Bilangan 1:1

Organizing the Census of the Israelites

1:1 ¹ Now the Lord ²  spoke ³  to Moses in the tent of meeting ⁴  in the wilderness ⁵  of Sinai ⁶  on the first day of the second month of the second year after ⁷  the Israelites ⁸  departed from the land of Egypt. ⁹  He said: ¹⁰ 

Bilangan 1:44

1:44 These were the men whom Moses and Aaron numbered ¹¹  along with the twelve leaders of Israel, each of whom ¹²  was from his own family.

Bilangan 3:40

The Substitution for the Firstborn

3:40 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Number all the firstborn males of the Israelites from a month old and upward, and take ¹³  the number of their names.

Bilangan 4:41

4:41 These were those numbered from the families of the Gershonites, everyone who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord.

Bilangan 4:46

4:46 All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel numbered by their families and by their clans,

Bilangan 5:4

5:4 So the Israelites did so, and expelled them outside the camp. As the Lord had spoken ¹⁴  to Moses, so the Israelites did.

Bilangan 7:11

7:11 For the Lord said to Moses, “They must present their offering, one leader for each day, ¹⁵  for the dedication of the altar.”

Bilangan 8:3

8:3 And Aaron did so; he set up the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Bilangan 9:1

Passover Regulations

9:1 ¹⁶ The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out ¹⁷  of the land of Egypt:

Bilangan 9:23

9:23 At the commandment of the Lord they camped, and at the commandment of the Lord they traveled on; they kept the instructions of the Lord according to the commandment of the Lord, by the authority ¹⁸  of Moses.

Bilangan 11:21

11:21 Moses said, “The people around me ¹⁹  are 600,000 on foot; ²⁰  but you say, ‘I will give them meat, ²¹  that they may eat ²²  for a whole month.’

Bilangan 11:23-24

11:23 And the Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord’s hand shortened? ²³  Now you will see whether my word to you will come true ²⁴  or not!”

11:24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. He then gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and had them stand around the tabernacle.

Bilangan 11:29

11:29 Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for me? ²⁵  I wish that ²⁶  all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

Bilangan 12:1

Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses

12:1 ²⁷ Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against ²⁸  Moses because of the Cushite ²⁹  woman he had married ³⁰  (for he had married an Ethiopian woman).

Bilangan 12:4

The Response of the Lord

12:4 The Lord spoke immediately to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam: “The three of you come to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them went.

Bilangan 12:8

12:8 With him I will speak face to face, ³¹  openly, ³²  and not in riddles; and he will see the form ³³  of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

Bilangan 12:11

The Intercession of Moses

12:11 So Aaron said to Moses, “O my lord, ³⁴  please do not hold this sin against us, in which we have acted foolishly and have sinned!

Bilangan 13:3

13:3 So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the command ³⁵  of the Lord. All of them were leaders ³⁶  of the Israelites.

Bilangan 13:17

The Spies’ Instructions

13:17 When Moses sent ³⁷  them to investigate the land of Canaan, he told them, “Go up through the Negev, ³⁸  and then go up into the hill country

Bilangan 13:30

13:30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses, saying, “Let us go up ³⁹  and occupy it, ⁴⁰  for we are well able to conquer it.” ⁴¹ 

Bilangan 14:13

14:13 Moses said to the Lord, “When the Egyptians hear ⁴²  it – for you brought up this people by your power from among them –

Bilangan 14:36

14:36 The men whom Moses sent to investigate the land, who returned and made the whole community murmur against him by producing ⁴³  an evil report about the land,

Bilangan 14:44

14:44 But they dared ⁴⁴  to go up to the crest of the hill, although ⁴⁵  neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed from the camp.

Bilangan 15:22-23

Rules for Unintentional Offenses

15:22 ⁴⁶ “‘If you ⁴⁷  sin unintentionally and do not observe all these commandments that the Lord has spoken to Moses – 15:23 all that the Lord has commanded you by the authority ⁴⁸  of Moses, from the day that the Lord commanded Moses and continuing through your future generations –

Bilangan 15:33

15:33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and to the whole community.

Bilangan 15:35-36

15:35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; the whole community must stone ⁴⁹  him with stones outside the camp.” 15:36 So the whole community took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, ⁵⁰  just as the Lord commanded Moses.

