II. The Experience of the Second Generation of Israel in the Plains of Moab:

II. The Experience of the Second Generation of Israel in the Plains of Moab:

note on Num. 1:46).

The fourth interpretive challenge concerns the heathen prophet Balaam, whose story is recorded in 22:2–24:25. Even though Balaam claimed to know the Lord (22:18), Scripture consistently refers to him as a false prophet (2 Pet. 2:15–16; Jude 11). The Lord used Balaam as his mouthpiece to speak the true words he put in his mouth (see notes on Num. 22:2–24:25).

Outline

I. The Experience of the First Generation of Israel in the Wilderness (1:1–

25:18) A. The Obedience of Israel toward the Lord (1:1–10:36)

1. The organization of Israel around the tabernacle of the Lord (1:1–6:27) 2. The orientation of Israel toward the tabernacle of the Lord (7:1–10:36) B. The Disobedience of Israel toward the Lord (11:1–25:18)

1. The complaining of Israel on the journey (11:1–12:16) 2. The rebellion of Israel and its leaders at Kadesh (13:1–20:29) a. The rebellion of Israel and the consequences (13:1–19:22) b. The rebellion of Moses and Aaron and the consequences

(20:1–29) 3. The renewed complaining of Israel on the journey (21:1–22:1) 4. The blessing of Israel by Balaam (22:2–24:25) 5. The final rebellion of Israel with Baal of Peor (25:1–18) II. The Experience of the Second Generation of Israel in the Plains of Moab:

The Renewed Obedience of Israel toward the Lord (26:1–36:13)

A. The Preparations for the Conquest of the Land (26:1–32:42)

B. The Review of the Journey in the Wilderness (33:1–49) C. The Anticipation of the Conquest of the Land (33:50–36:13)

Numbers

A Census of Israel's Warriors

NUMBERS 1 ‡‡†The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2†"Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. 3†From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company. 4†And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers. 5And these are the names of the men who shall assist you. From Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur; 6from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; 7from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab; 8from Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar; 9from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon; 10from the sons of Joseph, from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; 11from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni; 12from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; 13from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran; 14from Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel; 15from Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan." 16These were the ones chosen from the congregation, the chiefs of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel.

17‡Moses and Aaron took these men who had been named, 18and on the first day of the second month, they assembled the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans, by fathers' houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head, 19as the LORD commanded Moses. So he listed them in the wilderness of Sinai.

20The people of Reuben, Israel's firstborn, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: 21those listed of the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.

22Of the people of Simeon, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, those of them who were listed, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: 23those listed of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.

24Of the people of Gad, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: 25those listed of the tribe of Gad were 45,650.

26Of the people of Judah, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 27those listed of the tribe of Judah were 74,600.

28Of the people of Issachar, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 29those listed of the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.

30Of the people of Zebulun, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 31those listed of the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.

32Of the people of Joseph, namely, of the people of Ephraim, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 33those listed of the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.

34Of the people of Manasseh, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 35those listed of the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.

36Of the people of Benjamin, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 37those listed of the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.

38Of the people of Dan, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 39those listed of the tribe of Dan were 62,700.

40Of the people of Asher, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 41those listed of the tribe of Asher were 41,500.

42Of the people of Naphtali, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 43those listed of the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.

44These are those who were listed, whom Moses and Aaron listed with the help of the chiefs of Israel, twelve men, each representing his fathers' house. 45So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers' houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel— 46†all those listed were 603,550.

Levites Exempted

47But the Levites were not listed along with them by their ancestral tribe. 48For the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 49"Only the tribe of Levi you shall not list, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel. 50†But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it and shall camp around the tabernacle. 51†When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death. 52The people of Israel shall pitch their tents by their companies, each man in his own camp and each man by his own standard. 53†But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the people of Israel. And the Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the testimony." 54Thus did the people of Israel; they did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.

Arrangement of the Camp

NUMBERS 2 The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2†"The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers' houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side. 3†Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab, 4his company as listed being 74,600. 5Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, the chief of the people of Issachar being Nethanel the son of Zuar, 6his company as listed being 54,400. 7Then the tribe of Zebulun, the chief of the people of Zebulun being Eliab the son of Helon, 8his company as listed being 57,400. 9All those listed of the camp of Judah, by their companies, were 186,400. They shall set out first on the march.

10"On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben by their companies, the chief of the people of Reuben being Elizur the son of Shedeur, 11his company as listed being 46,500. 12And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, the chief of the people of Simeon being Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, 13his company as listed being 59,300. 14†Then the tribe of Gad, the chief of the people of Gad being Eliasaph the son of Reuel, 15his company as listed being 45,650. 16All those listed of the camp of Reuben, by their companies, were 151,450. They shall set out second.

17†"Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; as they camp, so shall they set out, each in position, standard by standard.

18"On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their companies, the chief of the people of Ephraim being Elishama the son of Ammihud, 19his company as listed being 40,500. 20And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh, the chief of the people of Manasseh being Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, 21his company as listed being 32,200. 22Then the tribe of Benjamin, the chief of the people of Benjamin being Abidan the son of Gideoni, 23his company as listed being 35,400. 24All those listed of the camp of Ephraim, by their companies, were 108,100. They shall set out third on the march.

25"On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan by their companies, the chief of the people of Dan being Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, 26his

company as listed being 62,700. 27And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, the chief of the people of Asher being Pagiel the son of Ochran, 28his company as listed being 41,500. 29Then the tribe of Naphtali, the chief of the people of Naphtali being Ahira the son of Enan, 30his company as listed being 53,400. 31All those listed of the camp of Dan were 157,600. They shall set out last, standard by standard."

32†These are the people of Israel as listed by their fathers' houses. All those listed in the camps by their companies were 603,550. 33But the Levites were not listed among the people of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses.

34Thus did the people of Israel. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, each one in his clan, according to his fathers' house.

The Sons of Aaron

NUMBERS 3 †These are the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3†These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests. 4†But Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of Aaron their father.

Duties of the Levites

5And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6†"Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. 7They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle. 8They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle. 9And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the people of Israel. 10†And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death."

11And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12†"Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine, 13for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall be mine: I am the LORD."

14And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15†"List the sons of Levi, by fathers' houses and by clans; every male from a month old and upward you shall list." 16So Moses listed them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded. 17And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari. 18And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei. 19And the sons of Kohath by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20And the sons of Merari by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites, by their fathers'

houses.

21‡To Gershon belonged the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites. 22Their listing according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was [1] 7,500. 23The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west, 24with Eliasaph, the son of Lael as chief of the fathers' house of the Gershonites. 25And the guard duty of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords—all the service connected with these.

27‡To Kohath belonged the clan of the Amramites and the clan of the Izharites and the clan of the Hebronites and the clan of the Uzzielites; these are the clans of the Kohathites. 28According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, keeping guard over the sanctuary. 29The clans of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle, 30with Elizaphan the son of Uzziel as chief of the fathers' house of the clans of the Kohathites. 31And their guard duty involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the screen; all the service connected with these. 32And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the chiefs of the Levites, and to have oversight of those who kept guard over the sanctuary.

33‡To Merari belonged the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites: these are the clans of Merari. 34Their listing according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was 6,200. 35And the chief of the fathers' house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36And the appointed guard duty of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and all their accessories; all the service connected with these; 37also the pillars around the court, with their bases and pegs and cords.

38†Those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, guarding the sanctuary itself, to protect [2] the people of Israel. And any outsider who came near was to be put to death. 39All those listed among the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron listed at the commandment of the LORD, by clans, all the males from a month old and upward, were 22,000.

Redemption of the Firstborn

40And the LORD said to Moses, "List all the firstborn males of the people of Israel, from a month old and upward, taking the number of their names. 41And you shall take the Levites for me—I am the LORD—instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the people of Israel." 42So Moses listed all the firstborn among the people of Israel, as the LORD commanded him. 43†And all the firstborn males, according to the number of names, from a month old and upward as listed were 22,273.

44And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45"Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. The Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD. 46And as the redemption price for the 273 of the firstborn of the people of Israel, over and above the number of the male Levites, 47you shall take five shekels [3] per head; you shall take them according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel of twenty gerahs [4]), 48and give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those who are over." 49So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the Levites. 50From the firstborn of the people of Israel he took the money, 1,365 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary. 51And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Duties of the Kohathites

NUMBERS 4 ‡The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2"Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their clans and their fathers' houses, 3†from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can come on duty, to do the work in the tent of meeting. 4‡This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting: the most holy things. 5When the camp is to set out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it. 6Then they shall put on it a covering of goatskin [1] and spread on top of that a cloth all of blue, and shall put in its poles. 7And over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall spread a cloth of blue and put on it the plates, the dishes for incense, the bowls, and the flagons for the drink offering; the regular showbread also shall be on it. 8Then they shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet and cover the same with a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles. 9And they shall take a cloth of blue and cover the lampstand for the light, with its lamps, its tongs, its trays, and all the vessels for oil with which it is supplied. 10And they shall put it with all its utensils in a covering of goatskin and put it on the carrying frame. 11And over the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue and cover it with a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles. 12And they shall take all the vessels of the service that are used in the sanctuary and put them in a cloth of blue and cover them with a covering of goatskin and put them on the carrying frame. 13And they shall take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it. 14And they shall put on it all the utensils of the altar, which are used for the service there, the fire pans, the forks, the shovels, and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they shall spread on it a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles. 15And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things of the tent of meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry.

16"And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall have charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering, and the anointing oil, with the oversight of the whole tabernacle and all that is in it, of the sanctuary and its vessels."

17The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 18"Let not the tribe of the clans of the Kohathites be destroyed from among the Levites, 19but deal thus with

them, that they may live and not die when they come near to the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them each to his task and to his burden, 20but they shall not go in to look on the holy things even for a moment, lest they die."

