🔢WEB · Numbers 20:4
What does Numbers 20:4 mean?
"Why have you brought Yahweh’s assembly into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals?"
— Numbers 20:4 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
The 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.
There was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
The people quarreled with Moses, and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before Yahweh!
Why have you brought Yahweh’s assembly into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals?
Why 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.”
Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. Yahweh’s glory appeared to them.
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Explanation
Numbers 20:4 records the bitter complaint of the Israelites when they arrived at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin and found no water to drink. In plain language, the people are accusing Moses and Aaron of leading them out into the
Compare translations
Go deeper with ScriptureCompanion AI
Ask questions about any verse, follow reading plans, write personal prayers, and track your daily habit — all grounded in verified scripture text.