Numbers 20:8

God's power and sovereignty Miracles and God's intervention

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.

⁷ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

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.

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?

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: “Take the staff and assemble the congregation. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.”
KJV: 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.
WEB: “Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it pour out its water. You shall bring water to them out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink.”
ASV: Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, that it give forth its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their cattle drink.
DARBY: Take the staff, and gather the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, and it shall give its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock, and shalt give the assembly and their beasts drink.
BLB: “Take the rod and gather together the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes; and it will yield its water. And you shall bring for them water from the rock and give drink to the congregation and their livestock.”

ÅB: Ta staven og kall menigheten sammen, du og Aron, din bror, og dere skal tale til klippen midt for deres øyne, så skal den gi vann fra seg; slik skal du la vann strømme ut av klippen for dem og gi både menigheten og dens buskap å drikke.
OTB: “Ta staven, og du og din bror Aron skal samle forsamlingen. Tal til klippen foran deres øyne, og den vil gi sitt vann. Du skal føre vann ut av klippen for menigheten og deres buskap å drikke.”
B1930: Ta staven og kall menigheten sammen, du og Aron, din bror, og I skal tale til klippen midt for deres øine, så skal den gi vann fra sig; således skal du la vann strømme ut av klippen for dem og gi både menigheten og dens buskap å drikke.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Exodus 4:17
And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.
Read in context
Isaiah 43:20
The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
Read in context
Exodus 17:5–6
And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.
Read in context
Revelation 22:17
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Read in context
John 16:24
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
Read in context
Isaiah 48:21
And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
Read in context
Nehemiah 9:15
And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.
Read in context
Acts 2:1–4
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Read in context