Bilangan 16:2

16:2 and rebelled against Moses, along with some of the Israelites, 250 leaders ⁵¹  of the community, chosen from the assembly, ⁵²  famous men. ⁵³ 

Bilangan 16:16

16:16 Then Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company present yourselves before the Lord – you and they, and Aaron – tomorrow.

Bilangan 16:18

16:18 So everyone took his censer, put fire in it, and set incense on it, and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting, with Moses and Aaron.

Bilangan 16:28

16:28 Then Moses said, “This is how ⁵⁴  you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. ⁵⁵ 

Bilangan 16:41-42

16:41 But on the next day the whole community of Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the Lord’s people!” ⁵⁶  16:42 When the community assembled ⁵⁷  against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting – and ⁵⁸  the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.

Bilangan 17:9

17:9 So Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the Israelites. They looked at them, ⁵⁹  and each man took his staff.

Bilangan 20:6

Moses Responds

20:6 So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting. They then threw themselves down with their faces to the ground, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.

Bilangan 20:11

20:11 Then Moses raised his hand, and struck the rock twice with his staff. And water came out abundantly. So the community drank, and their beasts drank too.

Bilangan 20:14

Rejection by the Edomites

20:14 ⁶⁰ Moses ⁶¹  sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: ⁶²  “Thus says your brother Israel: ‘You know all the hardships we have experienced, ⁶³ 

Bilangan 20:23

20:23 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom. He said:

Bilangan 21:5

21:5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, for there is no bread or water, and we ⁶⁴  detest this worthless ⁶⁵  food.”

Bilangan 21:8-9

21:8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous snake and set it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks ⁶⁶  at it, he will live.” 21:9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole, so that if a snake had bitten someone, when he looked at the bronze snake he lived. ⁶⁷ 

Bilangan 21:16

21:16 And from there they traveled ⁶⁸  to Beer; ⁶⁹  that is the well where the Lord spoke to Moses, “Gather the people and I will give them water.”

Bilangan 26:1

A Second Census Required

26:1 ⁷⁰ After the plague the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, ⁷¹ 

Bilangan 26:4

26:4 “Number the people ⁷²  from twenty years old and upward, just as the Lord commanded Moses and the Israelites who went out from the land of Egypt.”

Bilangan 26:63-64

26:63 These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the Israelites in the plains of Moab along the Jordan River opposite Jericho. ⁷³  26:64 But there was not a man among these who had been ⁷⁴  among those numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai.

Bilangan 27:2

27:2 And they stood before Moses and Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said,

Bilangan 27:12

Leadership Change

27:12 ⁷⁵ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range, ⁷⁶  and see ⁷⁷  the land I have given ⁷⁸  to the Israelites.

Bilangan 27:18

27:18 The Lord replied ⁷⁹  to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is such a spirit, ⁸⁰  and lay your hand on him; ⁸¹ 

Bilangan 27:22

27:22 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him; he took Joshua and set ⁸²  him before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community.

Bilangan 30:1

Vows Made by Men

30:1 ⁸³ Moses told the leaders ⁸⁴  of the tribes concerning the Israelites, “This is what ⁸⁵  the Lord has commanded:

Bilangan 30:16

30:16 These are the statutes that the Lord commanded Moses, relating to ⁸⁶  a man and his wife, and a father and his young daughter who is still living in her father’s house.

Bilangan 31:3

31:3 So Moses spoke to the people: “Arm ⁸⁷  men from among you for the war, to attack the Midianites and to execute ⁸⁸  the Lord’s vengeance on Midian.

Bilangan 31:6

Campaign Against the Midianites

31:6 So Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from every tribe, with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who was in charge ⁸⁹  of the holy articles ⁹⁰  and the signal trumpets.

Bilangan 31:21

31:21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone into the battle, “This is the ordinance of the law that the Lord commanded Moses:

Bilangan 31:49

31:49 and said to him, ⁹¹  “Your servants have taken a count ⁹²  of the men who were in the battle, who were under our authority, ⁹³  and not one is missing.

