Numbers 20:8-13

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Numbers 20:1-13

After thirty-eight years? tedious marches, or rather tedious rests, in the wilderness, backward towards the Red Sea, the armies of Israel now at length set their faces towards Canaan again, and had come not far off from the place where they were when, by the righteous sentence of divine Justice, they were made to begin their wanderings. Hitherto they had been led about as in a maze or labyrinth, while execution was doing upon the rebels that were sentenced; but they were now brought into the... read more

John Gill

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 20:9

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 20:10

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 20:11

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 20:12

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 20:13

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 20:12

Because ye believed me not - What was the offense for which Moses was excluded from the promised land? It appears to have consisted in some or all of the following particulars: God had commanded him ( Numbers 20:8 ;) to take the rod in his hand, and go and Speak To The Rock, and it should give forth water. It seems Moses did not think speaking would be sufficient, therefore he smote the rock without any command so to do. He did this twice, which certainly in this case indicated a... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 20:8

Verse 8 8.Take the rod. It is unquestionable that the faith of Moses had now begun to waver; but we gather from his prompt obedience that it had not altogether failed; for he wastes no time in discussion, but comes straight to the rock in order that he may perform God’s command. His faith, then, was only so smothered, that its hidden rigor at once directed him to his duty. Thus is it that the saints sometimes, whilst they totter like children, still advance toward their mark. By the sight of... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 20:10

Verse 10 10.And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together. There is no doubt but that Moses was perplexed between hope and doubt, so that, although he committed the event to God, he was still to a certain extent oppressed with anxiety; for he would never have been so ready and prompt in obeying, and especially in such an unusually arduous matter, if he had been without faith. Aaron and himself had recently hidden themselves in alarm; it was, therefore, a task of no slight difficulty... read more

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