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Thursday, September 4th, 2025
the Week of Proper 17 / Ordinary 22
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Numbers 20:2

The Israelites had no water, so they went to Moses and Aaron

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Aaron;   Israel;   Moses;   Murmuring;   Trouble;   Thompson Chain Reference - Dry Places;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Desert, Journey of Israel through the;   Rocks;   Water;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Kadesh or Kadesh-Barnea;   Zin;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Aaron;   Kadesh-barnea;   Zin;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Mourning;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Meribah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Aaron;   Beer;   Kadesh Barnea;   Levi;   Meribah;   Numbers, the Book of;   Wilderness of the Wanderings;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Kadesh-Meribah;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Provocation;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Aaron;   Jephthah;   Kadesh;   Massah and Meribah;   Moses;   Numbers, Book of;   Zin;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Rock ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Kadesh, Kadeshbarnea ;   Wanderings of the Israelites;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Balaam;   Kadesh-barnea;   Levi;   Rebels;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Journeyings of israel from egypt to canaan;   Kadesh;   Meribali;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Moses;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Criticism (the Graf-Wellhausen Hypothesis);   Kadesh-Barnea;   Massah and Meribah;   Moses;   Pentateuch;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Balak;   Exodus, Book of;   Kadesh;   Midrashim, Smaller;   Water;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
There was no water for the congregation: and they assembled themselves together against Moshe and against Aharon.
King James Version
And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
Lexham English Bible
There was no water for the community, and they were gathered before Moses and Aaron.
English Standard Version
Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
New Century Version
There was no water for the people, so they came together against Moses and Aaron.
New English Translation
And there was no water for the community, and so they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron.
Amplified Bible
Now there was no water for the congregation, and they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.
New American Standard Bible
There was no water for the congregation, and they assembled against Moses and Aaron.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But there was no water for the Congregation, and they assembled them selues against Moses and against Aaron.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now there was no water for the congregation, and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron.
Complete Jewish Bible
Because the community had no water, they assembled themselves against Moshe and Aharon.
Darby Translation
And there was no water for the assembly, and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
Easy-to-Read Version
There was not enough water for the people at that place. So the people met together to complain against Moses and Aaron.
George Lamsa Translation
And there was no water for the people to drink; and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
Good News Translation
There was no water where they camped, so the people gathered around Moses and Aaron
Christian Standard Bible®
There was no water for the community, so they assembled against Moses and Aaron.
Literal Translation
And there was no water for the congregation, and they were gathered against Moses, and against Aaron.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the congregacion had no water, & they gathered them selues together agaynst Moses & Aaron,
American Standard Version
And there was no water for the congregation: and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
Bible in Basic English
And there was no water for the people: and they came together against Moses and against Aaron.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But there was no water for the multitude: and they gathered them selues together agaynst Moyses and Aaron.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And there was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
King James Version (1611)
And there was no water for the Congregation: and they gathered themselues together against Moses and against Aaron.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron.
English Revised Version
And there was no water for the congregation: and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
Berean Standard Bible
Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered against Moses and Aaron.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne the puple hadde nede to watir, thei yeden togidere ayens Moises and Aaron; and thei weren turned in to dissensioun,
Young's Literal Translation
And there hath been no water for the company, and they are assembled against Moses, and against Aaron,
Update Bible Version
And there was no water for the congregation: and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
Webster's Bible Translation
And there was no water for the congregation: and they assembled themselves against Moses and against Aaron.
World English Bible
There was no water for the congregation: and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
New King James Version
Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.
New Living Translation
There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron.
New Life Bible
Now there was no water for the people, and they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.
New Revised Standard
Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and against Aaron.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And there was no water for the assembly, - so they gathered together against Moses and against Aaron.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the people wanting water, came together against Moses and Aaron:
Revised Standard Version
Now there was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
THE MESSAGE
There was no water there for the community, so they ganged up on Moses and Aaron. They attacked Moses: "We wish we'd died when the rest of our brothers died before God . Why did you haul this congregation of God out here into this wilderness to die, people and cattle alike? And why did you take us out of Egypt in the first place, dragging us into this miserable country? No grain, no figs, no grapevines, no pomegranates—and now not even any water!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
There was no water for the congregation, and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron.