Bilangan 32:2

32:2 the Gadites and the Reubenites came and addressed Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community. They said,

Bilangan 32:20

32:20 Then Moses replied, ⁹⁴  “If you will do this thing, and if you will arm yourselves for battle before the Lord,

Bilangan 32:25

32:25 So the Gadites and the Reubenites replied to Moses, “Your servants will do as my lord commands.

Bilangan 32:28

32:28 So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes.

Bilangan 36:5

Moses’ Decision

36:5 Then Moses gave a ruling ⁹⁵  to the Israelites by the word ⁹⁶  of the Lord: “What the tribe of the Josephites is saying is right.

Bilangan 36:13

36:13 These are the commandments and the decisions that the Lord commanded the Israelites through the authority ⁹⁷  of Moses, on the plains of Moab by the Jordan River ⁹⁸  opposite Jericho. ⁹⁹ 

[1:1]  ¹ sn The book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Pentateuch, traditionally called the Law of Moses. It provides a record of the experience of the Israelites during the wilderness wanderings, and records the laws for the camp as they traveled from place to place. The book focuses on the difficulties of the Israelites due to their lack of faith, rebellion, and apostasy. It also records God’s protection of his people from opposition from without. The book makes a fitting contribution to the collection of holy writings as it shows the spiritual and physical progression of the company of the redeemed toward the promised land. The book has to be studied in conjunction with the other books of the Pentateuch. It builds on the promises made to Abraham in Genesis and the redemption from bondage in Exodus; it completes the cultic instructions for Israel that were laid down in Leviticus, and it concerns the worship in and the movement of the tabernacle that was built in Exodus. But the information here, both legal and historical, was not the major concern in those books. The book gets its title in English (following the Greek tradition) from the two censuses taken of the people, one at the beginning of the wanderings and the other at the end (although the Hebrew title is taken from the beginning of the book, בַּמִּדְבַּר [bammidbar], “in the wilderness”). In these lists particular emphasis is given to the leaders of the clans, a theme that will continue in the book as the focus is on how the leaders function in all the trials and temptations of the journey. The material in this book is essentially a theological interpretation of historical events, and as such it stands as an integral part of the revelation of God. In the study of the book of Numbers, when these issues of the nature of the text are significant to the interpretation and acceptance of the text, the notes will comment on them briefly. The indication at the outset of the book is that Moses had a good number of people who were able to help him compile the statistics and the facts of the wandering community. In Num 11:16-18 there is a group of leaders known as שֹׁטְּרִים(shottÿrim). This term was used in Exod 5:16-19 to describe the officers or foremen of the Israelites. They were appointed supervisors of the clans by Moses, and by the time of Joshua (Josh 1:10) they were a literary guild. The Hebrew word, cognate with Akkadian sataru, means “to write.” These people were to Israel what the scribes and chroniclers were to the pagan nations. They assisted Moses and the priests in their keeping of records. So no matter what they were called from time to time, there was a group of literate people who could keep the records and preserve the information from the very beginning. Their work matches the activities of scribes in the ancient world who used all the literary devices to preserve the material. There is no reason to doubt that the events recorded were attested to and preserved by such eyewitnesses. But their work would have been essentially to serve the leader, Moses. The book essentially follows the order of the events chronologically, more or less. Where it departs from that order it does so for literary or theological reasons. At the center of the theological concern is the tabernacle, its significance to the faith, and therefore the care in using it and in moving it. Its importance explains the presence and the arrangement of the ritual laws. With the records and statistics provided for him, Moses could then introduce into the record the great events in the wilderness experience of Israel, which were to become warnings and encouragements for all time. Most of this material comes from the two years at the beginning of the experience and the two years at the end. But this itself may be a literary device (merism) to show the nature of the wanderings throughout. The Hebrew text of the book of Numbers has been preserved fairly well. It has not been preserved as well as Leviticus, which was most important to the ministry of the priests and Levites. But in comparison with some of the prophetic writings, Numbers represents a well-preserved text. The problems will be discussed in the relevant passages. So Numbers is essentially a part of the unfolding revelation of the Torah, the Law. It shows God’s faithfulness to his covenant plan and to his covenant people, but it also shows the problems incurred by the people’s lack of faith and obedience. The book focuses frequently on the nature of the holy Lord God, for at the center of all this material is the person and the works of the Lord. This provided the standard for the faith and practice of the people. For more information on chapter one, see W. F. Albright, “The Administrative Divisions of Israel and Judah,” JPOS 5 (1925): 17-54; A. Cody, A History of Old Testament Priesthood; A. Lucas, “The Number of the Israelites at the Time of the Exodus,” PEQ 76 (1944): 351-64; G. E. Mendenhall, “The Census Lists of Numbers 1 and 26,” JBL 77 (1958): 52-66; E. Nielsen, “The Levites in the Old Testament,” ASTI 3 (1964): 16-27; L. A. Snijders, “The Meaning of זר in the Old Testament: An Exegetical Study,” OTS 10 (1954): 1-154; and J. W. Wenham, “Large Numbers in the Old Testament,” TynBul 18 (1967): 19-53.

