8582. 'And you are to strike the rock' means that they are to ask Him - the Lord - insistently. This is clear from the meaning of 'striking' as asking insistently, but in humility of heart. That 'striking the rock' means asking insistently, in humility of heart, may be recognized from the incident in which, because Moses struck the rock in hardness of heart, that is, he demanded water, it was declared to him that he would not lead the people into the land of Canaan, as he himself records in the Book of Numbers,
Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock; and he said to them, Hear now, you rebels; must we bring water for you out of this rock? And Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Nonetheless much water came out Then Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe in Me and honour Me as holy in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you will not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. Num 20:10-12.
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