21‡The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 22"Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers' houses and by their clans. 23From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall list them, all who can come to do duty, to do service in the tent of meeting. 24This is the service of the clans of the Gershonites, in serving and bearing burdens: 25they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with its covering and the covering of goatskin that is on top of it and the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting 26and the hangings of the court and the screen for the entrance of the gate of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords and all the equipment for their service. And they shall do all that needs to be done with regard to them. 27All the service of the sons of the Gershonites shall be at the command of Aaron and his sons, in all that they are to carry and in all that they have to do. And you shall assign to their charge all that they are to carry. 28This is the service of the clans of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting, and their guard duty is to be under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

29‡"As for the sons of Merari, you shall list them by their clans and their fathers' houses. 30From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall list them, everyone who can come on duty, to do the service of the tent of meeting. 31And this is what they are charged to carry, as the whole of their service in the tent of meeting: the frames of the tabernacle, with its bars, pillars, and bases, 32and the pillars around the court with their bases, pegs, and cords, with all their equipment and all their accessories. And you shall list by name the objects that they are required to carry. 33This is the service of the clans of the sons of Merari, the whole of their service in the tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest."

34‡And Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of the congregation listed the sons of the Kohathites, by their clans and their fathers' houses, 35from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty, for service in the tent of meeting; 36and those listed by clans were 2,750. 37This was the list of the clans of the Kohathites, all who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the LORD by Moses.

38Those listed of the sons of Gershon, by their clans and their fathers' houses, 39from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty for service in the tent of meeting— 40those listed by their clans and their fathers' houses were 2,630. 41This was the list of the clans of the sons of Gershon, all who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the LORD.

42Those listed of the clans of the sons of Merari, by their clans and their fathers' houses, 43from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty, for service in the tent of meeting— 44those listed by clans were 3,200. 45This was the list of the clans of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the LORD by Moses.

46All those who were listed of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of Israel listed, by their clans and their fathers' houses, 47from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come to do the service of ministry and the service of bearing burdens in the tent of meeting, 48those listed were 8,580. 49According to the commandment of the LORD through Moses they were listed, each one with his task of serving or carrying. Thus they were listed by him, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Unclean People

NUMBERS 5 ‡The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2†"Command the people of Israel that they put out of the camp everyone who is leprous [1] or has a discharge and everyone who is unclean through contact with the dead. 3†You shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell." 4And the people of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as the LORD said to Moses, so the people of Israel did.

Confession and Restitution

5‡And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6†"Speak to the people of Israel, When a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with the LORD, and that person realizes his guilt, 7he shall confess his sin that he has committed. [2] And he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong. 8†But if the man has no next of kin to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for wrong shall go to the LORD for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement with which atonement is made for him. 9And every contribution, all the holy donations of the people of Israel, which they bring to the priest, shall be his. 10Each one shall keep his holy donations: whatever anyone gives to the priest shall be his."

A Test for Adultery

11‡And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12"Speak to the people of Israel, If any man's wife goes astray and breaks faith with him, 13if a man lies with her sexually, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and she is undetected though she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her, since she was not taken in the act, 14†and if the spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife who has defiled herself, or if the spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife, though she has not defiled herself, 15†then the man shall bring his wife to the priest and bring the offering required of her, a tenth of an ephah [3] of barley flour. He shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of remembrance, bringing iniquity to remembrance.

16"And the priest shall bring her near and set her before the LORD. 17And the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. 18†And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD and unbind the hair of the woman's head and place in her hands the grain offering of remembrance, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And in his hand the priest shall have the water of bitterness that brings the curse. 19Then the priest shall make her take an oath, saying, 'If no man has lain with you, and if you have not turned aside to uncleanness while you were under your husband's authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings the curse. 20But if you have gone astray, though you are under your husband's authority, and if you have defiled yourself, and some man other than your husband has lain with you, 21then' (let the priest make the woman take the oath of the curse, and say to the woman) 'the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the LORD makes your thigh fall away and your body swell. 22May this water that brings the curse pass into your bowels and make your womb swell and your thigh fall away.' And the woman shall say, 'Amen, Amen.'

23"Then the priest shall write these curses in a book and wash them off into the water of bitterness. 24And he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings the curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain. 25And the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy out of the woman's hand and shall wave the grain offering before the LORD and bring it to the altar. 26And the priest shall take a handful of the grain offering, as its memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water. 27And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and has broken faith with her husband, the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, and her womb shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away, and the woman shall become a curse among her people. 28†But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be free and shall conceive children.

29"This is the law in cases of jealousy, when a wife, though under her husband's authority, goes astray and defiles herself, 30or when the spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife. Then he shall set the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall carry out for her all this law. 31The man shall be free from iniquity, but the woman shall bear her iniquity."

The Nazirite Vow

NUMBERS 6 ‡And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2†"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, [1] to separate himself to the LORD, 3he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink and shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried. 4All the days of his separation [2] he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins.

5"All the days of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch his head. Until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the LORD, he shall be holy. He shall let the locks of hair of his head grow long.

6"All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not go near a dead body. 7Not even for his father or for his mother, for brother or sister, if they die, shall he make himself unclean, because his separation to God is on his head. 8All the days of his separation he is holy to the LORD.

9†"And if any man dies very suddenly beside him and he defiles his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head on the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he shall shave it. 10On the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two pigeons to the priest to the entrance of the tent of meeting, 11and the priest shall offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned by reason of the dead body. And he shall consecrate his head that same day 12and separate himself to the LORD for the days of his separation and bring a male lamb a year old for a guilt offering. But the previous period shall be void, because his separation was defiled.

13†"And this is the law for the Nazirite, when the time of his separation has been completed: he shall be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting, 14and he shall bring his gift to the LORD, one male lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish as a sin offering, and one ram without blemish as a peace offering, 15and a basket of unleavened bread, loaves of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and their grain offering and their drink offerings. 16And the priest shall bring them before the LORD and offer his sin offering and his burnt offering, 17and he shall offer the ram as a sacrifice of peace offering to the LORD, with the basket of

unleavened bread. The priest shall offer also its grain offering and its drink offering. 18And the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall take the hair from his consecrated head and put it on the fire that is under the sacrifice of the peace offering. 19And the priest shall take the shoulder of the ram, when it is boiled, and one unleavened loaf out of the basket and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite, after he has shaved the hair of his consecration, 20and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. They are a holy portion for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed. And after that the Nazirite may drink wine.

21"This is the law of the Nazirite. But if he vows an offering to the LORD above his Nazirite vow, as he can afford, in exact accordance with the vow that he takes, then he shall do in addition to the law of the Nazirite."

Aaron's Blessing

22‡The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 23"Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, 24†The LORD bless you and keep you; 25the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26the LORD lift up his countenance [3] upon you and give you peace.

27†"So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them."

Offerings at the Tabernacle's Consecration

NUMBERS 7 ‡‡†On the day when Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it with all its furnishings and had anointed and consecrated the altar with all its utensils, 2†the chiefs of Israel, heads of their fathers' houses, who were the chiefs of the tribes, who were over those who were listed, approached 3and brought their offerings before the LORD, six wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the chiefs, and for each one an ox. They brought them before the tabernacle. 4Then the LORD said to Moses, 5"Accept these from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting, and give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service." 6†So Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7Two wagons and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service. 8And four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 9But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because they were charged with the service of the holy things that had to be carried on the shoulder. 10And the chiefs offered offerings for the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed; and the chiefs offered their offering before the altar. 11And the LORD said to Moses, "They shall offer their offerings, one chief each day, for the dedication of the altar."

12†He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah. 13And his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, [1] one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 14one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 15one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 16one male goat for a sin offering; 17and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

18On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, the chief of Issachar, made an offering. 19He offered for his offering one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 20one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 21one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 22one male goat for a sin offering; 23and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five

male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar.

24On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, the chief of the people of Zebulun: 25his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 26one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 27one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 28one male goat for a sin offering; 29and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.

30On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, the chief of the people of Reuben: 31his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 32one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 33one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 34one male goat for a sin offering; 35and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.

36On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, the chief of the people of Simeon: 37his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 38one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 39one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 40one male goat for a sin offering; 41and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

42On the sixth day Eliasaph the son of Deuel, the chief of the people of Gad: 43his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 44one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 45one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 46one male goat for a sin offering; 47and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

48On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, the chief of the people of

Ephraim: 49his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 50one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 51one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 52one male goat for a sin offering; 53and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.

54On the eighth day Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, the chief of the people of Manasseh: 55his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 56one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 57one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 58one male goat for a sin offering; 59and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

60On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, the chief of the people of Benjamin: 61his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 62one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 63one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 64one male goat for a sin offering; 65and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.

66On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, the chief of the people of Dan: 67his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 68one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 69one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 70one male goat for a sin offering; 71and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

72On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ochran, the chief of the people of Asher: 73his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 74one golden dish of 10 shekels,

full of incense; 75one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 76one male goat for a sin offering; 77and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran.

78On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, the chief of the people of Naphtali: 79his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 80one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 81one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 82one male goat for a sin offering; 83and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.

84‡This was the dedication offering for the altar on the day when it was anointed, from the chiefs of Israel: twelve silver plates, twelve silver basins, twelve golden dishes, 85each silver plate weighing 130 shekels and each basin 70, all the silver of the vessels 2,400 shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary, 86the twelve golden dishes, full of incense, weighing 10 shekels apiece according to the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the dishes being 120 shekels; 87all the cattle for the burnt offering twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve male lambs a year old, with their grain offering; and twelve male goats for a sin offering; 88and all the cattle for the sacrifice of peace offerings twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, the male lambs a year old sixty. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed.

89†And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke to him.

The Seven Lamps

NUMBERS 8 ‡Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2"Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand." 3And Aaron did so: he set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses. 4And this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

Cleansing of the Levites

5‡And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6†"Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them. 7Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. 8Then let them take a bull from the herd and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another bull from the herd for a sin offering. 9†And you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the people of Israel. 10When you bring the Levites before the LORD, the people of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites, 11and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of the LORD. 12Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD to make atonement for the Levites. 13And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as a wave offering to the LORD.