Contextual Overview

1 The people of Israel arrived at the Zin Desert during the first month and set up camp near the town of Kadesh. It was there that Miriam died and was buried. 2 The Israelites had no water, so they went to Moses and Aaron 3 and complained, "Moses, we'd be better off if we had died along with the others in front of the Lord 's sacred tent. 4 You brought us into this desert, and now we and our livestock are going to die! 5 Egypt was better than this horrible place. At least there we had grain and figs and grapevines and pomegranates. But now we don't even have any water." 6 Moses and Aaron went to the entrance to the sacred tent, where they bowed down. The Lord appeared to them in all of his glory 7and said, "Moses, get your walking stick. Then you and Aaron call the people together and command that rock to give you water. That's how you will provide water for the people of Israel and their livestock." 9 Moses obeyed and took his stick from the sacred tent. 10 After he and Aaron had gathered the people around the rock, he said, "Look, you rebellious people, and you will see water flow from this rock!" 11 He raised his stick in the air and struck the rock two times. At once, water gushed from the rock, and the people and their livestock had water to drink.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

no: Exodus 15:23, Exodus 15:24, Exodus 17:1-4

gathered: Numbers 11:1-6, Numbers 16:3, Numbers 16:19, Numbers 16:42, Numbers 21:5, Exodus 16:2, Exodus 16:7, Exodus 16:12, 1 Corinthians 10:10, 1 Corinthians 10:11

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 9:7 - from the day 2 Kings 3:9 - no water Psalms 106:32 - angered

Cross-References

Genesis 12:15
The king's officials told him about her, and she was taken to his house.
Genesis 20:11
Abraham answered: I did it because I didn't think any of you respected God, and I was sure that someone would kill me to get my wife.
Genesis 20:12
Besides, she is my half sister. We have the same father, but different mothers.
Genesis 20:13
When God made us leave my father's home and start wandering, I told her, "If you really love me, you will tell everyone that I am your brother."
Genesis 26:1
Once during Abraham's lifetime, the fields had not produced enough grain, and now the same thing happened. So Isaac went to King Abimelech of the Philistines in the land of Gerar,
Genesis 26:7
with his beautiful wife Rebekah. He was afraid that someone might kill him to get her, and so he told everyone that Rebekah was his sister.
Genesis 26:16
Finally, Abimelech said, "Isaac, I want you to leave our country. You have become too powerful to stay here."
2 Chronicles 19:2
But the prophet Jehu son of Hanani met him and said: By helping that wicked Ahab, you have made friends with someone who hates the Lord . Now the Lord God is angry at you!
2 Chronicles 20:37
But the prophet Eliezer warned Jehoshaphat, "The Lord will destroy these ships because you have supported Ahaziah." The ships were wrecked and never sailed.
2 Chronicles 32:31
Even when the leaders of Babylonia sent messengers to ask Hezekiah about the sign God had given him, God let Hezekiah give his own answer to test him and to see if he would remain faithful.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And there was no water for the congregation,.... Which was so ordered, for the trial of this new generation, to see whether they would behave any better than their fathers had done in a like circumstance, the first year they came out of Egypt, Exodus 17:1

and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron; just as their fathers had done before them, being of the like temper and disposition.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The language of the murmurers is noteworthy. It has the air of a traditional remonstrance handed down from the last generation. Compare marginal references.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 20:2. And there was no water for the congregation — The same occurrence took place to the children of Israel at Kadesh, as did formerly to their fathers at Rephidim, see Exodus 17:1; and as the fathers murmured, so also did the children.


 
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