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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Numbers 20:1–13. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
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 right way again: they abode in Kadesh (Num 20:1), not Kadesh-barnea, which was near the borders of Canaan, but another Kadesh on the confines of Edom, further off from the land of promise, yet in the way to it from the Red Sea, to which they had been hurried back. Now,
I.Here dies Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, and as it should seem older than either of them.
She must have been so if she was that sister that was set to watch Moses when he was put into the ark of bulrushes, Exo 2:4. Miriam died there, Exo 2:1. She was a prophetess, and had been an instrument of much good to Israel, Mic 6:4. When Moses and Aaron with their rod went before them, to work wonders for them, Miriam with her timbrel went before them in praising God for these wondrous works (Exo 15:20), and therein did them real service; yet she had once been a murmurer (Num 12:1), and must not enter Canaan.
II.Here there is another Meribah.
one place we met with before of that name, in the beginning of their march through the wilderness, which was so called because of the chiding of the children of Israel, Exo 17:7. And now we have another place, at the latter end of their march, which bears the same name for the same reason: This is the water of Meribah, Num 20:13. What was there done was here re-acted.
1.There was no water for the congregation, Num 20:2. The water out of the rock of Rephidim had followed them while there was need of it; but it is probable that for some time they had been in a country where they were supplied in an ordinary way, and when common providence supplied them it was fit that the miracle should cease. But in this place it fell out that there was no water, or not sufficient for the congregation. Note, We live in a wanting world, and, wherever we are, must expect to meet with some inconvenience or other. It is a great mercy to have plenty of water, a mercy which if we found the want of we should own the worth of.
2.Hereupon they murmured, mutinied (Num 20:2), gathered themselves together, and took up arms against Moses and Aaron. They chid with them (Num 20:3), spoke the same absurd and brutish language that their fathers had done before them.
(1.)They wished they had died as malefactors by the hands of divine justice, rather than thus seem for a while neglected by the divine mercy: Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! Instead of giving God thanks, as they ought to have done, for sparing them, they not only despise the mercy of their reprieve, but quarrel with it, as if God had done them a great deal of wrong in giving them their lives for a prey, and snatching them as brands out of the burning. But they need not wish that they had died with their brethren, they are here taking the ready way to die like their brethren in a little while. Woe unto those that desire the day of the Lord, Amo 5:18.
(2.)They were angry that they were brought out of Egypt, and led through this wilderness, Num 20:4, Num 20:5. They quarrelled with Moses for that which they knew was the Lord's doing; they represented that as an injury which was the greatest favour that ever was done to any people. They prefer slavery before liberty, the house of bondage before the land of promise; and though, the present want was of water only, yet, now that they are disposed to find fault, it shall be looked upon as an insufferable hardship put upon them that they have not vines and figs. It was an aggravation of their crime, [1.] that they had smarted so long for the discontents and distrusts of their fathers. They had borne their whoredoms now almost forty years in the wilderness (Num 14:33); and yet they ventured in the same steps, and, as is charged upon Belshazzar, humbled not their hearts, though they knew all this, Dan 5:22. [2.] That they had had such long and constant experience of God's goodness to them, and of the tenderness and faithfulness of Moses and Aaron. [3.] That Miriam was now lately dead; and, having lost one of their leaders, they ought to have been more respectful to those that were left; but, as if they were resolved to provoke God to leave them as sheep without any shepherd, they grow outrageous against them: instead of condoling with Moses and Aaron for the death of their sister, they add affliction to their grief.
3.Moses and Aaron made them no reply, but retired to the door of the tabernacle to know God's mind in this case, Num 20:6. There they fell on their faces, as formerly on the like occasion, to deprecate the wrath of God and to entreat direction from him. Here is no mention of any thing they said; they knew that God heard the murmurings of the people, and before him they humbly prostrate themselves, making intercessions with groanings that cannot be uttered. There they lay waiting for orders Speak, Lord, for thy servants hear.
4.God appeared, to determine the matter; not on his tribunal of justice, to sentence the rebels according to their deserts; no, he will not return to destroy Ephraim (Hos 11:9), will not always chide; see Gen 8:21. But he appeared,
(1.)On his throne of glory, to silence their unjust murmuring (Num 20:6): The glory of the Lord appeared, to still the tumult of the people, by striking an awe upon them. Note, A believing sight of the glory of the Lord would be an effectual check to our lusts and passions, and would keep our mouths as with a bridle.