[1:1]  ² sn The holy name is “Yahweh.” This is the ancient name for the God of the covenant community. The name was explained or interpreted by Moses for the Israelites by the etymological connection to the verb “to be.” God said that its significance was “I am that I am” (אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה, ’ehyeh ’aser ’ehyeh) using the first person of the verb; the name, the third person of the verb, would therefore mean “He is.” The name indicates that God is the sovereign Lord of creation, the eternal God, the covenant Lord; he is sovereignly independent of all creation, but he is intimately involved with all his people. Most English translations do not use it, but follow the Jewish custom of using substitute words for the holy name, such as “the Lord,” “the Eternal One,” etc.

[1:1]  ³ tn The book begins with the vav (ו) consecutive and the preterite, “and he spoke.” This does not indicate that the book is a continuation of the previous material, for in that case certain other books in the canon would have to be linked with the writings of other people just because they followed them. This form is simply the narrative verb; the conjunction need not be translated. The verb should not be limited to a literary formula, but does indicate the divine source of the command for Moses. God was speaking to Moses throughout the wilderness wanderings from the tent, and so the ideas are from him, and not from the “will of man.”

[1:1]  ⁴ sn This was one of several names by which the tabernacle was known. This was the tent with its furnishings that the Israelites built according to the book of Exodus. While that tabernacle was being built, the Lord met with Moses in a tent of meeting nearby (Exod 33:7), but when the project was finished, the title was transferred to the tabernacle. It may be that the expression “tent of meeting” refers to the inner tabernacle where God revealed himself to Moses and Aaron, and the word “tabernacle” refers to the whole shrine, the curtained structure with all its contents. This would mean that God addressed Moses from between the cherubim in the holy of holies (see R. A. Cole, Exodus [TOTC], 191). The point is clear, though – the shrine was functioning as the sign of God’s actual presence and leadership among his people.

[1:1]  ⁵ sn The English word “wilderness” is workable for the Hebrew term, because it describes land that is wild. The term “desert” works if one thinks of land deserted by people. But to many modern readers “desert” suggests the idea of an arid land without growth. The word must not be pressed to mean only sand dunes; it describes land that has rocks, canyons, oases, shrubs and trees occasionally, some animal life, and of course sand.

[1:1]  ⁶ sn The exact location of Mount Sinai has been debated for some time. The traditional view from very early times is that it is located in the south, Jebel Musa, south of the monastery of St. Catherine. The other plausible suggestion is Ras es-Safsafeh, which is on the other end of the valley near the monastery. The mountain is also called Horeb in the Bible. The wilderness of Sinai would refer to the large plain that is at the base of the mountain. See further G. E. Wright, IDB 4:376-78; and G. I. Davies, The Way of the Wilderness.

[1:1]  ⁷ tn The construction uses the infinitive construct of יָצַא (yatsa’, “to go out”), with a suffix serving as the subjective genitive, and the lamed preposition providing the temporal indication: “according to the going out of them.” The Israelites are clearly intended as the subject.

[1:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:1]  ⁹ sn This means that the Israelites had spent nine months at Sinai, because they had arrived there in the third month following the exodus. This account does not follow a strict chronology (see Num 9:1). The difference of one month in the narrative is not a critical difference, but a literary general reference. Here begins a new section of major importance to the future of the nation – the numbering for war and for settlement.

