The Skeptics Annotated Bible (150 page)

20
But the man that shall be unclean
, and shall not purify himself, that soul
shall be cut off
from among the congregation,
because
he hath defiled the sanctuary of the LORD
: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.

(19.20)
“But the man that shall be unclean … shall be cut off … because … the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.”

21 And
it shall be a perpetual statute
unto them,
that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.

(19.21)
“It shall be a perpetual statute … that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.”

22
And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.

(19.22)
“And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.”

20
Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into
the desert of Zin
in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

(20.1)
“The desert of Zin”
102 Where did Moses get water from a rock?

2 And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

3 And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

4 And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?

5 And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and
they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.

(20.6)
“They fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.”

7
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

8 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.

(20.7-8)
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying … Speak ye unto the rock.”
104 How did God tell Moses to get water from a rock?

9 And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.

10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

11 And
Moses
lifted up his hand, and
with his rod
he
smote the rock twice: and the water came out
abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

(20.11)
“Moses … with his rod … smote the rock twice: and the water came out.”
Moses hit a rock with his rod and Presto!—water came out.

12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron,
Because ye believed me not
, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore
ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

(20.12)
“Because ye believed me not … ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.”
Moses is punished for hitting the rock with his staff (like he did before in Ex 17.6) to get water, rather than just speaking to the rock (as God asked him to do this time). For messing up the magic trick, Moses will never get to the promised land.

13 This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

14 And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:

15 How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers:

16 And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:

17 Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king’s high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.

18 And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.

19 And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet.

20 And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.

21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

22 And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.

23 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,

24 Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.

25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor:

26 And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.

27 And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and
they went up into mount Hor
in the sight of all the congregation.

28 And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son;
and Aaron died there in the top of the mount
: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.

(20.27-28)
“They went up into mount Hor … and Aaron died there in the top of the mount.”
138 Where did Aaron die?