14"Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. 15And after that the Levites shall go in to serve at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering. 16For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself. 17For all the firstborn among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself, 18and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel. 19†And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the

people of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary."

20Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the people of Israel to the Levites. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the people of Israel did to them. 21And the Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron offered them as a wave offering before the LORD, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22And after that the Levites went in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and his sons; as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

Retirement of the Levites

23And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24†"This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they [1] shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. 25And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more. 26They minister [2] to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties."

The Passover Celebrated

NUMBERS 9 ‡†And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2"Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. 3†On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules you shall keep it." 4So Moses told the people of Israel that they should keep the Passover. 5And they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the people of Israel did. 6†And there were certain men who were unclean through touching a dead body, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. 7And those men said to him, "We are unclean through touching a dead body. Why are we kept from bringing the LORD's offering at its appointed time among the people of Israel?" 8And Moses said to them, "Wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you."

9The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10†"Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If any one of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is on a long journey, he shall still keep the Passover to the LORD. 11In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight they shall keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12†They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break any of its bones; according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it. 13†But if anyone who is clean and is not on a journey fails to keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from his people because he did not bring the LORD's offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin. 14†And if a stranger sojourns among you and would keep the Passover to the LORD, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its rule, so shall he do. You shall have one statute, both for the sojourner and for the native."

The Cloud Covering the Tabernacle

15‡†On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. 16†So it was always: the cloud covered it by day [1] and the appearance of fire by night. 17And whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the

cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped. 18At the command of the LORD the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the LORD they camped. As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. 19Even when the cloud continued over the tabernacle many days, the people of Israel kept the charge of the LORD and did not set out. 20Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the LORD they remained in camp; then according to the command of the LORD they set out. 21And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out. 22Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out. 23†At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out. They kept the charge of the LORD, at the command of the LORD by Moses.

The Silver Trumpets

NUMBERS 10 ‡The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2†"Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp. 3‡And when both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 4But if they blow only one, then the chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. 5†When you blow an alarm, the camps that are on the east side shall set out. 6And when you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are on the south side shall set out. An alarm is to be blown whenever they are to set out. 7But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow a long blast, but you shall not sound an alarm. 8†And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. The trumpets shall be to you for a perpetual statute throughout your generations. 9And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. 10On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the LORD your God."

Israel Leaves Sinai

11‡†In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony, 12†and the people of Israel set out by stages from the wilderness of Sinai. And the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran. 13They set out for the first time at the command of the LORD by Moses. 14‡†The standard of the camp of the people of Judah set out first by their companies, and over their company was Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 15And over the company of the tribe of the people of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. 16And over the company of the tribe of the people of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.

17And when the tabernacle was taken down, the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who carried the tabernacle, set out. 18And the standard of the camp of Reuben set out by their companies, and over their company was Elizur the son of Shedeur. 19And over the company of the tribe of the people of Simeon was

Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 20And over the company of the tribe of the people of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

21Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things, and the tabernacle was set up before their arrival. 22And the standard of the camp of the people of Ephraim set out by their companies, and over their company was Elishama the son of Ammihud. 23And over the company of the tribe of the people of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 24And over the company of the tribe of the people of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.

25Then the standard of the camp of the people of Dan, acting as the rear guard of all the camps, set out by their companies, and over their company was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 26And over the company of the tribe of the people of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ochran. 27And over the company of the tribe of the people of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan. 28This was the order of march of the people of Israel by their companies, when they set out.

29†And Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-inlaw, "We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you.' Come with us, and we will do good to you, for the LORD has promised good to Israel." 30But he said to him, "I will not go. I will depart to my own land and to my kindred." 31And he said, "Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us. 32And if you do go with us, whatever good the LORD will do to us, the same will we do to you."

33†So they set out from the mount of the LORD three days' journey. And the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them three days' journey, to seek out a resting place for them. 34And the cloud of the LORD was over them by day, whenever they set out from the camp.

35‡And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, "Arise, O LORD, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you." 36And when it rested, he said, "Return, O LORD, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel."

The People Complain

NUMBERS 11 ‡‡†And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. 2Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire died down. 3So the name of that place was called Taberah, [1] because the fire of the LORD burned among them.

4†Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, "Oh that we had meat to eat! 5We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at."

7†Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. 8The people went about and gathered it and ground it in handmills or beat it in mortars and boiled it in pots and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. 9When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it.

10Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the LORD blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. 11Moses said to the LORD, "Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,' to the land that you swore to give their fathers? 13‡Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, 'Give us meat, that we may eat.' 14I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. 15If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness."

Elders Appointed to Aid Moses

16‡†Then the LORD said to Moses, "Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you.

17†And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone. 18And say to the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the LORD, saying, "Who will give us meat to eat? For it was better for us in Egypt." Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you shall eat. 19You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before him, saying, "Why did we come out of Egypt?"'" 21†But Moses said, "The people among whom I am number six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said, 'I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month!' 22Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, and be enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, and be enough for them?" 23†And the LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD's hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not."

24So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25†Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.

26Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27And a young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." 28And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, "My lord Moses, stop them." 29†But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD's people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!" 30And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

Quail and a Plague

31†Then a wind from the LORD sprang up, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits [2] above the ground. 32†And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten homers. [3] And they

spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck down the people with a very great plague. 34Therefore the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, [4] because there they buried the people who had the craving. 35From Kibrothhattaavah the people journeyed to Hazeroth, and they remained at Hazeroth.

Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses

NUMBERS 12 ‡†Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. 2†And they said, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?" And the LORD heard it. 3†Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. 4And suddenly the LORD said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, "Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting." And the three of them came out. 5†And the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. 6And he said, "Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. 7†Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. 8†With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" 9And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them, and he departed.

10†When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, [1] like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. 11And Aaron said to Moses, "Oh, my lord, do not punish us [2] because we have done foolishly and have sinned. 12Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother's womb." 13And Moses cried to the LORD, "O God, please heal her—please." 14But the LORD said to Moses, "If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again." 15So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again. 16†After that the people set out from Hazeroth, and camped in the wilderness of Paran.

Spies Sent into Canaan

NUMBERS 13 ‡†The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2†"Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them." 3†So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran, according to the command of the LORD, all of them men who were heads of the people of Israel. 4And these were their names: From the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur; 5from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori; 6from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; 7from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph; 8from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun; 9from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu; 10from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi; 11from the tribe of Joseph (that is, from the tribe of Manasseh), Gaddi the son of Susi; 12from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli; 13from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael; 14from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi; 15from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. 16†These were the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua.

17‡Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said to them, "Go up into the Negeb and go up into the hill country, 18and see what the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many, 19and whether the land that they dwell in is good or bad, and whether the cities that they dwell in are camps or strongholds, 20†and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land." Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.

21†So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. 22†They went up into the Negeb and came to Hebron. Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23†And they came to the Valley of Eshcol and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them; they also brought some pomegranates and figs. 24That place was called the Valley of Eshcol, [1] because of the cluster that the people of Israel cut down from there.

Report of the Spies

25At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. 26And they

came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27And they told him, "We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28†However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan."

30†But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, "Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it." 31Then the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are." 32†So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, "The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. 33†And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them."

The People Rebel

NUMBERS 14 †Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2†And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?" 4†And they said to one another, "Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt."

5Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel. 6†And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes 7‡and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, "The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. 8If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them." 10†Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel.

11†And the LORD said to Moses, "How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? 12†I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they."

Moses Intercedes for the People

13‡But Moses said to the LORD, "Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them, 14and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O LORD, are in the midst of this people. For you, O LORD, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say, 16'It is because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.' 17And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have

promised, saying, 18'The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.' 19Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now."

God Promises Judgment

20Then the LORD said, "I have pardoned, according to your word. 21But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD, 22†none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it. 24†But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it. 25†Now, since the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valleys, turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea."

26‡And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 27"How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me. 28Say to them, 'As I live, declares the LORD, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: 29your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, 30not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected. 32But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. 33And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness. 34According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.' 35I, the LORD, have spoken. Surely this will I do to all this wicked congregation who are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall come to a full end, and there they shall die."

36And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all

the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land — 37†the men who brought up a bad report of the land—died by plague before the LORD. 38Of those men who went to spy out the land, only Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive.

Israel Defeated in Battle

39When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel, the people mourned greatly. 40And they rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country, saying, "Here we are. We will go up to the place that the LORD has promised, for we have sinned." 41But Moses said, "Why now are you transgressing the command of the LORD, when that will not succeed? 42Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies. 43For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are facing you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned back from following the LORD, the LORD will not be with you." 44†But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, although neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed out of the camp. 45Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them and pursued them, even to Hormah.

Laws About Sacrifices

NUMBERS 15 ‡‡The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving you, 3and you offer to the LORD from the herd or from the flock a food offering [1] or a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering or at your appointed feasts, to make a pleasing aroma to the LORD, 4†then he who brings his offering shall offer to the LORD a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah [2] of fine flour, mixed with a quarter of a hin [3] of oil; 5and you shall offer with the burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, a quarter of a hin of wine for the drink offering for each lamb. 6Or for a ram, you shall offer for a grain offering two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a third of a hin of oil. 7And for the drink offering you shall offer a third of a hin of wine, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 8And when you offer a bull as a burnt offering or sacrifice, to fulfill a vow or for peace offerings to the LORD, 9then one shall offer with the bull a grain offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with half a hin of oil. 10And you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, as a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

11"Thus it shall be done for each bull or ram, or for each lamb or young goat. 12As many as you offer, so shall you do with each one, as many as there are. 13Every native Israelite shall do these things in this way, in offering a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 14And if a stranger is sojourning with you, or anyone is living permanently among you, and he wishes to offer a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD, he shall do as you do. 15For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a statute forever throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the LORD. 16One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you."

17‡The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 18"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land to which I bring you 19and when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall present a contribution to the LORD. 20Of the first of your dough you shall present a loaf as a contribution; like a contribution from the threshing floor, so shall you present it. 21Some of the first of your dough you shall give to the LORD as a contribution throughout your generations.

