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At this chapter begins the history of the fortieth year (which was the last year) of the Israelites' wandering in the wilderness. And since the beginning of their second year, when they were sentenced to perform their quarantine in the desert, there to wear away the tedious revolution of forty years, there is little recorded concerning them till this last year, which brought them to the borders of Canaan, and the history of this year is almost as large as the history of the first year. This chapter gives an account of, I. The death of Miriam, Nu 20:1. II. The fetching of water out of the rock, in which observe, 1. The distress Israel was in, for want of water, Nu 20:2. 2. Their discontent and murmuring in that distress, Nu 20:3-5. 3. God's pity and power engaged for their supply with water out of the rock, Nu 20:6-9. 4. The infirmity of Moses and Aaron upon this occasion, Nu 20:10,11. 5. God's displeasure against them, Nu 20:12,13. III. The negotiation with the Edomites. Israel's request (Nu 20:14-17), and the repulse the Edomites gave them, Nu 20:18-21. IV. The death of Aaron the high priest upon Mount Hor, the instalment of Eleazar in his room, and the people's mourning for him, Nu 20:22, etc.

The Israelites come to Zin, and Miriam dies, Numbers 20:1. They murmur for want of water, Numbers 20:2-5. Moses and Aaron make supplication at the tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord appears, Numbers 20:6. He commands Moses to take his rod, gather the congregation together, and bring water out of the rock, Numbers 20:7, Numbers 20:8. Moses takes the rod, gathers the Israelites together, chides with them, and smites the rock twice, and the waters flow out plenteously, Numbers 20:9-11. The Lord is offended with Moses and Aaron because they did not sanctify him in the sight of the children of Israel, Numbers 20:12. The place is called Meribah, Numbers 20:13. Moses sends a friendly message to the king of Edom, begging liberty to pass through his territories, Numbers 20:14-17. The Edomites refuse, Numbers 20:18. The Israelites expostulate, Numbers 20:19. The Edomites still refuse, and prepare to attack them, Numbers 20:20, Numbers 20:21. The Israelites go to Mount Hor, Numbers 20:22. Aaron is commanded to prepare far his death, Numbers 20:23, Numbers 20:24. Aaron is stripped on Mount Hor, and his vestments put on Eleazar his son; Aaron dies, Numbers 20:25-28. The people mourn for him thirty days, Numbers 20:29.

INTRODUCTION TO Numbers 20

In this chapter is an account of the children of Israel coming to the wilderness of Zin, where Miriam died, and where wanting water they murmured, Numbers 20:1, upon which Moses and Aaron applied to the Lord, who ordered Moses to speak to a rock, which should give forth water, and which being smitten by him, accordingly did, Numbers 20:6, but Moses and Aaron, in their conduct of this affair, displeased the Lord, Numbers 20:12, after this, Moses sent to the king of Edom to desire a passage through his country, which request was refused, Numbers 20:14, upon Israel's coming to Mount Hor, Aaron, by order, went up to the mount, and, when stripped of his clothes, which were put on his son Eleazar, he died, lamented by all the people, Numbers 20:22.

Five events at the close of the forty years wanderings

Numbers 20:1 a, arrival at the wilderness of Zin (P ); Numbers 20:1 b, the death of Miriam (E ); Numbers 20:2-13, the striking of the rock at Meribah (P ); Numbers 20:14-21, permission to pass through Edom refused (J E ); Numbers 20:22-29, the death of Aaron (P ).

