Study Desk

He stood between the dead and the living, so that the plague was brought to an end.

So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each of their leaders gave him a rod, one for each leader according to their fathers' households, twelve rods, and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

So Moses deposited the rods before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony (tabernacle).

But the LORD said to Moses, "Put Aaron's rod back before the Testimony [in the ark], to be kept as a [warning] sign for the rebellious and contentious, so that you may put an end to their murmurings [of discontent] against Me, so that they do not die."

And Moses did so; just as the LORD had commanded him, so he did.

So the LORD said to Aaron, "You and your sons and your father's household (family) with you shall bear the guilt in connection with the sanctuary [that is, through your service as priests you will atone for the offenses which the people unknowingly commit when brought into contact with the manifestations of God's presence]; and you and your sons with you shall bear the guilt in connection with your priesthood [that is, your own unintentional offenses].

"But bring with you also your brothers, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father (ancestor), so that they may join with you and serve you [as assistants], while you and your sons with you are before the Tent of the Testimony [the Holy Place where only priests may go, and the Most Holy Place which only the high priest may enter].

"So you shall attend to the duties of the sanctuary and the duties of the altar [of burnt offering and the altar of incense], so that there will no longer be wrath on the Israelites [as with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram].

'So it shall be a perpetual statute to them. He who sprinkles the water for impurity [on another] shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening.

"Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock in front of them, so that it will pour out its water. In this way you shall bring water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their livestock drink [fresh water]."

So Moses took the rod from before the LORD, just as He had commanded him;

Thus [the king of] Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him.

and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. So Aaron will be gathered to his fathers, and will die there."

So Moses did just as the LORD had commanded; and they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

So Israel made a vow to the LORD, and said, "If You will indeed hand over these people to me, then I will utterly destroy their cities."

The LORD heard the voice of Israel and handed over the Canaanites; then they utterly destroyed them and their cities. So the name of the place was called Hormah (dedicate to destruction).

So the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, nor is there any water, and we loathe this miserable food."

So the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD, so that He will remove the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people.

So Moses made a serpent of bronze and put it on the pole, and it happened that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.

So the sons of Israel killed Og and his sons and all his people, until there was no survivor left to him; and they took possession of his land.