1Dann kamen die Kinder Jisraël, die ganze Gemeinde, in die Wüste Zin, im ersten Monat, und das Volk blieb in Kadesch, und Mirjam starb dort und wurde dort begraben. 2Die Gemeinde aber hatte kein Wasser; da scharten sie sich gegen Mosche und Aharon zusammen. 3Und das Volk haderte mit Mosche, und sie sprachen: «Ach, wären wir doch umgekommen, als unsre Brüder vor dem Ewigen umkamen! 4Und warum habt ihr die Volksschar des Ewigen in diese Wüste gebracht, hier zu sterben, wir und unser Vieh? 5Und warum habt ihr uns aus Mizraim heraufgeführt, um uns an diesen üblen Ort zu bringen? Kein Ort ists von Saat und Feigen und Wein und Granaten, auch Wasser zum Trinken ist nicht da!» 6Da gingen Mosche und Aharon von der Volksschar hinweg an den Eingang des Erscheinungszeltes und fielen auf ihr Angesicht; und die Herrlichkeit des Ewigen erschien ihnen. 7Und der Ewige redete zu Mosche und sprach: 8«Nimm den Stab, versammle die Gemeinde, du und dein Bruder Aharon, und rede zu dem Felsen vor ihren Augen, daß er sein Wasser gebe; so wirst du ihnen Wasser aus dem Felsen hervorbringen und wirst die Gemeinde und ihr Vieh tränken.» 9Da nahm Mosche den vor dem Ewigen liegenden Stab, wie er ihm befohlen. 10Und Mosche und Aharon versammelten die Volksschar vor dem Felsen, und er sprach zu ihnen: «Hört doch, ihr Trotzer! Werden wir euch wohl aus diesem Felsen Wasser hervorbringen?» 11Und Mosche hob seine Hand und schlug den Felsen zweimal mit seinem Stab; da kam Wasser in Menge heraus, und die Gemeinde und ihr Vieh tranken. 12Und der Ewige sprach zu Mosche und Aharon: «Weil ihr nicht an mich geglaubt habt, mich zu heiligen vor den Augen der Kinder Jisraël, darum sollt ihr diese Volksschar nicht in das Land bringen, das ich ihnen gebe.» 13Dies ist das Haderwasser , wo die Kinder Jisraël mit dem Ewigen haderten, und er sich an ihnen heiligte. 14Und Mosche sandte von Kadesch aus Boten an den König von Edom: «So spricht dein Bruder Jisraël: Du kennst alles Ungemach, das uns betroffen, 15wie unsre Väter nach Mizraim zogen und wir lange Zeit in Mizraim blieben, und wie die Mizräer uns und unsern Vätern Böses taten. 16Da schrien wir zum Ewigen, und er hörte unsre Stimme und sandte einen Boten und führte uns aus Mizraim; nun sind wir in Kadesch, einer Stadt an der Grenze deines Gebietes. 17So laß uns doch durch dein Land ziehen! Wir wollen nicht ziehen durch Feld und Weinberg, nicht Wasser eines Brunnens trinken; auf des Königs Straße wollen wir ziehen, nicht abbiegen rechts oder links, bis wir dein Gebiet durchzogen haben.» 18Da sprach Edom zu ihm: «Du sollst nicht durchziehn bei mir, sonst werde ich mit dem Schwert dir entgegengehn.» 19Da sprachen die Kinder Jisraël zu ihm: «Auf der Straße wollen wir hinaufziehn, und wenn wir dein Wasser trinken, ich oder mein Vieh, so will ich den Kaufpreis dafür zahlen; nur - nichts sonst - zu Fuß möchte ich hindurchziehn.» 20Er aber sprach: «Du sollst nicht hindurchziehn!» Und Edom zog ihm entgegen mit massigem Volk und mit starker Hand. 21So weigerte sich Edom, Jisraël durch sein Gebiet ziehen zu lassen, und Jisraël bog von ihm ab. 22Und sie brachen von Kadesch auf, und die Kinder Jisraël kamen, die ganze Gemeinde, zum Berg Hor. 23Da sprach der Ewige zu Mosche und Aharon am Berg Hor, an der Grenze des Landes Edom: 24«Aharon soll zu seinen Sippen eingetan werden; denn er wird nicht in das Land kommen, das ich den Kindern Jisraël gebe, weil ihr meinem Befehl getrotzt habt beim Haderwasser. 25Nimm Aharon und seinen Sohn El'asar und führe sie auf den Berg Hor. 26Dann nimm Aharon seine Gewänder ab und bekleide damit seinen Sohn El'asar; Aharon aber soll eingetan werden und dort sterben.» 27Und Mosche tat, wie der Ewige befohlen; sie stiegen auf den Berg Hor vor den Augen der ganzen Gemeinde. 28Und Mosche nahm Aharon seine Gewänder ab und bekleidete damit dessen Sohn El'asar; und Aharon starb dort auf der Spitze des Berges, Mosche aber und El'asar stiegen vom Berg hinab. 29Und die ganze Gemeinde sah, daß Aharon verschieden war; da beweinten sie Aharon dreißig Tage lang, das ganze Haus Jisraël.
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).