Numbers 20 · Verse 12

Numbers 20:12

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
Numbers 20:12, King James Version

Numbers 20:12 in other translations

BSBBut the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”
WEBThe 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.”
ASVAnd Jehovah said unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed not in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.
YLTAnd Jehovah saith unto Moses, and unto Aaron, ‘Because ye have not believed in Me to sanctify Me before the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore ye do not bring in this assembly unto the land which I have given to them.'
DARBYAnd Jehovah said to Moses and to Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to hallow me before the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land that I have given them.
BBEThen the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you had not enough faith in me to keep my name holy before the children of Israel, you will not take this people into the land which I have given them.
WebsterAnd the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

What does Numbers 20:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 20:2-13

2-13. there was no water for the congregation--There was at Kadesh a fountain, En-Mishpat (Ge 14:7), and at the first encampment of the Israelites there was no want of water. It was then either partially dried up by the heat of the season, or had been exhausted by the demands of so vast a multitude.

Read the full comment on Numbers 20:2-13 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 Because ye believed me not - What was the offense for which Moses was excluded from the promised land? It appears to have consisted in some or all of the following particulars: 1. God had commanded him (Num 20:8) to take the rod in his hand, and go and Speak To The Rock, and it should give forth water. It seems Moses did not think speaking would be sufficient, therefore he smote the rock without any command so to do. 2. He did this twice, which certainly in this case indicated a great perturbation of spirit, and want of attention to the presence of God. 3. He permitted his spirit to be carried away by a sense of the people's disobedience, and thus, being provoked, he was led to speak unadvisedly with his lips: Hear now, ye Rebels, Num 20:10. 4. He did not acknowledge God in the miracle which was about to be wrought, but took the honor to himself and Aaron: "Must We fetch you water out of this rock?" Thus it plainly appears that they did not properly believe in God, and did not honor him in the sight of the people; for in their presence they seem to express a doubt whether the thing could be possibly done. As Aaron appears to have been consenting in the above particulars, therefore he is also excluded from the promised land.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 20:1-13

After thirty-eight years' tedious abode in the wilderness, the armies of Israel advanced towards Canaan again. There was no water for the congregation. We live in a wanting world, and wherever we are, must expect to meet with something to put us out. It is a great mercy to have plenty of water, a mercy which, if we found the want of, we should more own the worth of. Hereupon they murmured against Moses and Aaron…

Read the full comment on Numbers 20:1-13 →

Numbers 20:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יְהוָה֮Yah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶל\־'el-toH413
מֹשֶׁ֣הmo.ShehMosesH4872
וְאֶֽל\־ve.'el-and toH413
אַהֲרֹן֒'a.ha.RonAaronH175
יַ֚עַןYa.'anbecauseH3282
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
הֶאֱמַנְתֶּ֣םhe.'e.man.Temyou believedH539
בִּ֔יBi<in> <the> me
לְהַ֨קְדִּישֵׁ֔נִיle.Hak.di.She.nito treat as holy meH6942
לְעֵינֵ֖יle.'ei.Neito [the] eyes ofH5869
בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] people ofH1121
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
לָכֵ֗ןla.Khen<to> thereforeH3651
לֹ֤אlo'notH3808
תָבִ֙יאוּ֙ta.Vi.'uyou will bringH935
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַקָּהָ֣לha.ka.Halthe assemblyH6951
הַזֶּ֔הha.Zeh<the> thisH2088
אֶל\־'el-intoH413
הָאָ֖רֶץha.'A.retzthe landH776
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
נָתַ֥תִּיna.Ta.tiI have givenH5414
לָהֶֽם\׃la.Hemto <the> them

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Numbers 20:12

  • Deuteronomy 1:37

    Also the Lord was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.

  • Numbers 27:14

    For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.

  • Ezekiel 36:23

    And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

  • Numbers 20:24

    Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.

  • Deuteronomy 3:23-27

    And I besought the Lord at that time, saying, O Lord God, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might? I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon. But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the Lord said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter. …

  • Deuteronomy 32:49-51

    Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession: And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people: Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah–Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel.

  • Luke 1:20

    And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

  • Romans 4:20

    He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

  • Joshua 1:2

    Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

  • Matthew 17:20

    And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

  • Luke 1:45

    And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

  • Deuteronomy 34:4

    And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Because ye believed.
11:21,22; 2Ch 20:20; Isa 7:9; Mt 17:17,20; Lu 1:20,45; Ro 4:20
sanctify.
27:14; Le 10:3; De 1:37; 32:51; Isa 8:13; Eze 20:41; 36:23; 38:10
1Pe 3:15
ye shall.
24; 11:15; De 3:23-26; 32:49,50; 34:4; Jos 1:2; Joh 1:17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 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.

  • Numbers 20:12

    And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

  • Numbers 20:13

    This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.

Read all of Numbers 20

Numbers 20:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Jehová dijo á Moisés y á Aarón: Por cuanto no creísteis en mí, para santificarme en ojos de los hijos de Israel, por tanto, no meteréis esta congregación en la tierra que les he dado.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et l’ Éternel dit à Moïse et à Aaron: Parce que vous ne m’avez pas cru, pour me sanctifier aux yeux des fils d’Israël, à cause de cela vous n’introduirez pas cette congrégation dans le pays que je leur donne.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da sprach Jehova zu Mose und zu Aaron: Weil ihr mir nicht geglaubt habt, mich vor den Augen der Kinder Israel zu heiligen, deswegen sollt ihr diese Versammlung nicht in das Land bringen, das ich ihnen gegeben habe.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen et Aaron: Quia non credidistis mihi, ut sanctificaretis me coram filiis Israël, non introducetis hos populos in terram, quam dabo eis.