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12 [a]But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Because you did not have confidence in me, to acknowledge my holiness before the Israelites, therefore you shall not lead this assembly into the land I have given them.

13 These are the waters of Meribah,(A) where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord, and through which he displayed his holiness.

Edom’s Refusal. 14 From Kadesh Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom: “Thus says your brother Israel:[b] You know of all the hardships that have befallen us,

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Footnotes

  1. 20:12–13 What lay behind Moses and Aaron’s lack of confidence is not made explicit in the text. Holiness: an allusion to the name of the place, Kadesh, which means “holy, sanctified, sacred.” Meribah means “contention.” Cf. Ex 17:7.
  2. 20:14 Your brother Israel: according to biblical tradition, the Edomites were descended from Esau, the brother of Jacob. Their country, to the southeast of the Dead Sea, was also known as Seir; cf. Gn 25:24–26; 36:1, 8–9.

12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy(A) in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”(B)

13 These were the waters of Meribah,[a](C) where the Israelites quarreled(D) with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them.(E)

Edom Denies Israel Passage

14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh(F) to the king of Edom,(G) saying:

“This is what your brother Israel says: You know(H) about all the hardships(I) that have come on us.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 20:13 Meribah means quarreling.