And Moses took the rod from before the Lord ..... Which was laid up somewhere in the sanctuary, as well as the rod of Aaron, Numbers 17:7 , as he commanded him ; being always faithful and obedient to him that appointed him. read more
And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock ,.... To which they were directed, and were to speak unto; before this they gathered not only the elders of the people, but as many of the congregation as could be well assembled together: and he said unto them ; Moses, who was bid to take the rod, and was the principal person concerned in this affair: hear now, ye rebels ; such their fathers had been, and such they now were, a rebellious generation ever since... read more
And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice ,.... At first it only brought out some drops, as Jarchi conjectures, and therefore Moses smote again, when it brought forth water plentifully: the Targum of Jonathan says,"at the first time it dropped blood, at the second time came out much water.'Could this be credited, it would make the agreement between this rock and Christ appear very manifest, from whom, when his side was pierced with a spear, there came out blood... read more
And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron ,.... Out of the cloud, where his glory appeared, and still continued: because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel ; that Moses and Aaron committed an evil which was displeasing to the Lord is certain, but what that was is variously represented. Some say their sin was, that the order was to speak to the rock, whereas it was smitten, and not spoken to; but why then was Moses bid to take the rod with him, if it... read more
This is the water of Meribah ,.... Or "strife": this is the name by which the water had in this place, and from this rock, was called; and which is the same name given to the place at Horeb, where a rock had been smitten, and water had flowed, as now, the first year they came out of Egypt; and to distinguish this from that, this is sometimes called Meribah-Kadesh, Deuteronomy 32:51 , this being at Kadesh, as that was at Rephidim: because the children of Israel strove with the Lord :... read more
And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom ,.... This country was sometimes governed by kings, and sometimes by "dukes", see Genesis 36:14 . At the time of the passage of the Israelites through the Red sea, we read of the dukes of Edom, Exodus 15:15 , and here, thirty nine years after, of a king of Edom, but who he was is not certain. Bishop Usher takes him to be the same with Hadar, the last of the race of kings mentioned in Genesis 36:39 , to him Moses sent... read more
How our fathers went down into Egypt ,.... Jacob and his twelve sons, with their children: and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time ; even the space of four hundred and thirty years, Exodus 12:40 . and the Egyptians vexed us and our fathers ; used them ill, brought them into bondage, and made their lives bitter, laid heavy tasks and burdens upon them, as well as slew their male children, see Exodus 1:7 . read more
And when we cried unto the Lord ,.... By reason of their bondage, and to be delivered from it, Exodus 2:24 , he heard our voice ; their prayer to him, as the Targum of Jonathan, for help and deliverance, Exodus 2:24 , and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt ; one of the ministering angels, as the same Targum, and so Aben Ezra; though he observes that some interpret it of Moses, as do Jarchi, Ben Gersom, and Ben Melech, which is not likely; since Moses is the... read more
Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country ,.... That being the nearest and shortest way to the land of Canaan, from the place where they now were: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards ; to harm them, and injure any man in his private property, by gathering the fruit of them, if the season of the year for it, or by trampling them down: neither will we drink of the water of the wells ; which private persons had dug, for the watering of their fields and... read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 20:8
Take thy rod ,.... The rod of miracles, as the Targum of Jonathan; not the rod of Aaron, miraculous for its blossom and fruit, as some Jewish writers think; but the rod of Moses, with which he had done many wonders in Egypt, and at the Red sea, and in the wilderness, and particularly by smiting the rock at Horeb, when the Israelites wanted water, as they did now: and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother ; not only the heads of the people, but the body of them,... read more