These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with Yahweh, and he was sanctified in them.
Parallel Translations
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These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with Yahweh, and he was sanctified in them.
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This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
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These are the waters of Meribah, where the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and He was sanctified in them.
Cross-references (9)
Passages linked to Numbers 20:13 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Exodus 17:7 He called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because the children of Israel quarreled, and because they tested Yahweh, saying, “Is Yahweh among us, or not?”
- Psalms 95:8 Don’t harden your heart, as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the wilderness,
- Deuteronomy 33:8 About Levi he said, “Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one, whom you proved at Massah, with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah.
- Deuteronomy 32:51 because you trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah of Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because you didn’t uphold my holiness among the children of Israel.
- Psalms 106:32-48 They angered him also at the waters of Meribah, so that Moses was troubled for their sakes; because they were rebellious against his spirit, he spoke rashly with his lips. They didn’t destroy the peoples, as Yahweh commanded them, but mixed themselves with the nations, and learned their works. They served their idols, which became a snare to them. Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. They shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land was polluted with blood. Thus they were defiled with their works, and prostituted themselves in their deeds. Therefore Yahweh burned with anger against his people. He abhorred his inheritance. He gave them into the hand of the nations. Those who hated them ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed them. They were brought into subjection under their hand. He rescued them many times, but they were rebellious in their counsel, and were brought low in their iniquity. Nevertheless he regarded their distress, when he heard their cry. He remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses. He made them also to be pitied by all those who carried them captive. Save us, Yahweh, our God, gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to your holy name, to triumph in your praise! Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting! Let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise Yah!
- Isaiah 5:16 but Yahweh of Armies is exalted in justice, and God the Holy One is sanctified in righteousness.
- Ezekiel 20:41 I will accept you as a pleasant aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries in which you have been scattered. I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations.
- Ezekiel 36:23 I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh,” says the Lord Yahweh, “when I am proven holy in you before their eyes.
- Ezekiel 38:16 You will come up against my people Israel, as a cloud to cover the land. It will happen in the latter days, that I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when I am sanctified in you, Gog, before their eyes.”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (14 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Or, strife and contention, Num. 27:14.
Or, strife and contention, Num. 27:14.
By showing himself almighty and maintaining his glory.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Num 20:13 This [is] the water of Meribah; because…
Num 20:13 This [is] the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
Ver. 13. And he was sanctified in them.] By overcoming their evil with good; striking the rock for them, when he might justly have stricken them with utter destruction. Man’s badness interrupteth not the course of God’s goodness; "his unbelief maketh not the faith of God without effect." {Rom 3:3}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Meribah, called Meribah Kadesh, to distinguish it from another…
Meribah, called Meribah Kadesh, to distinguish it from another Meribah, Exo 17:7. Sanctified in them, or, among them, to wit, the children of Israel last mentioned, by the demonstration of his omnipotency, veracity, and clemency towards the Israelites, and of his impartial holiness and severity against sin even in his greatest friends and favourites, as Moses was.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king…
And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom,.... This country was sometimes governed by kings, and sometimes by "dukes", see Gen 36:14. At the time of the passage of the Israelites through the Red sea, we read of the dukes of Edom, Exo 15:15, and here, thirty nine years after, of a king of Edom, but who he was is not certain. Bishop Usher takes him to be the same with Hadar, the last of the race of kings mentioned in Gen 36:39, to him Moses sent messengers with a request, which follows after a preamble to it; who were the messengers is not said; the place from whence they were sent is Kadesh, a city on the borders of the land of Edom; but not Kadeshbarnea, Aben Ezra says, though some are of opinion it is the same, see Num 20:1,
thus saith thy brother Israel; the Israelites and Edomites springing from two men, Jacob and Esau, who were twin brothers, and is observed to ingratiate themselves to the Edomites, and gain their request, pleading relation to them:
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thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us; what an uncomfortable condition they had been in for many years, which was well known to Edom, a neighbouring country, as is reasonable to suppose; since the fame of the children of Israel coming out of Egypt, passing through the Red sea, and being so long in the wilderness, was spread everywhere; this was said to move their pity.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Meribah - That is, strife. In them - Or,…
Meribah - That is, strife. In them - Or, among them, the children of Israel, by the demonstration of his omnipotency, veracity, and clemency towards the Israelites, and of his impartial holiness and severity against sin even in his greatest friends and favourites.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Num 20:13. Meribah — That is, strife. In them…
Num 20:13. Meribah — That is, strife. In them — Or, among them, the children of Israel, by the demonstration of his omnipotency, veracity, and clemency toward the Israelites, and of his impartial holiness and severity against sin, even in his greatest friends and favourites.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The water of Meribah - i. e. “Strife.” The…
The water of Meribah - i. e. “Strife.” The place is called “Meribah in Kadesh” Num 27:14, and “Meribah-Kadesh” Deu 32:51. to distinguish it from the “Meribah” of Exo 17:2 ff.
