Bilangan 1:50

1:50 But appoint ¹  the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, ²  over all its furnishings and over everything in it. They must carry ³  the tabernacle and all its furnishings; and they ⁴  must attend to it and camp around it. ⁵ 

Bilangan 2:2-3

2:2 “Every one ⁶  of the Israelites must camp ⁷  under his standard with the emblems of his family; ⁸  they must camp at some distance ⁹  around the tent of meeting. ¹⁰ 

The Tribes on the East

2:3 “Now those who will be camping ¹¹  on the east, toward the sunrise, ¹²  are the divisions ¹³  of the camp of Judah under their standard. The leader of the people of Judah is ¹⁴  Nahshon son of Amminadab.

Bilangan 5:3

5:3 You must expel both men and women; you must put them outside the camp, so that ¹⁵  they will not defile their camps, among which I live.”

Bilangan 9:18

9:18 At the commandment ¹⁶  of the Lord the Israelites would begin their journey, and at the commandment of the Lord they would make camp; as long as ¹⁷  the cloud remained settled over the tabernacle they would camp.

Bilangan 9:22

9:22 Whether it was for two days, or a month, or a year, ¹⁸  that the cloud prolonged its stay ¹⁹  over the tabernacle, the Israelites remained camped without traveling; ²⁰  but when it was taken up, they traveled on.

Bilangan 10:5-6

10:5 When you blow an alarm, ²¹  then the camps that are located ²²  on the east side must begin to travel. ²³  10:6 And when you blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that are located on the south side must begin to travel. ²⁴  An alarm must be sounded ²⁵  for their journeys.

Bilangan 10:31

10:31 Moses ²⁶  said, “Do not leave us, ²⁷  because you know places for us to camp in the wilderness, and you could be our guide. ²⁸ 

Bilangan 11:21

11:21 Moses said, “The people around me ²⁹  are 600,000 on foot; ³⁰  but you say, ‘I will give them meat, ³¹  that they may eat ³²  for a whole month.’

Bilangan 11:35

11:35 The people traveled from Kibroth Hattaavah to Hazeroth, and they stayed at Hazeroth.

Bilangan 13:18-19

13:18 and see ³³  what the land is like, ³⁴  and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, few or many, 13:19 and whether the land they live in is good or bad, and whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or fortified cities,

Bilangan 13:22

13:22 When they went up through the Negev, they ³⁵  came ³⁶  to Hebron where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, ³⁷  descendants of Anak, were living. (Now Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan ³⁸  in Egypt.)

Bilangan 13:28-32

13:28 But ³⁹  the inhabitants ⁴⁰  are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. 13:29 The Amalekites live in the land of the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the banks ⁴¹  of the Jordan.” ⁴² 

13:30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses, saying, “Let us go up ⁴³  and occupy it, ⁴⁴  for we are well able to conquer it.” ⁴⁵  13:31 But the men ⁴⁶  who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against these people, because they are stronger than we are!” 13:32 Then they presented the Israelites with a discouraging ⁴⁷  report of the land they had investigated, saying, “The land that we passed through ⁴⁸  to investigate is a land that devours ⁴⁹  its inhabitants. ⁵⁰  All the people we saw there ⁵¹  are of great stature.

Bilangan 14:9

14:9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. ⁵²  Their protection ⁵³  has turned aside from them, but the Lord is with us. Do not fear them!”

Bilangan 14:14

14:14 then they will tell it to the inhabitants ⁵⁴  of this land. They have heard that you, Lord, are among this people, that you, Lord, are seen face to face, ⁵⁵  that your cloud stands over them, and that you go before them by day in a pillar of cloud and in a pillar of fire by night.

