Numbers 20:8

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.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)"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."
• 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.”

Context of Numbers 20:8

6Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting. Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7The Lord said to Moses, “Take your staff, then you and your brother Aaron gather the community. Right before their eyes, tell the rock to give up its water. In this way you will give the community water from the rock for them and their animals to drink.” 9Moses took his staff out of ⌞the tent in⌟ the Lord’s presence as he had been commanded. 10Then Moses and Aaron assembled the community in front of the rock and said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring water out of this rock for you?”

Numbers 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 21:15Arnon and the slopes of the valleys that go down to the site of Ar and lie along the border of Moab….”
• Exodus 4:2Then the Lord asked him, “What’s that in your hand?” He answered, “A shepherd’s staff.”
• Exodus 7:20Moses and Aaron did as the Lord had commanded. In front of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised his staff and struck the Nile. All the water in the river turned into blood.
• Exodus 14:16Raise your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide the water. Then the Israelites will go through the sea on dry ground.
• Exodus 17:5The Lord answered Moses, “Bring some of the leaders of Israel with you, and go to where the people can see you. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile River.
• Genesis 18:14Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will come back to you next year at this time, and Sarah will have a son.”
• Joshua 6:5When you hear a long blast on the horn, all the troops must shout very loudly. The wall around the city will collapse. Then the troops must charge straight ahead into the city.”
• Psalms 33:9He spoke, and it came into being. He gave the order, and there it stood.
• Matthew 21:21Jesus answered them, “I can guarantee this truth: If you have faith and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I did to the fig tree. You could also say to this mountain, ‘Be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.
• Mark 11:22Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God!
• Luke 11:13Even though you’re evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. So how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
• John 4:10Jesus replied to her, “If you only knew what God’s gift is and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked him for a drink. He would have given you living water.”
• John 16:24So far you haven’t asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive so that you can be completely happy.
• Acts 1:14The apostles had a single purpose as they devoted themselves to prayer. They were joined by some women, including Mary (the mother of Jesus), and they were joined by his brothers.
• Acts 2:1When Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Passover, came, all the believers were together in one place.
• Revelation 22:1The angel showed me a river filled with the water of life, as clear as crystal. It was flowing from the throne of God and 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

• Israel
• Miracles
• Trouble

In the dictionaries

• Aaron
• Beast
• Exodus
• Meribah
• Refuse
• Agrapha
• Chronicles, Books of
• Chronology of the Old Testament
• Criticism
• Flint

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