Charles Ellicott Commentary Numbers 20

Then came ... — It would be better to translate this way: And (or, Now) the children of Israel came (or, had come) ..., since the interval of time between the events related in the preceding chapters and this chapter is unknown.

In the first month.— It has been commonly supposed that the reference is to the first month of the fortieth year, when the Israelites are thought to have arrived for the second time at Kadesh. Some, however, are of the opinion that the journey is the same as that mentioned in Numbers 12:16 and Deuteronomy 1:19, and that the arrival at Kadesh was on the first month of the third year—that is, the year which followed the departure from Sinai. This departure took place on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year after the exodus.

And the people stayed in Kadesh.— It is evident that the stay in Kadesh was an extended one, whether or not Kadesh served as the headquarters of the people from the second or third year of the exodus until they entered the land of Canaan. See Deuteronomy 1:46, where Moses describes the length of the stay in Kadesh by the words “many days,” the same words he uses in Numbers 20:15 to indicate the length of the stay in the land of Egypt.

It cannot, however, be inferred from the simple use of the word which is here rendered abode that the stay at Kadesh at the beginning of the fortieth year was long (see Judges 11:17, where the same word is used). Therefore, no valid conclusion can be drawn from the use of this word concerning whether the verse refers to an arrival at Kadesh at the beginning of the third or of the fortieth year after the exodus (see Numbers 20:14, and Note).

And there was no water ... — Kadesh may have comprised a considerable portion of the wilderness of Zin, and there may have been a supply of water in some parts of the district and a scarcity in others; or the supply may have proved insufficient for the needs of such a large multitude; or the miraculous supply which was given at Rephidim may have continued, with more or less frequent intermissions, until the time being described, and may have been suddenly withdrawn at this time to try the faith of the Israelites.

If only we had died... — The reference seems to be to the plague that broke out after the insurrection of Korah. The language of the murmurers is very similar to that which is recorded in Numbers 16:14, and the word gava (die, or expire), which is used twice in this verse and occurs in Numbers 16:26 and Numbers 16:28 in connection with the history of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, is found in only one other place throughout the last four books of the Pentateuch—namely, Numbers 20:29.

The probability that that plague was of comparatively recent occurrence, and not separated from the present murmuring by a period of nearly forty years, has been inferred from the use of the word brethren in this verse. Some suppose that the generation contemporary with those who perished in the plague that followed the rebellion of Korah was almost extinct at the time to which the events recorded in this chapter are commonly referred. In that case, it is alleged, the word fathers would have been more applicable than brethren to those who perished.

It may be observed, further, that the inquiry, Why have you made us come up out of Egypt? is more natural when regarded as the language of the generation that had come up out of Egypt as adults and looked back to the exodus as a recent event. This view is less fitting if the inquiry is regarded as that of a generation of which a large number had been born in the wilderness, and the rest had left Egypt nearly forty years previously.

These considerations, however, do not appear to carry much weight. The older portion of the congregation, who would naturally be the spokesmen, would speak of those who perished in the insurrection of Korah as their brethren, whether the event itself was of recent occurrence or not. Furthermore, the words rendered Why have you brought up, etc.? may, with equal propriety, be rendered Why did you bring up, etc.? (Compare to Numbers 20:16 and Note).

Take the rod. —Some have supposed, from the fact that the rod is represented as being taken from before the Lord (Numbers 20:9), that the reference is to Aaron’s rod, which was kept before the testimony (Numbers 17:10).

On the other hand, the natural presumption is that the rod was the same one with which some of the previous miracles in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and at Rephidim had been performed. This presumption is confirmed by two facts: first, Aaron’s name is not mentioned in this verse until after the mention of the rod; and second, Moses is said, in Numbers 20:11, to have struck the rock with his rod.

Must we fetch you water out of this rock?— In the case of the former miracle at Rephidim the rock is spoken of only under the Hebrew word zur (Exodus 17:6). Throughout the present narration the rock is invariably spoken of under the word sela. In Psalms 78:15-16, where reference appears to be made to both miracles, both words are used.