English Standard Version
Numbers 20:8
8"Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle."
Numbers 20:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
- New International Version (NIV)“Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)“You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.”
Context of Numbers 20:8
6Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them, 7and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle." 9And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded him. 10Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?"
Read all of Numbers 20Numbers 20:8 word by word
קַ֣ח אֶת־הַמַּטֶּ֗ה וְהַקְהֵ֤ל אֶת־הָעֵדָה֙ אַתָּה֙ וְאַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתֶּ֧ם אֶל־הַסֶּ֛לַע לְעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם וְנָתַ֣ן מֵימָ֑יו וְהוֹצֵאתָ֨ לָהֶ֥ם מַ֙יִם֙ מִן־הַסֶּ֔לַע וְהִשְׁקִיתָ֥ אֶת־הָעֵדָ֖ה וְאֶת־בְּעִירָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- the rodמַטֶּהmaţţeh maţţâh · tribe: rodH4294
- and gatherקָהַלqâhal · to gatherH6950
- thou the assemblyעֵדָה‛êdâh · congregationH5712
- together, thou, and Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175
- thy brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
- and speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- ye unto the rockסֶ֫לַעsela‛ · cragH5553
- before their eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- and it shall give forthנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- his waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
- and thou shalt bring forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: issueH3318
- so thou shalt giveשָׁקָהshâqâh · to water: drinkH8248
- and their beastsבְּעִירbe‛îyr · cattleH1165
- drinkשָׁקָהshâqâh · to water: drinkH8248
Cross-references for Numbers 20:8
- Numbers 21:15and the slope of the valleys that extends to the seat of Ar, and leans to the border of Moab."
- Exodus 4:2The Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff."
- Exodus 7:20Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood.
- Exodus 14:16Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.
- Exodus 17:5And the Lord said to Moses, "Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.
- Genesis 18:14Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son."
- Joshua 6:5And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him."
- Psalms 33:9For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
- Matthew 21:21And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen.
- Mark 11:22And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God.
- Luke 11:13If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
- John 4:10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."
- John 16:24Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
- Acts 1:14All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
- Acts 2:1When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.
- Revelation 22:1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
Commentaries on Numbers 20:8
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Take the rod - That with which the miracles in Egypt had been performed (Exodus 7:8 ff; Exodus 7:19 ff; Exodus 8:5 ff, etc.), and which had been used on a similar occasion at Rephidim (Exodus 17:5 following). This rod, as the memorial of so many divine interpositions, was naturally laid up in the tabernacle, and is accordingly Numbers 20:9 described now as taken by Moses “from before the Lord.”Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-9Moses placed the staff in front of the ark of the covenant to stop the Israelites from complaining (compare 17:10). The staff represented God's authority given to Moses and Aaron. God's instructions to his representatives are very precise and require exact obedience (compare James 3:1; also see 2 Timothy 2:24–26).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 20:8
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries