The Meaning of Numbers 20:11 Explained

Numbers 20:11

KJV: And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

YLT: and Moses lifteth up his hand, and smiteth the rock with his rod twice; and much water cometh out, and the company drink, also their beasts.

Darby: And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his staff smote the rock twice, and much water came out, and the assembly drank, and their beasts.

ASV: And Moses lifted up his hand, and smote the rock with his rod twice: and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their cattle.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Moses  lifted up  his hand,  and with his rod  he smote  the rock  twice:  and the water  came out  abundantly,  and the congregation  drank,  and their beasts  [also]. 

What does Numbers 20:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 20:1-13 - The Sin Of Moses And Aaron
Again the people, as the long years of their Wilderness life drew to an end, gathered around the Tabernacle at Kadesh. Again the murmuring spirit broke out, as it had done forty years before. To the end we shall be liable to the outbreak of the old sins; and can never relax our vigilance or sheathe the sword.
Moses was to speak to the rock, not smite it. See Exodus 17:6. The Rock of Ages was smitten only once. "It is appointed unto men once to die," and "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many." It is now only needful for the soul to speak to Him, though in the lowest and most faltering accents, to elicit streams of help and salvation.
It was lack of faith that led Moses to smite the rock twice. Speaking seemed too slight an effort for the production of such a marvel! He forgot that neither rod nor speech effected the result, but the power of God that wrought through and with him. See 1 Corinthians 3:4. "She only touched the hem of His garment!" Matthew 9:20. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 20

1  The children of Israel come to Zin, where Miriam dies
2  They murmur for want of water
7  Moses smiting the rock, brings forth water at Meribah
14  Moses at Kadesh desires passage through Edom, which is denied him
22  At Mount Hor Aaron resigns his place to Eleazar, and dies

What do the individual words in Numbers 20:11 mean?

And lifted Moses - his hand and struck the rock with his rod twice and came out water abundantly and drank the congregation and their animals -
וַיָּ֨רֶם מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־ יָד֗וֹ וַיַּ֧ךְ הַסֶּ֛לַע בְּמַטֵּ֖הוּ פַּעֲמָ֑יִם וַיֵּצְאוּ֙ מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֔ים וַתֵּ֥שְׁתְּ הָעֵדָ֖ה וּבְעִירָֽם ס

וַיָּ֨רֶם  And  lifted 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
מֹשֶׁ֜ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יָד֗וֹ  his  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וַיַּ֧ךְ  and  struck 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
הַסֶּ֛לַע  the  rock 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֶלַע  
Sense: crag, cliff, rock.
בְּמַטֵּ֖הוּ  with  his  rod 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מַטֶּה  
Sense: staff, branch, tribe.
פַּעֲמָ֑יִם  twice 
Parse: Noun, fd
Root: פַּעַם  
Sense: stroke, beat, foot, step, anvil, occurrence.
וַיֵּצְאוּ֙  and  came  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
מַ֣יִם  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
רַבִּ֔ים  abundantly 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
וַתֵּ֥שְׁתְּ  and  drank 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.
הָעֵדָ֖ה  the  congregation 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵדָה  
Sense: congregation, gathering.
וּבְעִירָֽם  and  their  animals 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בְּעִיר  
Sense: beasts, cattle.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation