Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates--and there is no water to drink!" Why have you brought us up out of EgyptThis phrase reflects the Israelites' recurring complaint against Moses and Aaron, questioning their leadership and God's plan. The Hebrew root for "brought us up" is "עלה" (alah), which often signifies an ascent or a journey to a higher place. This is significant as it underscores the spiritual and physical journey from the bondage of Egypt to the Promised Land, a land of higher spiritual calling. Historically, Egypt symbolizes a place of slavery and oppression, and the Israelites' longing to return there reveals their struggle with faith and trust in God's provision. This complaint is a reminder of the human tendency to romanticize the past when faced with present challenges, forgetting the hardships endured. to bring us to this wretched place?
The term "wretched place" is translated from the Hebrew "רע" (ra), meaning bad or evil. This reflects the Israelites' perception of their current situation in the wilderness, which they view as dire and hopeless. The wilderness, in biblical context, is often a place of testing and transformation. It is where God refines His people, teaching them reliance on Him alone. The Israelites' description of it as "wretched" highlights their lack of understanding of God's purpose and their failure to see the wilderness as a place of divine encounter and preparation for the blessings to come. This serves as a spiritual lesson on the importance of trusting God's process, even when circumstances seem bleak. It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates
This part of the verse lists the agricultural abundance that the Israelites long for, which is absent in the wilderness. Each of these items—grain, figs, vines, and pomegranates—symbolizes prosperity and blessing in the biblical narrative. Grain represents sustenance and daily provision; figs and pomegranates are symbols of peace and prosperity; vines signify joy and celebration, often associated with wine. The absence of these in the wilderness underscores the Israelites' focus on physical needs and their impatience for the fulfillment of God's promises. This reflects a broader spiritual truth about the human tendency to focus on immediate gratification rather than trusting in God's timing and provision. and there is no water to drink!
Water, in the biblical context, is a symbol of life and divine provision. The Israelites' complaint about the lack of water highlights their immediate physical need and their dependence on God for survival. In the wilderness, God had previously provided water miraculously, such as from the rock at Horeb (Exodus 17:6). This recurring issue of water scarcity serves as a test of faith for the Israelites, challenging them to trust in God's continued provision. It also foreshadows the living water that Christ offers in the New Testament, symbolizing eternal life and spiritual sustenance. This phrase reminds believers of the importance of seeking spiritual nourishment and trusting in God's provision for all needs. Persons / Places / Events 1. The IsraelitesThe people of God who were delivered from slavery in Egypt and are now wandering in the wilderness. 2. MosesThe leader chosen by God to bring the Israelites out of Egypt and guide them to the Promised Land. 3. The Wilderness of ZinThe desolate area where the Israelites are currently encamped, characterized by its lack of resources. 4. EgyptThe land of slavery from which the Israelites were delivered, often idealized by them in times of hardship. 5. The Promised LandThe land of Canaan, described as a land flowing with milk and honey, which the Israelites are journeying towards. Teaching Points Gratitude vs. GrumblingThe Israelites' complaint highlights a lack of gratitude for God's deliverance and provision. As believers, we are called to cultivate a heart of thankfulness, even in difficult circumstances. Trust in God's ProvisionThe Israelites' focus on what they lack rather than what God has provided serves as a reminder to trust in God's provision and timing, even when it seems insufficient by worldly standards. The Danger of Idealizing the PastThe Israelites' longing for Egypt, despite its hardships, warns against romanticizing past situations and failing to recognize God's current work in our lives. Faith in the JourneyThe wilderness journey is a metaphor for the Christian life, where faith is tested, and reliance on God is essential. We are encouraged to keep our eyes on the ultimate promise of eternal life with God. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the Israelites' complaint in Numbers 20:5 reflect their spiritual state, and what can we learn from this about our own attitudes during challenging times? 2. In what ways do we, like the Israelites, sometimes idealize our past instead of trusting God's plan for our future? 3. How can we cultivate a heart of gratitude in our daily lives, especially when we face situations that seem "wretched" or lacking? 4. What are some practical steps we can take to remind ourselves of God's faithfulness and provision, as seen in Deuteronomy 8 and Psalm 78? 5. How does 1 Corinthians 10 use the account of the Israelites to instruct the church, and what specific lessons can we apply to our own spiritual journey? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 16The Israelites' complaints about food in the wilderness, showing a pattern of grumbling against God's provision. Deuteronomy 8A reminder of God's faithfulness and provision during the wilderness journey, emphasizing reliance on God rather than material abundance. Psalm 78A recounting of Israel's history, including their rebellion and God's continued faithfulness. 1 Corinthians 10Paul uses the Israelites' experiences as a warning to the church about the dangers of grumbling and disobedience. People Aaron, Egyptians, Eleazar, Israelites, Miriam, MosesPlaces Edom, Egypt, Kadesh-barnea, King's Highway, Meribah, Mount Hor, ZinTopics Bring, Conducted, Drink, Drinking, Egypt, Evil, Fig, Figs, Fruits, Grain, Grapevines, Hast, None, Pomegranate, Pomegranates, Seed, Terrible, Vine, Vines, Wherefore, WretchedDictionary of Bible Themes Numbers 20:5 4440 fig-tree
4450 fruit
6115 blame Numbers 20:1-11 4278 spring of water Numbers 20:1-13 5924 quarrelsomeness Numbers 20:2-5 4458 grape
5928 resentment, against God Numbers 20:2-11 5580 thirst Numbers 20:2-12 5714 men Numbers 20:3-5 1418 miracles, responses Library August 17. "Speak Ye unto the Rock" (Num. xx. 8).
