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.
Parallel translations
- WEB Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
- BSB After Moses had removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
- NKJV Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
- NASB And after Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on the mountain top. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
- NLT At the summit, Moses removed the priestly garments from Aaron and put them on Eleazar, Aaron’s son. Then Aaron died there on top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar went back down.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Moses transferred Aaron's garments to Eleazar, Aaron died on the mountaintop, and Moses and Eleazar descended. The first high priest died, and his son took up the office.
Overview
The solemn scene fulfills God's word exactly: Aaron dies outside the Promised Land because of Meribah, yet the priesthood lives on in Eleazar. The descent of the new high priest signals continuity of mediation for Israel. The mortality of the Aaronic line again points to the need for a priest who never dies, found in the risen Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Deut 10:6And the children of Israel took their journey from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera: there Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest’s office in his stead.
- Exod 29:29–30And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them.
- Num 20:26And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.
- Deut 34:9And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.
- Deut 34:5So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.
- Deut 32:49–50Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession:
- Deut 31:7–8And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.
- 1 Chr 28:5–9And of all my sons, (for the LORD hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.
- 1 Chr 22:11–12Now, my son, the LORD be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the LORD thy God, as he hath said of thee.
- 1 Chr 22:17David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying,
- Acts 20:25–29And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
- Heb 7:24–25But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
- Num 27:16–23Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,
- 2 Pet 1:15Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.
- Num 33:38–49And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 20:28 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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