(2.)On his throne of grace, to satisfy their just desires. It was requisite that they should have water, and therefore, thought the manner of their petitioning for it was irregular and disorderly, yet God did not take that advantage against them to deny it to them, but gave immediate orders for their supply, Num 20:8. Moses must a second time in God's name command water out of a rock for them, to show that God is as able as ever to supply his people with good things, even in their greatest straits an in the utmost failure of second causes. Almighty power can bring water out of a rock, has done it, and can again, for his arm is not shortened. Lest it should be thought that there was something peculiar in the former rock itself, some secret spring which nature hid before in it, God here bids him broach another, and does not, as then, direct him which he must apply to, but lets him make use of which he pleased, or the first he came to; all alike to Omnipotence.
[1.]God bids him take the rod, that famous rod with which he summoned the plagues of Egypt, and divided the sea, that, having that in his hand, both he and the people might be reminded of the great things God had formerly done for them, and might be encouraged to trust in him now. This rod, it seems, was kept in the tabernacle (Num 20:9), for it was the rod of God, the rod of his strength, as the gospel is called (Psa 110:2), perhaps in allusion to it.
[2.]God bids him gather the assembly, not the elders only, but the people, to be witnesses of what was done, that by their own eyes they might be convinced and made ashamed of their unbelief. There is no fallacy in God's works of wonder, and therefore they shun not the light, nor the inspection and enquiry of many witnesses.
[3.]He bids him speak to the rock, which would do as it was bidden, to shame the people who had been so often spoken to, and would not hear nor obey. Their hearts were harder than this rock, not so tender, not so yielding, not so obedient.
[4.]He promises that the rock should give forth water (Num 20:8), and it did so (Num 20:11): The water came out abundantly. This is an instance, not only of the power of God, that he could thus fetch honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock, but of his mercy and grace, that he would do it for such a provoking people. This was a new generation (most of the old stock were by this time worn off), yet they were as bad as those that went before them; murmuring ran in the blood, yet the entail of the divine favour was not cut off, but in this instance of it the divine patience shines as brightly as the divine power. He is God and not man, in sparing and pardoning; nay, he not only here gave them the drink which they drank of in common with their beasts (Num 20:8, Num 20:11), but in it he made them to drink spiritual drink, which typified spiritual blessings, for that rock was Christ.
5.Moses and Aaron acted improperly in the management of this matter, so much so that God in displeasure told them immediately that they should not have the honour of bringing Israel into Canaan, Num 20:10-12.
(1.)This is a strange passage of story, yet very instructive.
[1.]It is certain that God was greatly offended, and justly, for he is never angry without cause. Though they were his servants, and had obtained mercy to be faithful, though they were his favourites, and such as he had highly honoured, yet for something they thought, or said, or did, upon this occasion, he put them under the disgrace and mortification of dying, as other unbelieving Israelites did, short of Canaan. And no doubt the crime deserved the punishment.
[2.]Yet it is uncertain what it was in this management that was so provoking to God. The fault was complicated. First, They did not punctually observe their orders, but in some things varied from their commission; God bade them speak to the rock, and they spoke to the people, and smote the rock, which at this time they were not ordered to do, but they thought speaking would not do. When, in distrust of the power of the word, we have recourse to the secular power in matters of pure conscience, we do, as Moses here, smite the rock to which we should only speak, Secondly, They assumed too much of the glory of this work of wonder to themselves: Must we fetch water? as if it were done by some power or worthiness of theirs. Therefore it is charged upon them (Num 20:12) that they did not sanctify God, that is, they did not give him that glory of this miracle which was due unto his name. Thirdly, Unbelief was the great transgression (Num 20:12): You believed me not; nay, it is called rebelling against God's commandment, Num 27:14. The command was to bring water out of the rock, but they rebelled against this command, by distrusting it, and doubting whether it would take effect or no. They speak doubtfully: Must we fetch water? And probably they did in some other ways discover an uncertainty in their own minds whether water would come or no for such a rebellious generation as this was. And perhaps they the rather questioned it, though God had promised it, because the glory of the Lord did not appear before them upon this rock, as it had done upon the rock in Rephidim, Exo 17:6. They would not take God's word without a sign. Dr. Lightfoot's notion of their unbelief is that they doubted whether now at last, when the forty years had expired, they should enter Canaan, and whether they must not for the murmurings of the people be condemned to another period of toil, because a new rock was now opened for their supply, which they took for an indication of their longer stay. And, if so, justly were they kept out of Canaan themselves, while the people entered at the time appointed. Fourthly, They said and did all in heat and passion; this is the account given of the sin (Psa 106:33): They provoked his spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips. It was in his passion that he called them rebels. It is true they were so; God had called them so; and Moses afterwards, in the way of a just reproof (Deu 9:24), calls them so without offence; but now it came from a provoked spirit, and was spoken unadvisedly: it was too much like Raca, and Thou fool. His smiting the rock twice (it should seem, not waiting at all for the eruption of the water upon the first stroke) shows that he was in a heat. The same thing said and done with meekness may be justifiable which when said and done in anger may be highly culpable; see Jam 1:20. Fifthly, That which aggravated all the rest, and made it the more provoking, was that it was public, before the eyes of the children of Israel, to whom they should have been examples of faith, and hope, and meekness. We find Moses guilty of sinful distrust, Num 11:22, Num 11:23. That was private between God and him, and therefore was only checked. But his was public; it dishonoured God before Israel, as if he grudged them his favours, and discouraged the people's hope in God, and therefore this was severely punished, and the more because of the dignity and eminency of those that offended.