It is clear that the chapter deals with events at the close of the wanderings and not earlier, for (1) Moses could not have asked permission to pass straight through Edom in order to enter Canaan until the period of wandering commanded by God was over; (2) Aaron’s death at Mt Hor occurred, according to Numbers 33:38, in the 40th year after the Exodus, the wilderness of Zin being the previous stopping-place (Numbers 33:36). But this chapter is the sequel of ch. 14, the intervening chs. 15–19 being miscellaneous priestly material assigned to no definite time or place. In ch. 14 it is related that the people were condemned to wander 40 years, and failed in an immediate attempt to enter Canaan from the south. The history, therefore, from the beginning till near the end of the 40 years is a blank in the book of Numbers. It is not even clear in what locality these years were spent. When the spies were sent out (Numbers 13:26) the people were at Kadesh (J E ) = Wilderness of Paran (P ). In Numbers 14:25 (J E ) they were commanded to go ‘into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.’ Whether they went for a long or a short time is not stated. In Numbers 20:1 we read that they ‘came into the wilderness of Zin’ (P ), and ‘the people abode in Kadesh’ (J E ). The 40 years were thus spent either in a short stay in the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea, followed by a long stay at Kadesh, or a long stay in the former followed by a short stay in the latter. But the traditions as to the wanderings were indefinite; and a widely different account is found in Dt., where it is stated that after the defeat at Hormah Israel stayed at Kadesh ‘many days’ (Deuteronomy 1:46), then they turned back ‘into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea,’ and ‘compassed Mt Seir [Edom] many days’ (Deuteronomy 2:1). It is not clear from these passages what length of time the ‘many days’ at Kadesh represents. But Deuteronomy 2:14 states explicitly that 38 years had been spent in journeying from Kadesh to the borders of Moab, nothing being said of any return to Kadesh during that time.

Thus, to sum up, in Num. the 40 years either precede or correspond to the stay at Kadesh mentioned in Numbers 20:1, while in Dt. they were spent, after the departure from Kadesh, in moving round the south and east of Edom to Moab. The punishment of the 40 years wandering is referred to in Acts 7:36; Acts 13:18, and the death of the people in the wilderness in 1 Corinthians 10:5, Judges 5.

Nu 20:1-29.

THE DEATH OF MIRIAM.

1. Then came the children of Israel . . . into the desert of Zin in the first month--that is, of the fortieth year (compare

Nu 20:22, 23, with Nu 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

Nu 19:22 and Nu 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

Nu 13:26).

It was their second arrival after an interval of thirty-eight years

(De 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

[Nu 33:38].

Numbers 20 and Numbers 21 narrate the journey of the people from Kadesh round Mount Seir to the heights of Pisgah, near the Jordan, and the various incidents connected with that journey (compare Numbers 33:37-41). This formed the third and last stage of the progress of Israel from Sinai to Canaan, and took place in the fortieth year of the Exodus.

The incidents are apparently not narrated in a strictly chronological order (see Numbers 21:1). The leading purpose of Numbers 20 seems to be to narrate the loss by the people of their original leaders before their entrance into the land of promise.

Even the whole congregation - This emphatic expression (compare Numbers 13:26; Numbers 14:1) points to a re-assembling of the people for the purpose of at last resuming the advance to the promised land. During the past 38 years the "congregation" had been bracken up. No doubt round the tabernacle there had continued an organised camp consisting of the Levites and others, which had been moved from time to time up and down the country (compare Numbers 33:18-36). But the mass of the people had been scattered over the face of the wilderness of Paran, and led a nomadic life as best suited the pasturage of the cattle; trafficking in provisions with surrounding tribes (compare Deuteronomy 2:26-29; Psalm 74:14); and availing themselves of the resources of a district which were in ancient times vastly greater than they now are.

These natural resources were supplemented, where needful, by miraculous aid. The whole guidance of Israel through the wilderness is constantly referred to God's special and immediately superintending care (Deuteronomy 8:4 following; Deuteronomy 29:5; Nehemiah 9:21; Isaiah 63:11-14; Amos 2:10, etc.).

Yet though God's extraordinary bounty was vouchsafed to them, it is probable that this period was, among the perishing generation at all events, one of great religious declension, or even apostasy. To it must no doubt be referred such passages as Ezekiel 20:15 ff; Amos 5:25 following; Hosea 9:10.

Into the desert of Zin - The northeastern part of the wilderness of Paran (or, now definitely fixed by Palmer as the southeastern corner of the desert of Et-Tih, between Akabah and the head of Wady Garaiyeh.) The place of encampment was no doubt adjacent to the spring of Kadesh.

In the first month - i. e. of the fortieth year of the Exodus.