Laws About Unintentional Sins

22†"But if you sin unintentionally, [4] and do not observe all these commandments that the LORD has spoken to Moses, 23all that the LORD has commanded you by Moses, from the day that the LORD gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations, 24then if it was done unintentionally without the knowledge of the congregation, all the congregation shall offer one bull from the herd for a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the rule, and one male goat for a sin offering. 25And the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the people of Israel, and they shall be forgiven, because it was a mistake, and they have brought their offering, a food offering to the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD for their mistake. 26And all the congregation of the people of Israel shall be forgiven, and the stranger who sojourns among them, because the whole population was involved in the mistake.

27"If one person sins unintentionally, he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering. 28And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD for the person who makes a mistake, when he sins unintentionally, to make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven. 29You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the people of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns among them. 30†But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. 31Because he has despised the word of the LORD and has broken his commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him."

A Sabbathbreaker Executed

32‡While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. 34They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. 35And the LORD said to Moses, "The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp." 36And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Tassels on Garments

37‡The LORD said to Moses, 38"Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to

make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. 39And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, not to follow [5] after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. 40So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. 41†I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the LORD your God."

Korah's Rebellion

NUMBERS 16 ‡†Now Korah the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men. 2And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men. 3They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, "You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" 4When Moses heard it, he fell on his face, 5and he said to Korah and all his company, "In the morning the LORD will show who is his, [1] and who is holy, and will bring him near to him. The one whom he chooses he will bring near to him. 6Do this: take censers, Korah and all his company; 7put fire in them and put incense on them before the LORD tomorrow, and the man whom the LORD chooses shall be the holy one. You have gone too far, sons of Levi!" 8†And Moses said to Korah, "Hear now, you sons of Levi: 9is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do service in the tabernacle of the LORD and to stand before the congregation to minister to them, 10and that he has brought you near him, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? And would you seek the priesthood also? 11Therefore it is against the LORD that you and all your company have gathered together. What is Aaron that you grumble against him?"

12†And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and they said, "We will not come up. 13Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also make yourself a prince over us? 14Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up." 15†And Moses was very angry and said to the LORD, "Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed one of them."

16‡And Moses said to Korah, "Be present, you and all your company, before the LORD, you and they, and Aaron, tomorrow. 17And let every one of you take his censer and put incense on it, and every one of you bring before the LORD his censer, 250 censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer." 18So every man took his censer and put fire in them and laid incense on them and stood at the entrance

of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron. 19Then Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation.

20And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 21†"Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment." 22†And they fell on their faces and said, "O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?" 23And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24"Say to the congregation, Get away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram."

25Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. 26And he spoke to the congregation, saying, "Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be swept away with all their sins." 27So they got away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, together with their wives, their sons, and their little ones. 28And Moses said, "Hereby you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been of my own accord. 29If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, then the LORD has not sent me. 30†But if the LORD creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the LORD."

31And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart. 32†And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods. 33So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. 34And all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, "Lest the earth swallow us up!" 35And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men offering the incense.

36‡ [2] Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 37"Tell Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the censers out of the blaze. Then scatter the fire far and wide, for they have become holy. 38As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, for they offered them before the LORD, and they became holy. Thus they shall be a sign to the people of Israel." 39So Eleazar the priest

took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered, and they were hammered out as a covering for the altar, 40to be a reminder to the people of Israel, so that no outsider, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before the LORD, lest he become like Korah and his company—as the LORD said to him through Moses.

41‡But on the next day all the congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron, saying, "You have killed the people of the LORD." 42And when the congregation had assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting. And behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. 43And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, 44and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45"Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment." And they fell on their faces. 46†And Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer, and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun." 47So Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. 48And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped. 49†Now those who died in the plague were 14,700, besides those who died in the affair of Korah. 50And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, when the plague was stopped.

Aaron's Staff Buds

NUMBERS 17 [1] The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2†"Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers' house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs. Write each man's name on his staff, 3and write Aaron's name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathers' house. 4†Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. 5And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you." 6Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And all their chiefs gave him staffs, one for each chief, according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. 7And Moses deposited the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the testimony.

8†On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. 9Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the LORD to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff. 10†And the LORD said to Moses, "Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die." 11Thus did Moses; as the LORD commanded him, so he did.

12†And the people of Israel said to Moses, "Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. 13†Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD, shall die. Are we all to perish?"

Duties of Priests and Levites

NUMBERS 18 ‡†So the LORD said to Aaron, "You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood. 2And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. 3They shall keep guard over you and over the whole tent, but shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary or to the altar lest they, and you, die. 4They shall join you and keep guard over the tent of meeting for all the service of the tent, and no outsider shall come near you. 5And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar, that there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel. 6And behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the LORD, to do the service of the tent of meeting. 7†And you and your sons with you shall guard your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift, [1] and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death."

8‡Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, "Behold, I have given you charge of the contributions made to me, all the consecrated things of the people of Israel. I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual due. 9This shall be yours of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, every grain offering of theirs and every sin offering of theirs and every guilt offering of theirs, which they render to me, shall be most holy to you and to your sons. 10In a most holy place shall you eat it. Every male may eat it; it is holy to you. 11This also is yours: the contribution of their gift, all the wave offerings of the people of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it. 12All the best of the oil and all the best of the wine and of the grain, the firstfruits of what they give to the LORD, I give to you. 13The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it. 14Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours. 15Everything that opens the womb of all flesh, whether man or beast, which they offer to the LORD, shall be yours. Nevertheless, the firstborn of man you shall redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. 16And their redemption price (at a month old you shall redeem them) you shall fix at five shekels [2] in silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty

gerahs. 17But the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall burn their fat as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 18But their flesh shall be yours, as the breast that is waved and as the right thigh are yours. 19†All the holy contributions that the people of Israel present to the LORD I give to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. It is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD for you and for your offspring with you." 20And the LORD said to Aaron, "You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel.

21‡"To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting, 22so that the people of Israel do not come near the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin and die. 23But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the people of Israel they shall have no inheritance. 24For the tithe of the people of Israel, which they present as a contribution to the LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said of them that they shall have no inheritance among the people of Israel."

25‡And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 26"Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, 'When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the LORD, a tithe of the tithe. 27And your contribution shall be counted to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress. 28So you shall also present a contribution to the LORD from all your tithes, which you receive from the people of Israel. And from it you shall give the LORD's contribution to Aaron the priest. 29Out of all the gifts to you, you shall present every contribution due to the LORD; from each its best part is to be dedicated.' 30Therefore you shall say to them, 'When you have offered from it the best of it, then the rest shall be counted to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor, and as produce of the winepress. 31And you may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the tent of meeting. 32And you shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have contributed the best of it. But you shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, lest you die.'"

Laws for Purification

NUMBERS 19 ‡‡Now the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2†"This is the statute of the law that the LORD has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come. 3†And you shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered before him. 4And Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. 5And the heifer shall be burned in his sight. Its skin, its flesh, and its blood, with its dung, shall be burned. 6†And the priest shall take cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet yarn, and throw them into the fire burning the heifer. 7Then the priest shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. But the priest shall be unclean until evening. 8The one who burns the heifer shall wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in water and shall be unclean until evening. 9And a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place. And they shall be kept for the water for impurity for the congregation of the people of Israel; it is a sin offering. 10And the one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. And this shall be a perpetual statute for the people of Israel, and for the stranger who sojourns among them.

11‡"Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days. 12He shall cleanse himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be clean. But if he does not cleanse himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not become clean. 13Whoever touches a dead person, the body of anyone who has died, and does not cleanse himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not thrown on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is still on him.

14"This is the law when someone dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent shall be unclean seven days. 15And every open vessel that has no cover fastened on it is unclean. 16Whoever in the open field touches someone who was killed with a sword or who died naturally, or touches a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. 17For the unclean they shall take some ashes of the burnt sin offering, and fresh [1] water shall be added in a vessel. 18†Then a clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water and

sprinkle it on the tent and on all the furnishings and on the persons who were there and on whoever touched the bone, or the slain or the dead or the grave. 19And the clean person shall sprinkle it on the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day. Thus on the seventh day he shall cleanse him, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and at evening he shall be clean.

20"If the man who is unclean does not cleanse himself, that person shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, since he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. Because the water for impurity has not been thrown on him, he is unclean. 21And it shall be a statute forever for them. The one who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and the one who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening. 22And whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean, and anyone who touches it shall be unclean until evening."

The Death of Miriam

NUMBERS 20 ‡‡†And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried there.

The Waters of Meribah

2†Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3†And the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD! 4Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? 5And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink." 6†Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them, 7and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 8†"Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle." 9And Moses took the staff from before the LORD, as he commanded him.

Moses Strikes the Rock

10†Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?" 11And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. 12†And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them." 13†These are the waters of Meribah, [1] where the people of Israel quarreled with the LORD, and through them he showed himself holy.

Edom Refuses Passage

14‡†Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: "Thus says your

brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met: 15how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. And the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers. 16And when we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. 17†Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink water from a well. We will go along the King's Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory." 18But Edom said to him, "You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you." 19And the people of Israel said to him, "We will go up by the highway, and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more." 20†But he said, "You shall not pass through." And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force. 21Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him.

The Death of Aaron

22‡†And they journeyed from Kadesh, and the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. 23And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, 24†"Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. 25Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor. 26And strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron shall be gathered to his people and shall die there." 27Moses did as the LORD commanded. And they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29†And when all the congregation saw that Aaron had perished, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.

