Numbers 20:2

Numbers 20:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
• New International Version (NIV)Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.

Context of Numbers 20:2

1In the first month, the Israelites came to the Zin desert. They put up their tents at Kadesh. Miriam died there and the people buried her. The people did not have any water to drink. They complained to Moses and Aaron. 3They said to Moses, ‘We would rather be dead! When the Lord killed our brothers, he should have killed us too. 4We are the Lord's people. Have you brought us and our animals here to die?

Numbers 20:2 word by word

וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה מַ֖יִם לָעֵדָ֑ה וַיִּקָּ֣הֲל֔וּ עַל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְעַֽל־אַהֲרֹֽן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And there was no waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• for the congregationעֵדָה‛êdâh · congregationH5712
• and they gatheredקָהַלqâhal · to gatherH6950
• themselves together against Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• and against Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175

Cross-references for Numbers 20:2

• Exodus 16:23Moses said to them, ‘This is what the Lord has said: “Tomorrow is a special day of rest. It is a Sabbath day, to worship the Lord. Today, you must bake any food that you want to bake. Boil the meat that you want to boil. Keep until the morning whatever food you do not eat today.” ’
• Exodus 17:1Then all the Israelites continued to travel on from the desert called Sin. They moved from one place to another, as the Lord told them. When they arrived at Rephidim, they put up their tents there. But there was no water for the people to drink.
• Numbers 11:1But the people started to complain about their problems. The Lord heard them and he became very angry. He sent fire. The Lord sent his fire to burn among them. It destroyed some parts of the camp at the edge.
• Numbers 16:3They all came to Moses and Aaron and they said, ‘All the Israelites are special. The Lord has chosen all of us and he is with us all. So you should not say that you are better than the rest of the Lord's people.’
• Numbers 21:5They complained to God and to Moses, ‘You should not have brought us from Egypt to die here in the desert. There is nothing to eat. There is no water to drink. We do not like this bad food, manna.’
• Exodus 16:2When they were in the desert, all the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron.
• 1 Corinthians 10:10Do not complain against God. Some of our ancestors spoke like that, and God sent an angel of death to kill them.

Commentaries on Numbers 20:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2And there was no water for the congregation - The same occurrence took place to the children of Israel at Kadesh, as did formerly to their fathers at Rephidim, see Exodus 17:1; and as the fathers murmured, so also did the children.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2-6Verses 2-6 The language of the murmurers is noteworthy. It has the air of a traditional remonstrance handed down from the last generation. Compare marginal references.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2there was no water: Most of the year, Sinai and the Negev are very hot and dry.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-132-13. there was no water for the congregation--There was at Kadesh a fountain, En-Mishpat (Ge 14:7), and at the first encampment of the Israelites there was no want of water. It was then either partially dried up by the heat of the season, or had been exhausted by the demands of so vast a multitude.Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 20:2

• Aaron
• Israel
• Moses
• Murmuring
• Trouble

In the dictionaries

• Aaron
• Moses
• Exodus
• Meribah
• Refuse
• Agrapha
• Chronicles, Books of
• Chronology of the Old Testament
• Criticism
• Genealogy

Commentaries on Numbers 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings