HarperCollins Study Bible, page 73
19.12 With the water, Hebrew “with it,” either the water or the collection of ashes (vv. 9–10).
19.13 Such people would defile the tabernacle (see Lev 15.31) because, since the camp is holy (see 5.1–4), any possible contact with uncleanness could endanger the holiness of the tabernacle at the center. Cut off. See 9.13.
19.14–22 A repetition of information in vv. 11–13, but with more detail.
19.14–15 The uncleanness of a tent (or, probably, any dwelling; the Septuagint translates “house, dwelling”) where someone has died is like that from contact with a corpse (see v. 11). The uncleanness is envisioned as contagion that can spread even to open containers.
19.16 This verse treats contact with human death in an environment opposite from the dwelling of vv. 14–15, an open field.
19.17–20 Instructions for making and using the water for cleansing (v. 9).
19.17 The burnt purification offering is that of the red cow, vv. 2–10, and the ashes are mentioned in vv. 9–10. Running water, Hebrew “living water,” is water that flows continuously, as from a spring, and cannot become stagnant. See also the various translations in Gen 26.19; Lev 14.5, 50; 15.13; Song 4.15; Jer 2.13; 17.13; Zech 14.8.
19.18–19 For hyssop, see 19.6. Here the purification process is a matter of being sprinkled with the water for cleansing, of washing clothes, and of bathing. The instruction in v. 12 is less explicit.
19.20 See 19.13.
19.21–22 See 19.10.
NUMBERS 20
The Waters of Meribah
1The Israelites, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died there, and was buried there.
2Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and against Aaron. 3The people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had died when our kindred died before the LORD! 4Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? 5Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to bring us to this wretched place? It is no place for grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates; and there is no water to drink.” 6Then Moses and Aaron went away from the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting; they fell on their faces, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. 7The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 8Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aaron, and command the rock before their eyes to yield its water. Thus you shall bring water out of the rock for them; thus you shall provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.
9So Moses took the staff from before the LORD, as he had commanded him. 10Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Listen, you rebels, shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff; water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their livestock drank. 12But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me, to show my holiness before the eyes of the Israelites, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.” 13These are the waters of Meribah,a where the people of Israel quarreled with the LORD, and by which he showed his holiness.
Passage through Edom Refused
14Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, “Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the adversity that has befallen us: 15how our ancestors went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians oppressed us and our ancestors; 16and when we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt; and here we are in Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. 17Now let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink water from any well; we will go along the King’s Highway, not turning aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”
18But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through, or we will come out with the sword against you.” 19The Israelites said to him, “We will stay on the highway; and if we drink of your water, we and our livestock, then we will pay for it. It is only a small matter; just let us pass through on foot.” 20But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against them with a large force, heavily armed. 21Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through their territory; so Israel turned away from them.
The Death of Aaron
22They set out from Kadesh, and the Israelites, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. 23Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, 24“Let Aaron be gathered to his people. For he shall not enter the land that I have given to the Israelites, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. 25Take Aaron and his son Eleazar, and bring them up Mount Hor; 26strip Aaron of his vestments, and put them on his son Eleazar. But Aaron shall be gathered to his people,b and shall die there.” 27Moses did as the LORD had commanded; they went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole congregation. 28Moses stripped Aaron of his vestments, and put them on his son Eleazar; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29When all the congregation saw that Aaron had died, all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron thirty days.
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a That is Quarrel
b Heb lacks to his people
20.1–13 This narrative takes place after the forty years of wandering.
20.1 V. 1 presents many chronological and geographical problems. Wilderness of Zin. See 13.21. In the first month, but the year is not specified. Most commentators propose the fortieth year because of the date of Aaron’s death given in 33.38. The people stayed in Kadesh, but the length of time is not given. V. 12 indicates that forty years have passed: the Israelites in this narrative are to be allowed into the promised land; hence the conclusion that the old generation had died (see 14.21–24, 28–35); note the resumption of the march in v. 22. On Miriam, see ch. 12.
20.2–13 The complaint and the waters of Meribah. On complaint stories in general, see note on 11.1–3. Compare this story to its doublet in Ex 17.1–7. This narrative is also referred to in Deut 33.8; Pss 78.15–16, 20; 81.7; 95.8–11; 106.32–33.
20.3 Quarreled, from the same root as Meribah, hence the etymology in v. 13. When…LORD, i.e., in the Korah, Dathan, and Abiram affair, ch. 16 (esp. vv. 32–33, 35, 49).
20.4 Livestock. See note on 11.4.
20.5 No…figs, or vines, or pomegranates. Cf. 13.23.
20.6 Fell on their faces. See 14.5; 16.4. Glory. See note on 9.15–16.
20.8–9 The mention of the staff is phrased in such a way that a particular staff seems to be meant. Since it is taken from before the LORD, it must be Aaron’s staff of 17.10–11; but see v. 11. See also Ex 7.8–8.19. The reference to the rock also implies a known entity, perhaps a well-known feature at Kadesh. The Hebrew word for rock here, sela‘, is also the name of a city in Edom (see Judg 1.36; 2 Kings 14.7) and may be a literary link to the Edom narrative in vv. 14–21.