[1:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “saying.” A new sentence was started here in the English translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:44]  ¹¹ tn The construction uses both the passive participle הַפְּקֻדִים (happÿqudim) and the verb פָּקַד (paqad), giving a literal translation of “these were the numbered ones, whom Moses and Aaron numbered.”

[1:44]  ¹² tn Heb “they were one man for the house of his fathers.”

[3:40]  ¹³ tn The verb נָשָׂא (nasa’, “take”) has here the sense of collect, take a census, or register the names.

[5:4]  ¹⁴ tn The perfect tense is here given a past perfect nuance to stress that the word of the Lord preceded the obedience.

[7:11]  ¹⁵ tn The distributive sense is achieved by repetition: “one leader for the day, one leader for the day.”

[9:1]  ¹⁶ sn The chapter has just the two sections, the observance of the Passover (vv. 1-14) and the cloud that led the Israelites in the wilderness (vv. 15-23). It must be remembered that the material in vv. 7-9 is chronologically earlier than vv. 1-6, as the notices in the text will make clear. The two main discussions here are the last major issues to be reiterated before dealing with the commencement of the journey.

[9:1]  ¹⁷ tn The temporal clause is formed with the infinitive construct of יָצָא (yatsa’, “to go out; to leave”). This verse indicates that a full year had passed since the exodus and the original Passover; now a second ruling on the Passover is included at the beginning of the second year. This would have occurred immediately after the consecration of the tabernacle, in the month before the census at Sinai.

[9:23]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “hand.”

[11:21]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “the people who I am in their midst,” i.e., among whom I am.

[11:21]  ²⁰ tn The Hebrew sentence stresses the number. The sentence begins “600,000….”

[11:21]  ²¹ 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]  ²² 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.

[11:23]  ²³ sn This anthropomorphic expression concerns the power of God. The “hand of the Lord” is idiomatic for his power, what he is able to do. The question is rhetorical; it is affirming that his hand is not shortened, i.e., that his power is not limited. Moses should have known this, and so this is a rebuke for him at this point. God had provided the manna, among all the other powerful acts they had witnessed. Meat would be no problem. But the lack of faith by the people was infectious.

[11:23]  ²⁴ tn Or “will happen” (TEV); KJV “shall come to pass unto thee.”

[11:29]  ²⁵ tn The Piel participle מְקַנֵּא (mÿqanne’) serves as a verb here in this interrogative sentence. The word means “to be jealous; to be envious.” That can be in a good sense, such as with the translation “zeal,” or it can be in a negative sense as here. Joshua’s apparent “zeal” is questioned by Moses – was he zealous/envious for Moses sake, or for some other reason?

[11:29]  ²⁶ tn The optative is expressed by the interrogative clause in Hebrew, “who will give….” Moses expresses here the wish that the whole nation would have that portion of the Spirit. The new covenant, of course, would turn Moses’ wish into a certainty.

[12:1]  ²⁷ sn In this short chapter we find a prime example of jealousy among leaders and how God dealt with it. Miriam and Aaron are envious of Moses’ leadership, but they use an occasion – his marriage – to criticize him. Often the immediate criticism is simply a surface issue for a deeper matter. God indicates very clearly he will speak through many people, including them, but Moses is different. Moses is the mediator of the covenant. The chapter is a lesson of what not to do. They should have fulfilled their duties before God and not tried to compete or challenge the leader in this way. There is a touch of divine irony here, for Miriam is turned white with leprosy. The chapter falls easily into the sections of the story: the accusation (vv. 1-3), the Lord’s response (vv. 4-10), the intercession of Moses (vv. 11-16). For further information, see J. S. Kselman, “A Note on Numbers 12:6-8,” VT 26 (1976): 500-504.

[12:1]  ²⁸ tn The preposition bet (בְּ) has the adversative sense here, “[speak] against” (see also its use for hostile speech in 21:5, 7). Speaking against is equal to the murmuring throughout the wilderness period. The verb of the sentence is וַתְּדַבֵּר (vattÿdabber), the feminine form of the verb. This indicates that Miriam was the main speaker for the two, the verb agreeing with the first of the compound subject.