Arad Destroyed

NUMBERS 21 ‡†When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. 2And Israel vowed a vow to the LORD and said, "If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction." [1] 3†And the LORD heeded the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites, and they devoted them and their cities to destruction. So the name of the place was called Hormah. [2]

The Bronze Serpent

4‡†From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 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 food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food." 6†Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7†And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. 8And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live." 9†So Moses made a bronze [3] serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

The Song of the Well

10‡And the people of Israel set out and camped in Oboth. 11And they set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness that is opposite Moab, toward the sunrise. 12From there they set out and camped in the Valley of Zered. 13From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites, for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14†Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD, "Waheb in Suphah, and the valleys of the Arnon, 15and the slope of the valleys that extends to the seat of Ar, and leans to the border of Moab."

16†And from there they continued to Beer; [4] that is the well of which the LORD

said to Moses, "Gather the people together, so that I may give them water." 17Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well!—Sing to it!— 18the well that the princes made, that the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter and with their staffs."

And from the wilderness they went on to Mattanah, 19and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20and from Bamoth to the valley lying in the region of Moab by the top of Pisgah that looks down on the desert. [5]

King Sihon Defeated

21‡Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22"Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vineyard. We will not drink the water of a well. We will go by the King's Highway until we have passed through your territory." 23But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong. 25And Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. 26For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. 27†Therefore the ballad singers say, "Come to Heshbon, let it be built; let the city of Sihon be established.

28For fire came out from Heshbon, flame from the city of Sihon. It devoured Ar of Moab, and swallowed [6] the heights of the Arnon. 29Woe to you, O Moab! You are undone, O people of Chemosh! He has made his sons fugitives, and his daughters captives, to an Amorite

king, Sihon. 30So we overthrew them; Heshbon, as far as Dibon, perished; and we laid waste as far as Nophah; fire spread as far as Medeba." [7]

King Og Defeated

31Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. 32And Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were

there. 33‡Then they turned and went up by the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. 34But the LORD said to Moses, "Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people, and his land. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon." 35So they defeated him and his sons and all his people, until he had no survivor left. And they possessed his land.

Balak Summons Balaam

NUMBERS 22 †Then the people of Israel set out and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. 2‡And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3†And Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were many. Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel. 4†And Moab said to the elders of Midian, "This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field." So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, 5†sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the people of Amaw, [1] to call him, saying, "Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me. 6†Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed."

7So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and gave him Balak's message. 8†And he said to them, "Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the LORD speaks to me." So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9†And God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?" 10And Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, 11'Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Now come, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.'" 12†God said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed." 13So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, "Go to your own land, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you." 14So the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak and said, "Balaam refuses to come with us."

15Once again Balak sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these. 16And they came to Balaam and said to him, "Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: 'Let nothing hinder you from coming to me, 17for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Come, curse this people for me.'" 18But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, "Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the LORD my God to do less or more. 19So you, too, please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the LORD will say to me." 20†And God came to Balaam at

night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you." 21So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.

Balaam's Donkey and the Angel

22†But God's anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. 24Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. 25And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall. So he struck her again. 26Then the angel of the LORD went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. 27When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28†Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" 29And Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you." 30And the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?" And he said, "No."

31†Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. 32And the angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse [2] before me. 33The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live." 34Then Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back." 35And the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you." So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.

36When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, on the border formed by the Arnon, at the extremity of the border.

37And Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?" 38Balaam said to Balak, "Behold, I have come to you! Have I now any power of my own to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that must I speak." 39Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 40And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent for Balaam and for the princes who were with him.

41‡And in the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw a fraction of the people.

Balaam's First Oracle

NUMBERS 23 And Balaam said to Balak, "Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams." 2Balak did as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam offered on each altar a bull and a ram. 3And Balaam said to Balak, "Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you." And he went to a bare height, 4and God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, "I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram." 5†And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak." 6And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. 7†And Balaam took up his discourse and said, "From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: 'Come, curse Jacob for me,

and come, denounce Israel!' 8How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced? 9For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him; behold, a people dwelling alone,

and not counting itself among the nations! 10†Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part [1] of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright,

and let my end be like his!"

11And Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them." 12And he answered and said, "Must I not take care to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?"

Balaam's Second Oracle

13‡And Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all. Then curse them for me from there." 14And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the LORD over there." 16And the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak." 17And he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the

princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, "What has the LORD spoken?" 18And Balaam took up his discourse and said, "Rise, Balak, and hear;

give ear to me, O son of Zippor: 19†God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it?

Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? 20Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it. 21He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them. 22God brings them out of Egypt and is for them like the horns of the wild ox. 23For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, 'What has God wrought!' 24Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up and as a lion it lifts itself; it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of

the slain."

25And Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all." 26But Balaam answered Balak, "Did I not tell you, 'All that the LORD says, that I must do'?" 27‡And Balak said to Balaam, "Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there." 28†So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the desert. [2] 29And Balaam said to Balak, "Build for me here seven altars and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams." 30And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Balaam's Third Oracle

NUMBERS 24 When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. 2†And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, 3†and he took up his discourse and said, "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, [1]

4the oracle of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered: 5How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel! 6Like palm groves [2] that stretch afar, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the LORD has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters. 7†Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters; his king shall be higher than Agag,

and his kingdom shall be exalted. 8†God brings him out of Egypt and is for him like the horns of the wild ox; he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces and pierce them through with his arrows. 9†He crouched, he lay down like a lion and like a lioness; who will rouse him up? Blessed are those who bless you,

and cursed are those who curse you."

10And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. 11Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, 'I will certainly honor you,' but the LORD has held you back from honor." 12And Balaam said to Balak, "Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 13'If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the LORD speaks, that will I speak'? 14†And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the latter days."

Balaam's Final Oracle

15‡And he took up his discourse and said, "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, 16the oracle of him who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty,

falling down with his eyes uncovered: 17I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob,

and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead [3] of Moab and break down all the sons of

Sheth. 18Edom shall be dispossessed; Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed. Israel is doing valiantly. 19And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion and destroy the survivors of cities!"

20‡Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said, "Amalek was the first among the nations, but its end is utter destruction."

21And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said, "Enduring is your dwelling place, and your nest is set in the rock.

22Nevertheless, Kain shall be burned when Asshur takes you away captive."

23And he took up his discourse and said, "Alas, who shall live when God does this?

24But ships shall come from Kittim and shall afflict Asshur and Eber; and he too shall come to utter destruction."

25Then Balaam rose and went back to his place. And Balak also went his way.

Baal Worship at Peor

NUMBERS 25 ‡†While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3†So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. 4And the LORD said to Moses, "Take all the chiefs of the people and hang [1] them in the sun before the LORD, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel." 5And Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor."

6†And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand 8and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. 9†Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.

The Zeal of Phinehas

10‡And the LORD said to Moses, 11"Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. 12Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, 13and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.'"

14The name of the slain man of Israel, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, chief of a father's house belonging to the Simeonites. 15And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was the tribal head of a father's house in Midian.

16And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 17†"Harass the Midianites and strike them down, 18for they have harassed you with their wiles, with which they

beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the chief of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague on account of Peor."

Census of the New Generation

NUMBERS 26 ‡‡‡After the plague, the LORD said to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron, the priest, 2"Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers' houses, all in Israel who are able to go to war." 3And Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 4"Take a census of the people, [1] from twenty years old and upward," as the LORD commanded Moses. The people of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt were: 5‡Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the clan of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the clan of the Palluites; 6of Hezron, the clan of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the clan of the Carmites. 7These are the clans of the Reubenites, and those listed were 43,730. 8And the sons of Pallu: Eliab. 9†The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram, chosen from the congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the LORD 10and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, when the fire devoured 250 men, and they became a warning. 11†But the sons of Korah did not die.

12The sons of Simeon according to their clans: of Nemuel, the clan of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the clan of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the clan of the Jachinites; 13of Zerah, the clan of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the clan of the Shaulites. 14These are the clans of the Simeonites, 22,200.

15The sons of Gad according to their clans: of Zephon, the clan of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the clan of the Haggites; of Shuni, the clan of the Shunites; 16of Ozni, the clan of the Oznites; of Eri, the clan of the Erites; 17of Arod, the clan of the Arodites; of Areli, the clan of the Arelites. 18These are the clans of the sons of Gad as they were listed, 40,500.

19†The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. 20And the sons of Judah according to their clans were: of Shelah, the clan of the Shelanites; of Perez, the clan of the Perezites; of Zerah, the clan of the Zerahites. 21And the sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the clan of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the clan of the Hamulites. 22These are the clans of Judah as they were listed, 76,500.

23The sons of Issachar according to their clans: of Tola, the clan of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the clan of the Punites; 24of Jashub, the clan of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the clan of the Shimronites. 25These are the clans of Issachar as they were listed, 64,300.

26The sons of Zebulun, according to their clans: of Sered, the clan of the Seredites; of Elon, the clan of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the clan of the Jahleelites. 27These are the clans of the Zebulunites as they were listed, 60,500.

28The sons of Joseph according to their clans: Manasseh and Ephraim. 29The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the clan of the Machirites; and Machir was the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the clan of the Gileadites. 30These are the sons of Gilead: of Iezer, the clan of the Iezerites; of Helek, the clan of the Helekites; 31and of Asriel, the clan of the Asrielites; and of Shechem, the clan of the Shechemites; 32and of Shemida, the clan of the Shemidaites; and of Hepher, the clan of the Hepherites. 33†Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters. And the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34These are the clans of Manasseh, and those listed were 52,700.

35These are the sons of Ephraim according to their clans: of Shuthelah, the clan of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the clan of the Becherites; of Tahan, the clan of the Tahanites. 36And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the clan of the Eranites. 37These are the clans of the sons of Ephraim as they were listed, 32,500. These are the sons of Joseph according to their clans.

38The sons of Benjamin according to their clans: of Bela, the clan of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the clan of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the clan of the Ahiramites; 39of Shephupham, the clan of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the clan of the Huphamites. 40And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the clan of the Ardites; of Naaman, the clan of the Naamites. 41These are the sons of Benjamin according to their clans, and those listed were 45,600.

42These are the sons of Dan according to their clans: of Shuham, the clan of the Shuhamites. These are the clans of Dan according to their clans. 43All the clans of the Shuhamites, as they were listed, were 64,400.

