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.
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.
- KJV 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.
- 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.
- 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 10:6(The children of Israel traveled from Beeroth Bene Jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest’s office in his place.
- Exod 29:29–30“The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed in them, and to be consecrated in them.
- Num 20:26and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron shall be taken, and shall die there.”
- Deut 34:9Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands on him. The children of Israel listened to him, and did as Yahweh commanded Moses.
- Deut 34:5So Moses the servant of Yahweh died there in the land of Moab, according to Yahweh’s word.
- Deut 32:49–50“Go up into this mountain of Abarim, to Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is across from Jericho; and see the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel for a possession.
- Deut 31:7–8Moses called to Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which Yahweh has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall cause them to inherit it.
- 1 Chr 28:5–9Of all my sons (for Yahweh has given me many sons), he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of Yahweh’s kingdom over Israel.
- 1 Chr 22:11–12Now, my son, may Yahweh be with you and prosper you, and build the house of Yahweh your God, as he has spoken concerning you.
- 1 Chr 22:17David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying,
- Acts 20:25–29“Now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about preaching God’s Kingdom, will see my face no more.
- Heb 7:24–25But he, because he lives forever, has his priesthood unchangeable.
- Num 27:16–23“Let Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation,
- 2 Pet 1:15Yes, I will make every effort that you may always be able to remember these things even after my departure.
- Num 33:38–49Aaron the priest went up into Mount Hor at the commandment of Yahweh, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first day of the 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.