Numbers 20:25 kjv
Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor:
Numbers 20:25 nkjv
Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor;
Numbers 20:25 niv
Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor.
Numbers 20:25 esv
Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor.
Numbers 20:25 nlt
Now take Aaron and his son Eleazar up Mount Hor.
Numbers 20 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 20:12 | “Because you did not believe Me... you shall not bring this assembly into the land...” | The root cause of Aaron's impending death; Meribah's judgment. |
| Num 20:26 | “Take Aaron’s garments from him and put them on Eleazar his son...” | Direct follow-up; action taken on Mount Hor. |
| Num 20:27 | “So Moses did as the Lord commanded... went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.” | Moses' immediate obedience to the command. |
| Num 20:28 | “Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there...” | The execution of the divine decree. |
| Num 33:38 | “Then Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor at the command of the Lord...” | Confirmation of the location and divine command for Aaron's death. |
| Deut 10:6 | “And the sons of Israel journeyed... to Moserah. There Aaron died...” | Another account confirming Aaron's death (Moserah likely refers to Mount Hor or its vicinity). |
| Deut 32:48-52 | “The Lord spoke to Moses... Go up this mountain of Abarim, Mount Nebo... for you did not hallow Me...” | Parallels Aaron's fate with Moses' impending death for similar disobedience. |
| Deut 34:1-5 | “Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo... And the Lord showed him all the land... So Moses the servant of the Lord died there...” | Fulfillment of Moses' own command to ascend for his death, mirroring Aaron. |
| Exo 29:29-30 | “The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed in them and to be consecrated in them... for his son who enters the tent of meeting in his place.” | Earlier divine instruction for priestly succession, fulfilled by Eleazar. |
| Num 3:2-4 | “These are the names of the sons of Aaron... Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar... But Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord...” | Context of Eleazar becoming the prominent surviving son for succession. |
| Num 27:12-14 | “Now the Lord said to Moses, 'Go up into this Mount Abarim... and be gathered to your people... because you rebelled against My word...'” | Further emphasizes the consequence of rebellion, aligning Moses and Aaron's fates. |
| Heb 5:4 | “And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.” | The divine appointment of the priesthood, reflected in the orderly transfer. |
| Heb 7:23-24 | “There were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing; but He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.” | Contrasts the earthly priesthood, subject to death, with Christ's eternal priesthood. |
| Num 8:14 | “Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel... and the Levites shall be Mine.” | Refers to the setting apart of the tribe, including the priestly line of Aaron. |
| Mal 2:7-8 | “For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth... But you have departed from the way...” | Highlights the expected faithfulness of the priesthood, which Aaron failed at Meribah. |
| Josh 24:33 | “And Eleazar the son of Aaron died. And they buried him in a hill belonging to Phinehas his son...” | Shows Eleazar's own future passing, further affirming succession within the line. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people...” | Spiritualizes the priesthood to all believers, connecting to the Old Covenant patterns of election. |
| Exo 19:20 | “Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai... And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain...” | Mountains as places of divine encounter, a theme present in Moses and Aaron's ascension. |
| Gen 22:2 | “Then He said, 'Take now your son... to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains...'” | The 'taking' and 'bringing up' to a mountain for a solemn act (sacrifice, death, succession). |
| Eph 4:8-13 | “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers...” | Principles of leadership transition and gifts given for the church's health, an echo of divine ordering. |
Numbers 20 verses
Numbers 20 25 Meaning
This verse conveys a direct divine command from God to Moses, instructing him to take Aaron, the high priest, and his son Eleazar, to Mount Hor. This directive sets in motion the somber event of Aaron's death and the formal transfer of the high priesthood from Aaron to Eleazar. It underscores divine judgment on Aaron and Moses for their disobedience at Meribah and highlights God's pre-ordained order for the continuity of the Aaronic priesthood.