44The sons of Asher according to their clans: of Imnah, the clan of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the clan of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the clan of the Beriites. 45Of the sons of

Beriah: of Heber, the clan of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the clan of the Malchielites. 46And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. 47These are the clans of the sons of Asher as they were listed, 53,400.

48The sons of Naphtali according to their clans: of Jahzeel, the clan of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the clan of the Gunites; 49of Jezer, the clan of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the clan of the Shillemites. 50These are the clans of Naphtali according to their clans, and those listed were 45,400.

51This was the list of the people of Israel, 601,730.

52‡The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 53"Among these the land shall be divided for inheritance according to the number of names. 54To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance; every tribe shall be given its inheritance in proportion to its list. 55But the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. 56Their inheritance shall be divided according to lot between the larger and the smaller."

57‡This was the list of the Levites according to their clans: of Gershon, the clan of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the clan of the Kohathites; of Merari, the clan of the Merarites. 58These are the clans of Levi: the clan of the Libnites, the clan of the Hebronites, the clan of the Mahlites, the clan of the Mushites, the clan of the Korahites. And Kohath was the father of Amram. 59The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. And she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses and Miriam their sister. 60And to Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 61But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD. 62And those listed were 23,000, every male from a month old and upward. For they were not listed among the people of Israel, because there was no inheritance given to them among the people of Israel.

63These were those listed by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who listed the people of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. 64But among these there was not one of those listed by Moses and Aaron the priest, who had listed the people of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. 65For the LORD had said of them, "They shall die in the wilderness." Not one of them was left, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

The Daughters of Zelophehad

NUMBERS 27 ‡Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of Manasseh the son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the chiefs and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying, 3†"Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah, but died for his own sin. And he had no sons. 4Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father's brothers."

5Moses brought their case before the LORD. 6And the LORD said to Moses, 7"The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You shall give them possession of an inheritance among their father's brothers and transfer the inheritance of their father to them. 8‡And you shall speak to the people of Israel, saying, 'If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter. 9And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father's brothers. 11And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the nearest kinsman of his clan, and he shall possess it. And it shall be for the people of Israel a statute and rule, as the LORD commanded Moses.'"

Joshua to Succeed Moses

12‡The LORD said to Moses, "Go up into this mountain of Abarim and see the land that I have given to the people of Israel. 13When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, 14because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin when the congregation quarreled, failing to uphold me as holy at the waters before their eyes." (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) 15‡Moses spoke to the LORD, saying, 16"Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation 17who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep that have no shepherd." 18†So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. 19Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the

congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight. 20†You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey. 21†And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation." 22And Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, 23and he laid his hands on him and commissioned him as the LORD directed through Moses.

Daily Offerings

NUMBERS 28 ‡The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2"Command the people of Israel and say to them, 'My offering, my food for my food offerings, my pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time.' 3‡And you shall say to them, This is the food offering that you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a regular offering. 4The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; 5also a tenth of an ephah [1] of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a quarter of a hin [2] of beaten oil. 6It is a regular burnt offering, which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. 7Its drink offering shall be a quarter of a hin for each lamb. In the Holy Place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD. 8The other lamb you shall offer at twilight. Like the grain offering of the morning, and like its drink offering, you shall offer it as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

Sabbath Offerings

9‡"On the Sabbath day, two male lambs a year old without blemish, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering: 10this is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

Monthly Offerings

11‡"At the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; 12also three tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each bull, and two tenths of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram; 13and a tenth of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for every lamb; for a burnt offering with a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. 14Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, a third of a hin for a ram, and a quarter of a hin for a lamb. This is the burnt offering of each month throughout the months of the year. 15Also one male goat for a sin offering to the LORD; it shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

Passover Offerings

16‡"On the fourteenth day of the first month is the LORD's Passover, 17and on the fifteenth day of this month is a feast. Seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. 18On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, 19but offer a food offering, a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old; see that they are without blemish; 20also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil; three tenths of an ephah shall you offer for a bull, and two tenths for a ram; 21a tenth shall you offer for each of the seven lambs; 22also one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you. 23You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a regular burnt offering. 24In the same way you shall offer daily, for seven days, the food of a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. It shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. 25And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work.

Offerings for the Feast of Weeks

26‡"On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the LORD at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, 27but offer a burnt offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; 28also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each bull, two tenths for one ram, 29a tenth for each of the seven lambs; 30with one male goat, to make atonement for you. 31Besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall offer them and their drink offering. See that they are without blemish.

Offerings for the Feast of Trumpets

NUMBERS 29 ‡"On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets, 2and you shall offer a burnt offering, for a pleasing aroma to the LORD: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; 3also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah [1] for the bull, two tenths for the ram, 4and one tenth for each of the seven lambs; 5with one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you; 6besides the burnt offering of the new moon, and its grain offering, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offering, according to the rule for them, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.

Offerings for the Day of Atonement

7‡"On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation and afflict yourselves. You shall do no work, 8but you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old: see that they are without blemish. 9And their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the one ram, 10a tenth for each of the seven lambs: 11also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the sin offering of atonement, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

Offerings for the Feast of Booths

12‡"On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall keep a feast to the LORD seven days. 13And you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD, thirteen bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish; 14and their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each of the two rams, 15and a tenth for each of the fourteen lambs; 16also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.

17"On the second day twelve bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 18with the grain offering and the drink offerings for

the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 19also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

20"On the third day eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 21with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 22also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.

23"On the fourth day ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 24with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 25also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.

26"On the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 27with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 28also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.

29"On the sixth day eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 30with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 31also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offerings.

32"On the seventh day seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 33with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 34also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

35"On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly. You shall not do any ordinary work, 36but you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish, 37and the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 38also one male goat for a

sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.

39"These you shall offer to the LORD at your appointed feasts, in addition to your vow offerings and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your grain offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings."

40 [2] So Moses told the people of Israel everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Men and Vows

NUMBERS 30 ‡Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the people of Israel, saying, "This is what the LORD has commanded. 2†If a man vows a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

Women and Vows

3"If a woman vows a vow to the LORD and binds herself by a pledge, while within her father's house in her youth, 4and her father hears of her vow and of her pledge by which she has bound herself and says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand. 5But if her father opposes her on the day that he hears of it, no vow of hers, no pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand. And the LORD will forgive her, because her father opposed her.

6"If she marries a husband, while under her vows or any thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she has bound herself, 7and her husband hears of it and says nothing to her on the day that he hears, then her vows shall stand, and her pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand. 8But if, on the day that her husband comes to hear of it, he opposes her, then he makes void her vow that was on her, and the thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she bound herself. And the LORD will forgive her. 9†(But any vow of a widow or of a divorced woman, anything by which she has bound herself, shall stand against her.) 10And if she vowed in her husband's house or bound herself by a pledge with an oath, 11and her husband heard of it and said nothing to her and did not oppose her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge by which she bound herself shall stand. 12But if her husband makes them null and void on the day that he hears them, then whatever proceeds out of her lips concerning her vows or concerning her pledge of herself shall not stand. Her husband has made them void, and the LORD will forgive her. 13Any vow and any binding oath to afflict herself, her husband may establish, [1] or her husband may make void. 14But if her husband says nothing to her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows or all her pledges that are upon her. He has established them, because he said nothing to her on the day that he heard of them. 15But if he makes them null and void after he has heard of them, then he shall bear her iniquity."

16These are the statutes that the LORD commanded Moses about a man and his wife and about a father and his daughter while she is in her youth within her father's house.

Vengeance on Midian

NUMBERS 31 ‡‡The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2†"Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people." 3So Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the LORD's vengeance on Midian. 4You shall send a thousand from each of the tribes of Israel to the war." 5So there were provided, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand from each tribe, together with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand. 7They warred against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and killed every male. 8They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. And they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. 9And the people of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones, and they took as plunder all their cattle, their flocks, and all their goods. 10All their cities in the places where they lived, and all their encampments, they burned with fire, 11and took all the spoil and all the plunder, both of man and of beast. 12‡Then they brought the captives and the plunder and the spoil to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the people of Israel, at the camp on the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.

13Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the chiefs of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp. 14And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, who had come from service in the war. 15Moses said to them, "Have you let all the women live? 16Behold, these, on Balaam's advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the LORD. 17†Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. 18But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him keep alive for yourselves. 19Encamp outside the camp seven days. Whoever of you has killed any person and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day. 20You shall purify every garment, every article of skin, all work of goats' hair, and every article of wood."

21Then Eleazar the priest said to the men in the army who had gone to battle: "This is the statute of the law that the LORD has commanded Moses: 22only the

gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, 23everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean. Nevertheless, it shall also be purified with the water for impurity. And whatever cannot stand the fire, you shall pass through the water. 24You must wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean. And afterward you may come into the camp."

25‡The LORD said to Moses, 26"Take the count of the plunder that was taken, both of man and of beast, you and Eleazar the priest and the heads of the fathers' houses of the congregation, 27and divide the plunder into two parts between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation. 28And levy for the LORD a tribute from the men of war who went out to battle, one out of five hundred, of the people and of the oxen and of the donkeys and of the flocks. 29Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as a contribution to the LORD. 30And from the people of Israel's half you shall take one drawn out of every fifty, of the people, of the oxen, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, of all the cattle, and give them to the Levites who keep guard over the tabernacle of the LORD." 31And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.

32Now the plunder remaining of the spoil that the army took was 675,000 sheep, 3372,000 cattle, 3461,000 donkeys, 35and 32,000 persons in all, women who had not known man by lying with him. 36And the half, the portion of those who had gone out in the army, numbered 337,500 sheep, 37and the LORD's tribute of sheep was 675. 38The cattle were 36,000, of which the LORD's tribute was 72. 39The donkeys were 30,500, of which the LORD's tribute was 61. 40The persons were 16,000, of which the LORD's tribute was 32 persons. 41And Moses gave the tribute, which was the contribution for the LORD, to Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.

