Bilangan 3:4

3:4 Nadab and Abihu died ¹  before the Lord ²  when they offered ³  strange ⁴  fire ⁵  before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. ⁶  So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests ⁷  in the presence of ⁸  Aaron their father.

Bilangan 4:20

4:20 But the Kohathites ⁹  are not to go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, or they will die.”

Bilangan 6:3-6

6:3 he must separate ¹⁰  himself from wine and strong drink, he must drink neither vinegar ¹¹  made from wine nor vinegar made from strong drink, nor may he drink any juice ¹²  of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins. ¹³  6:4 All the days of his separation he must not eat anything that is produced by the grapevine, from seed ¹⁴  to skin. ¹⁵ 

6:5 “‘All the days of the vow ¹⁶  of his separation no razor may be used on his head ¹⁷  until the time ¹⁸  is fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord. He will be holy, ¹⁹  and he must let ²⁰  the locks of hair on his head grow long.

6:6 “‘All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he must not contact ²¹  a dead body. ²² 

Bilangan 6:8-9

6:8 All the days of his separation he must be holy to the Lord.

Contingencies for Defilement

6:9 “‘If anyone dies very suddenly ²³  beside him and he defiles ²⁴  his consecrated head, ²⁵  then he must shave his head on the day of his purification – on the seventh day he must shave it.

Bilangan 7:11

7:11 For the Lord said to Moses, “They must present their offering, one leader for each day, ²⁶  for the dedication of the altar.”

Bilangan 8:25

8:25 and at the age of fifty years they must retire from performing the work and may no longer work.

Bilangan 9:18-20

9:18 At the commandment ²⁷  of the Lord the Israelites would begin their journey, and at the commandment of the Lord they would make camp; as long as ²⁸  the cloud remained settled over the tabernacle they would camp. 9:19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle many days, then the Israelites obeyed the instructions ²⁹  of the Lord and did not journey.

9:20 When ³⁰  the cloud remained over the tabernacle a number of days, ³¹  they remained camped according to the Lord’s commandment, ³²  and according to the Lord’s commandment they would journey.

Bilangan 9:22

9:22 Whether it was for two days, or a month, or a year, ³³  that the cloud prolonged its stay ³⁴  over the tabernacle, the Israelites remained camped without traveling; ³⁵  but when it was taken up, they traveled on.

Bilangan 10:8

10:8 The sons of Aaron, the priests, must blow the trumpets; and they will be to you for an eternal ordinance throughout your generations.

Bilangan 10:33

10:33 So they traveled from the mountain of the Lord three days’ journey; ³⁶  and the ark of the covenant of the Lord was traveling before them during the three days’ journey, to find a resting place for them.

Bilangan 11:19-21

11:19 You will eat, not just one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, 11:20 but a whole month, ³⁷  until it comes out your nostrils and makes you sick, ³⁸  because you have despised ³⁹  the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, “Why ⁴⁰  did we ever come out of Egypt?”’”

11:21 Moses said, “The people around me ⁴¹  are 600,000 on foot; ⁴²  but you say, ‘I will give them meat, ⁴³  that they may eat ⁴⁴  for a whole month.’

Bilangan 11:25

11:25 And the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to them, and he took some of the Spirit that was on Moses ⁴⁵  and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, ⁴⁶  they prophesied, ⁴⁷  but did not do so again. ⁴⁸ 

Bilangan 12:14-15

12:14 The Lord said to Moses, “If her father had only spit ⁴⁹  in her face, would she not have been disgraced for seven days? Shut her out from the camp seven days, and afterward she can be brought back in again.”

12:15 So Miriam was shut outside of the camp for seven days, and the people did not journey on until Miriam was brought back in. ⁵⁰ 

Bilangan 13:25

13:25 They returned from investigating the land after forty days.

Bilangan 14:10-11

14:10 However, the whole community threatened to stone them. ⁵¹  But ⁵²  the glory ⁵³  of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the tent ⁵⁴  of meeting.

The Punishment from God

14:11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise ⁵⁵  me, and how long will they not believe ⁵⁶  in me, in spite of the signs that I have done among them?

Bilangan 14:19

14:19 Please forgive ⁵⁷  the iniquity of this people according to your great loyal love, ⁵⁸  just as you have forgiven this people from Egypt even until now.”

Bilangan 14:26-27

14:26 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 14:27 “How long must I bear ⁵⁹  with this evil congregation ⁶⁰  that murmurs against me? I have heard the complaints of the Israelites that they murmured against me.

