Numbers 20:1

Numbers 20:1

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.

a. ASV: And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

b. YLT: And the sons of Israel come in, -- all the company -- to the wilderness of Zin, in the first month, and the people abide in Kadesh, and Miriam dieth there, and is buried there.

c. Amplified Bible Classic: And the Israelites, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month. And the people dwelt in Kadesh. Miriam died and was buried there.

d. Septuagint: And the children of Israel, [even] the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Sin, in the first month, and the people abode in Cades; and Mariam died there, and was buried there.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: The Children of Israel, the whole assembly, arrived at the Wilderness of Zin in the first month and the people settled in Kadesh. Miriam died there and she was buried there.

1. “Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month…”

a. [Then] came [Strong: 935 bôwʼ, bo; a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications):—abide, apply, attain, × be, befall, besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, ×certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, ×doubtless again, eat, employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, have, × indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, × (well) stricken (in age), × surely, take (in), way.]

b. [the] children [Strong: 1121 bên, bane; from H1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.):—afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, × came up in, child, colt, × common, × corn, daughter, × of first, firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, × in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, +mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, rebel, + robber, × servant born, × soldier, son, +spark, steward, + stranger, × surely, them of, + tumultuous one, valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.] [The KJV translates Strong's H1121 in the following manner: son (2,978x), children (1,568x), old (135x), first (51x), man (20x), young (18x), young (with H1241) (17x), child (10x), stranger (10x), people (5x), miscellaneous (92x).]

c. [of] Israel [Strong: 3478 Yisrâʼêl, yis-raw-ale'; from H8280 and H410; he will rule as God; Jisraël, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity:—Israel.] [The KJV translates Strong's H3478 in the following manner: Israel (2,489x), Israelites (16x).]

d. [even the] whole [Strong: 3605  kol kole or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).]

e. congregation [Strong: 5712 ʻêdâh, ay-daw'; feminine of H5707 in the original sense of fixture; a stated assemblage (specifically, a concourse, or generally, a family or crowd):—assembly, company, congregation, multitude, people, swarm.] [The KJV translates Strong's H5712 in the following manner:congregation (124x), company (13x), assembly (9x), multitude (1x), people (1x), swarm (1x).]

f. [into the] desert [Strong: 4057 midbâr, mid-bawr'; from H1696 in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs):—desert, south, speech, wilderness.] [The KJV translates Strong's H4057 in the following manner: wilderness (255x), desert (13x), south (1x), speech (1x), wilderness (with H776) (1x).]

g. [of] Zin [Strong: 6790 Tsin, tseen; from an unused root meaning to prick; a crag; Tsin, a part of the Desert:—Zin.] [The KJV translates Strong's H6790 in the following manner: Zin (10x).]

h. [in the] first [Strong: 7223 riʼshôwn, ree-shone'; or רִאשֹׁן riʼshôn; from H7221; first, in place, time or rank (as adjective or noun):—ancestor, (that were) before(-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore(-father) (-most), former (thing), of old time, past.] [The KJV translates Strong's H7223 in the following manner: first (129x), former (26x), former things (6x), beginning (4x), chief (3x), before (3x), old time (2x), foremost (3x), aforetime (1x), miscellaneous (8x).]

i. month [Strong: 2320 chôdesh, kho'-desh; from H2318; the new moon; by implication, a month:—month(-ly), new moon.] [The KJV translates Strong's H2320 in the following manner: month (254x), new moon (20x), monthly (1x), another (1x).]

2. “...and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.”

a. [and the] people [Strong: 5971 ʻam, am; from H6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock:—folk, men, nation, people.] [The KJV translates Strong's H5971 in the following manner: people (1,836x), nation (17x), people (with H1121) (4x), folk (2x), Ammi (1x), men (1x), each (1x).]

b. abode [Strong: 3427 yâshab, yaw-shab'; a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:—(make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, × fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, × marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-) sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry.] [The KJV translates Strong's H3427 in the following manner: dwell (437x), inhabitant (221x), sit (172x), abide (70x), inhabit (39x), down (26x), remain (23x), in (22x), tarry (19x), set (14x), continue (5x), place (7x), still (5x), taken (5x), miscellaneous (23x).]

c. [in] Kadesh [Strong: 6946 Qâdêsh, kaw-dashe'; the same as H6945; sanctuary; Kadesh, a place in the Desert:—Kadesh.] The KJV translates Strong's H6946 in the following manner: Kadesh (17x), Meribahkadesh (with H4808) (1x).]

d. [and] miriam [Strong: 4813 Miryâm, meer-yawm'; from H4805; rebelliously; Mirjam, the name of two Israelitesses:—Miriam.] [The KJV translates Strong's H4813 in the following manner: Miriam (15x).]

e. died [Strong: 4191 mûwth, mooth; a primitive root; to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill:—× at all, × crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), × must needs, slay, × surely, × very suddenly, × in (no) wise.] [The KJV translates Strong's H4191 in the following manner: die (424x), dead (130x), slay (100x), death (83x), surely (50x), kill (31x), dead man (3x), dead body (2x), in no wise (2x), miscellaneous (10x).]

f. there [Strong: 8033 sham shawm a primitive particle (rather from the relative pronoun, 834); there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or thence:--in it, + thence, there (-in, + of, + out), + thither, + whither.]

g. [and was] buried [Strong: 6912 qâbar, kaw-bar'; a primitive root; to inter:—× in any wise, bury(-ier).] [The KJV translates Strong's H6912 in the following manner: bury (131x), buriers (1x), in any wise (1x).]

h. there [Strong: 8033 sham shawm a primitive particle (rather from the relative pronoun, 834); there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or thence:--in it, + thence, there (-in, + of, + out), + thither, + whither.]

1). In the year of the Exodus from Egypt Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83.

a). Exodus 7:7 And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron was fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

2). Miriam though was older than both of them. When Moses was born and his mother placed him in an ark/basket and placed him on the bank of the Nile to try to save his life, Miriam a small girl at the time watched what would happen to him and when Pharaoh’s daughter found him, Miram asked her if she would like for her to find a Hebrew nurse to feed him.

a). Exodus 2:1-8 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

2:2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

2:3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.

2:4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

2:5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

2:6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.

2:7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

2:8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.

b). Jewish tradition teaches that Miriam was six years older than Moses and three years older than Aaron. Josepheus the Jewish historian teaches that Miriam died in the fortieth year of leaving Egypt (Book IV, Chapter IV, #6), (Page 89, Kregel Publication 1983). This makes sense because they still had about a year and a half to go before they entered Canaan and the first year and a half, the time it took to leave Egypt, go to Sinai (2+ months), spend just a few days short of a year at Sinai (Numbers 10:11), and then move to Kadesh/Paran where they sent the spies (Numbers 13:26) is not counted in the forty years. The forty years began at Kadesh (Numbers 14:30-34).

c). So here in Numbers 20:1 Miriam dies and they still have about a year and a half to go before they go into the Promised land, into Canaan.