(2.)From the whole we may learn,
[1.]That the best of men have their failings, even in those graces that they are most eminent for. The man Moses was very meek, and yet here he sinned in passion; wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
[2.]That God judges not as man judges concerning sins; we might think that there was not much amiss in what Moses said and did, yet God saw cause to animadvert severely upon it. He knows the frame of men's spirits, what temper they are of, and what temper they are in upon particular occasions, and from what thoughts and intents words and actions do proceed; and we are sure that therefore his judgment is according to truth, when it agrees not with ours. [3.] that God not only takes notice of, and is displeased with, the sins of his people, but that the nearer any are to him the more offensive are their sins, Amo 3:2. It should seem, the Psalmist refers to this sin of Moses and Aaron (Psa 99:8): Thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance on their inventions. As many are spared in this life and punished in the other, so many are punished in this life and saved in the other. [4.] That, when our heart is hot within us, we are concerned to take heed that we offend not with our tongue. Yet, [5.] It is an evidence of the sincerity of Moses, and his impartiality in writing, that he himself left this upon record concerning himself, and drew not a veil over his own infirmity, by which it appeared that in what he wrote, as well as what he did, he sought God's glory more than his own.
Lastly, The place is hereupon called Meribah, Num 20:13. It is called Meribah-Kadesh (Deu 32:51), to distinguish it from the other Meribah. It is the water of strife; to perpetuate the remembrance of the people's sin, and Moses's, and yet of God's mercy, who supplied them with water, and owned and honoured Moses notwithstanding. Thus he was sanctified in the, as the Holy One of Israel, so he is called when his mercy rejoices against judgment, Hos 11:9. Moses and Aaron did not sanctify God as they ought in the eyes of Israel (Num 20:12), but God was sanctified in them; for he will not be a loser in his honour by any man. If he be not glorified by us, he will be glorified upon us.
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Summary
Numbers 20:4 captures a pivotal moment of intense desperation and profound rebellion from the Israelite congregation at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. Faced with a severe water shortage, the people confront Moses and Aaron with a bitter accusation, questioning why their leaders brought the community into such an inhospitable wilderness only for them and their livestock to perish. This complaint reflects a deep-seated lack of faith, a spiritual amnesia regarding God's miraculous provisions, and a recurring pattern of murmuring that challenged divine leadership throughout their wilderness journey.
Context
Literary Context
Numbers 20:4 is situated at a critical juncture in the wilderness narrative, marking the beginning of the end for the generation condemned to die outside the Promised Land. The chapter opens with the Israelites' arrival at Kadesh, a significant location where they had previously rebelled, leading to the forty-year wandering (Numbers 13-14 and Numbers 14). The somber tone is immediately set by the death of Miriam, Moses' sister, which precedes this complaint (Numbers 20:1). The ensuing lack of water, a recurring motif throughout their journey, triggers this familiar outburst of discontent (Numbers 20:2-3). This specific complaint directly precipitates Moses and Aaron's fateful encounter with the rock at Meribah, where Moses' act of disobedience leads to his exclusion from entering the Promised Land (Numbers 20:7-13). Thus, this verse serves as a pivotal moment, not only highlighting the persistent faithlessness of the dying generation but also foreshadowing the severe consequences for even God's most faithful leaders when they falter.
