Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 20:11
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].
The command Num 20:8 was Speak ye unto the rock. The act of smiting, and especially with two strokes, indicates violent irritation on the part of Moses; as does also his unseemly mode of addressing the people: Hear now, ye rebels. The form too of the question, must we, etc., directs the people not, as ought to have been the case, to God as their deliverer, but to Moses and Aaron personally. In fact the faithful servant of God, worn out by the reiterated perversities of the people, breaks down; and in the actual discharge of his duty as Gods representative before Israel, acts unworthily of the great function entrusted to him. Thus, Moses did not sanctify God in the eyes of the children of Israel. Aaron might have checked the intemperate words and acts of Moses, and did not. Hence, God punishes both by withdrawing them from their work for Him, and handing over its accomplishment to another.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
To the men it was a sacrament, 1Co 10:3,4, but to the beasts it was no holy, but a common thing. So that the elements in the sacraments have no inherent and inseparable holiness, but only a relative holiness with respect to their use, out of which they are unholy and common.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11. the congregation drank, andtheir beastsPhysically the water afforded the same kind ofneedful refreshment to both. But from a religious point of view,this, which was only a common element to the cattle, was a sacramentto the people (1Co 10:3; 1Co 10:4)It possessed a relative sanctity imparted to it by its divineorigin and use.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice,…. At first it only brought out some drops, as Jarchi conjectures, and therefore Moses smote again, when it brought forth water plentifully: the Targum of Jonathan says,
“at the first time it dropped blood, at the second time came out much water.”
Could this be credited, it would make the agreement between this rock and Christ appear very manifest, from whom, when his side was pierced with a spear, there came out blood and water, Joh 19:34 for justification and sanctification. In what respect this rock was a type of Christ, as the other at Horeb, and the smiting of it an emblem of Christ being smitten with the rod of justice, according to the law of God, and of the abundance of water flowing from it, as typical of the abundance of grace, and the blessings of it, as coming through a smitten wounded Saviour, [See comments on Ex 17:6], where the same things are said of another rock as of this, and both types of Christ;
and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also; there was enough for them and their cattle; for it came out in great quantities, in large streams, so that it ran down like a river, and which gave them drink as out of the great depths,
Ps 78:15, where the Psalmist makes mention of rocks in the plural number, for there were two that were smitten in two different places, and at two different times; the one was at Rephidim, the other, as here, in Kadesh; the one was in the first year of Israel’s coming out of Egypt, this in the fortieth year of it; that was struck but once, this twice; of this second stone no mention is made by any traveller but one a, who coming from Mount Sinai, says,
“we passed by a large rock on our left hand, in which, as in the other rock which Moses struck with his rod, appear, from the bottom to the top, openings where water hath gushed out.”
a See a Journal from Cairo to Mount Sinai, 1722. p. 42, 43. Ed. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
11. Smote the rock twice As if one blow were not sufficient, showing an excessive dependence on human agency, and a forgetfulness of the divine efficiency. There was no command to smite even once. The injunction to speak to the rock may have been given to show how small a human element was required in the miracle, and at the same time to test the faith and humility of Moses faith, that only words were sufficient; and humility, since his part of the miracle was so insignificant.
Abundantly Hebrew, many waters. The magnitude of the miracle is seen in the inadequacy of the natural cause and the greatness of the effect. The earliest attempt to divest this transaction of its supernatural character is found in Tacitus’s Hist., book Num 5:3-5, which is quoted in the note on Exo 17:6.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
I beg the Reader to remark with me the abounding grace of GOD. Though Moses had failed in his commission, GOD will not fail in his promise. Had the LORD restrained the water because Moses took the confidence to himself of implying that he fetched it, it would have been but a suitable rebuke to his presumption. But the LORD deals not with us after our sins, nor rewards us according to our iniquities. He will be gracious to the persons of his people while chastening their sins. The psalmist makes the best commentary upon this passage, and no doubt had this history in view when he saith: Thou answerest them, O LORD our GOD. Thou wast a GOD that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance on their inventions. Psa 99:8 . And probably he referred to the same when he said, that the people provoked Moses to speak unadvisedly with his lips. Psa 106:33 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Num 20:11 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].
Ver. 11. He smote the rock twice. ] In a great heat and pang of passion.
“ Qui non moderabitur irae,
Infectum velit esse dolor quod suaserit, et mens. ” – Horat.
Sometimes both grace and wit are asleep in the holiest and wariest breasts. The best may be miscarried by their passions to their cost. Ira comes of Ire, say grammarians: because an angry man goes out of himself, off from his reason; and when he is pacified, he is said redire ad se, to come again to himself.
And the water came out abundantly.
And their beasts also.
a Luther.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
his: i.e. Moses’ tribal rod. Compare Num 20:8.
smote. Instead of speaking.
twice. Showing the heat of his feeling.
drank. Compare 1Co 10:4, and see note there.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
smote: Num 20:8, Lev 10:1, 1Sa 15:13, 1Sa 15:14, 1Sa 15:19, 1Sa 15:24, 1Ki 13:21-24, 1Ch 13:9, 1Ch 13:10, 1Ch 15:2, 1Ch 15:13, Mat 28:20, Jam 1:20
the water: Exo 17:6, Deu 8:15, Hos 13:5, 1Co 10:4
Reciprocal: Num 1:50 – the tabernacle Num 20:24 – because ye Deu 32:51 – ye trespassed Psa 74:15 – cleave Psa 78:15 – General Psa 78:20 – he smote Psa 105:41 – opened Psa 106:33 – Because Psa 114:8 – General Isa 35:6 – for Isa 43:19 – rivers Isa 48:21 – he caused Jon 4:4 – Doest thou well to be angry Hab 3:9 – Thou Heb 2:2 – every