Chapter 20:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Leviticus Deuteronomy
Numbers 20
This chapter begins the history of the fortieth year of the
Israelites wandering in the wilderness. Little is recorded of them
from the beginning of their second year till this, which brought
them to the borders of Canaan. Here is,
- The death of Miriam, ver. 1.
- The fetching water out of the rock, ver. 2-13.
- The treaty with the Edomites, ver. 14-21.
- The death of Aaron and installment of Eleazar, ver. 22-29.
Verse 1. Then - To wit, after many stations and long journeys here
omitted, but particularly described, chap. xxxiii, 1-49. Zin - A
place near the land of Edom, distinct and distant from that Sin,
Exod. xvi, 1. The first month - Of the fortieth year, as is evident,
because the next station to this was in mount Hor, where Aaron
died, who died in the fifth month of the fortieth year, chap. xxxiii, 38. Moses doth not give us an exact journal of all occurrences in the wilderness, but only of those which were most remarkable,
and especially of those which happened in the first and second,
and in the fortieth year. Miriam died - Four months before Aaron,
and but a few more before Moses.
Verse 2. No water - Which having followed them through all their
former journeys, began to fail them here, because they were now
come near countries, where waters might be had by ordinary
means, and therefore God would not use extraordinary, lest he
should seem to prostitute the honour of miracles. This story,
though like that, Exod. xvii, 1-7, is different from it, as appears by
divers circumstances. 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.
Verse 3. Before the Lord - Suddenly, rather than to die such a lingering
death. Their sin was much greater than that of their parents,
because they should have taken warning by their miscarriages,
and by the terrible effects of them, which their eyes had seen.
Verse 8. The rod - That which was laid up before the Lord in the
tabernacle; whether it was Aaron's rod, which was laid up there,
chap. xvii, 10, or Moses's rod by which he wrought so many
miracles. For it is likely, that wonder-working rod, was laid up in
some part of the tabernacle, though not in or near the ark, where
Aaron's blossoming rod was put.
Verse 9. From before the Lord - Out of the tabernacle.
Verse 12. Ye believed me not - But shewed your infidelity: which they
did, either by smiting the rock, and that twice, which is
emphatically noted, as if he doubted whether once smiting would
have done it, whereas he was not commanded to smite so much as
once, but only to speak to it: or by the doubtfulness of these
words, chap. xx, 10. Must we fetch water out of the rock? which
implies a suspicion of it, whereas they should have spoken
positively and confidently to the rock to give forth water. And yet
they did not doubt of the power of God, but of his will, whether
he would gratify these rebels with this farther miracle, after so
many of the like kind. To sanctify me - To give me the glory of
my power in doing this miracle, and of my truth in punctually
fulfilling my promise, and of my goodness in doing it
notwithstanding the peoples perverseness. In the eyes of Israel -
This made their sin scandalous to the Israelites, who of
themselves were too prone to infidelity; to prevent the contagion,
God leaves a monument of his displeasure upon them, and inflicts
a punishment as publick as their sin.
Verse 13. Meribah - That is, strife. In them - Or, among them, the
children of Israel, by the demonstration of his omnipotency,
veracity, and clemency towards the Israelites, and of his impartial
holiness and severity against sin even in his greatest friends and
favourites.
Verse 14. All the travel - All the wanderings and afflictions of our
parents and of us their children, which doubtless have come to
thine ears.
Verse 16. An Angel - The Angel of the Covenant, who first appeared to
Moses in the bush, and afterward in the cloudy pillar, who
conducted Moses and the people out of Egypt, and through the
wilderness. For though Moses may be called an angel or
messenger yet it is not probable that he is meant, partly because
Moses was the person that sent this message; and partly because
another angel above Moses conducted them, and the mention
hereof to the Edomites, was likely to give more authority to their
present message. In Kadesh - Near, the particle in being so often
used.
Verse 17. The wells - Or, pits, which any of you have digged for your
private use, not without paying for it, ver. 19, but only of the
waters of common rivers, which are free to all passengers. No
man's property ought to be invaded, under colour of religion.
Dominion is founded in providence, not in Grace.
Verse 18. By me - Through my country: I will not suffer thee to do so:
which was an act of policy, to secure themselves from so
numerous an host.
Verse 19. Said - That is, their messengers replied what here follows.
Verse 23. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron - So these two
dear brothers must part! Aaron must die first: but Moses is not
likely to be long after him. So that it is only for a while, a little
while, that they are separated.
Verse 24. Because they rebelled - This was one but not the only reason.
God would not have Moses and Aaron to carry the people into
Canaan, for this reason also, to signify the insufficiency of the
Mosaical law and Aaronical priesthood to make them perfectly
happy, and the necessity of a better, and to keep the Israelites
from resting in them, so as to be taken off from their expectation
of Christ.
Verse 26. His garments - His priestly garments, in token of his
resignation of his office. Put them on Eleazar - By way of
admission and inauguration to his office.
Verse 27. In the sight of all the congregation - That their hearts might be
more affected with their loss of so great a pillar, and that they all
might be witnesses of the translation of the priesthood from Aaron
to Eleazar.
Verse 28. And Moses stript Aaron - And Death will strip us. Naked we
came into the world: naked we must go out. We shall see little
reason to be proud of our cloaths, our ornaments, or marks of
honour, if we consider how soon death will strip us of all our
glory, and take the crown off from our head! Aaron died there -
He died in Mosera, Deut. x, 6. Mosera was the general name of
the place where that station was, and mount Hor a particular place
in it. Presently after he was stript of his priestly garments, he laid
him down and died. A good man would desire, if it were the will
of God, not to outlive his usefulness. Why should we covet to
continue any longer in this world, than while we may do God and
our generation some service?
Verse 29. Saw - Understood by the relation of Moses and Eleazar, and
by other signs. Thirty days - The time of publick and solemn
mourning for great persons.
Chapter 20:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Leviticus Deuteronomy
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
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