[12:1]  sn It may be that Miriam was envious of the Cushite woman Moses married. And, in view of the previous chapter’s content about others being given a portion of the Spirit to share in the leadership role, she may have seen this as her chance finally to become just as important in the nation as her younger brother. After all, she safeguarded his birth and early years (Exod 2). But there are two issues here – the reason she gives (“does the Lord only speak through Moses?”), and the reason the text gives (the Cushite woman).

[12:1]  ²⁹ tn The Hebrew text has הַכֻּשִׁית (hakkushit, “the Cushite”) as the modifier of “woman.” The Greek text interpreted this correctly as “Ethiopian.” The word Cush in the Bible can describe the Cassites, east of Babylon of the later period (Gen 10:18), or Ethiopia (Isa 20:3; Nah 3:5; et al). Another suggestion is that it would refer to Cushan of Hab 3:7, perhaps close to Midian, and so the area Moses had been. This would suggest it could be Zipporah – but the Bible does not identify the Cushite as Zipporah. The most natural understanding would be that it refers to an Egyptian/Ethiopian woman. The text does not say when Moses married this woman, or what Miriam’s problem with her was. It is clear that it was a racial issue, by virtue of the use of “Cushite.” Whether she was of darker skin than the Hebrews would be hard to say, since the Bible gives no further detail. Neither does it say if this is a second wife, or a woman Moses married since Zipporah went home (Exod 18:2). These do not seem to be the issues the text wishes to elaborate on; it is simply stating that this woman was the occasion for a deeper challenge.

[12:1]  ³⁰ tn Heb “taken.”

[12:8]  ³¹ tn The emphasis of the line is clear enough – it begins literally “mouth to mouth” I will speak with him. In human communication this would mean equality of rank, but Moses is certainly not equal in rank with the Lord. And yet God is here stating that Moses has an immediacy and directness with communication with God. It goes beyond the idea of friendship, almost to that of a king’s confidant.

[12:8]  ³² tn The word מַרְאֶה (mar’eh) refers to what is seen, a vision, an appearance. Here it would have the idea of that which is clearly visible, open, obvious.

[12:8]  ³³ tn The word “form” (תְּמוּנָה, tÿmunah) means “shape, image, form.” The Greek text took it metaphorically and rendered it “the glory of the Lord.” This line expresses even more the uniqueness of Moses. The elders saw God on one special occasion (Exod 24:10), and the people never (Deut 4:12, 15), but Moses has direct and familiar contact with God.

[12:11]  ³⁴ tn The expression בִּי אֲדֹנִי (bi ’adoni, “O my lord”) shows a good deal of respect for Moses by Aaron. The expression is often used in addressing God.

[13:3]  ³⁵ tn Heb “mouth.”

[13:3]  ³⁶ tn Heb “heads.”

[13:17]  ³⁷ tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive is here subordinated to the next verb of the same formation to express a temporal clause.

[13:17]  ³⁸ tn The instructions had them first go up into the southern desert of the land, and after passing through that, into the hill country of the Canaanites. The text could be rendered “into the Negev” as well as “through the Negev.”

[13:30]  ³⁹ tn The construction is emphatic, using the cohortative with the infinitive absolute to strengthen it: עָלֹה נַעֲלֶה (’aloh na’aleh, “let us go up”) with the sense of certainty and immediacy.

[13:30]  ⁴⁰ tn The perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive brings the cohortative idea forward: “and let us possess it”; it may also be subordinated to form a purpose or result idea.

[13:30]  ⁴¹ tn Here again the confidence of Caleb is expressed with the infinitive absolute and the imperfect tense: יָכוֹל נוּכַל (yakhol nukhal), “we are fully able” to do this. The verb יָכַל (yakhal) followed by the preposition lamed means “to prevail over, to conquer.”

[14:13]  ⁴² tn The construction is unusual in that we have here a perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive with no verb before it to establish the time sequence. The context requires that this be taken as a vav (ו) consecutive. It actually forms the protasis for the next verse, and would best be rendered “when…then they will say.”

[14:36]  ⁴³ tn The verb is the Hiphil infinitive construct with a lamed (ל) preposition from the root יָצָא (yatsa’, “to bring out”). The use of the infinitive here is epexegetical, that is, explaining how they caused the people to murmur.