Bilangan 14:25

14:25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites were living in the valleys.) ⁵⁶  Tomorrow, turn and journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”

Bilangan 14:30

14:30 You will by no means enter into the land where ⁵⁷  I swore ⁵⁸  to settle ⁵⁹  you. The only exceptions are Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

Bilangan 14:45

14:45 So the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country swooped ⁶⁰  down and attacked them ⁶¹  as far as Hormah. ⁶² 

Bilangan 15:2

15:2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you enter the land where you are to live, ⁶³  which I am giving you, ⁶⁴ 

Bilangan 15:14

15:14 If a resident foreigner is living ⁶⁵  with you – or whoever is among you ⁶⁶  in future generations ⁶⁷  – and prepares an offering made by fire as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, he must do it the same way you are to do it. ⁶⁸ 

Bilangan 15:26

15:26 And the whole community ⁶⁹  of the Israelites and the resident foreigner who lives among them will be forgiven, since all the people were involved in the unintentional offense.

Bilangan 16:10

16:10 He has brought you near and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, with you. Do you now seek ⁷⁰  the priesthood also?

Bilangan 16:24

16:24 “Tell the community: ‘Get away ⁷¹  from around the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’”

Bilangan 16:27

16:27 So they got away from the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram on every side, and Dathan and Abiram came out and stationed themselves ⁷²  in the entrances of their tents with their wives, their children, and their toddlers.

Bilangan 16:32

16:32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, along with their households, and all Korah’s men, and all their goods.

Bilangan 18:7

18:7 But you and your sons with you are responsible for your priestly duties, for everything at the altar and within the curtain. And you must serve. I give you the priesthood as a gift for service; but the unauthorized person who approaches must be put to death.”

Bilangan 20:15

20:15 how our ancestors went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time, ⁷³  and the Egyptians treated us and our ancestors badly. ⁷⁴ 

Bilangan 21:1

Victory at Hormah

21:1 ⁷⁵ When the Canaanite king of Arad ⁷⁶  who lived in the Negev ⁷⁷  heard that Israel was approaching along the road to Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoner.

Bilangan 21:15

21:15 and the slope of the valleys ⁷⁸ 

that extends to the dwelling of Ar, ⁷⁹ 

and falls off at the border of Moab.”

Bilangan 21:24-25

21:24 But the Israelites ⁸⁰  defeated him in battle ⁸¹  and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strongly defended. 21:25 So Israel took all these cities; and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. ⁸² 

Bilangan 21:31-32

21:31 So the Israelites ⁸³  lived in the land of the Amorites. 21:32 Moses sent spies to reconnoiter ⁸⁴  Jaazer, and they captured its villages ⁸⁵  and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.

Bilangan 21:34-35

21:34 And the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand. You will do to him what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon. 21:35 So they defeated Og, ⁸⁶  his sons, and all his people, until there were no survivors, ⁸⁷  and they possessed his land.

Bilangan 22:5

22:5 And he sent messengers to Balaam ⁸⁸  son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates River ⁸⁹  in the land of Amaw, ⁹⁰  to summon him, saying, “Look, a nation has come out of Egypt. They cover the face ⁹¹  of the earth, and they are settling next to me.

Bilangan 22:36

Balaam Meets Balak

22:36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at a city of Moab which was on the border of the Arnon at the boundary of his territory.

Bilangan 23:9

23:9 For from the top of the rocks I see them; ⁹² 

from the hills I watch them. ⁹³ 

Indeed, a nation that lives alone,

and it will not be reckoned ⁹⁴  among the nations.

Bilangan 24:2

24:2 When Balaam lifted up his eyes, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe; ⁹⁵  and the Spirit of God came upon him.

Bilangan 24:5

24:5 ‘How ⁹⁶  beautiful are your tents, O Jacob,

and your dwelling places, O Israel!

Bilangan 24:11

24:11 So now, go back where you came from! ⁹⁷  I said that I would greatly honor you; but now the Lord has stood in the way of your honor.”

Bilangan 24:18

24:18 Edom will be a possession,

Seir, ⁹⁸  his enemies, will also be a possession;

but Israel will act valiantly.

Bilangan 24:21

24:21 Then he looked on the Kenites and uttered this oracle:

“Your dwelling place seems strong,

and your nest ⁹⁹  is set on a rocky cliff.

Bilangan 31:10

31:10 They burned ¹⁰⁰  all their towns ¹⁰¹  where they lived and all their encampments.