42From the people of Israel's half, which Moses separated from that of the men who had served in the army— 43now the congregation's half was 337,500 sheep, 4436,000 cattle, 45and 30,500 donkeys, 46and 16,000 persons— 47from the people of Israel's half Moses took one of every 50, both of persons and of beasts, and gave them to the Levites who kept guard over the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

48Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, came near to Moses 49and said to Moses, "Your servants have counted the men of war who are under our

command, and there is not a man missing from us. 50And we have brought the LORD's offering, what each man found, articles of gold, armlets and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and beads, to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD." 51And Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them the gold, all crafted articles. 52And all the gold of the contribution that they presented to the LORD, from the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, was 16,750 shekels. [1] 53(The men in the army had each taken plunder for himself.) 54And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tent of meeting, as a memorial for the people of Israel before the LORD.

Reuben and Gad Settle in Gilead

NUMBERS 32 ‡Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock. 2So the people of Gad and the people of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the chiefs of the congregation, 3†"Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4the land that the LORD struck down before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock." 5And they said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan."

6But Moses said to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben, "Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? 7Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the LORD has given them? 8†Your fathers did this, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 9For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the people of Israel from going into the land that the LORD had given them. 10And the LORD's anger was kindled on that day, and he swore, saying, 11'Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me, 12none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the LORD.' 13And the LORD's anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was gone. 14And behold, you have risen in your fathers' place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the LORD against Israel! 15For if you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people."

16Then they came near to him and said, "We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, 17but we will take up arms, ready to go before the people of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance. 19For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to

the east." 20So Moses said to them, "If you will do this, if you will take up arms to go before the LORD for the war, 21and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the LORD, until he has driven out his enemies from before him 22and the land is subdued before the LORD; then after that you shall return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. 23†But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out. 24Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do what you have promised." 25And the people of Gad and the people of Reuben said to Moses, "Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26Our little ones, our wives, our livestock, and all our cattle shall remain there in the cities of Gilead, 27but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord orders."

28So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel. 29And Moses said to them, "If the people of Gad and the people of Reuben, every man who is armed to battle before the LORD, will pass with you over the Jordan and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. 30However, if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan." 31And the people of Gad and the people of Reuben answered, "What the LORD has said to your servants, we will do. 32We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan."

33†And Moses gave to them, to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land and its cities with their territories, the cities of the land throughout the country. 34And the people of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran, fortified cities, and folds for sheep. 37And the people of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38Nebo, and Baal-meon (their names were changed), and Sibmah. And they gave other names to the cities that they built. 39And the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and captured it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. 40And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he settled in it. 41And Jair the son of Manasseh went and captured their villages, and called them Havvoth-jair. [1] 42And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.

Recounting Israel's Journey

NUMBERS 33 ‡These are the stages of the people of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt by their companies under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. 2Moses wrote down their starting places, stage by stage, by command of the LORD, and these are their stages according to their starting places. 3They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the day after the Passover, the people of Israel went out triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians, 4while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had struck down among them. On their gods also the LORD executed judgments.

5So the people of Israel set out from Rameses and camped at Succoth. 6And they set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. 7And they set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which is east of Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol. 8And they set out from before Hahiroth [1] and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and they went a three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah. 9And they set out from Marah and came to Elim; at Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. 10And they set out from Elim and camped by the Red Sea. 11And they set out from the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin. 12And they set out from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. 13And they set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush. 14And they set out from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. 15And they set out from Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai. 16And they set out from the wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah. 17And they set out from Kibrothhattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. 18And they set out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. 19And they set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmonperez. 20And they set out from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah. 21And they set out from Libnah and camped at Rissah. 22And they set out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. 23And they set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. 24And they set out from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. 25And they set out from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. 26And they set out from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. 27And they set out from Tahath and camped at Terah. 28And they set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah. 29And they set out from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. 30And they set out from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. 31And they set out from Moseroth and camped at Bene-

jaakan. 32And they set out from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad. 33And they set out from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. 34And they set out from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. 35And they set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber. 36And they set out from Ezion-geber and camped in the wilderness of Zin (that is, Kadesh). 37And they set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom.

38And Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor at the command of the LORD and died there, in the fortieth year after the people of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. 39And Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

40And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the people of Israel.

41And they set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. 42And they set out from Zalmonah and camped at Punon. 43And they set out from Punon and camped at Oboth. 44And they set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the territory of Moab. 45And they set out from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad. 46And they set out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim. 47And they set out from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. 48And they set out from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho; 49they camped by the Jordan from Bethjeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.

Drive Out the Inhabitants

50‡‡And the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 51"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52†then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places. 53And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. 54You shall inherit the land by lot according to your clans. To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance. Wherever the lot falls for anyone, that shall be his. According to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit. 55But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you

in the land where you dwell. 56†And I will do to you as I thought to do to them."

Boundaries of the Land

NUMBERS 34 ‡The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2"Command the people of Israel, and say to them, When you enter the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, the land of Canaan as defined by its borders), 3your south side shall be from the wilderness of Zin alongside Edom, and your southern border shall run from the end of the Salt Sea on the east. 4And your border shall turn south of the ascent of Akrabbim, and cross to Zin, and its limit shall be south of Kadesh-barnea. Then it shall go on to Hazar-addar, and pass along to Azmon. 5And the border shall turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, and its limit shall be at the sea.

6"For the western border, you shall have the Great Sea and its [1] coast. This shall be your western border.

7"This shall be your northern border: from the Great Sea you shall draw a line to Mount Hor. 8From Mount Hor you shall draw a line to Lebo-hamath, and the limit of the border shall be at Zedad. 9Then the border shall extend to Ziphron, and its limit shall be at Hazar-enan. This shall be your northern border.

10"You shall draw a line for your eastern border from Hazar-enan to Shepham. 11And the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain. And the border shall go down and reach to the shoulder of the Sea of Chinnereth on the east. 12And the border shall go down to the Jordan, and its limit shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land as defined by its borders all around."

13†Moses commanded the people of Israel, saying, "This is the land that you shall inherit by lot, which the LORD has commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half-tribe. 14For the tribe of the people of Reuben by fathers' houses and the tribe of the people of Gad by their fathers' houses have received their inheritance, and also the half-tribe of Manasseh. 15The two tribes and the halftribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, toward the sunrise."

List of Tribal Chiefs

16‡The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 17"These are the names of the men who shall divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son

of Nun. 18You shall take one chief from every tribe to divide the land for inheritance. 19These are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 20Of the tribe of the people of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud. 21Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. 22Of the tribe of the people of Dan a chief, Bukki the son of Jogli. 23Of the people of Joseph: of the tribe of the people of Manasseh a chief, Hanniel the son of Ephod. 24And of the tribe of the people of Ephraim a chief, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. 25Of the tribe of the people of Zebulun a chief, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. 26Of the tribe of the people of Issachar a chief, Paltiel the son of Azzan. 27And of the tribe of the people of Asher a chief, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. 28Of the tribe of the people of Naphtali a chief, Pedahel the son of Ammihud. 29These are the men whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance for the people of Israel in the land of Canaan."

Cities for the Levites

NUMBERS 35 ‡The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 2†"Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites some of the inheritance of their possession as cities for them to dwell in. And you shall give to the Levites pasturelands around the cities. 3The cities shall be theirs to dwell in, and their pasturelands shall be for their cattle and for their livestock and for all their beasts. 4The pasturelands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits [1] all around. 5And you shall measure, outside the city, on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle. This shall belong to them as pastureland for their cities.

6"The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. 7All the cities that you give to the Levites shall be forty-eight, with their pasturelands. 8And as for the cities that you shall give from the possession of the people of Israel, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance that it inherits, shall give of its cities to the Levites."

Cities of Refuge

9‡And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there. 12†The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment. 13And the cities that you give shall be your six cities of refuge. 14You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge. 15These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there.

16"But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. 17And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer

shall be put to death. 18Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. 19†The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. 20And if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled something at him, lying in wait, so that he died, 21or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

22"But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait 23or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm, 24†then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules. 25†And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. 26But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the boundaries of his city of refuge to which he fled, 27and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood. 28For he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession. 29And these things shall be for a statute and rule for you throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

30†"If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 31Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death. 32And you shall accept no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. 33†You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the LORD dwell in the midst of the people of Israel."

Marriage of Female Heirs

NUMBERS 36 ‡The heads of the fathers' houses of the clan of the people of Gilead the son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of the people of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the chiefs, the heads of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel. 2They said, "The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the people of Israel, and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. 3But if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the people of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry. So it will be taken away from the lot of our inheritance. 4And when the jubilee of the people of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry, and their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers."

5And Moses commanded the people of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, "The tribe of the people of Joseph is right. 6This is what the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, 'Let them marry whom they think best, only they shall marry within the clan of the tribe of their father. 7The inheritance of the people of Israel shall not be transferred from one tribe to another, for every one of the people of Israel shall hold on to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 8And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the people of Israel shall be wife to one of the clan of the tribe of her father, so that every one of the people of Israel may possess the inheritance of his fathers. 9So no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another, for each of the tribes of the people of Israel shall hold on to its own inheritance.'"

10The daughters of Zelophehad did as the LORD commanded Moses, 11for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to sons of their father's brothers. 12†They were married into the clans of the people of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father's clan.

13These are the commandments and the rules that the LORD commanded through Moses to the people of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.