[14:44]  ⁴⁴ tn N. H. Snaith compares Arabic ’afala (“to swell”) and gafala (“reckless, headstrong”; Leviticus and Numbers [NCB], 248). The wordעֹפֶל (’ofel) means a “rounded hill” or a “tumor.” The idea behind the verb may be that of “swelling,” and so “act presumptuously.”

[14:44]  ⁴⁵ tn The disjunctive vav (ו) here introduces a circumstantial clause; the most appropriate one here would be the concessive “although.”

[15:22]  ⁴⁶ sn These regulations supplement what was already ruled on in the Levitical code for the purification and reparation offerings. See those rulings in Lev 4-7 for all the details. Some biblical scholars view the rules in Leviticus as more elaborate and therefore later. However, this probably represents a misunderstanding of the purpose of each collection.

[15:22]  ⁴⁷ tn The verb is the plural imperfect; the sin discussed here is a sin committed by the community, or the larger part of the community.

[15:23]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “hand.”

[15:35]  ⁴⁹ tn The sentence begins with the emphatic use of the infinitive absolute with the verb in the Hophal imperfect: “he shall surely be put to death.” Then, a second infinitive absolute רָגוֹם (ragom) provides the explanatory activity – all the community is to stone him with stones. The punishment is consistent with other decrees from God (see Exod 31:14,15; 35:2). Moses had either forgotten such, or they had simply neglected to (or were hesitant to) enact them.

[15:36]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “stoned him with stones, and he died.”

[16:2]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “princes” (so KJV, ASV).

[16:2]  ⁵² tn These men must have been counselors or judges of some kind.

[16:2]  ⁵³ tn Heb “men of name,” or “men of renown.”

[16:28]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “in this.”

[16:28]  ⁵⁵ tn The Hebrew text simply has כִּי־לֹא מִלִּבִּי (ki-lo’ millibbi, “for not from my heart”). The heart is the center of the will, the place decisions are made (see H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament). Moses is saying that the things he has done have not come “from the will of man” so to speak – and certainly not from some secret desire on his part to seize power.

[16:41]  ⁵⁶ sn The whole congregation here is trying to project its guilt on Moses and Aaron. It was they and their rebellion that brought about the deaths, not Moses and Aaron. The Lord had punished the sinners. The fact that the leaders had organized a rebellion against the Lord was forgotten by these people. The point here is that the Israelites had learned nothing of spiritual value from the event.

[16:42]  ⁵⁷ tn The temporal clause is constructed with the temporal indicator (“and it was”) followed by the Niphal infinitive construct and preposition.

[16:42]  ⁵⁸ 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!

[17:9]  ⁵⁹ tn The words “at them” are not in the Hebrew text, but they have been added in the translation for clarity.

[20:14]  ⁶⁰ sn For this particular section, see W. F. Albright, “From the Patriarchs to Moses: 2. Moses out of Egypt,” BA 36 (1973): 57-58; J. R. Bartlett, “The Land of Seir and the Brotherhood of Edom,” JTS 20 (1969): 1-20, and “The Rise and Fall of the Kingdom of Edom,” PEQ 104 (1972): 22-37, and “The Brotherhood of Edom,” JSOT 4 (1977): 2-7.

[20:14]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “And Moses sent.”

[20:14]  ⁶² sn Some modern biblical scholars are convinced, largely through arguments from silence, that there were no unified kingdoms in Edom until the 9th century, and no settlements there before the 12th century, and so the story must be late and largely fabricated. The evidence is beginning to point to the contrary. But the cities and residents of the region would largely be Bedouin, and so leave no real remains.

[20:14]  ⁶³ tn Heb “found.”

[21:5]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “our souls.”

[21:5]  ⁶⁵ tn The Israelites’ opinion about the manna was clear enough – “worthless.” The word used is קְלֹקֵל (qÿloqel, “good for nothing, worthless, miserable”).

[21:8]  ⁶⁶ tn The word order is slightly different in Hebrew: “and it shall be anyone who is bitten when he looks at it he shall live.”