Bilangan 14:33-34

14:33 and your children will wander ⁶¹  in the wilderness forty years and suffer for your unfaithfulness, ⁶²  until your dead bodies lie finished ⁶³  in the wilderness. 14:34 According to the number of the days you have investigated this land, forty days – one day for a year – you will suffer for ⁶⁴  your iniquities, forty years, and you will know what it means to thwart me. ⁶⁵ 

Bilangan 15:15

15:15 One statute must apply ⁶⁶  to you who belong to the congregation and to the resident foreigner who is living among you, as a permanent ⁶⁷  statute for your future generations. You and the resident foreigner will be alike ⁶⁸  before the Lord.

Bilangan 15:21

15:21 You must give to the Lord some of the first of your finely ground flour as a raised offering in your future generations.

Bilangan 16:30

16:30 But if the Lord does something entirely new, ⁶⁹  and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up ⁷⁰  along with all that they have, and they ⁷¹  go down alive to the grave, ⁷²  then you will know that these men have despised the Lord!”

Bilangan 16:42

16:42 When the community assembled ⁷³  against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting – and ⁷⁴  the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.

Bilangan 16:45

16:45 “Get away from this community, so that I can consume them in an instant!” But they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground. ⁷⁵ 

Bilangan 18:8

The Portion of the Priests

18:8 The Lord spoke to Aaron, “See, I have given you the responsibility for my raised offerings; I have given all the holy things of the Israelites to you as your priestly portion ⁷⁶  and to your sons as a perpetual ordinance.

Bilangan 18:11

18:11 “And this is yours: the raised offering of their gift, along with all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual ordinance. Everyone who is ceremonially clean in your household may eat of it.

Bilangan 18:19

18:19 All the raised offerings of the holy things that the Israelites offer to the Lord, I have given to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual ordinance. It is a covenant of salt ⁷⁷  forever before the Lord for you and for your descendants with you.”

Bilangan 18:23

18:23 But the Levites must perform the service ⁷⁸  of the tent of meeting, and they must bear their iniquity. ⁷⁹  It will be a perpetual ordinance throughout your generations that among the Israelites the Levites ⁸⁰  have no inheritance. ⁸¹ 

Bilangan 19:10-11

19:10 The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer must wash his clothes and be ceremonially unclean until evening. This will be a permanent ordinance both for the Israelites and the resident foreigner who lives among them.

Purification from Uncleanness

19:11 “‘Whoever touches ⁸²  the corpse ⁸³  of any person ⁸⁴  will be ceremonially unclean ⁸⁵  seven days.

Bilangan 19:14

19:14 “‘This is the law: When a man dies ⁸⁶  in a tent, anyone who comes into the tent and all who are in the tent will be ceremonially unclean seven days.

Bilangan 19:16

19:16 And whoever touches the body of someone killed with a sword in the open fields, ⁸⁷  or the body of someone who died of natural causes, ⁸⁸  or a human bone, or a grave, will be unclean seven days. ⁸⁹ 

Bilangan 19:21

19:21 “‘So this will be a perpetual ordinance for them: The one who sprinkles ⁹⁰  the water of purification must wash his clothes, and the one who touches the water of purification will be unclean until evening. ⁹¹ 

Bilangan 20:15

20:15 how our ancestors went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time, ⁹²  and the Egyptians treated us and our ancestors badly. ⁹³ 

Bilangan 20:29

20:29 When all the community saw that Aaron was dead, the whole house of Israel mourned for Aaron thirty days.

Bilangan 22:4

22:4 So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “Now this mass of people ⁹⁴  will lick up everything around us, as the bull devours the grass of the field. Now Balak son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at this time.

Bilangan 22:30

22:30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am not I your donkey that you have ridden ever since I was yours until this day? Have I ever attempted ⁹⁵  to treat you this way?” ⁹⁶  And he said, “No.”

Bilangan 22:37

22:37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send again and again ⁹⁷  to you to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?” ⁹⁸ 

Bilangan 24:20

Balaam’s Final Prophecies

24:20 Then Balaam ⁹⁹  looked on Amalek and delivered this oracle: ¹⁰⁰ 

“Amalek was the first ¹⁰¹  of the nations,

but his end will be that he will perish.”

Bilangan 24:22

24:22 Nevertheless the Kenite will be consumed. ¹⁰² 

How long will Asshur take you away captive?”