20.10 For Israel as rebels, see 17.10, also concerned with the staff.
20.12 No satisfying explanation has ever been given for the punishment of Moses and Aaron for this incident. Their “sin” is described here as unbelief; in v. 24 and 27.14 it is rebellion; in Deut 32.50–52 they are said to have “broken faith” with the Lord. Ps 106.32–33 blames Moses’ “rash words” (perhaps v. 10), and yet other explanations, not always referring to this narrative at all, are given in Deut 1.37; 3.25–26; 4.21. Commentators have made many suggestions about the nature of the “sin,” but none of these explanations is widely accepted. Aaron’s death is reported in v. 28, Moses’ in Deut 34.5. That this assembly will be taken into the promised land implies that this must be the new generation, grown up after the old has died during forty years in the wilderness. To show my holiness might also be translated “to treat me as holy.”
20.13 Quarreled. See 20.3. For the etymologies of place-names, see, e.g., 11.1–3; 13.24; 21.3. With the LORD. See Ex 16.8; 17.7.
20.14–21 The relationship between Edom and Israel in the Bible is complicated: sometimes friendly, sometimes hostile (e.g., the stories of Jacob/Israel and Esau/Edom, Gen 25.27–34; 27.1–28.9; 32.3–33.17; and elsewhere, Num 24.18; 1 Sam 14.47; 2 Sam 8.13–14; 1 Kings 11.14–17; 2 Kings 3.4–27; Isa 34.5–7; Obadiah).
20.14 King. There is no archaeological evidence that Edom was organized as a kingdom in the early Iron Age; probably the passages that report “chieftains” of Edom are more accurate (see text notes to Gen 36.15–19, 40–43; Ex 15.15). The message in vv. 14–17 is worded in the same way as a typical ancient Near Eastern letter: addressee, sender, message. Moses calls Israel Edom’s brother in typical diplomatic language. Use of the term brother indicates that the message sender believes the two parties to be equals and allies. In this case, of course, there is a double meaning since Israel (Jacob) and Edom (Esau) are recorded as biological brothers in the stories in Genesis (e.g., 25.21–26).
20.16 Angel. See Ex 14.19; 23.20–33; 32.34. As in many biblical stories, the “angel” is probably meant to be in fact some aspect of the Lord (see, e.g., Gen 16.7–13; Num 22.22–35).
20.17 Because their attack from the south had failed many years earlier (14.39–45), the Israelites are now planning to invade Canaan from the east. To do so they must either pass directly through Edom or make a long detour around. The King’s Highway was the north-south Transjordanian route connecting the Gulf of Aqaba with Syria. Such a route is still in use today.
20.18 The Edomites refuse, although without explanation. See Judg 11.17–18, but cf. Deut 2.2–8, 26–29.
20.21 See 21.4: the Israelites go south of Edom when they continue their march.
20.22–29 Aaron’s successor installed; Aaron dies.
20.22 They set out. See 10.11–12. Mount Hor. Site unknown, but see v. 23; 33.37; cf. Deut 10.6; Num 33.30–31, 37.
20.24 That an Israelite is gathered to his people probably usually refers to burial in a family tomb; see Gen 25.8–10. Because you rebelled. “You” is plural; see v. 12; Deut 32.50–52.
20.26 Aaron’s son Eleazar (see 19.3) will take Aaron’s place as chief priest; see also Deut 10.6. On his vestments, see Ex 28; Lev 8.7–9.
20.28 Moses will also die on top of a mountain; see Deut 32.50; 34.1–6. Num 33.38 places Aaron’s death on the first day of the fifth month, year forty.
20.29 The Israelites mourn for Aaron thirty days, as they do for Moses (Deut 34.8). The usual period of mourning was seven days (Gen 50.10; 1 Sam 31.13).
NUMBERS 21
The Bronze Serpent
1When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive. 2Then Israel made a vow to the LORD and said, “If you will indeed give this people into our hands, then we will utterly destroy their towns.” 3The LORD listened to the voice of Israel, and handed over the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their towns; so the place was called Hormah.a
4From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea,b to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. 5The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” 6Then the LORD sent poisonousc serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. 7The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a poisonousd serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” 9So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.
The Journey to Moab
10The Israelites set out, and camped in Oboth. 11They set out from Oboth, and camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness bordering Moab toward the sunrise. 12From there they set out, and camped in the Wadi Zered. 13From there they set out, and camped on the other side of the Arnon, ine the wilderness that extends from the boundary of the Amorites; for the Arnon is the boundary of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14Wherefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD,
“Waheb in Suphah and the wadis.