Then came the children of Israel, etc. - This was the first month of the fortieth year after their departure from Egypt. See Numbers 33:38, compared with Numbers 20:28 of this chapter, and Deuteronomy 1:3. The transactions of thirty-seven years Moses passes by, because he writes not as a historian but as a legislator; and gives us particularly an account of the laws, ordinances, and other occurrences of the first and last years of their peregrinations. The year now spoken of was the last of their journeyings; for from the going out of the spies, Numbers 13, unto this time, was about thirty-eight years, Deuteronomy 1:22, Deuteronomy 1:23; Deuteronomy 2:14.

Desert of Zin - Calmet contends that this is not the same desert mentioned Exodus 16:1, where Israel had their eighth encampment; that in Exodus being called in the original סין sin, this here צין tsin: but this is no positive proof, as letters of the same organ are frequently interchanged in all languages, and particularly in Hebrew.

And Miriam died there - Miriam was certainly older than Moses. When he was an infant, exposed on the river Nile, she was entrusted by her parents to watch the conduct of Pharaoh's daughter, and to manage a most delicate business, that required much address and prudence. See Exodus 2. It is supposed that she was at the time of her death one hundred and thirty years of age, having been at least ten years old at her brother's birth. The Catholic writers represent her as a type of the Virgin Mary; as having preserved a perpetual virginity; as being legislatrix over the Israelitish women, as Moses was over the men; and as having a large portion of the spirit of prophecy. Eusebius says that her tomb was to be seen at Kadesh, near the city of Petra, in his time. She appears to have died about four months before her brother Aaron, Numbers 33:38, and eleven before her brother Moses; so that these three, the most eminent of human beings, died in the space of one year!

Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation,.... Not immediately after the transaction of the above things, recorded in the preceding chapters; as the sending of the spies into the land of Canaan, and their report of it; the business of Korah, and the giving of several laws respecting the priesthood, and the purification of the people; but thirty eight years after: nor was this the congregation that came out of Egypt; their carcasses, by this time, had fallen in the wilderness, as had been threatened, excepting some few, so that this was a new generation: what passed during this time we have very little account of, excepting their journeyings from place to place, in Numbers 33:1, by which it appears, there were eighteen stations between the place they encamped at when the spies were sent, and this they now came to; and that the place from whence they came hither was Ezion Geber; from hence they journeyed:

and came unto the desert of Zin; which is different from the wilderness of Sin, Exodus 16:1 as appears by their names, which are different, and by the stations of the Israelites, Numbers 33:11, hither they came

in the first month; the month of Nisan, on the tenth day of it, according to the Targum of Jonathan, which was the first month of the fortieth year of their coming out of Egypt, so Aben Ezra; with which agrees the Jewish chronologer (u), which says, this was the fortieth year, and the beginning of the month Nisan:

and the people abode in Kadesh: which is by some thought to be different from Kadeshbarnea, from whence the spies were sent, and lay to the south of the land of Canaan, whereas this was upon the borders of Edom; but Doctor Lightfoot (w) shows them to be the same: it is supposed to be eight hours north or northnorth-west of Mount Sinai, which may be computed to be about twenty miles (x); here the Israelites abode about four months, see Numbers 33:38 the above Jewish chronologer says three months, wrongly:

and Miriam died there, and was buried there; the Jews say (y) she died there the tenth day of the month Nisan, which was ten days after the Israelites came to this place; though, according to the Targum of Jonathan, it was the same day they came thither: Patricides, an Arabian writer, says (z) she died on the seventh day of Nisan, aged one hundred and twenty seven; no mention is made of the people mourning for her as for Aaron, Numbers 20:29 and for Moses, Deuteronomy 34:8 perhaps because of their distress for want of water, as follows.

(u) Seder Olam Rabba, c. 9. p. 25. (w) Chorograph. Cent. in Matt. c. 7. p. 8, 9. (x) Pococke's Travels, p. 157. (y) Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 7. 2. Schulchan Aruch, par. 1. c. 580. sect. 2.((z) Apud Hottinger. Smegma Oriental. l. 1. c. 8. p. 457.