keine Feigen, noch Weinstöcke, noch Granatäpfel Statt finden, noch Wasser zum Trinken ist? 6Da gingen Mose und Aaron von der Gemeinde weg vor die Thüre des Versammlungszeltes, und fielen auf ihre Angesichter. Da erschien ihnen die Herrlichkeit Jehova's. 7Und Jehova redete zu Mose und sprach: 8Nimm den Stab, und versammle die Gemeinde, du und Aaron, dein Bruder, und redet den Felsen vor ihren Augen an, daß er sein Wasser hergebe; so wirst du ihnen Wasser hervorbringen aus dem Felsen; und tränken die Gemeinde, und ihr Vieh. 9Da nahm Mose den Stab vor Jehova weg, wie er ihm geboten hatte. 10Dann ließen Mose und Aaron die Gemeinde vor den Felsen zusammen kommen, und er sprach zu ihnen: Höret doch, ihr Widerspenstigen! ob wir euch aus diesem Felsen Wasser hervorbringen? 11Und Mose erhob seine Hand, und schlug den Felsen mit seinem Stabe zweimal, da kam viel Wasser hervor, so daß die Gemeinde und ihr Vieh zu trinken hatten. 12Und Jehova sprach zu Mose und zu Aaron: Weil ihr mir nicht geglaubt habet, um mich vor den Söhnen Israels zu verherrlichen, deßwegen sollet ihr diese Gemeinde nicht in das Land bringen, das ich ihnen gegeben habe. 13Dieß ist das Haderwasser, wo die Söhne Israels haderten mit Jehova; und er sich unter ihnen verherrlichte. 14Nun schickte Mose Gesandte von Kadesch zum König von Edom: So spricht dein Bruder Israel: Du kennst alle die Mühseligkeit, die uns betroffen: 15unsere Väter zogen hinab nach Aegypten, und wir haben in Aegypten gewohnt lange Zeit; allein die Aegypter sind mit uns, und unsern Vätern übel verfahren. 16Wir schrieen zu Jehova, und er hörte unsere Stimme, und sandte einen Engel, der uns aus Aegypten führte; und siehe! wir sind in Kadesch, einer Stadt an der Grenze deines Gebietes. 17Laß uns doch durch dein Land ziehen; wir wollen nicht durch Felder, noch durch Weinberge ziehen, auch nicht Wasser aus den Brunnen trinken; die Königsstraße wollen wir ziehen, und weder rechts, noch links ausbeugen, bis wir über deine Grenzen hinaus sind. 18Und Edom sprach zu ihm: Du darfst nicht durch das Meinige ziehen, sonst rücke ich mit dem Schwerte aus, dir entgegen. 19Da sprachen zu ihm die Söhne Israels: Auf der gebahnten Straße wollen wir ziehen, und wenn wir von deinem Wasser trinken, wir oder unser Vieh, so geben wir den Preis dafür; wahrlich! wir wollen nichts anders, als mit unsern Füßen wollen wir durchziehen. 20Und er sprach: Ihr dürfet nicht durchziehen. Darauf zog Edom aus, ihnen entgegen mit vielem Volke, und mit starker Hand. 21Als nun Edom sich weigerte, Israel zu gestatten, durch sein Gebiet zu ziehen; so beugte Israel ab von ihm. 22Und sie brachen auf von Kadesch; und die ganze Gemeinde der Söhne Israels kam an das Gebirge Hor. 23Und Jehova sprach zu Mose und zu Aaron am Gebirge Hor, an der Grenze des Landes Edom, und sagte: 24Aaron soll gesammelt werden zu seinem Volke; denn er soll nicht in das Land kommen, das ich den Söhnen Israels gegeben habe; weil ihr widerspenstig gewesen seyd gegen meinen Befehl beim Haderwasser. 25Nimm Aaron und Eleasar, seinen Sohn, und führe sie auf das Gebirge Hor, 26und laß Aaron seine Kleider ausziehen, und bekleide damit Eleasar, seinen Sohn; denn Aaron soll gesammelt werden, und wird daselbst sterben. 27Und Mose machte es, wie Jehova geboten hatte; und sie bestiegen das Gebirge Hor vor den Augen der ganzen Gemeinde. 28Und Mose zog Aaron seine Kleider aus, und bekleidete damit Eleasar, seinen Sohn; und Aaron starb daselbst auf dem Gipfel des Gebirges; und Mose und Eleasar kamen herab vom Gebirge. 29Als nun die ganze Gemeinde sah, daß Aaron gestorben war, beweinte das ganze Haus Israel den Aaron dreißig Tage.
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).