The Meaning of Numbers 20:8 Explained

Numbers 20:8

KJV: Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

YLT: 'Take the rod, and assemble the company, thou and Aaron thy brother; and ye have spoken unto the rock before their eyes, and it hath given its water, and thou hast brought out to them water from the rock, and hast watered the company, and their beasts.'

Darby: Take the staff, and gather the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, and it shall give its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock, and shalt give the assembly and their beasts drink.

ASV: Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, that it give forth its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their cattle drink.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Take  the rod,  and gather  thou the assembly  together, thou, and Aaron  thy brother,  and speak  ye unto the rock  before their eyes;  and it shall give forth  his water,  and thou shalt bring forth  to them water  out of the rock:  so thou shalt give  the congregation  and their beasts  drink. 

What does Numbers 20:8 Mean?

Study Notes

speak ye unto the rock before their eyes
See Exodus 17:5 .
The rock (Christ) 1 Corinthians 10:4 once smitten, needs not to be smitten (crucified) again. Moses' act exalted himself Numbers 20:10 and implied (in type) that the one sacrifice was ineffectual, thus denying the eternal efficacy of the blood; Hebrews 9:25 ; Hebrews 9:26 ; Hebrews 10:3 ; Hebrews 10:11 ; Hebrews 10:12 . The abundant water (grace reaching the need of the people, despite the error of their leader) tells of refreshing and power through the Spirit.

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 20:8 mean?

take - the rod and gather together the congregation you and Aaron your brother and speak to the rock before their eyes and it will yield its water thus you shall bring for them water out of the rock and give drink To the congregation and their animals
קַ֣ח אֶת־ הַמַּטֶּ֗ה וְהַקְהֵ֤ל הָעֵדָה֙ אַתָּה֙ וְאַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתֶּ֧ם אֶל־ הַסֶּ֛לַע לְעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם וְנָתַ֣ן מֵימָ֑יו וְהוֹצֵאתָ֨ לָהֶ֥ם מַ֙יִם֙ מִן־ הַסֶּ֔לַע וְהִשְׁקִיתָ֥ הָעֵדָ֖ה וְאֶת־ בְּעִירָֽם

קַ֣ח  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
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.
הַמַּטֶּ֗ה  the  rod 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַטֶּה  
Sense: staff, branch, tribe.
וְהַקְהֵ֤ל  and  gather  together 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: קָהַל  
Sense: to assemble, gather.
הָעֵדָה֙  the  congregation 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵדָה  
Sense: congregation, gathering.
וְאַהֲרֹ֣ן  and  Aaron 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
אָחִ֔יךָ  your  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
וְדִבַּרְתֶּ֧ם  and  speak 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
הַסֶּ֛לַע  the  rock 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֶלַע  
Sense: crag, cliff, rock.
לְעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם  before  their  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, cdc, third person masculine plural
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
וְנָתַ֣ן  and  it  will  yield 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
מֵימָ֑יו  its  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
וְהוֹצֵאתָ֨  thus  you  shall  bring 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
לָהֶ֥ם  for  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
מַ֙יִם֙  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
מִן־  out 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
הַסֶּ֔לַע  of  the  rock 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֶלַע  
Sense: crag, cliff, rock.
וְהִשְׁקִיתָ֥  and  give  drink 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁקָה  
Sense: to give to drink, irrigate, drink, water, cause to drink water.
הָעֵדָ֖ה  To  the  congregation 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵדָה  
Sense: congregation, gathering.
בְּעִירָֽם  their  animals 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בְּעִיר  
Sense: beasts, cattle.