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Bilang 20:1
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1 Ug ang mga anak sa Israel, bisan ang tibook katilingban, mingdangat sa kamingawan sa Zin sa bulan nga nahauna: ug ang katawohan nagpahamutang sa Cades; ug didto namatay si Miriam, ug gilubong didto.
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
An, Ex, Is, 40
Then: This was the first month of the fortieth year after the departure from Egypt. - Compare Numbers 33:38, with Numbers 20:28, of this chapter and Deuteronomy 1:3. This year was the last of their journeyings, for from the going out of the spies - Numbers 13:1 unto this time, was about thirty-eight years. Deuteronomy 1:22, Deuteronomy 1:23, Deuteronomy 2:14
into: Numbers 13:21, Numbers 27:14, Numbers 33:36, Deuteronomy 32:51
Kadesh: This Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin, is different from Kadesh-barnea, lying in, or adjoining to the wilderness of Paran, about eight leagues south of Hebron. - See note on Numbers 34:3, Numbers 34:4. Joshua 15:1, Joshua 15:3. Kadesh is called Rekam, by the Targumists, Rekem, in the Syriac, and Rakim, in Arabic. Rekem, says Rabbi Nissin - in Gittin, chapter 1 is on the east, meaning of the land of Israel. Numbers 20:16, Psalms 29:8
Miriam: Numbers 12:1, Numbers 12:10, Numbers 12:15, Numbers 26:59, Exodus 2:4, Exodus 2:7, Exodus 15:20, Micah 6:4
Reciprocal: Genesis 14:7 - Kadesh Numbers 10:31 - forasmuch Numbers 13:26 - Kadesh Numbers 20:22 - Kadesh Deuteronomy 1:46 - General Judges 11:16 - came Judges 11:17 - abode Ezekiel 48:28 - strife in Kadesh Acts 7:36 - and in the wilderness
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation,.... Not immediately after the transaction of the above things, recorded in the preceding chapters; as the sending of the spies into the land of Canaan, and their report of it; the business of Korah, and the giving of several laws respecting the priesthood, and the purification of the people; but thirty eight years after: nor was this the congregation that came out of Egypt; their carcasses, by this time, had fallen in the wilderness, as had been threatened, excepting some few, so that this was a new generation: what passed during this time we have very little account of, excepting their journeyings from place to place, in Numbers 33:1, by which it appears, there were eighteen stations between the place they encamped at when the spies were sent, and this they now came to; and that the place from whence they came hither was Ezion Geber; from hence they journeyed,
and came unto the desert of Zin; which is different from the wilderness of Sin, Exodus 16:1 as appears by their names, which are different, and by the stations of the Israelites, Numbers 33:11, hither they came
in the first month; the month of Nisan, on the tenth day of it, according to the Targum of Jonathan, which was the first month of the fortieth year of their coming out of Egypt, so Aben Ezra; with which agrees the Jewish chronologer u, which says, this was the fortieth year, and the beginning of the month Nisan:
and the people abode in Kadesh: which is by some thought to be different from Kadeshbarnea, from whence the spies were sent, and lay to the south of the land of Canaan, whereas this was upon the borders of Edom; but Doctor Lightfoot w shows them to be the same: it is supposed to be eight hours north or northnorth-west of Mount Sinai, which may be computed to be about twenty miles x; here the Israelites abode about four months, see Numbers 33:38 the above Jewish chronologer says three months, wrongly:
and Miriam died there, and was buried there; the Jews say y she died there the tenth day of the month Nisan, which was ten days after the Israelites came to this place; though, according to the Targum of Jonathan, it was the same day they came thither: Patricides, an Arabian writer, says z she died on the seventh day of Nisan, aged one hundred and twenty seven; no mention is made of the people mourning for her as for Aaron, Numbers 20:29 and for Moses, Deuteronomy 34:8 perhaps because of their distress for want of water, as follows.
u Seder Olam Rabba, c. 9. p. 25. w Chorograph. Cent. in Matt. c. 7. p. 8, 9. x Pococke's Travels, p. 157. y Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 7. 2. Schulchan Aruch, par. 1. c. 580. sect. 2. z Apud Hottinger. Smegma Oriental. l. 1. c. 8. p. 457.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Numbers 20:0 and Numbers 21:0 narrate the journey of the people from Kadesh round Mount Seir to the heights of Pisgah, near the Jordan, and the various incidents connected with that journey (compare Numbers 33:37-41). This formed the third and last stage of the progress of Israel from Sinai to Canaan, and took place in the fortieth year of the Exodus.
The incidents are apparently not narrated in a strictly chronological order (see Numbers 21:1). The leading purpose of Numbers 20:0 seems to be to narrate the loss by the people of their original leaders before their entrance into the land of promise.
Even the whole congregation - This emphatic expression (compare Numbers 13:26; Numbers 14:1) points to a re-assembling of the people for the purpose of at last resuming the advance to the promised land. During the past 38 years the “congregation” had been bracken up. No doubt round the tabernacle there had continued an organised camp consisting of the Levites and others, which had been moved from time to time up and down the country (compare Numbers 33:18-36). But the mass of the people had been scattered over the face of the wilderness of Paran, and led a nomadic life as best suited the pasturage of the cattle; trafficking in provisions with surrounding tribes (compare Deuteronomy 2:26-29; Psalms 74:14); and availing themselves of the resources of a district which were in ancient times vastly greater than they now are.
These natural resources were supplemented, where needful, by miraculous aid. The whole guidance of Israel through the wilderness is constantly referred to God’s special and immediately superintending care (Deuteronomy 8:4 following; Deuteronomy 29:5; Nehemiah 9:21; Isaiah 63:11-14; Amos 2:10, etc.).
Yet though God’s extraordinary bounty was vouchsafed to them, it is probable that this period was, among the perishing generation at all events, one of great religious declension, or even apostasy. To it must no doubt be referred such passages as Ezekiel 20:15 ff; Amos 5:25 following; Hosea 9:10.
Into the desert of Zin - The northeastern part of the wilderness of Paran (or, now definitely fixed by Palmer as the southeastern corner of the desert of Et-Tih, between Akabah and the head of Wady Garaiyeh.) The place of encampment was no doubt adjacent to the spring of Kadesh.
In the first month - i. e. of the fortieth year of the Exodus.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
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 Numbers 20:1. Then came the children of Israel, c. — This was the first month of the fortieth year after their departure from Egypt. See Numbers 33:38, compared with Numbers 20:28 of this chapter, and Deuteronomy 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, Numbers 13:1-2, unto this time, was about thirty-eight years, Deuteronomy 1:22-23; Deuteronomy 2:14.
Desert of Zin — Calmet contends that this is not the same desert mentioned Exodus 16:1, where Israel had their eighth encampment; that in Exodus being called in the original סין sin, this here צין 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 Exodus 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, Numbers 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!