The Arnon 15and the slopes of the wadis
that extend to the seat of Ar,
and lie along the border of Moab.”f
16From there they continued to Beer;g that is the well of which the LORD said to Moses, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.” 17Then Israel sang this song:
“Spring up, O well!—Sing to it!—
18the well that the leaders sank,
that the nobles of the people dug,
with the scepter, with the staff.”
From the wilderness to Mattanah, 19from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20and from Bamoth to the valley lying in the region of Moab by the top of Pisgah that overlooks the wasteland.h
King Sihon Defeated
21Then Israel sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites, saying, 22“Let me pass through your land; we will not turn aside into field or vineyard; we will not drink the water of any well; we will go by the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.” 23But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel to the wilderness; he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 24Israel put him to the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites; for the boundary of the Ammonites was strong. 25Israel took all these towns, and Israel settled in all the towns of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. 26For Heshbon was the city of King Sihon of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and captured all his land as far as the Arnon. 27Therefore the ballad singers say,
“Come to Heshbon, let it be built;
let the city of Sihon be established.
28For fire came out from Heshbon,
flame from the city of Sihon.
It devoured Ar of Moab,
and swallowed upi the heights of the Arnon.
29Woe to you, O Moab!
You are undone, O people of Chemosh!
He has made his sons fugitives,
and his daughters captives,
to an Amorite king, Sihon.
30So their posterity perished
from Heshbonj to Dibon,
and we laid waste until fire spread to Medeba.”k
31Thus Israel settled in the land of the Amorites. 32Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they captured its villages, and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.
King Og Defeated
33Then they turned and went up the road to Bashan; and King Og of Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. 34But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him; for I have given him into your hand, with all his people, and all his land. You shall do to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.” 35So they killed him, his sons, and all his people, until there was no survivor left; and they took possession of his land.
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a Heb Destruction
b Or Sea of Reeds
c Or fiery; Heb seraphim
d Or fiery; Heb seraph
e Gk: Heb which is in
f Meaning of Heb uncertain
g That is Well
h Or Jeshimon
i Gk: Heb and the lords of
j Gk: Heb we have shot at them; Heshbon has perished
k Compare Sam Gk: Meaning of MT uncertain
21.1–3 The defeat of the king of Arad. This appears to be another story of an attack on the promised land from the south (see v. 4). For other battles of Hormah, see 14.39–45; Judg 1.16–17.
21.1 For Canaanites in this region, see also 14.25, 45. Arad is approximately fifty miles north of the oases of which Kadesh was a part. For the king of Arad, see Josh 12.14. Negeb. See 13.17; Judg 1.16. The way of Atharim. Site unknown.
21.2–3 See Judg 11.30–31. We will utterly destroy their towns is a vow to wage “holy war.” See Ex 17.14; Num 18.14; Deut 20.16–18. Such a practice is known also from ancient Moab. Hormah is from the same Hebrew root as “utterly destroy” hence this narrative provides an etymology of the place-name Hormah, as does Judg 1.17. It is odd that, having achieved a victory in the Negeb, the Israelites still turn to the southeast to go through Transjordan and attack Canaan from the east (v. 4), rather than continuing northward into Canaan. Commentators have suggested, therefore, that vv. 1–3 are out of place in their current position.
21.4–9 The bronze serpent. This is the last of the complaint stories (see note on 11.1–3) and the most serious since the people complain directly against God as well as Moses (v. 5, although cf. Ex 16.8; Num 14.3).
21.4 They set out. This is part of the itinerary reported in 33.41. By the way to the Red Sea. The Hebrew actually says “Reed Sea,” as in 14.25. In this passage, however, Red Sea makes sense, regardless of where the miracle at the sea was thought to have taken place. The Israelites have turned to the Gulf of Aqaba in order to go around the land of Edom, because they have been denied passage; see 20.14–21.
21.5 Against God and against Moses. See note on 21.4–9. This phrasing is unique.
21.6–7 Poisonous serpents, lit. “fiery snakes,” so called perhaps because of the burning of their bites. Poisonous snakes do exist in the Sinai and the Negeb.
21.8–9 Make a poisonous serpent, lit. “make a fiery one,” presumably a “fiery snake.” In Isa 30.6 the same word (a flying “fiery one,” translated as a flying “serpent”) describes an animal of the Negeb. Set it on a pole, so that it could be held up for victims to see. Looking at the serpent cures the victims, a process here described as a sort of sympathetic magic (although see Wis 16.5–7). The phrase serpent of bronze is a pun in Hebrew, as both words are derived from the same root. Also from that root is Nehushtan, the bronze serpent King Hezekiah destroys because it has become an object of worship; see 2 Kings 18.4. This story in Numbers serves as an etiology for the serpent of Hezekiah’s time. Serpent worship is attested elsewhere in the ancient world, as is the belief in a relationship between snakes and healing. In the NT Jn 3.14–15 evokes the image of the serpent as a way of interpreting the death of Jesus.