Bilangan 32:3

32:3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, ¹⁰²  Nebo, and Beon, ¹⁰³ 

Bilangan 32:6

Moses’ Response

32:6 Moses said to the Gadites and the Reubenites, “Must your brothers go to war while you ¹⁰⁴  remain here?

Bilangan 32:17

32:17 but we will maintain ourselves in armed readiness ¹⁰⁵  and go before the Israelites until whenever we have brought them to their place. Our descendants will be living in fortified towns as a protection against ¹⁰⁶  the inhabitants of the land.

Bilangan 32:39-42

32:39 The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. 32:40 So Moses gave Gilead to Machir, son of Manasseh, and he lived there. ¹⁰⁷  32:41 Now Jair son of Manasseh went and captured their small towns and named them Havvoth Jair. 32:42 Then Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.

Bilangan 33:40

33:40 The king of Arad, the Canaanite king who lived in the south of the land of Canaan, heard about the approach of the Israelites.

Bilangan 33:52-53

33:52 you must drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images, all their molten images, ¹⁰⁸  and demolish their high places. 33:53 You must dispossess the inhabitants of the land and live in it, for I have given you the land to possess it.

Bilangan 33:55

33:55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, then those whom you allow to remain will be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your side, and will cause you trouble in the land where you will be living.

Bilangan 35:2-3

35:2 “Instruct the Israelites to give ¹⁰⁹  the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites ¹¹⁰  will possess. You must also give the Levites grazing land around the towns. 35:3 Thus they will have towns in which to live, and their grazing lands will be for their cattle, for their possessions, and for all their animals.

Bilangan 35:5

35:5 “You must measure ¹¹¹  from outside the wall of the town on the east 1,000 yards, ¹¹²  and on the south side 1,000 yards, and on the west side 1,000 yards, and on the north side 1,000 yards, with the town in the middle. ¹¹³  This territory must belong to them as grazing land for the towns.

Bilangan 35:11

35:11 you must then designate some towns as towns of refuge for you, to which a person who has killed someone unintentionally may flee.

Bilangan 35:25

35:25 The community must deliver the slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the community must restore him to the town of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there ¹¹⁴  until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the consecrated oil.

Bilangan 35:29

35:29 So these things must be a statutory ordinance ¹¹⁵  for you throughout your generations, in all the places where you live.

Bilangan 35:32-34

35:32 And you must not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a town of refuge, to allow him to return home and live on his own land before the death of the high priest. ¹¹⁶ 

35:33 “You must not pollute the land where you live, for blood defiles the land, and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed there, except by the blood of the person who shed it. 35:34 Therefore do not defile the land that you will inhabit, in which I live, for I the Lord live among the Israelites.”

[1:50]  ¹ tn The same verb translated “number” (פָּקַד, paqad) is now used to mean “appoint” (הַפְקֵד, hafqed), which focuses more on the purpose of the verbal action of numbering people. Here the idea is that the Levites were appointed to take care of the tabernacle. On the use of this verb with the Levites’ appointment, see M. Gertner, “The Masorah and the Levites,” VT 10 (1960): 252.

[1:50]  ² tn The Hebrew name used here is מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדֻת (mishkan ha’edut). The tabernacle or dwelling place of the Lord was given this name because it was here that the tablets of the Law were kept. The whole shrine was therefore a reminder (הָעֵדוּת, a “warning sign” or “testimony”) of the stipulations of the covenant. For the ancient Near Eastern customs of storing the code in the sanctuaries, see M. G. Kline, Treaty of the Great King, 14-19, and idem, The Structure of Biblical Authority, 35-36. Other items were in the ark in the beginning, but by the days of Solomon only the tablets were there (1 Kgs 8:9).

[1:50]  ³ tn The imperfect tense here is an obligatory imperfect telling that they are bound to do this since they are appointed for this specific task.

[1:50]  ⁴ tn The addition of the pronoun before the verb is emphatic – they are the ones who are to attend to the tabernacle. The verb used is שָׁרַת (sharat) in the Piel, indicating that they are to serve, minister to, attend to all the details about this shrine.

