When the whole congregation saw that Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days. When the whole congregationThis phrase indicates the collective nature of the Israelite community, emphasizing unity and shared experience. The Hebrew word for "congregation" is "עֵדָה" (edah), which often refers to the assembly of the Israelites. This term underscores the communal aspect of their journey and the shared responsibility and grief they experience. Historically, the Israelites were a nomadic people, and their identity was deeply tied to their collective experiences and covenant with God. saw
The Hebrew root for "saw" is "רָאָה" (ra'ah), which means to see, perceive, or understand. This word suggests more than just physical sight; it implies a deeper recognition or realization. In this context, the congregation's seeing is not just visual but an acknowledgment of the reality and significance of the event they are witnessing. that Aaron
Aaron, the brother of Moses, holds a significant place in Israelite history as the first high priest. His role was crucial in mediating between God and the people, and his leadership was integral during the Exodus. Aaron's presence in this verse highlights the importance of spiritual leadership and the impact of his life and service on the community. had breathed his last
This phrase is a euphemism for death, indicating the cessation of life. The Hebrew word "גָּוַע" (gava) is often used in the Old Testament to describe the death of significant figures. It conveys a sense of finality and transition. Aaron's death marks the end of an era for the Israelites, as he was a central figure in their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. the whole house of Israel
This phrase reiterates the collective identity of the Israelites. The "house of Israel" is a term that encompasses all the tribes and families, emphasizing their unity as God's chosen people. It reflects the shared heritage and destiny of the Israelites, bound together by their covenant with God. wept for Aaron
The act of weeping signifies deep sorrow and mourning. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, mourning was a communal activity, often involving rituals and expressions of grief. The Israelites' weeping for Aaron indicates their profound sense of loss and the high regard in which they held him. It also reflects the human experience of grief and the importance of honoring those who have passed. thirty days
The period of thirty days for mourning is significant in biblical tradition. It reflects a complete cycle of mourning, allowing the community to process their grief and honor the deceased. This practice underscores the importance of taking time to grieve and the recognition of life's transitions within the community. Historically, this period allowed the Israelites to reflect on Aaron's contributions and prepare for the future without his leadership. Persons / Places / Events 1. AaronThe brother of Moses and the first high priest of Israel. His death marks a significant transition for the Israelites as they journey toward the Promised Land. 2. MosesThe leader of the Israelites, who, along with Aaron, led the people out of Egypt. He plays a crucial role in the events surrounding Aaron's death. 3. EleazarAaron's son, who succeeds him as high priest. This transition signifies the continuation of the priestly line and the importance of leadership succession. 4. Mount HorThe location where Aaron dies. It is a significant place in the Israelites' journey, symbolizing both loss and the continuation of God's plan. 5. The House of IsraelRefers to the entire community of Israelites who mourn Aaron's death, demonstrating their respect and the impact of his leadership. Teaching Points The Importance of Leadership TransitionThe transition from Aaron to Eleazar highlights the necessity of preparing future leaders to continue God's work. The Role of Mourning in Community LifeMourning for Aaron shows the importance of communal grief and honoring those who have served faithfully. God's Faithfulness in Leadership ChangesDespite the loss of a leader, God's plan continues, reminding us of His sovereignty and faithfulness. The Significance of the High PriestAaron's role as high priest points to the ultimate high priest, Jesus Christ, who intercedes for us eternally. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the mourning period for Aaron reflect the values and priorities of the Israelite community? 2. In what ways can we prepare for leadership transitions in our own communities or churches, following the example of Aaron and Eleazar? 3. How does the role of Aaron as high priest foreshadow the ministry of Jesus Christ as described in the New Testament? 4. What can we learn from the Israelites' response to Aaron's death about handling grief and loss in our own lives? 5. How does understanding the continuity of God's plan through leadership changes encourage us in times of uncertainty or transition? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 28Details the appointment of Aaron as the high priest, establishing his role and significance in Israel's religious life. Deuteronomy 34Describes the death of Moses, paralleling the mourning period and leadership transition seen in Aaron's death. Hebrews 4:14-16Connects the priesthood of Aaron to the ultimate high priesthood of Jesus Christ, emphasizing the continuity and fulfillment of the priestly role. People Aaron, Egyptians, Eleazar, Israelites, Miriam, MosesPlaces Edom, Egypt, Kadesh-barnea, King's Highway, Meribah, Mount Hor, ZinTopics Aaron, Assembly, Bewail, Company, Congregation, Dead, Died, Entire, Expired, Learned, Mourned, Themselves, Thirty, Weeping, WeptDictionary of Bible Themes Numbers 20:29 4951 month
5398 loss
5419 mourning
7206 community Numbers 20:22-29 4254 mountains Numbers 20:23-29 7258 promised land, early history Numbers 20:28-29 5072 Aaron, spokesman Library August 17. "Speak Ye unto the Rock" (Num. xx. 8).
