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.
Take your staff and gather the whole community together—you and your brother Aaron. Then speak to the rock while everyone is watching, and it will pour out its water. You will bring water from the rock for the people and their animals to drink.
God is telling Moses to simply speak to a rock to provide water for the thirsty Israelites and their livestock.
📚 Historical Context
This event occurred during Israel's 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, when the people were complaining about having no water to drink. God had previously provided water from a rock at the beginning of their journey, but this time He instructed Moses to speak to the rock rather than strike it. This was near the end of Moses' leadership, close to the Promised Land.
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