Bilangan 25:2

25:2 These women invited ¹⁰³  the people to the sacrifices of their gods; then the people ate and bowed down to their gods. ¹⁰⁴ 

Bilangan 25:12-13

25:12 Therefore, announce: ¹⁰⁵  ‘I am going to give ¹⁰⁶  to him my covenant of peace. ¹⁰⁷  25:13 So it will be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of a permanent priesthood, because he has been zealous for his God, ¹⁰⁸  and has made atonement ¹⁰⁹  for the Israelites.’”

Bilangan 28:14

28:14 For their drink offerings, include ¹¹⁰  half a hin of wine with each bull, one-third of a hin for the ram, and one-fourth of a hin for each lamb. This is the burnt offering for each month ¹¹¹  throughout the months of the year.

Bilangan 28:17

28:17 And on the fifteenth day of this month is the festival. For seven days bread made without yeast must be eaten.

Bilangan 28:24-25

28:24 In this manner you must offer daily throughout the seven days the food of the sacrifice made by fire as a sweet aroma to the Lord. It is to be offered in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering. 28:25 On the seventh day you are to have a holy assembly, you must do no regular work.

Bilangan 29:12

The Feast of Temporary Shelters

29:12 “‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you are to have a holy assembly; you must do no ordinary work, and you must keep a festival to the Lord for seven days.

Bilangan 29:17

29:17 “‘On the second day you must offer twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish,

Bilangan 30:3

Vows Made by Single Women

30:3 “If a young ¹¹²  woman who is still living ¹¹³  in her father’s house makes a vow to the Lord or places herself under an obligation,

Bilangan 30:15

30:15 But if he should nullify them after he has heard them, then he will bear her iniquity.” ¹¹⁴ 

Bilangan 31:19

Purification After Battle

31:19 “Any of you who has killed anyone or touched any of the dead, remain outside the camp for seven days; purify yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.

Bilangan 32:13

32:13 So the Lord’s anger was kindled against the Israelites, and he made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all that generation that had done wickedly before ¹¹⁵  the Lord was finished. ¹¹⁶ 

Bilangan 32:15

32:15 For if you turn away from following him, he will once again abandon ¹¹⁷  them in the wilderness, and you will be the reason for their destruction.” ¹¹⁸ 

Bilangan 33:8-9

33:8 They traveled from Pi-hahiroth, ¹¹⁹  and passed through the middle of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham, and camped in Marah. 33:9 They traveled from Marah and came to Elim; in Elim there are twelve fountains of water and seventy palm trees, so they camped there.

Bilangan 35:20

35:20 “But if he strikes him out of hatred or throws something at him intentionally ¹²⁰  so that he dies,

[3:4]  ¹ tn The verb form is the preterite with vav (ו) consecutive, literally “and Nadab died.” Some commentators wish to make the verb a past perfect, rendering it “and Nadab had died,” but this is not necessary. In tracing through the line from Aaron it simply reports that the first two sons died. The reference is to the event recorded in Lev 10 where the sons brought “strange” or foreign” fire to the sanctuary.

[3:4]  ² tc This initial clause is omitted in one Hebrew ms, Smr, and the Vulgate.

[3:4]  ³ tn The form בְּהַקְרִבָם (bÿhaqrivam) is the Hiphil infinitive construct functioning as a temporal clause: “when they brought near,” meaning, “when they offered.” The verb קָרַב (qarav) is familiar to students of the NT because of “corban” in Mark 7:11.

[3:4]  ⁴ tn Or “prohibited.” See HALOT 279 s.v. זָר 3.

[3:4]  ⁵ tn The expression אֵשׁ זָרָה (’esh zarah, “strange fire”) seems imprecise and has been interpreted numerous ways (see the helpful summary in J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC 4], 132-33). The infraction may have involved any of the following or a combination thereof: (1) using coals from some place other than the burnt offering altar (i.e., “unauthorized coals” according to J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:598; cf. Lev 16:12 and cf. “unauthorized person” [אִישׁ זָר, ’ish zar] in Num 16:40 [17:5 HT], NASB “layman”), (2) using the wrong kind of incense (cf. the Exod 30:9 regulation against “strange incense” [קְטֹרֶת זָרָה, qÿtoret zarah] on the incense altar and the possible connection to Exod 30:34-38), (3) performing an incense offering at an unprescribed time (B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 59), or (4) entering the Holy of Holies at an inappropriate time (Lev 16:1-2).

