Bilangan 7:2

7:2 Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of their clans, ¹  made an offering. They were the leaders of the tribes; they were the ones who had been supervising ²  the numbering.

Bilangan 10:21

10:21 And the Kohathites set out, carrying the articles for the sanctuary; ³  the tabernacle was to be set up ⁴  before they arrived. ⁵ 

Bilangan 16:34

16:34 All the Israelites ⁶  who were around them fled at their cry, ⁷  for they said, “What if ⁸  the earth swallows us too?”

Bilangan 21:6

21:6 So the Lord sent poisonous ⁹  snakes ¹⁰  among the people, and they bit the people; many people of Israel died.

Bilangan 25:14

25:14 Now the name of the Israelite who was stabbed – the one who was stabbed with the Midianite woman – was Zimri son of Salu, a leader of a clan ¹¹  of the Simeonites.

Bilangan 31:4

31:4 You must send to the battle a thousand men from every tribe throughout all the tribes of Israel.” ¹² 

[7:2]  ¹ tn Heb “the house of their fathers.”

[7:2]  ² tn The form is the Qal active participle from the verb “to stand” (עָמַד, ’amad). The form describes these leaders as “the ones standing over [the ones numbered].” The expression, along with the clear indication of the first census in chapter 1, shows that this was a supervisory capacity.

[10:21]  ³ tn Heb “carrying the sanctuary,” a metonymy of whole for parts, representing all the holy objects that were located in the sanctuary.

[10:21]  ⁴ tn The verb is the third person plural form; without an expressed subject it is treated as a passive.

[10:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “against their coming.”

[16:34]  ⁶ tn Heb “all Israel.”

[16:34]  ⁷ tn Heb “voice.”

[16:34]  ⁸ tn Heb “lest.”

[21:6]  ⁹ tn Heb “fiery.”

[21:6]  ¹⁰ tn The designation of the serpents/ snakes is נְחָשִׁים (nÿkhashim), which is similar to the word for “bronze” (נְחֹשֶׁת, nÿkhoshet). This has led some scholars to describe the serpents as bronze in color. The description of them as fiery indicates they were poisonous. Perhaps the snake in question is a species of adder.

[25:14]  ¹¹ tn Heb “a father’s house.” So also in v. 15.

[31:4]  ¹² sn Some commentators argue that given the size of the nation (which they reject) the small number for the army is a sign of the unrealistic character of the story. The number is a round number, but it is also a holy war, and God would give them the victory. They are beginning to learn here, and at Jericho, and later against these Midianites under Gideon, that God does not want or need a large army in order to obtain victory.