Historical & Cultural Context
The wilderness of Zin, particularly the region around Kadesh, was notoriously arid and inhospitable. Water scarcity was not merely an inconvenience but an existential threat to a massive nomadic population, estimated in the millions, along with their extensive livestock. For ancient peoples, cattle (Hebrew: be'iyr) were not just property but vital for survival, providing food, milk, hides, and serving as a primary form of wealth and transport. Their potential death signified complete ruin and the disintegration of the community. The Israelites had been wandering for nearly forty years, and while God had consistently provided for them—manna, quail, and water from the rock—the immediate, tangible threat of thirst often overshadowed their memory of divine faithfulness. Culturally, challenging leadership in this direct and accusatory manner was a grave act, akin to challenging the divine authority that appointed those leaders. The people's accusation reveals a profound human tendency to blame and despair when faced with prolonged hardship, rather than trusting in a God who had repeatedly demonstrated His power to sustain them in impossible circumstances.
Key Themes
Numbers 20:4 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Numbers and the Pentateuch. Foremost is the theme of Covenant Faithfulness vs. Human Faithlessness. Despite God's unwavering commitment to His covenant with Israel and His consistent provision, the people repeatedly demonstrate a profound lack of trust and a tendency to murmur, highlighting their spiritual immaturity and rebellious heart, as seen throughout the wilderness accounts, such as their complaints for food in Exodus 16 and water at Rephidim in Exodus 17. This verse also underscores the Burdens of Leadership, as Moses and Aaron, God's chosen mediators, are once again the direct targets of the people's frustration, bearing the immense weight of leading a recalcitrant nation. Finally, it reinforces the theme of The Wilderness as a Testing Ground, where God allows hardship not to destroy but to humble His people and reveal what is in their hearts, as articulated in Deuteronomy 8:2-3. The people's fear of death in the wilderness also connects to the consequences of their earlier rebellion, which condemned the generation to die there (Numbers 14:33-35).
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term refers to an "assemblage (usually concretely); assembly, company, congregation, multitude." In this context, it emphasizes that the complaint was not from a fringe group but from the collective body of Israel, the very people whom God had chosen and delivered. This highlights the widespread nature of their faithlessness and the significant challenge it posed to God's authority and His appointed leaders, as it was the "congregation of the LORD" that was rebelling against the LORD's chosen path.
Meaning "a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert." In biblical theology, the "wilderness" is more than a geographical location; it is a place of testing, isolation, and absolute dependence on God. The people's complaint underscores their perception of the wilderness as a place of certain death, thereby highlighting their spiritual blindness to God's consistent sustaining power and His purpose in leading them through such a challenging environment.
A primitive root meaning "to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill." The repeated use of this verb ("that we and our cattle should die there") underscores the people's profound fear and sense of impending doom. It reflects their conviction that their journey was leading to their demise rather than to the promised land, revealing a complete loss of hope and trust in God's ultimate purpose for them. The inclusion of their "cattle" emphasizes the totality of their perceived ruin—not just their lives but their entire livelihood and future.
Verse Breakdown
"And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness"
This clause is a direct, accusatory rhetorical question leveled at Moses and Aaron. It implies that the leaders acted with malicious intent or profound incompetence, questioning their judgment and, by extension, God's wisdom in leading them. The phrase "congregation of the LORD" ironically highlights the gravity of their rebellion, as God's own chosen people are challenging His divine plan and the very path He ordained for their deliverance.
"that we and our cattle should die there?"
This second clause expresses the ultimate fear and perceived consequence of their journey. The inclusion of "cattle" emphasizes the totality of their perceived ruin—not just their lives but their entire livelihood and future. It reflects a mindset focused entirely on immediate physical needs and threats, overshadowing any memory of God's past miraculous interventions and His promise of a land flowing with milk and honey.