Numbers 20 25 Context
Numbers chapter 20 narrates the climactic events nearing the end of Israel's wilderness wandering, shortly before their entry into the Promised Land. The chapter begins with Miriam's death and burial. Immediately following this, the people complain about lack of water, leading to the incident at Meribah where Moses, under frustration, strikes the rock twice instead of speaking to it as commanded (Num 20:7-11). Because of this act of disobedience, God declares that neither Moses nor Aaron will enter the Promised Land (Num 20:12). After an unsuccessful attempt to pass through Edom (Num 20:14-21), the Israelites arrive at Mount Hor. It is in this context, directly tied to the Meribah rebellion and the impending entrance into Canaan, that God issues the command in Numbers 20:25, setting the stage for the formal end of Aaron's priestly tenure and his life. This prepares Israel for the next phase of their journey under new priestly leadership.
Numbers 20 25 Word analysis
- Take (לָקַח, laqach): This imperative verb signifies a divine injunction, a decisive action Moses must perform. It implies selection and an appointed purpose. It's not merely "lead" but "take," carrying a weight of responsibility, preparing for a specific, solemn event. This term is often used in scripture for bringing individuals for a specific task or purpose, sometimes sacrificial (e.g., Gen 22:2 "take your son").
- Aaron (אַהֲרֹן, Aharon): The first high priest of Israel, chosen by God (Exo 28). His death marks a significant transition in Israelite leadership and the High Priestly line. This "taking" signifies the end of his divinely appointed service on earth, a direct consequence of his and Moses' shared disobedience at Meribah (Num 20:12).
- and Eleazar his son (וְאֶלְעָזָר בְּנוֹ, v'Ele'azar b'no): Eleazar, Aaron's third son (Num 3:2), is explicitly included in the command. His presence is crucial for two reasons: he is a witness to his father's passing and, more importantly, the recipient of the high priestly garments, signifying the transfer of the high priesthood to him (Num 20:26, 28). This emphasizes divine continuity and order in leadership.
- and bring them up (וְהַעֲלֵה אֹתָם, v'ha'aleh otam): An imperative verb meaning "to cause to ascend," or "to go up." Mountains in the Bible often serve as places of profound divine encounters, revelation, judgment, and significant life or death transitions (e.g., Sinai, Nebo). The act of ascending signifies a solemn, consecrated movement towards a momentous divine appointment.
- unto Mount Hor (הֹר הָהָר, Hor haHar): Literally "Mount of the Mount" or "Mountain of the Mountain." The double "mountain" emphasizes its singular importance or prominence. Its exact location is debated, but it was on the border of Edom (Num 20:23), near the wilderness, making it a remote, high, and solitary place, fitting for the somber transfer of office and death of the High Priest away from the congregation. The ascension to such a place indicates the sacredness and weight of the impending event.
Numbers 20 25 Bonus section
The specific identification of Mount Hor has been a subject of scholarly discussion. The traditional site is Jebel Haroun, near Petra in modern Jordan. Its elevation and isolation would make it a fitting place for the solemn events described. The deliberate choice of a high mountain for Aaron's passing echoes Moses' own future ascent to Mount Nebo for his death, reinforcing a pattern where pivotal moments of judgment, leadership transition, and the culmination of earthly lives occur in elevated, sacred spaces. This ritual ascent for a pre-ordained death underscores the concept that human life and service, particularly for those divinely called, are always within God's sovereign timing and plan.
Numbers 20 25 Commentary
Numbers 20:25 serves as a terse but weighty divine directive, setting in motion a profound transition in Israelite leadership. God's command to Moses, to "take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto Mount Hor," is far more than a simple travel instruction; it is a declaration of divine judgment and the solemn orchestration of an orderly succession. It signals the culmination of the consequences for Moses' and Aaron's failure to sanctify God at Meribah (Num 20:12). Aaron, the venerated High Priest, must relinquish his office and life on this designated mountaintop, highlighting the transient nature of even the most divinely appointed human authority. His replacement, Eleazar, ascending with them, symbolizes God's commitment to continuity within His divinely established institutions. The solitary act of ascent to Mount Hor, witnessed only by Moses and Eleazar, underscores the profound solemnity and privacy of this moment of passing the priestly mantle, a clear display of God's unwavering control over the lives and roles of His servants.