Numbers 20
Deuteronomy 20 gives laws concerning warfare in ancient Israel’s covenant setting. It addresses fear before battle, exemptions from military service, treatment of distant cities, commands concerning Canaanite cities, and protection of fruit trees. Because the chapter concerns ancient war, it should be interpreted carefully and not applied simplistically to modern conflict.
1verseThe children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month. The people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died there, and was buried there.
2verseThere was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
3verseThe people quarreled with Moses, and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before the LORD!
4verseWhy have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals?
5verseWhy have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.”
6verseMoses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. The LORD’s glory appeared to them.
7verseThe LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
8verse“Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it pour out its water. You shall bring water to them out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink.”
9verseMoses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
10verseMoses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?”
11verseMoses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice, and water came out abundantly. The congregation and their livestock drank.
12verseThe LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”
13verseThese are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
14verseMoses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying: “Your brother Israel says: You know all the travail that has happened to us;
15versehow our fathers went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers.
16verseWhen we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the edge of your border.
17verse“Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink from the water of the wells. We will go along the king’s highway. We will not turn away to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed your border.”
18verseEdom said to him, “You shall not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against you.”
19verseThe children of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway; and if we drink your water, I and my livestock, then I will give its price. Only let me, without doing anything else, pass through on my feet.”
20verseHe said, “You shall not pass through.” Edom came out against him with many people, and with a strong hand.
21verseThus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border, so Israel turned away from him.
22verseThey traveled from Kadesh, and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.
23verseThe LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying,
24verse“Aaron shall be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah.
25verseTake Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor;
26verseand strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron shall be gathered, and shall die there.”
27verseMoses did as the LORD commanded. They went up onto Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.
28verseMoses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
29verseWhen all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.
Structure and Flow
- Verses 1–4: The priest encourages the people not to fear, because the LORD goes with them.
- Verses 5–9: Officers announce exemptions for those with a new house, vineyard, betrothal, or fearfulness.
- Verses 10–15: Regulations are given for distant cities, including an offer of terms of peace.
- Verses 16–18: Separate commands are given for the Canaanite cities within the land, tied to the danger of idolatry.
- Verses 19–20: Fruit trees must not be destroyed during a siege.
Key Explanations
- The chapter presents war as subject to divine command and communal order, not merely to military ambition.
- The exemptions show concern for ordinary life events and for the effect of fear on the community.
- The distinction between distant cities and cities in the land reflects the specific conquest context of Deuteronomy.
- The rule protecting fruit trees places a limit on destruction, even in wartime.
Meditation Points
- How does fear affect a community facing crisis?
- What does it mean that even conflict is not allowed to become unlimited destruction?
- How should difficult ancient texts be read with attention to context, humility, and moral seriousness?
Apply It to Yourself
- In fear, practice grounding your response in trust rather than panic.
- When dealing with conflict, avoid unnecessary destruction of relationships, resources, or future possibilities.
- Read hard biblical passages carefully, resisting both avoidance and careless application.
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