[1:50]  ⁵ tn Heb “the tabernacle.” The pronoun (“it”) was used in the translation here for stylistic reasons.

[2:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “a man by his own standard.”

[2:2]  ⁷ tn The imperfect tense is to be taken in the nuance of instruction.

[2:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “of/for the house of their fathers.”

[2:2]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew expression מִנֶּגֶד (minneged) means “from before” or “opposite; facing” and “at some distance” or “away from the front of” (see BDB 617 s.v. נֶגֶד 2.c.a; DCH 5:603-4 s.v. 3.b).

[2:2]  ¹⁰ sn The Israelites were camping as a military camp, each tribe with the standards and emblems of the family. The standard was the symbol fastened to the end of a pole and carried to battle. It served to rally the tribe to the battle. The Bible nowhere describes these, although the serpent emblem of Numbers 21:8-9 may give a clue. But they probably did not have shapes of animals in view of the prohibition in the Decalogue. The standards may have been smaller for the families than the ones for the tribes. See further K. A. Kitchen, “Some Egyptian Background to the Old Testament,” TynBul 5 (1960): 11; and T. W. Mann, Divine Presence and Guidance in Israelite Tradition, 169-73.

[2:3]  ¹¹ tn The sentence begins with a vav (ו) on a word that is not a finite verb, indicating a new section begins here. The verbal form is a participle with the article used substantivally, with the meaning “and/now those camping.” Many English versions employ a finite verb; cf. KJV “on the east side…shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch.”

[2:3]  ¹² tc The two synonyms might seem to be tautological, but this is fairly common and therefore acceptable in Hebrew prose (cf. Exod 26:18; 38:13; etc.).

[2:3]  ¹³ tn The sentence actually has “[those camping…are] the standard of the camp of Judah according to their divisions.”

[2:3]  ¹⁴ tn Or “will be.”

[5:3]  ¹⁵ tn The imperfect tense functions here as a final imperfect, expressing the purpose of putting such folks outside the camp. The two preceding imperfects (repeated for emphasis) are taken here as instruction or legislation.

[9:18]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “at the mouth of” (so also in vv. 20, 23).

[9:18]  ¹⁷ 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.”

[9:22]  ¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹ 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]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and they would not journey”; the clause can be taken adverbially, explaining the preceding verbal clause.

[10:5]  ²¹ tn The word for an alarm is תְּרוּעָה (tÿru’ah). The root verb of this word means “to give a blast on the trumpet.” It may also on occasion mean “give a shout” in battle (Josh 6:10). In this passage it must refer to the sound of the trumpet.

[10:5]  ²² tn Heb “the camps that are camping.”

[10:5]  ²³ tn The perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive functions as the equivalent of the imperfect tense. Here the emphasis is on the start of the journey.

[10:6]  ²⁴ tc The MT does not mention the departures of the northerly and westerly tribes. The Greek text completes the description by adding them, making a full schedule of the departure of the groups of tribes. The Greek is not likely to be original, however, since it carries all the signs of addition to complete the text, making a smooth, full reading. The MT is to be preferred; it apparently used two of the groups to give the idea.

[10:6]  ²⁵ tn The Hebrew text has “they shall blow an alarm”; the sentence without a formal subject should be taken as a passive idea.

[10:31]  ²⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:31]  ²⁷ tn The form with אַל־נָא (’al-na’) is a jussive; negated it stresses a more immediate request, as if Hobab is starting to leave, or at least determined to leave.

[10:31]  ²⁸ tn In the Hebrew text the expression is more graphic: “you will be for us for eyes.” Hobab was familiar with the entire Sinai region, and he could certainly direct the people where they were to go. The text does not record Hobab’s response. But the fact that Kenites were in Canaan as allies of Judah (Judg 1:16) would indicate that he gave in and came with Moses. The first refusal may simply be the polite Semitic practice of declining first so that the appeal might be made more urgently.

[11:21]  ²⁹ tn Heb “the people who I am in their midst,” i.e., among whom I am.