[3:4]  sn This event is narrated in Lev 10:1-7.

[3:4]  ⁶ sn The two young priests had been cut down before they had children; the ranks of the family of Aaron were thereby cut in half in one judgment from God. The significance of the act of judgment was to show that the priests had to sanctify the Lord before the people – they were to be examples that the sanctuary and its contents were distinct.

[3:4]  ⁷ tn The verb is the Piel preterite from the root כָּהַן (kahan): “to function as a priest” or “to minister.”

[3:4]  ⁸ tn The expression “in the presence of” can also mean “during the lifetime of” (see Gen 11:28; see also BDB 818 s.v. פָּנֶה II.7.a; cf. NASB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV).

[4:20]  ⁹ tn In the Hebrew text the verse has as the subject “they,” but to avoid confusion the antecedent has been clarified in the translation.

[6:3]  ¹⁰ tn The operative verb now will be the Hiphil of נָזַר (nazar); the consecration to the Lord meant separation from certain things in the world. The first will be wine and strong drink – barley beer (from Akkadian sikaru, a fermented beer). But the second word may be somewhat wider in its application than beer. The Nazirite, then, was to avoid all intoxicants as a sign of his commitment to the Lord. The restriction may have proved a hardship in the daily diet of the one taking the vow, but it spoke a protest to the corrupt religious and social world that used alcohol to excess.

[6:3]  ¹¹ tn The “vinegar” (חֹמֶץ, homets) is some kind of drink preparation that has been allowed to go sour.

[6:3]  ¹² tn This word occurs only here. It may come from the word “to water, to be moist,” and so refer to juice.

[6:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “dried” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).

[6:4]  ¹⁴ tn This word also is rare, occurring only here.

[6:4]  ¹⁵ sn Here is another hapax legomenon, a word only found here. The word seems linked to the verb “to be clear,” and so may mean the thin skin of the grape. The reason for the strictness with these two words in this verse is uncertain. We know the actual meanings of the words, and the combination must form a merism here, meaning no part of the grape could be eaten. Abstaining from these common elements of food was to be a mark of commitment to the Lord. Hos 3:1 even denounces the raisin cakes as part of a pagan world, and eating them would be a violation of the oath.

[6:5]  ¹⁶ tc The parallel expression in v. 8 (“all the days of his separation”) lacks the word “vow.” This word is also absent in v. 5 in a few medieval Hebrew manuscripts. The presence of the word in v. 5 may be due to dittography.

[6:5]  ¹⁷ sn There is an interesting parallel between this prohibition and the planting of trees. They could not be pruned or trimmed for three years, but allowed to grow free (Lev 20:23). Only then could the tree be cut and the fruit eaten. The natural condition was to be a sign that it was the Lord’s. It was to be undisturbed by humans. Since the Nazirite was to be consecrated to the Lord, that meant his whole person, hair included. In the pagan world the trimming of the beard and the cutting of the hair was often a sign of devotion to some deity.

[6:5]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “days.”

[6:5]  ¹⁹ tn The word “holy” here has the sense of distinct, different, set apart.

[6:5]  ²⁰ tn The Piel infinitive absolute functions as a verb in this passage; the Piel carries the sense of “grow lengthy” or “let grow long.”

[6:6]  ²¹ tn The Hebrew verb is simply “enter, go,” no doubt with the sense of go near.

[6:6]  ²² tn The Hebrew has נֶפֶשׁ מֵת (nefesh met), literally a “dead person.” But since the word נֶפֶשׁ can also be used for animals, the restriction would be for any kind of corpse. Death was very much a part of the fallen world, and so for one so committed to the Lord, avoiding all such contamination would be a witness to the greatest separation, even in a family.

[6:9]  ²³ tn The construction uses the imperfect tense followed by the infinitive absolute, יָמוּת מֵת (yamut met). Because the verb is in a conditional clause, the emphasis that is to be given through the infinitive must stress the contingency. The point is “if someone dies – unexpectedly.” The next words underscore the suddenness of this.

[6:9]  ²⁴ tn The verb is the Piel perfect with a vav (ו) consecutive; it continues the idea within the conditional clause.

[6:9]  ²⁵ sn The expression is figurative for the vow that he took; the figure is the metonymy because the reference to the head is a reference to the long hair that symbolizes the oath.

[7:11]  ²⁶ tn The distributive sense is achieved by repetition: “one leader for the day, one leader for the day.”