"Speak ye unto the Rock" (Num. xx. 8). The Holy Ghost is very sensitive, as love always is. You can conquer a wild beast by blows and chains, but you cannot conquer a woman's heart that way, or win the love of a sensitive nature; that must be wooed by the delicate touches of trust and affection. So the Holy Ghost has to be taken by a faith as delicate and sensitive as the gentle heart with whom it is coming in touch. One thought of unbelief, one expression of impatient distrust or fear, will instantly …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth The Waters of Meribah
'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, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Kadesh. Rekam, and that Double. Inquiry is Made, Whether the Doubling it in the Maps is Well Done.
The readers of the eastern interpreters will observe, that Kadesh is rendered by all Rekam, or in a sound very near it. In the Chaldee, it is 'Rekam': in the Syriac, 'Rekem': in the Arabic, 'Rakim'... There are two places noted by the name Rekam in the very bounds of the land,--to wit, the southern and eastern: that is, a double Kadesh. I. Of Kadesh, or Rekam, in the south part, there is no doubt. II. Of it, in the eastern part, there is this mention: "From Rekam to the east, and Rekam is as the …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica The Baptist's Inquiry and Jesus' Discourse Suggested Thereby.
(Galilee.) ^A Matt. XI. 2-30; ^C Luke VII. 18-35. ^c 18 And the disciples of John told him of all these things. ^a 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent by his disciples ^c 19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them unto the Lord [John had been cast into prison about December, a.d. 27, and it was now after the Passover, possibly in May or June, a.d. 28. Herod Antipas had cast John into prison because John had reproved him for taking his brother's wife. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Epistle xxviii. To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli .
To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli [136] . Gregory to Augustine, &c. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will (Luke ii. 14); because a grain of wheat, falling into the earth, has died, that it might not reign in heaven alone; even He by whose death we live, by whose weakness we are made strong, by whose suffering we are rescued from suffering, through whose love we seek in Britain for brethren whom we knew not, by whose gift we find those whom without knowing them we sought. …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great Travelling in Palestine --Roads, Inns, Hospitality, Custom-House Officers, Taxation, Publicans
It was the very busiest road in Palestine, on which the publican Levi Matthew sat at the receipt of "custom," when our Lord called him to the fellowship of the Gospel, and he then made that great feast to which he invited his fellow-publicans, that they also might see and hear Him in Whom he had found life and peace (Luke 5:29). For, it was the only truly international road of all those which passed through Palestine; indeed, it formed one of the great highways of the world's commerce. At the time …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Peræa to Bethany. Raising of Lazarus.
^D John XI. 1-46. ^d 1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. [For Bethany and the sisters, see p. 478.] 2 And it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair [John xii. 3 ], whose brother Lazarus was sick. [The anointing had not yet taken place, as John himself shows. For a similar anticipation see Matt. x. 4. There are five prominent Marys in the New Testament: those of Nazareth, Magdala and Bethany; the …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
THE ISRAELITES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN: THE JUDGES--THE PHILISTINES AND THE HEBREW KINGDOM--SAUL, DAVID, SOLOMON, THE DEFECTION OF THE TEN TRIBES--THE XXIst EGYPTIAN DYNASTY--SHESHONQ OR SHISHAK DAMASCUS. The Hebrews in the desert: their families, clans, and tribes--The Amorites and the Hebrews on the left bank of the Jordan--The conquest of Canaan and the native reaction against the Hebrews--The judges, Ehud, Deborah, Jerubbaal or Gideon and the Manassite supremacy; Abimelech, Jephihdh. The Philistines, …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6 Backsliding.
"I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely: for Mine anger is turned away."--Hosea xiv. 4. There are two kinds of backsliders. Some have never been converted: they have gone through the form of joining a Christian community and claim to be backsliders; but they never have, if I may use the expression, "slid forward." They may talk of backsliding; but they have never really been born again. They need to be treated differently from real back-sliders--those who have been born of the incorruptible …
Dwight L. Moody—The Way to God and How to Find It Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Numbers 20:5 NIVNumbers 20:5 NLTNumbers 20:5 ESVNumbers 20:5 NASBNumbers 20:5 KJV
Numbers 20:5 Commentaries
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