[11:21]  ³⁰ tn The Hebrew sentence stresses the number. The sentence begins “600,000….”

[11:21]  ³¹ 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]  ³² 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.

[13:18]  ³³ tn The form is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive; the word therefore carries the volitional mood of the preceding imperatives. It may be either another imperative, or it may be subordinated as a purpose clause.

[13:18]  ³⁴ tn Heb “see the land, what it is.”

[13:22]  ³⁵ tc The MT has the singular, but the ancient versions and Smr have the plural.

[13:22]  ³⁶ tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive is here subordinated to the following clause. The first verse gave the account of their journey over the whole land; this section focuses on what happened in the area of Hebron, which would be the basis for the false report.

[13:22]  ³⁷ sn These names are thought to be three clans that were in the Hebron area (see Josh 15:14; Judg 1:20). To call them descendants of Anak is usually taken to mean that they were large or tall people (2 Sam 21:18-22). They were ultimately driven out by Caleb.

[13:22]  ³⁸ sn The text now provides a brief historical aside for the readers. Zoan was probably the city of Tanis, although that is disputed today by some scholars. It was known in Egypt in the New Kingdom as “the fields of Tanis,” which corresponded to the “fields of Zoar” in the Hebrew Bible (Ps 78:12, 43).

[13:28]  ³⁹ tn The word (אֶפֶס, ’efes) forms a very strong adversative. The land was indeed rich and fruitful, but….”

[13:28]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “the people who are living in the land.”

[13:29]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “by the side [hand] of.”

[13:29]  ⁴² sn For more discussion on these people groups, see D. J. Wiseman, ed., Peoples of Old Testament Times.

[13:30]  ⁴³ 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]  ⁴⁴ 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]  ⁴⁵ 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.”

[13:31]  ⁴⁶ tn The vav (ו) disjunctive on the noun at the beginning of the clause forms a strong adversative clause here.

[13:32]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “an evil report,” i.e., one that was a defamation of the grace of God.

[13:32]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “which we passed over in it”; the pronoun on the preposition serves as a resumptive pronoun for the relative, and need not be translated literally.

[13:32]  ⁴⁹ tn The verb is the feminine singular participle from אָכַל (’akhal); it modifies the land as a “devouring land,” a bold figure for the difficulty of living in the place.

[13:32]  ⁵⁰ sn The expression has been interpreted in a number of ways by commentators, such as that the land was infertile, that the Canaanites were cannibals, that it was a land filled with warlike dissensions, or that it denotes a land geared for battle. It may be that they intended the land to seem infertile and insecure.

[13:32]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “in its midst.”

[14:9]  ⁵² sn The expression must indicate that they could destroy the enemies as easily as they could eat bread.

[14:9]  ⁵³ tn Heb “their shade.” The figure compares the shade from the sun with the protection from the enemy. It is also possible that the text is alluding to their deities here.

[14:14]  ⁵⁴ tn The singular participle is to be taken here as a collective, representing all the inhabitants of the land.

[14:14]  ⁵⁵ tn “Face to face” is literally “eye to eye.” It only occurs elsewhere in Isa 52:8. This expresses the closest communication possible.

[14:25]  ⁵⁶ sn The judgment on Israel is that they turn back to the desert and not attack the tribes in the land. So a parenthetical clause is inserted to state who was living there. They would surely block the entrance to the land from the south – unless God removed them. And he is not going to do that for Israel.

[14:30]  ⁵⁷ tn The relative pronoun “which” is joined with the resumptive pronoun “in it” to form a smoother reading “where.”

[14:30]  ⁵⁸ tn The Hebrew text uses the anthropomorphic expression “I raised my hand” in taking an oath.

[14:30]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “to cause you to dwell; to cause you to settle.”

[14:45]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “came down.”

[14:45]  ⁶¹ tn The verb used here means “crush by beating,” or “pounded” them. The Greek text used “cut them in pieces.”

[14:45]  ⁶² tn The name “Hormah” means “destruction”; it is from the word that means “ban, devote” for either destruction or temple use.