[9:18]  ²⁷ tn Heb “at the mouth of” (so also in vv. 20, 23).

[9:18]  ²⁸ tn Heb “all the days of – that the cloud settled over the tabernacle.” “All” is the adverbial accusative of time telling how long they camped in one spot – all. The word is then qualified by the genitive of the thing measured – “all of the days” – and this in turn is qualified by a noun clause functioning as a genitive after “days of.”

[9:19]  ²⁹ tn This is the same Hebrew expression that was used earlier for the Levites “keeping their charge” or more clearly, “fulfilling their obligations” to take care of the needs of the people and the sanctuary. It is a general expression using שָׁמַר (shamar) followed by its cognate noun מִשְׁמֶרֶת (mishmeret).

[9:20]  ³⁰ tn The sentence uses וְיֵשׁ (vÿyesh) followed by a noun clause introduced with אֲשֶׁר (’asher) to express an existing situation; it is best translated as an adverbial clause of time: “and it was when the cloud was….”

[9:20]  ³¹ tn The word “number” is in apposition to the word “days” to indicate that their stay was prolonged for quite a few days.

[9:20]  ³² tn Heb “mouth of the Lord.”

[9:22]  ³³ tn The MT has אוֹ־יָמִים (’o-yamim). Most translators use “or a year” to interpret this expression in view of the sequence of words leading up to it, as well as in comparison with passages like Judg 17:10 and 1 Sam 1:3 and 27:7. See also the uses in Gen 40:4 and 1 Kgs 17:15. For the view that it means four months, see F. S. North, “Four Month Season of the Hebrew Bible,” VT 11 (1961): 446-48.

[9:22]  ³⁴ tn In the Hebrew text this sentence has a temporal clause using the preposition with the Hiphil infinitive construct of אָרַךְ (’arakh) followed by the subjective genitive, “the cloud.” But this infinitive is followed by the infinitive construct לִשְׁכֹּן (lishkon), the two of them forming a verbal hendiadys: “the cloud made long to stay” becomes “the cloud prolonged its stay.”

[9:22]  ³⁵ tn Heb “and they would not journey”; the clause can be taken adverbially, explaining the preceding verbal clause.

[10:33]  ³⁶ tn The phrase “a journey of three days” is made up of the adverbial accusative qualified with the genitives.

[11:20]  ³⁷ tn Heb “a month of days.” So also in v. 21.

[11:20]  ³⁸ tn The expression לְזָרָה (lÿzarah) has been translated “ill” or “loathsome.” It occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible. The Greek text interprets it as “sickness.” It could be nausea or vomiting (so G. B. Gray, Numbers [ICC], 112) from overeating.

[11:20]  ³⁹ sn The explanation is the interpretation of their behavior – it is in reality what they have done, even though they would not say they despised the Lord. They had complained and shown a lack of faith and a contempt for the program, which was in essence despising the Lord.

[11:20]  ⁴⁰ tn The use of the demonstrative pronoun here (“why is this we went out …”) is enclitic, providing emphasis to the sentence: “Why in the world did we ever leave Egypt?”

[11:21]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “the people who I am in their midst,” i.e., among whom I am.

[11:21]  ⁴² tn The Hebrew sentence stresses the number. The sentence begins “600,000….”

[11:21]  ⁴³ tn The word order places the object first here: “Meat I will give them.” This adds to the contrast between the number and the statement of the Lord.

[11:21]  ⁴⁴ tn The verb is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the sequence from the preceding imperfect tense. However, this verb may be subordinated to the preceding to express a purpose clause.

[11:25]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “on him”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:25]  ⁴⁶ tn The temporal clause is introduced by the temporal indicator וַיְהִי (vayÿhi), which need not be translated. It introduces the time of the infinitive as past time narrative. The infinitive construct is from נוּחַ (nuakh, “to rest”). The figurative expression of the Spirit resting upon them indicates the temporary indwelling and empowering by the Spirit in their lives.

[11:25]  ⁴⁷ tn The text may mean that these men gave ecstatic utterances, much like Saul did when the Spirit came upon him and he made the same prophetic utterances (see 1 Sam 10:10-13). But there is no strong evidence for this (see K. L. Barker, “Zechariah,” EBC 7:605-6). In fact there is no consensus among scholars as to the origin and meaning of the verb “prophesy” or the noun “prophet.” It has something to do with speech, being God’s spokesman or spokeswoman or making predictions or authoritative utterances or ecstatic utterances. It certainly does mean that the same Holy Spirit, the same divine provision that was for Moses to enable him to do the things that God had commanded him to do, was now given to them. It would have included wisdom and power with what they were saying and doing – in a way that was visible and demonstrable to the people! The people needed to know that the same provision was given to these men, authenticating their leadership among the clans. And so it could not simply be a change in their understanding and wisdom.

