There was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
Parallel translations
- KJV And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
- BSB Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered against Moses and Aaron.
- NKJV Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.
- NASB There was no water for the congregation, and they assembled against Moses and Aaron.
- NLT There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron.
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
With no water available, the congregation again gathered in opposition against Moses and Aaron. A new generation repeats the grumbling of their fathers.
Overview
Though forty years had passed, the people respond to hardship just as the earlier generation did at Rephidim and elsewhere. Thirst exposes the unbelief of the heart. The recurring failure shows Israel's need for a new heart, which God promises to give through the new covenant in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Num 16:19Korah assembled all the congregation opposite them to the door of the Tent of Meeting. Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the congregation.
- Num 16:42When the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, They looked toward the Tent of Meeting. Behold, the cloud covered it, and Yahweh’s glory appeared.
- Exod 15:23–24When they came to Marah, they couldn’t drink from the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore its name was called Marah.
- Exod 16:2The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness;
- 1 Cor 10:10–11Don’t grumble, as some of them also grumbled, and perished by the destroyer.
- Exod 16:12“I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At evening you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread: and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God.’”
- Num 11:1–6The people were complaining in the ears of Yahweh. When Yahweh heard it, his anger burned; and Yahweh’s fire burned among them, and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.
- Num 21:5The people spoke against God, and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, and there is no water; and our soul loathes this light bread.”
- Exod 17:1–4All the congregation of the children of Israel traveled from the wilderness of Sin, by their journeys, according to Yahweh’s commandment, and encamped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink.
- Num 16:3They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much on yourself, since all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and Yahweh is among them! Why do you lift yourselves up above Yahweh’s assembly?”
- Exod 16:7and in the morning, then you shall see Yahweh’s glory; because he hears your murmurings against Yahweh. Who are we, that you murmur against us?”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 20:2 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.