Literary Devices
Numbers 20:4 employs several potent literary devices to convey the depth of the Israelites' despair and rebellion. The verse is structured as a Rhetorical Question, which, rather than seeking information, serves as a forceful accusation and an expression of profound frustration and blame directed at Moses and Aaron. This question is imbued with Hyperbole, as the claim that they and their cattle "should die there" is an exaggeration born of fear and short-sightedness, ignoring decades of God's miraculous sustenance. There is also a strong element of Irony in the "congregation of the LORD"—God's chosen, covenant people—being the very ones who are challenging His divine will and doubting His provision. This highlights the tragic disconnect between their identity and their behavior. Furthermore, the complaint Foreshadows the subsequent events at Meribah, where Moses' own frustration with this persistent murmuring leads to his sin and its severe consequences (Numbers 20:7-13), demonstrating how the people's rebellion can impact even the most faithful of leaders.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Numbers 20:4 stands as a stark reminder of the human propensity for doubt and rebellion, even in the face of overwhelming evidence of divine faithfulness. The Israelites' repeated cycle of complaint, despite God's consistent provision, reveals a deep-seated spiritual amnesia and a failure to internalize the lessons of the wilderness. This episode underscores the theological truth that God's patience is immense, yet human impatience and unbelief can have severe consequences, not just for the individuals but for the entire community and its leaders. It exposes the danger of focusing solely on immediate circumstances and perceived lack, rather than trusting in God's sovereign plan and His proven character. The scene serves as a timeless warning against the perils of a complaining spirit and the spiritual blindness that can afflict even those who have witnessed God's mighty hand.
Reflection and Application
Numbers 20:4 serves as a powerful cautionary tale for believers today. When faced with our own "wilderness" experiences—periods of scarcity, uncertainty, or prolonged difficulty—how do we respond? Do we quickly resort to complaining, blaming others, or questioning God's goodness and faithfulness? Or do we recall His past provisions and promises, choosing to trust that He will see us through, even when circumstances seem dire? This verse challenges us to examine the condition of our hearts, asking whether our faith is truly rooted in God's character or merely in His immediate blessings. It calls us to cultivate a habit of remembering God's faithfulness, allowing past deliverances to inform our present trust. Like Moses and Aaron, who immediately turned to the Lord in response to the people's murmuring (Numbers 20:6), we are reminded that our first response to overwhelming pressure and desperate situations should always be to seek God's guidance and presence, rather than succumbing to despair or accusation. Our spiritual growth often occurs not in comfort, but in the crucible of testing where our dependence on God is most acutely revealed.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did the Israelites complain so often, despite witnessing God's miracles?
The frequent complaints of the Israelites, exemplified in Numbers 20:4, stem from a combination of factors, primarily a deep-seated lack of faith and spiritual immaturity. Despite witnessing incredible miracles like the Exodus, the parting of the Red Sea, and the daily provision of manna, their faith was often superficial and dependent on immediate, tangible comfort. When faced with discomfort or perceived threats, their fear and short-term memory would override their knowledge of God's power and faithfulness. This cyclical pattern of doubt and murmuring reveals a heart that had not yet fully submitted to God's sovereignty or learned to trust in His unseen hand. Their focus remained on their physical needs and the perceived impossibility of their circumstances, rather than on the character and promises of the God who had consistently delivered them. This highlights the human tendency to forget past mercies in the face of present trials.
What does "congregation of the LORD" imply in the context of their complaint?
The phrase "congregation of the LORD" (Hebrew: qâhâl Yᵉhôvâh) is highly significant because it highlights the seriousness of their rebellion. This was not just a random group of people, but the chosen, covenant people of God, uniquely set apart and blessed by Him. Their complaint, therefore, was not merely against Moses and Aaron as human leaders, but implicitly against the LORD Himself, whose divine plan and provision they were questioning. By challenging their appointed leaders, they were challenging God's authority and wisdom in bringing them into the wilderness. The use of this title underscores the profound irony and tragedy of their unfaithfulness, as the very people who were meant to embody God's presence on earth were continually demonstrating a lack of trust in Him. It serves as a stark reminder that even those who are called by God can fall prey to doubt and rebellion when faced with hardship, revealing the constant need for spiritual renewal and dependence.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
The persistent complaints of Israel in the wilderness, as seen in Numbers 20:4, find their ultimate resolution and contrast in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Where Israel repeatedly failed to trust God in the face of thirst and hunger, Jesus perfectly embodied unwavering faith and obedience. He is the true and greater Moses, who endured the ultimate "wilderness" experience during His forty days of temptation, triumphing over every trial by perfectly trusting and obeying God's Word (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus is the spiritual "rock" from which living water flows, fulfilling the temporary provision of water in the wilderness; He declared, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink" (John 7:37-39). He is also the true "bread of life," satisfying the deepest spiritual hunger that the manna could only foreshadow (John 6:35). The Israelites feared death in the wilderness, but Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, willingly embraced death on the cross to overcome the power of sin and death, offering eternal life to all who believe (John 10:10). Thus, Christ fully provides for every need, both physical and spiritual, demonstrating the perfect trust and obedience that Israel lacked, and offering the ultimate deliverance from the "wilderness" of sin and despair into the promised land of eternal life.