[11:25]  ⁴⁸ tn The final verb of the clause stresses that this was not repeated: “they did not add” is the literal rendering of וְלֹא יָסָפוּ (vÿlo’ yasafu). It was a one-time spiritual experience associated with their installation.

[12:14]  ⁴⁹ tn The form is intensified by the infinitive absolute, but here the infinitive strengthens not simply the verbal idea but the conditional cause construction as well.

[12:15]  ⁵⁰ tn The clause has the Niphal infinitive construct after a temporal preposition.

[14:10]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “said to stone them with stones.” The verb and the object are not from the same root, but the combination nonetheless forms an emphasis equal to the cognate accusative.

[14:10]  ⁵² tn The vav (ו) on the noun “glory” indicates a strong contrast, one that interrupts their threatened attack.

[14:10]  ⁵³ sn The glory of the Lord refers to the reality of the Lord’s presence in a manifestation of his power and splendor. It showed to all that God was a living God. The appearance of the glory indicated blessing for the obedient, but disaster for the disobedient.

[14:10]  ⁵⁴ tc The Greek, Syriac, and Tg. Ps.-J. have “in the cloud over the tent.”

[14:11]  ⁵⁵ tn The verb נָאַץ (na’ats) means “to condemn, spurn” (BDB 610 s.v.). Coats suggests that in some contexts the word means actual rejection or renunciation (Rebellion in the Wilderness, 146, 7). This would include the idea of distaste.

[14:11]  ⁵⁶ tn The verb “to believe” (root אָמַן, ’aman) has the basic idea of support, dependability for the root. The Hiphil has a declarative sense, namely, to consider something reliable or dependable and to act on it. The people did not trust what the Lord said.

[14:19]  ⁵⁷ tn The verb סְלַח־נָא (selakh-na’), the imperative form, means “forgive” (see Ps 130:4), “pardon,” “excuse.” The imperative is of course a prayer, a desire, and not a command.

[14:19]  ⁵⁸ tn The construct unit is “the greatness of your loyal love.” This is the genitive of specification, the first word being the modifier.

[14:27]  ⁵⁹ tn The figure is aposiopesis, or sudden silence. The main verb is deleted from the line, “how long…this evil community.” The intensity of the emotion is the reason for the ellipsis.

[14:27]  ⁶⁰ sn It is worth mentioning in passing that this is one of the Rabbinic proof texts for having at least ten men to form a congregation and have prayer. If God called ten men (the bad spies) a “congregation,” then a congregation must have ten men. But here the word “community/congregation” refers in this context to the people of Israel as a whole, not just to the ten spies.

[14:33]  ⁶¹ tn The word is “shepherds.” It means that the people would be wilderness nomads, grazing their flock on available land.

[14:33]  ⁶² tn Heb “you shall bear your whoredoms.” The imagery of prostitution is used throughout the Bible to reflect spiritual unfaithfulness, leaving the covenant relationship and following after false gods. Here it is used generally for their rebellion in the wilderness, but not for following other gods.

[14:33]  ⁶³ tn The infinitive is from תָּמַם (tamam), which means “to be complete.” The word is often used to express completeness in a good sense – whole, blameless, or the like. Here and in v. 35 it seems to mean “until your deaths have been completed.” See also Gen 47:15; Deut 2:15.

[14:34]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “you shall bear.”

[14:34]  ⁶⁵ tn The phrase refers to the consequences of open hostility to God, or perhaps abandonment of God. The noun תְּנוּאָה (tÿnu’ah) occurs in Job 33:10 (perhaps). The related verb occurs in Num 30:6 HT (30:5 ET) and 32:7 with the sense of “disallow, discourage.” The sense of the expression adopted in this translation comes from the meticulous study of R. Loewe, “Divine Frustration Exegetically Frustrated,” Words and Meanings, 137-58.

[15:15]  ⁶⁶ tn The word “apply” is supplied in the translation.

[15:15]  ⁶⁷ tn Or “a statute forever.”

[15:15]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “as you, as [so] the alien.”

