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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron.

Context of Numbers 20:2

1In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried. Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. 3They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! 4Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here?

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 16:23He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’ ”
• Exodus 17:1The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
• Numbers 11:1Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.
• Numbers 16:3They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”
• Numbers 21:5they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
• Exodus 16:2In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
• 1 Corinthians 10:10And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

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