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 20:11KJV
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Numbers 20:11 (KJV)

What does Numbers 20:11 mean?

Numbers 20:11 describes how Moses, in front of the Israelites, struck a rock twice with his staff, causing water to gush out in abundance so that both the people and their animals could drink. This verse shows a miraculous event where water was provided in the wilderness through Moses’ actions.

In this scene, Moses is leading the Israelites through the desert, and they are desperate for water. God had told Moses to speak to the rock, but instead, Moses strikes it twice with his rod. The verse highlights the physical act—Moses lifting his hand and using his rod—and the immediate, generous response as water flows out for the whole community and their livestock.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 20:11

  • "Smote" (נָכָה, nakah): This word means to strike or hit. The verse notes that Moses struck the rock twice, which is significant because God had instructed him to speak to it, not hit it.
  • "Twice" (פַּעַם, pa‘am): The detail that Moses struck the rock two times emphasizes his action and may suggest a sense of frustration or urgency.
  • "Abundantly" (רַב, rav): This word means "much" or "plenty." The water did not just trickle out; it came out in great quantity, enough for everyone and their animals.

Why Numbers 20:11 matters

  • Numbers 20:11 clarifies that Moses did not follow God’s exact instructions, which becomes important in the following verses when God addresses Moses’ actions.
  • The verse emphasizes the abundance of God’s provision, showing that the need of the people and their animals was fully met despite the manner in which Moses acted.
  • This moment connects to earlier events in Exodus, where water also came from a rock, but under different circumstances, highlighting a recurring theme of God providing for Israel in the wilderness.

Where else these words appear

“beasts” Hebrew H1165 · used in 6 verses

  • Genesis 45:17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;
  • Exodus 22:5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.
  • Numbers 20:8 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.

“rock” Hebrew H5553 · used in 54 verses

  • Numbers 20:8 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.
  • 2 Chronicles 25:12 And other ten thousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they all were broken in pieces.
  • Isaiah 31:9 And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.

“twice” Hebrew H6471 · used in 108 verses

  • Genesis 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
  • Deuteronomy 10:10 And I stayed in the mount, according to the first time, forty days and forty nights; and the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also, and the LORD would not destroy thee.
  • 2 Kings 5:14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

“congregation” Hebrew H5712 · used in 140 verses

  • Exodus 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
  • Numbers 15:24 Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto the LORD, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering.
  • Numbers 31:16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.