[15:2]  ⁶³ tn Heb “the land of your habitations.”

[15:2]  ⁶⁴ tn The Hebrew participle here has the futur instans use of the participle, expressing that something is going to take place. It is not imminent, but it is certain that God would give the land to Israel.

[15:14]  ⁶⁵ tn The word גּוּר (gur) was traditionally translated “to sojourn,” i.e., to live temporarily in a land. Here the two words are from the root: “if a sojourner sojourns.”

[15:14]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “in your midst.”

[15:14]  ⁶⁷ tn The Hebrew text just has “to your generations,” but it means in the future.

[15:14]  ⁶⁸ tn The imperfect tenses must reflect the responsibility to comply with the law, and so the classifications of instruction or obligation may be applied.

[15:26]  ⁶⁹ tn Again, rather than translate literally “and it shall be forgiven [to] them” (all the community), one could say, “they (all the community) will be forgiven.” The meaning is the same.

[16:10]  ⁷⁰ tn The verb is the Piel perfect. There is no imperfect tense before this, which makes the construction a little difficult. If the vav (ו) is classified as a consecutive, then the form would stand alone as an equivalent to the imperfect, and rendered as a modal nuance such as “would you [now] seek,” or as a progressive imperfect, “are you seeking.” This latter nuance can be obtained by treating it as a regular perfect tense, with an instantaneous nuance: “do you [now] seek.”

[16:10]  sn Moses discerned correctly the real motivation for the rebellion. Korah wanted to be the high priest because he saw how much power there was in the spiritual leadership in Israel. He wanted something like a general election with himself as the candidate and his supporters promoting him. The great privilege of being a Levite and serving in the sanctuary was not enough for him – the status did not satisfy him. Korah gave no rebuttal. The test would be one of ministering with incense. This would bring them into direct proximity with the Lord. If God honored Korah as a ministering priest, then it would be settled. But Moses accuses them of rebellion against the Lord, because the Lord had chosen Aaron to be the priest.

[16:24]  ⁷¹ tn The motif of “going up” is still present; here the Hebrew text says “go up” (the Niphal imperative – “go up yourselves”) from their tents, meaning, move away from them.

[16:27]  ⁷² tn The verb נִצָּבִים (nitsavim) suggests a defiant stance, for the word is often used in the sense of taking a stand for or against something. It can also be somewhat neutral, having the sense of positioning oneself for a purpose.

[20:15]  ⁷³ tn Heb “many days.”

[20:15]  ⁷⁴ 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.”

[21:1]  ⁷⁵ sn This chapter has several events in it: the victory over Arad (vv. 1-3), the plague of serpents (vv. 4-9), the approach to Moab (vv. 10-20), and the victory over Sihon and Og (vv. 21-35). For information, see D. M. Gunn, “The ‘Battle Report’: Oral or Scribal Convention.” JBL 93 (1974): 513-18; and of the extensive literature on the archaeological site, see EAEHL 1:74-89.

[21:1]  ⁷⁶ sn The name Arad probably refers to a place a number of miles away from Tel Arad in southern Israel. The name could also refer to the whole region (like Edom).

[21:1]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “the south”; “Negev” has become a technical name for the southern desert region and is still in use in modern times.

[21:15]  ⁷⁸ tc There are many variations in this text, but the MT reading of something like “the descent of the torrents/valleys” is preferable, since it is describing the topography.

[21:15]  ⁷⁹ sn The place is unknown; it is apparently an important city in the region.

[21:24]  ⁸⁰ tn The Hebrew text has “Israel,” but the verb is plural.

[21:24]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “with the edge of the sword.”

[21:25]  ⁸² tn Heb “its daughters.”

[21:31]  ⁸³ tn Heb “Israel.”

[21:32]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “Moses sent to spy out.”

[21:32]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “daughters.”

[21:35]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Og) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:35]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “no remnant.”