[21:9]  ⁶⁷ sn The image of the snake was to be a symbol of the curse that the Israelites were experiencing; by lifting the snake up on a pole Moses was indicating that the curse would be drawn away from the people – if they looked to it, which was a sign of faith. This symbol was later stored in the temple, until it became an object of worship and had to be removed (2 Kgs 18:4). Jesus, of course, alluded to it and used it as an illustration of his own mission. He would become the curse, and be lifted up, so that people who looked by faith to him would live (John 3:14). For further material, see D. J. Wiseman, “Flying Serpents,” TynBul 23 (1972): 108-10; and K. R. Joines, “The Bronze Serpent in the Israelite Cult,” JBL 87 (1968): 245-56.

[21:16]  ⁶⁸ tn The words “they traveled” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied here because of English style. The same phrase is supplied at the end of v. 18.

[21:16]  ⁶⁹ sn Isa 15:8 mentions a Moabite Beerelim, which Simons suggests is Wadi Ettemed.

[26:1]  ⁷⁰ sn The breakdown of ch. 26 for outlining purposes will be essentially according to the tribes of Israel. The format and structure is similar to the first census, and so less comment is necessary here.

[26:1]  ⁷¹ tc The MT has also “saying.”

[26:4]  ⁷² tn “Number the people” is added here to the text for a smooth reading.

[26:63]  ⁷³ map For the location of Jericho see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[26:64]  ⁷⁴ tn “who had been” is added to clarify the text.

[27:12]  ⁷⁵ sn See further J. Lindblom, “Lot Casting in the Old Testament,” VT 12 (1962): 164-78; E. Lipinski, “Urim and Thummim,” VT 20 (1970): 495-96; and S. E. Loewenstamm, “The Death of Moses,” Tarbiz 27 (1957/58): 142-57.

[27:12]  ⁷⁶ tc The Greek version adds “which is Mount Nebo.” This is a typical scribal change to harmonize two passages.

[27:12]  sn The area is in the mountains of Moab; Deut 34:1 more precisely identifies it as Mount Nebo.

[27:12]  ⁷⁷ tn The imperative could be subordinated to the first to provide a purpose clause, although a second instruction fits well enough.

[27:12]  ⁷⁸ tn This perfect tense would best be classified as a perfect of resolve: “which I have decided to give.” God had not yet given the land to them, but it was certain he would.

[27:18]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “said.”

[27:18]  ⁸⁰ sn The word “spirit” probably refers to the Holy Spirit, in which case it would be rendered “in whom is the Spirit.” This would likely be a permanent endowment for Joshua. But it is also possible to take it to refer to a proper spirit to do all the things required of such a leader (which ultimately is a gift from the Spirit of God). The Hebrew text simply says “in whom is a spirit.”

[27:18]  ⁸¹ sn This symbolic act would indicate the transfer of leadership to Joshua.

[27:22]  ⁸² tn Heb “stood.”

[30:1]  ⁸³ sn Num 30 deals with vows that are different than the vows discussed in Lev 27 and Num 6. The material is placed here after all the rulings of the offerings, but it could have been revealed to Moses at any time, such as the Nazirite vows, or the question of the daughters’ inheritance. The logic of placing it here may be that a festival was the ideal place for discharging a vow. For additional material on vows, see R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 465-66.

[30:1]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “heads.”

[30:1]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “This is the word which.”

[30:16]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “between.”

[31:3]  ⁸⁷ tn The Niphal imperative, literally “arm yourselves,” is the call to mobilize the nation for war. It is followed by the jussive, “and they will be,” which would then be subordinated to say “that they may be.” The versions changed the verb to a Hiphil, but that is unnecessary: “arm some of yourselves.”

[31:3]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “give.”

[31:6]  ⁸⁹ tn The Hebrew text uses the idiom that these “were in his hand,” meaning that he had the responsibility over them.

[31:6]  ⁹⁰ sn It is not clear what articles from the sanctuary were included. Tg. Ps.-J. adds (interpretively) “the Urim and Thummim.”

[31:49]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “to Moses”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:49]  ⁹² tn Heb “lifted up the head.”

[31:49]  ⁹³ tn Heb “in our hand.”

[32:20]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “said to them.”

[36:5]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “commanded.”

[36:5]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “mouth.”

[36:13]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “by the hand.”

[36:13]  ⁹⁸ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[36:13]  ⁹⁹ map For the location of Jericho see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.