"Speak ye unto the Rock" (Num. xx. 8). The Holy Ghost is very sensitive, as love always is. You can conquer a wild beast by blows and chains, but you cannot conquer a woman's heart that way, or win the love of a sensitive nature; that must be wooed by the delicate touches of trust and affection. So the Holy Ghost has to be taken by a faith as delicate and sensitive as the gentle heart with whom it is coming in touch. One thought of unbelief, one expression of impatient distrust or fear, will instantly …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth The Waters of Meribah
'Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there. 2. And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3. And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! 4. And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Kadesh. Rekam, and that Double. Inquiry is Made, Whether the Doubling it in the Maps is Well Done.
The readers of the eastern interpreters will observe, that Kadesh is rendered by all Rekam, or in a sound very near it. In the Chaldee, it is 'Rekam': in the Syriac, 'Rekem': in the Arabic, 'Rakim'... There are two places noted by the name Rekam in the very bounds of the land,--to wit, the southern and eastern: that is, a double Kadesh. I. Of Kadesh, or Rekam, in the south part, there is no doubt. II. Of it, in the eastern part, there is this mention: "From Rekam to the east, and Rekam is as the …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica The Baptist's Inquiry and Jesus' Discourse Suggested Thereby.
(Galilee.) ^A Matt. XI. 2-30; ^C Luke VII. 18-35. ^c 18 And the disciples of John told him of all these things. ^a 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent by his disciples ^c 19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them unto the Lord [John had been cast into prison about December, a.d. 27, and it was now after the Passover, possibly in May or June, a.d. 28. Herod Antipas had cast John into prison because John had reproved him for taking his brother's wife. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Epistle xxviii. To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli .
To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli [136] . Gregory to Augustine, &c. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will (Luke ii. 14); because a grain of wheat, falling into the earth, has died, that it might not reign in heaven alone; even He by whose death we live, by whose weakness we are made strong, by whose suffering we are rescued from suffering, through whose love we seek in Britain for brethren whom we knew not, by whose gift we find those whom without knowing them we sought. …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great Travelling in Palestine --Roads, Inns, Hospitality, Custom-House Officers, Taxation, Publicans
It was the very busiest road in Palestine, on which the publican Levi Matthew sat at the receipt of "custom," when our Lord called him to the fellowship of the Gospel, and he then made that great feast to which he invited his fellow-publicans, that they also might see and hear Him in Whom he had found life and peace (Luke 5:29). For, it was the only truly international road of all those which passed through Palestine; indeed, it formed one of the great highways of the world's commerce. At the time …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Peræa to Bethany. Raising of Lazarus.
^D John XI. 1-46. ^d 1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. [For Bethany and the sisters, see p. 478.] 2 And it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair [John xii. 3 ], whose brother Lazarus was sick. [The anointing had not yet taken place, as John himself shows. For a similar anticipation see Matt. x. 4. There are five prominent Marys in the New Testament: those of Nazareth, Magdala and Bethany; the …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
THE ISRAELITES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN: THE JUDGES--THE PHILISTINES AND THE HEBREW KINGDOM--SAUL, DAVID, SOLOMON, THE DEFECTION OF THE TEN TRIBES--THE XXIst EGYPTIAN DYNASTY--SHESHONQ OR SHISHAK DAMASCUS. The Hebrews in the desert: their families, clans, and tribes--The Amorites and the Hebrews on the left bank of the Jordan--The conquest of Canaan and the native reaction against the Hebrews--The judges, Ehud, Deborah, Jerubbaal or Gideon and the Manassite supremacy; Abimelech, Jephihdh. The Philistines, …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6 Backsliding.
"I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely: for Mine anger is turned away."--Hosea xiv. 4. There are two kinds of backsliders. Some have never been converted: they have gone through the form of joining a Christian community and claim to be backsliders; but they never have, if I may use the expression, "slid forward." They may talk of backsliding; but they have never really been born again. They need to be treated differently from real back-sliders--those who have been born of the incorruptible …
Dwight L. Moody—The Way to God and How to Find It Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Numbers 20:29 NIVNumbers 20:29 NLTNumbers 20:29 ESVNumbers 20:29 NASBNumbers 20:29 KJV
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