[16:30]  ⁶⁹ tn The verb בָּרָא (bara’) is normally translated “create” in the Bible. More specifically it means to fashion or make or do something new and fresh. Here the verb is joined with its cognate accusative to underscore that this will be so different everyone will know it is of God.

[16:30]  ⁷⁰ tn The figures are personifications. But they vividly describe the catastrophe to follow – which was very much like a mouth swallowing them.

[16:30]  ⁷¹ tn The word is “life” or “lifetime”; it certainly means their lives – they themselves. But the presence of this word suggest more. It is an accusative specifying the state of the subject – they will go down alive to Sheol.

[16:30]  ⁷² tn The word “Sheol” in the Bible can be used four different ways: the grave, the realm of the departed [wicked] spirits or Hell, death in general, or a place of extreme danger (one that will lead to the grave if God does not intervene). The usage here is certainly the first, and very likely the second as well. A translation of “pit” would not be inappropriate. Since they will go down there alive, it is likely that they will sense the deprivation and the separation from the land above. See H. W. Robinson, Inspiration and Revelation in the Old Testament; N. J. Tromp, Primitive Conceptions of Death and the Netherworld in the Old Testament (BibOr 21), 21-23; and A. Heidel, The Gilgamesh Epic, especially ch. 3.

[16:42]  ⁷³ tn The temporal clause is constructed with the temporal indicator (“and it was”) followed by the Niphal infinitive construct and preposition.

[16:42]  ⁷⁴ tn The verse uses וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and behold”). This is the deictic particle – it is used to point things out, suddenly calling attention to them, as if the reader were there. The people turned to look toward the tent – and there is the cloud!

[16:45]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “they fell on their faces.”

[18:8]  ⁷⁶ tn This is an uncommon root. It may be connected to the word “anoint” as here (see RSV). But it may also be seen as an intended parallel to “perpetual due” (see Gen 47:22; Exod 29:28; Lev 6:11 [HT]).

[18:19]  ⁷⁷ sn Salt was used in all the offerings; its importance as a preservative made it a natural symbol for the covenant which was established by sacrifice. Even general agreements were attested by sacrifice, and the phrase “covenant of salt” speaks of such agreements as binding and irrevocable. Note the expression in Ezra 4:14, “we have been salted with the salt of the palace.” See further J. F. Ross, IDB 4:167.

[18:23]  ⁷⁸ tn The verse begins with the perfect tense of עָבַד (’avad) with vav (ו) consecutive, making the form equal to the instructions preceding it. As its object the verb has the cognate accusative “service.”

[18:23]  ⁷⁹ sn The Levites have the care of the tent of meeting, and so they are responsible for any transgressions against it.

[18:23]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Levites) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[18:23]  ⁸¹ tn The Hebrew text uses both the verb and the object from the same root to stress the point: They will not inherit an inheritance. The inheritance refers to land.

[19:11]  ⁸² tn The form is the participle with the article functioning as a substantive: “the one who touches.”

[19:11]  ⁸³ tn Heb “the dead.”

[19:11]  ⁸⁴ tn The expression is full: לְכָל־נֶפֶשׁ אָדָם (lÿkhol-nefesh ’adam) – of any life of a man, i.e., of any person.

[19:11]  ⁸⁵ tn The verb is a perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive; it follows only the participle used as the subject, but since the case is hypothetical and therefore future, this picks up the future time. The adjective “ceremonially” is supplied in the translation as a clarification.

[19:14]  ⁸⁶ tn The word order gives the classification and then the condition: “a man, when he dies….”

[19:16]  ⁸⁷ tn The expression for “in the open field” is literally “upon the face of the field” (עַל־פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה, ’al pÿne hassadeh). This ruling is in contrast now to what was contacted in the tent.

[19:16]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “a dead body”; but in contrast to the person killed with a sword, this must refer to someone who died of natural causes.

[19:16]  ⁸⁹ sn See Matt 23:27 and Acts 23:3 for application of this by the time of Jesus.

[19:21]  ⁹⁰ tn The form has the conjunction with it: וּמַזֵּה (umazzeh). The conjunction subordinates the following as the special law. It could literally be translated “and this shall be…that the one who sprinkles.”

[19:21]  ⁹¹ sn This gives the indication of the weight of the matter, for “until the evening” is the shortest period of ritual uncleanness in the Law. The problem of contamination had to be taken seriously, but this was a relatively simple matter to deal with – if one were willing to obey the Law.