[22:5]  ⁸⁸ sn There is much literature on pagan diviners and especially prophecy in places in the east like Mari (see, for example, H. B. Huffmon, “Prophecy in the Mari Letters,” BA 31 [1968]: 101-24). Balaam appears to be a pagan diviner who was of some reputation; he was called to curse the Israelites, but God intervened and gave him blessings only. The passage forms a nice complement to texts that deal with blessings and curses. It shows that no one can curse someone whom God has blessed.

[22:5]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “by the river”; in most contexts this expression refers to the Euphrates River (cf. NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

[22:5]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “in the land of Amaw” (cf. NAB, NRSV, TEV); traditionally “in the land of the sons of his people.” The LXX has “by the river of the land.”

[22:5]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “eye.” So also in v. 11.

[23:9]  ⁹² tn Heb “him,” but here it refers to the Israelites (Israel).

[23:9]  ⁹³ sn Balaam reports his observation of the nation of Israel spread out below him in the valley. Based on that vision, and the Lord’s word, he announces the uniqueness of Israel – they are not just like one of the other nations. He was correct, of course; they were the only people linked with the living God by covenant.

[23:9]  ⁹⁴ tn The verb could also be taken as a reflexive – Israel does not consider itself as among the nations, meaning, they consider themselves to be unique.

[24:2]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “living according to their tribes.”

[24:5]  ⁹⁶ tn Here מָה (mah) has an exclamatory sense: “How!” (see Gen 28:17).

[24:11]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “flee to your place.”

[24:18]  ⁹⁸ sn Seir is the chief mountain range of Edom (Deut 33:2), and so the reference here is to the general area of Edom.

[24:21]  ⁹⁹ sn A pun is made on the name Kenite by using the word “your nest” (קִנֶּךָ, qinnekha); the location may be the rocky cliffs overlooking Petra.

[31:10]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “burned with fire.”

[31:10]  ¹⁰¹ tn The ban applied to the encampments and forts of this group of Midianite tribes living in the region of Moab.

[32:3]  ¹⁰² tc Smr and the LXX have Sibmah. Cf. v. 38.

[32:3]  ¹⁰³ tn Cf. Baal-meon in v. 38.

[32:6]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The vav (ו) is a vav disjunctive prefixed to the pronoun; it fits best here as a circumstantial clause, “while you stay here.”

[32:17]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The MT has חֻשִׁים (khushim); the verbal root is חוּשׁ (khush, “to make haste” or “hurry”). But in light of the Greek and Latin Vulgate the Hebrew should probably be emended to חֲמֻשִׁים (hamushim), a qal passive participle meaning “in battle array.” See further BDB 301 s.v. I חוּשׁ, BDB 332 s.v. חֲמֻשִׁים; HALOT 300 s.v. I חושׁ, חישׁ; HALOT 331 s.v. I חמשׁ.

[32:17]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “from before.”

[32:40]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “in it.”

[33:52]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The Hebrew text repeats the verb “you will destroy.”

[35:2]  ¹⁰⁹ tn The verb is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive: “command…and they will give,” or “that they give.”

[35:2]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[35:5]  ¹¹¹ tn The verb is the Qal perfect of מָדַד (madad, “to measure”). With its vav (ו) consecutive it carries the same instructional force as the imperfect.

[35:5]  ¹¹² tn Heb “two thousand cubits” (also three more times in this verse). This would be a distance of 3,000 feet or 1,000 yards (1,350 meters).

[35:5]  ¹¹³ sn The precise nature of the layout described here is not altogether clear. V. 4 speaks of the distance from the wall as being 500 yards; v. 5, however, describes measurements of 1,000 yards. Various proposals have been made in order to harmonize vv. 4 and 5. P. J. Budd, Numbers (WBC), 376, makes the following suggestion: “It may be best to assume that the cubits of the Levitical pasture lands are cubit frontages of land – in other words on each side of the city there was a block of land with a frontage of two thousand cubits (v 5), and a depth of 1000 cubits (v 4).”

[35:25]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “in it.”

[35:29]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “a statute of judgment” (so KJV).

[35:32]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “the priest.” The Greek and the Syriac have “high priest.” The present translation, along with many English versions, uses “high priest” as a clarification.