Commentaria in Numeros
TO SANCTIFY ME BEFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL—that you might show them that I am holy, almighty, truthful and most merciful, who even to the impious and ungrateful perform those things (as you can and ought to remember that I have hitherto often done) which I promised, namely water from the rock.
Note: the faithful who in perplexing and arduous affairs hope in God, and against hope believe in hope with Abraham, these sanctify God; for God wills that great things be hoped from Him: hence Wisdom says YOU SHALL NOT BRING THESE PEOPLE INTO THE LAND WHICH I WILL GIVE THEM—namely into Chanaan itself, beyond the Jordan: for otherwise Moses did enter into the promised land lying on this side of the Jordan, namely into the kingdoms of Og and Sehon, and gave it to the tribes of Ruben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasses; but he did not cross the Jordan into Chanaan, to the land promised to all the other tribes, whose boundaries are described in Numbers 34. So Abulensis, Question 48, and St. Augustine. This was a notable penalty and mortification of Moses, that he could not see the promised land flowing with milk and honey, so much desired, and that he was defrauded of the end and fruit of his very long and troublesome leadership. So God mortified St. Xavier and other Saints in death itself, that they might learn fully to die to the world and to themselves, and to live to God, and that they might have this as a purgatory for their light faults, by which being expiated they might soon fly away to heaven.
13. THIS IS THE WATER OF CONTRADICTION—of strife and contention (for the Hebrew meribah signifies all these), where they contradicted and murmured.
WHERE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL STROVE WITH WORDS AGAINST THE LORD, AND HE WAS SANCTIFIED IN THEM—that is, He was declared holy, truthful, faithful, merciful and liberal, by giving them, though incredulous and rebellious, a drink of water, and so overcoming and confounding their incredulity. So they imitate the holiness of God who love their enemies and overcome evil with good.
14. IN THE MEANTIME MOSES SENT MESSENGERS FROM CADES TO THE KING OF EDOM (for Cades was near Idumea, through which the Hebrews, who were to go straight on, had to pass) gave them in charge that we should say to thee. Whence the Hebrew, Chaldee and Septuagint have: Thus saith THY BROTHER ISRAEL—thy brother Jacob, that is, the Jacobites, or the posterity of Jacob, who are your brethren: for their parent Jacob was the brother of Esau, who was your parent and that of all the Idumeans.
16. AND SENT AN ANGEL—our leader, going before us in the pillar of cloud.
BEHOLD WE ARE IN THE CITY OF CADES.—“In,” that is, near: for it is not likely that the Hebrews entered cities in the desert; for the inhabitants, fearing the Hebrews, would not have permitted it; nor would cities have contained so great a multitude of men. So Abulensis.
17. WE WILL NOT DRINK THE WATERS OF THY WELLS—gratis, that is, and without price, but we will buy them for a price, as is said in verse 19. For in those deserts there is great dryness and scarcity of water: whence, lest the Idumeans should fear for their waters existing outside the cities, which they needed for their own thirst and that of their cattle, the Hebrews promise that they will not drink their waters except with their consent and the price being paid.
18. AND EDOM ANSWERED HIM: THOU SHALT NOT PASS THROUGH MY COUNTRY—through my dominion.
20. AND IMMEDIATELY HE CAME FORTH TO MEET THEM WITH AN EXCEEDING GREAT MULTITUDE (in Hebrew, with a heavy people, that is, dense, numerous and very many, which we commonly call infinite) AND A STRONG HAND—with a great strength of soldiers.
21. WHEREFORE ISRAEL TURNED AWAY FROM HIM—namely so that, turning their course, they went around Idumea on the eastern side, and consequently had of necessity to pass through some part of Idumea, in order to come to Moab and Ammon, and thence to Chanaan. For this is what is said in Deuteronomy 2:4 and 8: “And when we had passed by our brethren, the children of Esau.”
THEY CAME TO MOUNT HOR, WHERE THE LORD SPOKE TO MOSES: LET AARON GO TO HIS PEOPLE—as if to say: Let Aaron die, and pass to his just fathers in limbo, and be gathered to them: for this is what that phrase means, to go or to be gathered to his people, and therefore it is said almost only of the just.
26. AND WHEN THOU HAST STRIPPED THE FATHER OF HIS VESTMENT.—Hence it is plain that Aaron put on the pontifical vestments in the camp, and thus clothed went out to mount Hor, that he might die with dignity and glory, and that on the mountain he might put off these vestments and Moses clothe with them Eleazar, the eldest son of Aaron, as he also did; and so Moses by this one rite of vesting, without any other unction or consecration, consecrated Eleazar on this mountain high priest and successor of his father. So Abulensis.
This was done contrary to law and custom. For first, while the father lived, a son could not in the old law become high priest. For the pontificate among the Jews was hereditary and perpetual, so that not even the parents themselves could resign it to their sons as long as they could discharge the office. Secondly, because Eleazar was consecrated high priest outside the tabernacle and the camp, and by the mere vesting in the pontifical vestments. But Eleazar, as the firstborn, ought to receive the pontificate, nor could he pass it over to his brother Ithamar, because God had commanded that the firstborn should succeed their father in the pontificate, and receive it, and serve Him in it,
29. AND AARON BEING DEAD ON THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN.
Aaron dies in the fortieth year from the departure out of Egypt, at the age of 123, in the fifth month, as is said in Numbers 33:38, and that outside the camp, as also Moses, lest the Hebrews, prone to idols, should worship them and their bodies as deities; and on mount Hor, that is, on the mountain of the mountain, that a place worthy of his merits might be shown, says St. Jerome; which is the same as mountainous, he who rightly dies on the mountain, because, like a mountain, he surpassed others, as much in office as in virtue.
Hence it is plain that Aaron had in his death these three privileges: first, that he died with no wound coming upon him, no disease, no weariness of life, but in full health (for he climbed mount Hor sound and strong), as if he were taken from this life sleeping. Second, that he saw his son Eleazar succeed him, be clothed with the pontifical vestments, and so be consecrated high priest. Third, that he expired in the presence and as it were in the bosom of his dearest brother Moses and of his son Eleazar, and that they themselves closed his eyes; nor did Moses and Eleazar, standing by the dying Aaron, thereby contract legal uncleanness, because God, by the very fact that He commanded them to stand by the dying man, dispensed in this law and legal uncleanness. So Abulensis.
Rabbi Solomon adds a fourth, whom let him believe who will: that these three, namely Moses, Aaron and Eleazar, going up into mount Hor, found a cave, and a bed prepared, and a burning lamp, as is wont to be provided for the dead, and thence Moses knew that that place had been prepared by God for the sleep of Aaron. Having therefore been stripped of his vestments, and Eleazar clothed, Aaron lay down on the bed, and with closed eyes was received by the Lord in peace: but Moses, seeing so placid a death, desired a like one, which also was promised him in chapter 27:13, and
30. AND ALL THE MULTITUDE SEEING THAT AARON WAS DEAD, MOURNED FOR HIM THIRTY DAYS.—So also they mourned Moses dead thirty days, Deuteronomy, last chapter, and Joseph with his people lamented the death of Jacob his father thirty days.
You will say: Genesis 50:3 says that Joseph mourned him seventy days.
I answer: Of these seventy days, the first forty belonged to embalming the body with spices,