[20:15]  ⁹² tn Heb “many days.”

[20:15]  ⁹³ tn The verb רָעַע (ra’a’) means “to act or do evil.” Evil here is in the sense of causing pain or trouble. So the causative stem in our passage means “to treat wickedly.”

[22:4]  ⁹⁴ tn The word is simply “company,” but in the context he must mean a vast company – a horde of people.

[22:30]  ⁹⁵ tn Here the Hiphil perfect is preceded by the Hiphil infinitive absolute for emphasis in the sentence.

[22:30]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “to do thus to you.”

[22:37]  ⁹⁷ tn The emphatic construction is made of the infinitive absolute and the perfect tense from the verb שָׁלַח (shalakh, “to send”). The idea must be more intense than something like, “Did I not certainly send.” Balak is showing frustration with Balaam for refusing him.

[22:37]  ⁹⁸ sn Balak again refers to his ability to “honor” the seer. This certainly meant payment for his service, usually gold ornaments, rings and jewelry, as well as some animals.

[24:20]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Balaam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:20]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “and he lifted up his oracle and said.” So also in vv. 21, 23.

[24:20]  ¹⁰¹ sn This probably means that it held first place, or it thought that it was “the first of the nations.” It was not the first, either in order or greatness.

[24:22]  ¹⁰² tc Heb “Nevertheless Cain will be wasted; how long will Asshur take you captive?” Cain was believed to be the ancestor of the Kenites. The NAB has “yet destined for burning, even as I watch, are your inhabitants.” Asshur may refer to a north Arabian group of people of Abrahamic stock (Gen 25:3), and not the Assyrian empire.

[25:2]  ¹⁰³ tn The verb simply says “they called,” but it is a feminine plural. And so the women who engaged in immoral acts with Hebrew men invited them to their temple ritual.

[25:2]  ¹⁰⁴ sn What Israel experienced here was some of the debased ritual practices of the Canaanite people. The act of prostrating themselves before the pagan deities was probably participation in a fertility ritual, nothing short of cultic prostitution. This was a blatant disregard of the covenant and the Law. If something were not done, the nation would have destroyed itself.

[25:12]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “say.”

[25:12]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Here too the grammar expresses an imminent future by using the particle הִנְנִי (hinni) before the participle נֹתֵן (noten) – “here I am giving,” or “I am about to give.”

[25:12]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Or “my pledge of friendship” (NAB), or “my pact of friendship” (NJPS). This is the designation of the leadership of the priestly ministry. The terminology is used again in the rebuke of the priests in Mal 2.

[25:13]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The motif is reiterated here. Phinehas was passionately determined to maintain the rights of his God by stopping the gross sinful perversions.

[25:13]  ¹⁰⁹ sn The atonement that he made in this passage refers to the killing of the two obviously blatant sinners. By doing this he dispensed with any animal sacrifice, for the sinners themselves died. In Leviticus it was the life of the substitutionary animal that was taken in place of the sinners that made atonement. The point is that sin was punished by death, and so God was free to end the plague and pardon the people. God’s holiness and righteousness have always been every bit as important as God’s mercy and compassion, for without righteousness and holiness mercy and compassion mean nothing.

[28:14]  ¹¹⁰ tn The word “include” is not in the Hebrew text but is implied. It is supplied in the translation to make a complete English sentence.

[28:14]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “a month in its month.”

[30:3]  ¹¹² tn The qualification comes at the end of the verse, and simply says “in her youth.”

[30:3]  ¹¹³ tn The Hebrew text just has “in her father’s house” and not “who is still living,” but that is the meaning of the line.

[30:15]  ¹¹⁴ sn In other words, he will pay the penalty for making her break her vows if he makes her stop what she vowed. It will not be her responsibility.

[32:13]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[32:13]  ¹¹⁶ tn The verb is difficult to translate, since it has the idea of “complete, finish” (תָּמָם, tamam). It could be translated “consumed” in this passage (so KJV, ASV); NASB “was destroyed.”

[32:15]  ¹¹⁷ tn The construction uses a verbal hendiadys with the verb “to add” serving to modify the main verb.

[32:15]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “and you will destroy all this people.”

[33:8]  ¹¹⁹ tc So many medieval Hebrew manuscripts, Smr, Syriac, and Latin Vulgate. Other witnesses have “from before Hahiroth.”

[35:20]  ¹²⁰ tn The Hebrew text is more vivid: “by lying in wait.”