Contradiction with Genesis 13:10
While Numbers 20:5 describes the land as barren, Genesis 13:10 refers to the region of the Jordan as "well-watered every where," likening it to the garden of the LORD.
Genesis 13:10: And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it [was] well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, [even] as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
Contradiction with Exodus 3:8
Numbers 20:5 depicts the land as inhospitable, whereas Exodus 3:8 promises to bring them to a land "flowing with milk and honey," suggesting abundance and fertility.
Exodus 3:8: And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
Contradiction with Deuteronomy 8:7-9
Numbers 20:5 mentions no grain or fruit, yet Deuteronomy 8:7-9 describes the land as having wheat, barley, vines, and fig trees, indicating richness and plenty.
Deuteronomy 8:7-9: For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;
Paradox #1
Numbers 20:5 refers to the Israelites complaining that they were brought out of Egypt to die in the desert, mentioning a lack of grain, figs, vines, and pomegranates. The contradiction or inconsistency may arise because other parts of the Bible describe the desert as a place where these things do not typically grow, leading to questions about the specifics of their complaint given the context of their location.
Paradox #2
Numbers 20:5 may present a contradiction or inconsistency because the Israelites complain about being brought out of Egypt to a barren place without food or water, which could seem ungrateful considering the earlier miraculous provisions during their journey. This highlights a conflict between the expectation of abundance and the reality of hardship, questioning faith and gratitude.