Numbers 20:22-29

They set out from Kadesh,¹ and the Israelites, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor,² on the border of the land of Edom, “Let Aaron be gathered to his people. For he shall not enter the land that I have given to the Israelites, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah.³ Take Aaron and his son Eleazar, and bring them up Mount Hor; strip Aaron of his vestments, and put them on his son Eleazar.⁴ But Aaron shall be gathered to his people,⁵ and shall die there.”⁶

Moses did as the Lord had commanded;⁷ they went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole congregation. Moses stripped Aaron of his vestments, and put them on his son Eleazar; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain.⁸ Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. When all the congregation saw that Aaron had died, all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron for thirty days.⁹

1 Travel is more frequent now, even though Israel won't enter the promised land for decades.

2 From the tabernacle, or from the actual mountain itself?

3 A repeat of the unclearly motivated rebuke in 20:12.

4 Fascinating transfer of roles, perhaps as punishment for Meribah.

5 “gathered to his people” a euphemism for death?

6 Is Aaron's death a punishment too?

7 Moses shows obedience.

8 Moses does as was commanded, and Aaron dies! Did the Lord just predict it? It seems to me he caused it. Such large punishment for a sin that's unclear to me.

9 Extreme mourning contrasted with the barely-noted passing of Mariam.


Take-home: Aaron's disobedience results in his death and the transfer of the high priesthood to his son. It is a time of heavy mourning for Israel.