Numbers 33:38-39
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While the verse plainly states Aaron died on Mount Hor, the timing of his death, on the first day of the fifth month, is significant. It's precisely four months after his sister Miriam died, marking the end of a specific mourning period and a transition for Israel as they approached the Promised Land.
And Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor at the command of the LORD and died there, in the fortieth year after the people of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. And Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage occurs within a chapter that meticulously lists the encampments of the Israelites during their forty years in the wilderness. It marks a significant loss for the people, as Aaron, the high priest and brother of Moses, dies at Mount Hor by God's command, shortly before they are to enter the Promised Land. This event serves as a somber punctuation mark in the narrative, occurring after their return to Kadesh and just before their continued journey toward Canaan.
Aaron's life ends not in battle or old age, but on a mountain, at a specific time. What does this tell us about how God orchestrates our final moments?
The text states Aaron "went up Mount Hor at the command of the LORD and died there." This isn't a death that happened to Aaron, but one he entered into under divine instruction.
A Life Ordered by God
Aaron's death marks a significant transition for Israel, happening precisely as they are on the cusp of entering the Promised Land. What does this timing signify?
Aaron's death occurs "in the fortieth year after the people of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month." This precise dating isn't just historical record-keeping; it's deeply symbolic.
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Transition and New Beginnings
Understand the original words
kohen · Hebrew Noun
A leader and intermediary between God and the people, responsible for performing sacrifices, maintaining the tabernacle, and offering atonement for the sins of the congregation.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal name of the one true God of Israel, the covenant-keeping I AM, who reveals Himself through His mighty acts of redemption and sovereign rule over history.
Aaron's death on Mount Hor, detailed precisely in this verse, is a poignant moment underscoring God's justice and faithfulness. While the Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness due to their disobedience, Aaron, the High Priest, also faced consequences for his sin, being barred from the Promised Land he served so faithfully.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites leave Egypt, marking the beginning of their 40-year wilderness journey. This event sets the stage for all subsequent events in the Pentateuch.
c. 1445 BC
Rebellion at Kadesh Barnea
After reaching the borders of the Promised Land, the Israelites rebel against God's command to enter, leading to a 38-year period of wandering in the wilderness.
c. 1406 BC (early in the year)
Death of Miriam
Aaron's sister, Miriam, dies at Kadesh. This event is immediately followed by the people demanding water and Aaron's sin.
c. 1406 BC (shortly after Miriam's death)
Aaron's Sin at Meribah
At the waters of Meribah, Aaron strikes the rock instead of speaking to it as commanded, an act of disobedience that bars him from entering the Promised Land.
c. 1406 BC (first day of the fifth month)— this verse
Death of Aaron on Mount Hor
In the 40th year after the Exodus, Aaron ascends Mount Hor at the Lord's command and dies, fulfilling the consequence of his sin at Meribah and marking the end of his 123-year life.
c. 1406 BC (later in the year)
King Arad Attacks Israelites
After Aaron's death and leaving Mount Hor, the Canaanite king Arad attacks the Israelites, resulting in a victory for Israel and the naming of Hormah.
This passage describes Aaron's death on Mount Hor, directly preceding this chapter's summary of Israel's journeys and the reason for the timing of his death.
Deuteronomy 10:6This verse also mentions Aaron's death at Mount Hor, providing a parallel account from Moses' perspective as he recounts Israel's history to the new generation.
Numbers 14:33-35This passage explains the forty-year wilderness wandering, providing context for why Aaron, like the rest of that generation, died in the wilderness before entering the promised land.
Genesis 50:10-11This describes the great mourning for Jacob in the plains of Moab, showing a similar deep expression of grief for a significant leader, highlighting the importance of Aaron's passing.
gillNumbers 33:38: "And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month."
And Aaron the priest went up into Mount Hor, at the commandment of the Lord,.... Delivered to Moses: and died there in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of Egypt; not being suffered to go with them into the land of Canaan, because of his si…
calvinNumbers 33:1-56: "These are the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron."
And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.
Profecti sunt igitur Ramesse mense primo, decimaquinta dic mensis primi, postera dic Phase egressi sunt filii Israel i…
While the verse plainly states Aaron died on Mount Hor, the timing of his death, on the first day of the fifth month, is significant. It's precisely four months after his sister Miriam died, marking the end of a specific mourning period and a transition for Israel as they approached the Promised Land.
This passage occurs within a chapter that meticulously lists the encampments of the Israelites during their forty years in the wilderness. It marks a significant loss for the people, as Aaron, the high priest and brother of Moses, dies at Mount Hor by God's command, shortly before they are to enter the Promised Land. This event serves as a somber punctuation mark in the narrative, occurring after their return to Kadesh and just before their continued journey toward Canaan.
This passage occurs within a chapter that meticulously lists the encampments of the Israelites during their forty years in the wilderness. It marks a significant loss for the people, as Aaron, the high priest and brother of Moses, dies at Mount Hor by God's command, shortly before they are to enter the Promised Land. This event serves as a somber punctuation mark in the narrative, occurring after their return to Kadesh and just before their continued journey toward Canaan.
"And Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor at the command of the LORD and died there, in the fortieth year after the people of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. And Aaron was 123 years old when he d…" — While the verse plainly states Aaron died on Mount Hor, the timing of his death, on the first day of the fifth month, is significant. It's precisely four months after his sister Miriam died, marking…
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Last reviewed October 2026