And he was sanctified in them - An allusion doubtless to the name “Kadesh” (holy), which though not now bestowed, acquired a new significance from the fact that God here vindicated His own sanctity, punishing Moses and Aaron who had trespassed against it.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain The water of contradiction or strife. Hebrew Meribah. (Challoner)…
The water of contradiction or strife. Hebrew Meribah. (Challoner) --- Sanctified: he shewed the effects of his power and clemency towards the people, and he treated his ministers with a just severity. The Samaritan copy here inserts what we read in Deuteronomy, only it places the speech of Moses in an historical form. "The Moses said, Lord, &c. (Deuteronomy iii. 24-28.) Moreover, the Lord said to Moses, you shall pass by," &c. (Deuteronomy ii. 4-6.)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain This is the water of Meribah--The word "Kadesh" is…
This is the water of Meribah--The word "Kadesh" is added to it [Deu 32:51] to distinguish it from another Meribah (Exo 17:7).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 13. Meribah — That is, Strife. The two miracles…
13. Meribah — That is, Strife. The two miracles of bringing water from the rock are thus distinguished: that at Rephidim, nearly forty years before, was called Massah, or Temptation; that in Kadesh is called Meribah. Deu_33:8. That the second is not a mythical repetition of the first is evident from the new features which it presents — the sin of Moses and his consequent exclusion from Canaan.
Strove with the Lord — In reproaching and vilifying his servants. Jesus Christ always identifies himself with his disciples: “He that receiveth you receiveth me.”
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And he was sanctified in them — He showed himself holy (kadesh) on them, or in their case, putting to shame the unbelief of the people and punishing Moses and Aaron for their misconduct. Since the best men on earth had failed to reflect a perfect image of the holy God, he had vindicated and glorified himself among men by his signal rebuke of Moses and Aaron. God’s judgments do for him what his grace fails to prompt us to do, by reason of the abuse of our free agency. “God’s name,” says R. Solomon, “is much revered when he doth not spare even his holy ones.” His power was magnified by bringing water out of the rock, and “his holiness and impartial justice were exhibited in punishing his greatest friends for their unbelief.” — Bishop Patrick. For the practical lesson see Hebrews 3. Learned Jews advance three opinions: 1.) That he was sanctified in the waters; 2.) In the Israelites; 3.) In the punishment of Moses and Aaron. See Num_20:12, note, where the last opinion is maintained.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 13. he was sanctified in them] The verb is…
13. he was sanctified in them] The verb is from the same root as that of Kadesh (‘sacred’), and there is perhaps an intentional play on the name. The expression means ‘he proved, or vindicated, himself as holy,’ in spite of the sin of Moses and Aaron.
in them] Either in the waters, i.e. by his miracle in giving water, or, better, in the hearts of the people; cf. Eze_28:25.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (13) This is the water of Meribah.—i.e., of strife.…
(13) This is the water of Meribah.—i.e., of strife. (See Exo_17:7, and Note; also Num_27:14, where the words “in Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin,” are added to distinguish the latter from the earlier miracle.) In Deu_32:51 the waters are spoken of as those of “Meribah of Kadesh.”
And he was sanctified in them.—The reference in the words in them seems to be either to the word waters, which is plural in Hebrew, or, more probably, to the children of Israel, amongst whom Moses and Aaron were included. It has been supposed that the place derived its name of Kadesh (or, more fully, Kadesh-Barnea, Num_32:8) from the cognate verb, which is rendered sanctify in this and the preceding verse. It was in Kadesh that the sentence of exclusion had been pronounced upon the people generally (Num_14:22-23), and upon Moses and Aaron in particular, and it was thus that the Lord sanctified Himself in dealing with the transgressors. If the place derived its name, Kadesh, from these circumstances, it must have been called by that name proleptically in Gen_14:7—a supposition which is entirely consistent with the manner in which the place is mentioned in that verse (“Enmishpat, which is Kadesh.”)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain This is the water of Meribah, or "water of…
This is the water of Meribah, or "water of strife." Septuagint, udwr antilogiav . The word "Meribah" appears, however, to form part of a proper name in Deu_32:51. A similar use of the word is recorded in Exo_17:7. That the same name was more or less definitely attached to these two scenes is only another way of saying that there was a strong similarity between the two sets of associations. At the same time the differences are so marked in the narratives that they leave very distinct impressions upon the mind. And he was sanctified in them, i.e., he revealed there his holiness and power, and put to silence their evil murmurings against him. He was sanctified in them all the more abundantly because Moses and Aaron failed to sanctify him in the eyes of the people; but what they failed to do he brought to pass without their agency.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 20:13 Meribah: As they had at Rephidim (Exod 17:1-7),…
20:13 Meribah: As they had at Rephidim (Exod 17:1-7), the Israelites coined a name (“Arguing”) that referred more to the incident than to a geographical location. • God demonstrated his holiness through his judgment on Aaron and Moses’ sin.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.