The KJV Holy Bible

 

Numbers Chapter Twenty

 

1 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, that we and our cattle should die there?

5 And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto 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.

6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them.

7 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

9 And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him.

10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

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.

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.

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

14 And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:

15 How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers:

16 And when we cried unto the Lord, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:

17 Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.

18 And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.

19 And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing anything else, go through on my feet.

20 And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.

21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

22 And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.

23 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,

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.

25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor:

26 And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.

27 And Moses did as the Lord commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

28 And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.

29 And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

 

 

Esoteric Interpretation & Commentary

 

The Hermetic Blueprint of Numbers Chapter Twenty: The Waters of Strife and the Passing of the Rod 

"Numbers Chapter Twenty marks a profound and tragic turning point in the Great Work. It reveals the severe danger of Egoic frustration and emotional anger within the Conscious Mind, demonstrating that even the most advanced Adept can compromise the flow of Spiritual Vitality by striking out of impatience rather than speaking through Divine Alignment."

 

 

Verses 1-5: The Desert of Zin and the Thirst of the Mind - "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. And there was no water for the congregation..." 

The arrival in the desert of Zin represents a dry, desolate phase of the Astral wilderness where the internal Faculties experience severe spiritual exhaustion (no water). Compounding this crisis is the death of Miriam—the loss of the intuitive, Receptive channel that previously balanced the Microcosm. Stripped of this intuitive flow, the mundane Intellect immediately falls into panic, rebelling against the Conscious Mind and mourning for the material comforts of Egypt.

 

 

Verses 6-11: The Frustration of the Will and the Striking of the Rock - "And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces... And Moses took the rod from before the LORD... And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we now fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice..." 

This is the critical Alchemical failure of the Conscious Mind (Moses). The rock symbolizes the permanent, unshakeable source of Superconscious Truth. In previous cycles, the rock was commanded to be spoken to—representing pure Vibrational alignment and effortless manifestation through the Word. Here, gripped by anger and frustration at the rebelling Ego ("ye rebels"), Moses strikes the rock twice with physical force. This represents the corrupting intrusion of personal ego, emotional impatience, and lower intellectual violence into a sacred spiritual operation.

 

Verses 12-13: The Judgment of Meribah and the Loss of the Threshold - "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. This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them." 

Karmic consequence is absolute. The Sovereign Will declares that because the active Will and orthodox Intellect failed to maintain absolute inner purity and faith, they cannot cross the final threshold into the Promised Land. Esoterically, the mental structures and leadership patterns that navigated the lower Astral wilderness are too deeply tied to old paradigms of struggle and force; they must eventually pass away, making room for a completely renewed, highly refined state of consciousness to inherit the Higher Planes.

 

Verses 22-29: The Passing of the Garments and the Transfer of Authority - "And Moses took Aaron and Eleazar his son, and brought them up unto mount Hor in the top of the congregation... And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount..." 

The ascent of Mount Hor and the stripping of Aaron's priestly garments represent the systematic evolution and transference of Magickal Authority within the Psyche. The old orthodox intellect and externalized priesthood (Aaron) must step down and be absorbed, passing its sacred vestments to Eleazar (representing the higher, more vigilant aspect of the Awakened Will). This transition proves that the Great Work is continuous; even as old structures fail or fade, the inner sanctuary adapts, ensuring that the eternal flame of the Superconscious Source is safely carried forward.