Numbers · 29 verses

Numbers 20

Every verse links to the people and places named in it, and to the passages readers connect it with.

The chapter

What happens here

Atlas's own reading, written from this chapter and nothing else, and published only once a person has approved it. Each scene names the verses it covers; the names inside it link to the people and places they name.

A rock gives out a great amount of water after Moses strikes it twice, and the same scene announces that Moses and Aaron will not bring Israel into the land.

Water from the rockvv. 1–13

Israel enters the Wilderness of Zin and stays at Kadesh, where Miriam dies and is buried. When there is no water, the congregation quarrels with Moses and Aaron, listing the missing grain, figs, vines, pomegranates, and water with admirable thoroughness. Moses and Aaron fall facedown; the LORD tells Moses to speak to the rock, but Moses strikes it twice instead. The rock is extravagantly cooperative, pouring out water for the people and their livestock, though the verdict follows that Moses and Aaron will not lead the assembly into the land. The waters receive the name Meribah, where Israel quarreled and the LORD showed His holiness.

The road Edom would not sharevv. 14–21

From Kadesh, Moses sends messengers to the king of Edom with a remarkably tidy request. Israel promises not to enter fields or vineyards, drink from wells, or stray from the King’s Highway; even water taken by people or herds will be paid for. Edom answers first with a threat of the sword, then with a large army and a strong hand. Israel does not turn the border dispute into a grand campaign. Israel simply turns away.

The change of garments on Mount Horvv. 22–29

After leaving Kadesh, the whole congregation comes to Mount Hor, near Edom’s border. There the LORD tells Moses that Aaron will be gathered to his people and will die because of the rebellion at Meribah. Moses brings Aaron and Eleazar up the mountain, removes Aaron’s priestly garments, and puts them on Eleazar. Aaron dies on the summit; Moses and Eleazar come down, and Israel mourns Aaron for thirty days. The succession is accomplished with a change of clothes, a mountain, and then a very long mourning period.

The text

Read it

Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.

Num 20:1In the first month, the whole congregation of Israel entered the Wilderness of Zin and stayed in Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
Num 20:2Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered against Moses and Aaron.
Num 20:3The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished with our brothers before the LORD!
Num 20:4Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here?
Num 20:5Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates—and there is no water to drink!”
Num 20:6Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.
Num 20:7And the LORD said to Moses,
Num 20:8“Take the staff and assemble the congregation. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.”
Num 20:9So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he had been commanded.
Num 20:10Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”
Num 20:11Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.
Num 20:12But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”
Num 20:13These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD, and He showed His holiness among them.
Num 20:14From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to tell the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us,
Num 20:15how our fathers went down to Egypt, where we lived many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers,
Num 20:16and when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory.
Num 20:17Please let us pass through your land. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King’s Highway; we will not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”
Num 20:18But Edom answered, “You may not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront you with the sword.”
Num 20:19“We will stay on the main road,” the Israelites replied, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay for it. There will be no problem; only let us pass through on foot.”
Num 20:20But Edom insisted, “You may not pass through.” And they came out to confront the Israelites with a large army and a strong hand.
Num 20:21So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.
Num 20:22After they had set out from Kadesh, the whole congregation of Israel came to Mount Hor.
Num 20:23And at Mount Hor, near the border of the land of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
Num 20:24“Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land that I have given the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah.
Num 20:25Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor.
Num 20:26Remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered to his people and will die there.”
Num 20:27So Moses did as the LORD had commanded, and they climbed Mount Hor in the sight of the whole congregation.
Num 20:28After Moses had removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
Num 20:29When the whole congregation saw that Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.

01 — Also here

Who else the chapter reaches

Names written in the English are linked in the text above. These are the ones that are not: an entity the Hebrew or Greek names under a spelling the translation does not use, or one reached only by an assertion about a verse of this chapter.

Named in the Hebrew or Greek somewhere in this chapter, under a form the English renders differently — the registry's Ludim against the translation's Ludites — so there is no word in the sentence to hang the link on.

Reached by an assertion Atlas extracted from a verse of this chapter rather than by a name written in it — a pronoun, a title, or a participant the sentence carries without naming. This layer is model-read and measured at 88.6–90.3% precision, and it is kept separate from the names above for that reason.

02 — Read alongside

Where this is echoed

Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 259 passages were voted onto 26 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.

12 Deuteronomy 1:37The LORD was also angry with me on your account, and He said, “Not even you shall enter the land.
12 Numbers 27:14for when the congregation contended in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you rebelled against My command to show My holiness in their sight regarding the waters.” Those were the waters of Meribah in Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin.
11 1 Corinthians 10:4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
12 Ezekiel 36:23I will show the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when I show My holiness in you before their eyes.
12 Numbers 20:24“Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land that I have given the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah.
8 Exodus 4:17But take this staff in your hand so you can perform signs with it.”
11 Exodus 17:6Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.
24 Genesis 25:8And at a ripe old age he breathed his last and died, old and contented, and was gathered to his people.
11 Deuteronomy 8:15He led you through the vast and terrifying wilderness with its venomous snakes and scorpions, a thirsty and waterless land. He brought you water from the rock of flint.
12 Deuteronomy 3:23–27At that time I also pleaded with the LORD:
16 Exodus 14:19And the angel of God, who had gone before the camp of Israel, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from before them and stood behind them,
19 Deuteronomy 2:28You can sell us food to eat and water to drink in exchange for silver. Only let us pass through on foot,
24 Deuteronomy 32:50And there on the mountain that you climb, you will die and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people.
1 Numbers 13:21So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, toward Lebo-hamath.
2 Numbers 16:19When Korah had gathered his whole assembly against them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole congregation.
3 Exodus 17:2So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?”

Onward

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