translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: NUM

label: NET translator note

text: The Hebrew text stresses this idea by use of apposition: “the Israelites entered, the entire community, the wilderness.”


text: The verb is רִיב ( riv ); it is often used in the Bible for a legal complaint, a law suit, at least in form. But it can also describe a quarrel, or strife, like that between Abram’s men and Lot’s men in . It will be the main verb behind the commemorative name Meribah, the place where the people strove with God. It is a far more serious thing than grumbling – it is directed, intentional, and well-argued. For further discussion, see J. Limburg, “The Root ‘rib’ and the Prophetic Lawsuit Speeches,” JBL 88 (1969): 291-304.


text: Heb “and they said, saying.”


text: The particle לוּ ( lu ) indicates the optative nuance of the line – the wishing or longing for death. It is certainly an absurdity to want to have died, but God took them at their word and they died in the wilderness.


text: Heb “and why….” The conjunction seems to be recording another thing that the people said in their complaint against Moses.


text: The clause uses the infinitive construct with the lamed ( ל ) preposition. The clause would be a result clause in this sentence: “Why have you brought us here…with the result that we will all die?”


text: Heb “and why.”


text: Here also the infinitive construct (Hiphil) forms the subordinate clause of the preceding interrogative clause.


text: The verb is the Piel perfect with vav ( ו ) consecutive, following the two imperatives in the verse. Here is the focus of the instruction for Moses.


text: Heb “give.” The verb is the perfect tense with vav ( ו ) consecutive, as are the next two in the verse. These are not now equal to the imperatives, but imperfects, showing the results of speaking to the rock: “speak…and it will…and so you will….”


text: The word is הַמֹּרִים ( hammorim , “the rebels”), but here as a vocative: “you rebels.” It was a harsh address, although well-earned.


text: The word order and the emphasis of the tense are important to this passage. The word order is “from this rock must we bring out to you water?” The emphasis is clearly on “from this rock!” The verb is the imperfect tense; it has one of the modal nuances here, probably obligatory – “must we do this?”


text: Or “to sanctify me.” sn The verb is the main word for “believe, trust.” It is the verb that describes the faith in the Word of the Lord that leads to an appropriate action. Here God says that Moses did not believe him, meaning that what he did showed more of Moses than of what God said. Moses had taken a hostile stance toward the people, and then hit the rock twice. This showed that Moses was not satisfied with what God said, but made it more forceful and terrifying, thus giving the wrong picture of God to the people. By doing this the full power and might of the Lord was not displayed to the people. It was a momentary lack of faith, but it had to be dealt with.


text: Heb “in the eyes of.”


text: There is debate as to exactly what the sin of Moses was. Some interpreters think that the real sin might have been that he refused to do this at first, but that fact has been suppressed from the text. Some think the text was deliberately vague to explain why they could not enter the land without demeaning them. Others simply, and more likely, note that in Moses there was unbelief, pride, anger, impatience – disobedience.


text: The form is unusual – it is the Niphal preterite, and not the normal use of the Piel / Pual stem for “sanctify/sanctified.” The basic idea of “he was holy” has to be the main idea, but in this context it refers to the fact that through judging Moses God was making sure people ensured his holiness among them. The word also forms a wordplay on the name Kadesh.


text: Heb “And Moses sent.”


text: Heb “found.”


text: Heb “many days.”


text: The verb רָעַע ( ra ’ a ’) means “to act or do evil.” Evil here is in the sense of causing pain or trouble. So the causative stem in our passage means “to treat wickedly.”


text: The word could be rendered “angel” or “messenger.” Some ambiguity may be intended in this report.


text: The Hebrew text uses הִנֵּה ( hinneh ) to emphasize the “here and now” aspect of the report to Edom.


text: Heb “your border.”


text: The request is expressed by the use of the cohortative, “let us pass through.” It is the proper way to seek permission.


text: Heb “borders.”


text: The imperfect tense here has the nuance of prohibition.


text: Heb “to meet.”


text: The Hebrew text uses singular pronouns, “I” and “my,” but it is the people of Israel that are intended, and so it may be rendered in the plural. Similarly, Edom speaks in the first person, probably from the king. But it too could be rendered “we.”


text: Heb “to meet him.”


text: Heb “with many [heavy] people and with a strong hand.” The translation presented above is interpretive, but that is what the line means. It was a show of force, numbers and weapons, to intimidate the Israelites.


text: Again the passage uses apposition: “the Israelites, the whole community.”


text: The verb is in the second person plural form, and so it is Moses and Aaron who rebelled, and so now because of that Aaron first and then Moses would die without going into the land.


text: Heb “mouth.”


text: The word “priestly” is supplied in the translation for clarity.


text: Heb “will be gathered”; this is a truncated form of the usual expression “gathered to his ancestors,” found in v. 24 . The phrase “to his ancestors” is supplied in the translation here.


text: Heb “eyes.”