Num 13:27, 20:1, 14, 21 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 27. We came unto the land, &c. ] It is astonishing that men so dastardly as these should have had courage enough to risk their persons in searching the land. But probably though destitute of valour they had a sufficiency of cunning, and this carried them through. The report they brought was exceedingly discouraging, and naturally tended to produce the effect mentioned in the next chapter. The conduct of Joshua and Caleb was alone magnanimous, and worthy of the cause in which they were embarked.

‏ Numbers 13:27

Verse 27. We came unto the land, &c.] It is astonishing that men so dastardly as these should have had courage enough to risk their persons in searching the land. But probably though destitute of valour they had a sufficiency of cunning, and this carried them through. The report they brought was exceedingly discouraging, and naturally tended to produce the effect mentioned in the next chapter. The conduct of Joshua and Caleb was alone magnanimous, and worthy of the cause in which they were embarked.

‏ Numbers 20:1

CHAPTER XX

The Israelites come to Zin, and Miriam dies, 1.

They murmur for want of water, 2-5.

Moses and Aaron make supplication at the tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord appears, 6.

He commands Moses to take his rod, gather the congregation together, and bring water out of the rock, 7, 8.

Moses takes the rod, gathers the Israelites together, chides with them, and smites the rock twice, and the waters flow out plenteously, 9-11.

The Lord is offended with Moses and Aaron because they did not sanctify him in the sight of the children of Israel, 12.

The place is called Meribah, 13.

Moses sends a friendly message to the king of Edom, begging liberty to pass through his territories, 14-17.

The Edomites refuse, 18.

The Israelites expostulate, 19.

The Edomites still refuse, and prepare to attack them, 20, 21.

The Israelites go to Mount Hor, 22.

Aaron is commanded to prepare far his death, 23, 24.

Aaron is stripped on Mount Hor, and his vestments put on Eleazar his son; Aaron dies, 25-28.

The people mourn for him thirty days, 29.

NOTES ON CHAP. XX

Verse 1. Then came the children of Israel, &c.] This was the first month of the fortieth year after their departure from Egypt. See Nu 33:38, compared with Nu 20:28 of this chapter, and De 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, Nu 13:1, 2, unto this time, was about thirty-eight years, De 1:22, 23; 2:14.

Desert of Zin] Calmet contends that this is not the same desert mentioned Ex 16:1, where Israel had their eighth encampment; that in Exodus being called in the original sin, this here 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 intrusted 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 Ex 2:1-8. 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, Nu 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!

‏ Numbers 20:14

Verse 14. Sent messengers-unto the king of Edom] Archbishop Usher supposes that the king now reigning in Edom was Hadar, mentioned Ge 36:39.

Thus saith thy brother Israel] The Edomites were the descendants of Edom or Esau, the brother of Jacob or Israel, from whom the Israelites were descended.

‏ Numbers 20:21

Verse 21. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border] Though every king has a right to refuse passage through his territories to any strangers; yet in a case like this, and in a time also in which emigrations were frequent and universally allowed, it was both cruelty and oppression in Edom to refuse a passage to a comparatively unarmed and inoffensive multitude, who were all their own near kinsmen. It appears however that it was only the Edomites of Kadesh that were thus unfriendly and cruel; for from De 2:29 we learn that the Edomites who dwelt in Mount Seir treated them in a hospitable manner. This cruelty in the Edomites of Kadesh is strongly reprehended, and threatened by the Prophet Obadiah, Ob 1:10, &c.