Footnotes

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 3

[1] 3:22 Hebrew their listing was

[2] 3:38 Hebrew guard

[3] 3:47 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [4] 3:47 A gerah was about

1/50 ounce or 0.6 gram

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 4

[1] 4:6 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain; compare Exodus 25:5

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 5

[1] 5:2 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13

[2] 5:7 Hebrew they shall confess their sin that they have committed

[3] 5:15 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 6

[1] 6:2 Nazirite means one separated, or one consecrated

[2] 6:4 Or Naziriteship

[3] 6:26 Or face

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 7

[1] 7:13 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 8

[1] 8:24 Hebrew he; also verses 25, 26

[2] 8:26 Hebrew He ministers

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 9

[1] 9:16 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks by day

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 11

[1] 11:3 Taberah means burning

[2] 11:31 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [3] 11:32 A homer was

about 6 bushels or 220 liters [4] 11:34 Kibroth-hattaavah means graves of craving

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 12

[1] 12:10 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13

[2] 12:11 Hebrew do not lay sin upon us

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 13

[1] 13:24 Eshcol means cluster

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 15

[1] 15:3 Or an offering by fire; so throughout Numbers [2] 15:4 An ephah was

about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [3] 15:4 A hin was about 4 quarts or 3.5 liters [4] 15:22 Or by mistake; also verses 24, 27, 28, 29

[5] 15:39 Hebrew to spy out

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 16

[1] 16:5 Septuagint The LORD knows those who are his

[2] 16:36 Ch 17:1 in Hebrew

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 17

[1] 17:1 Ch 17:16 in Hebrew

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 18

[1] 18:7 Hebrew service of gift

[2] 18:16 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 19

[1] 19:17 Hebrew living

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 20

[1] 20:13 Meribah means quarreling

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 21

[1] 21:2 That is, set apart (devote) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction);

also verse 3

[2] 21:3 Hormah means destruction

[3] 21:9 Or copper

[4] 21:16 Beer means well

[5] 21:20 Or Jeshimon

[6] 21:28 Septuagint; Hebrew the lords of

[7] 21:30 Compare Samaritan and Septuagint; Hebrew and we laid waste as far

as Nophah, which is as far as Medeba

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 22

[1] 22:5 Or his kindred

[2] 22:32 Or reckless

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 23

[1] 23:10 Or dust clouds

[2] 23:28 Or Jeshimon

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 24

[1] 24:3 Or closed, or perfect; also verse 15

[2] 24:6 Or valleys

[3] 24:17 Hebrew corners [of the head]

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 25

[1] 25:4 Or impale

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 26

[1] 26:4 Take a census of the people is implied (compare verse 2)

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 28

[1] 28:5 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [2] 28:5 A hin was about 4

quarts or 3.5 liters

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 29

[1] 29:3 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [2] 29:40 Ch 30:1 in Hebrew

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 30

[1] 30:13 Or may allow to stand

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 31

[1] 31:52 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 32

[1] 32:41 Havvoth-jair means the villages of Jair

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 33

[1] 33:8 Some manuscripts and versions Pi-hahiroth

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 34

[1] 34:6 Syriac; Hebrew lacks its

Footnotes for Numbers, Chapter 35

[1] 35:4 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

Study Notes

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 1:1–10:36 The first 10 chapters of Numbers record the final preparations of Israel necessary for their conquest of the land of Canaan. In this section, the Lord spoke to Israel through Moses (1:1; 2:1; 3:1, 5, 11, 14, 44; 4:1, 17, 21; 5:1, 5, 11; 6:1, 22; 7:4; 8:1, 5, 23; 9:1, 9; 10:1), and Moses and Israel responded with obedience (1:19, 54; 2:33–34; 3:16, 42, 51; 4:49; 7:2–3; 8:3; 9:5, 18, 23; 10:13, 14–28 [in accordance with 2:34]). These chapters divide into two parts (1:1–6:27 and 7:1–10:36), which both end with an invocation of the Lord's blessing on Israel (6:22–27 and 10:35–36).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 1:1–6:27 These six chapters chronologically follow the events recorded in 7:1–10:10. The ordering of Israel around the tabernacle (1:1– 4:49) and the purity of the camp of Israel (5:1–6:27) were the final results of the Lord's commands that began in Ex. 25:1. Obeying God's instructions transformed an impure (Ex. 32:7–8) and disorderly (Ex. 32:25) Israel into a people ready to march into Canaan.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 1:1 The Lord spoke to Moses. This connects the revelation given here by the Lord with Ex. 25:1ff. and Lev. 1:1ff. The word from God directed everything that was done by Israel. the wilderness of Sinai. Israel had been encamped there for 11 months. See Ex. 19:1. the tent of meeting. The tabernacle, where the Lord's glory resided in the cloud, had been erected one month earlier (Ex. 40:17). This was God's dwelling place in the midst of his people. In Num. 1:1–6:27, Israel was organized with the tabernacle as the central feature. the second year. Numbers begins in the fourteenth month (377 days) after the exodus from Egypt.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 1:2 a census. In Ex. 30:11–16, the Lord had commanded that a census of the males in Israel over 20 (excluding the Levites) be taken for the purpose of determining the ransom money for the service of the tabernacle. The result of that census is recorded in Ex. 38:25–28. The total number, 603,550 (Ex. 38:26), equals the number in Num. 1:46.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 1:3 go to war. The purpose of this census was to form a roster of fighting men. The book of Numbers looks ahead to the invasion of the land promised to Abraham (cf. Gen. 12:1–3).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 1:4 a man. One leader from each of the 12 tribes was to assist Moses and Aaron in the numbering of the men. These same leaders are mentioned in Num. 2:1–34 and 10:14–28 as the heads of tribes, and in 7:1–88 they bring gifts to the tabernacle.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 1:17–46 The numbers from the tribes were:

Reuben 46,500 (v. 21) Simeon 59,300 (v. 23) Gad 45,650 (v. 25) Judah 74,600 (v. 27) Issachar 54,400 (v. 29) Zebulun 57,400 (v. 31) Ephraim 40,500 (v. 33) Manasseh 32,200 (v. 35) Benjamin 35,400 (v. 37) Dan 62,700 (v. 39) Asher 41,500 (v. 41) Naphtali 53,400 (v. 43) Total 603,550 (v. 46)

The tribal order follows the pattern of Jacob's wives: first, the sons of Leah; second, the sons of Rachel; and third, the sons of the maids, except Gad (born of Leah's maid), who replaced Levi in the third-born position (cf. Gen. 29:31– 30:24; 35:16–20).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 1:46 603,550. This number, combined with the 22,000 Levite males a month old and above (3:39), allows for a total population of over 2,000,000 Israelites. Since this number seems too high for the wilderness conditions and relatively few firstborn sons (3:43), some have reinterpreted the plain meaning of the text by 1) saying "thousand" means "clan" or "chief " here, or 2) stating the numbers are symbolic. However, if "thousand" is not the meaning in this chapter, 1:46 would read 598 "clans" or "chiefs " with only 5,500 individuals. Thus, the meaning "thousand" must be retained. Further, there is no textual indication that these numbers are symbolic. The only conclusion is that God took care of over 2,000,000 people in the wilderness during the period of 40 years (cf. Deut. 8:3–4). Tampering with the number is tampering with God's purpose for these numbers—to show his power in behalf of Israel.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 1:50 appoint the Levites. The tribe of Levi, including

Moses and Aaron, was not included in this census because it was exempt from military service. The Levites were to serve the Lord by carrying and attending to the tabernacle (cf. 3:5–13; 4:1–33, 46–49).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 1:51 any outsider. This word often refers to the "alien" or "stranger." The non-Levite Israelite was like a "foreigner" to the transporting of the tabernacle and had to keep his distance lest he die.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 1:53 no wrath. The purpose of setting the Levites apart and arranging them around the tabernacle was to keep the wrath of the Lord from consuming Israel (cf. Ex. 32:10, 25–29).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 2:2 standard . . . banners. The banners were flags identifying the individual tribes (probably with some sort of insignia). The standards were flags marking each of the four encampments of three tribes each. tent of meeting. For details see Ex. 25–30.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 2:3 on the east side . . . Judah. Judah occupied the place of honor to the east. Genesis 49:8–12 highlights the role and centrality Judah would have in the defeat of Israel's enemies. Judah was the tribe through which the Messiah would be born. Nahshon. Nahshon appears in the later genealogies of the messianic line (cf. Ruth 4:20; Matt. 1:4).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 2:14 Reuel. Also called "Deuel" (cf. 1:14). The letters R and D are similar in Hebrew and were easily confused by the scribes who copied the text.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 2:17 set out. As the tribes marched, the tabernacle was transported in the middle of the tribes of Israel, six in front and six behind.

The Placement of Israel's Tribes

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 2:32 See note on 1:46.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 3:1 Aaron and Moses. Because Aaron and his sons are emphasized in this chapter, Aaron is named first. Mount Sinai. The Lord had first communicated to Moses his choice of Aaron and his sons as priests in Ex. 28:1–29:46 while he was in the midst of the cloud on Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:18).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 3:3 the anointed priests. Of all the tribe of Levi, only the sons of Aaron were priests. Only priests could offer the sacrifices; the rest of the Levites aided them in the work of the tabernacle (cf. 3:7–9). ordained. The setting apart of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood is recorded in Lev. 8:1– 9:24.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 3:4 Eleazar and Ithamar. All of the future priests of Israel under the Mosaic Covenant were descendants of these two sons of Aaron. Eleazar and his descendants would later be singled out for great blessing (cf. Num. 25:10–13).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 3:6 the tribe of Levi. The specific task of the Levites was to serve Aaron, his sons, and all of Israel by doing the work of the tabernacle, further defined in 3:25–26, 31, 36–37; 4:4–33.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 3:10 any outsider. Laymen or strangers (cf. 1:51) would die if they participated in priestly activities (cf. 3:38; 16:40).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 3:12 firstborn. At the exodus, the Lord claimed for himself the firstborn of Israel's males (cf. Ex. 13:1–2). The firstborn was to act as the family priest. But when the full ministry of the Mosaic economy came in, God transferred the priestly duties to the Levites, perhaps partly because of their holy zeal in the golden calf incident (cf. Ex. 32:29). The Levites substituted for the firstborn.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 3:15 List. Moses took a census of every Levite male who was at least one month old. This included Moses and Aaron and their sons, because they descended from Amram (3:19; cf. Ex. 6:20).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 3:21–26 Gershon. The Gershonites numbered 7,500 males and were responsible for the coverings of the tabernacle. They were to camp west of the tabernacle.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 3:27–32 Kohath. Some LXX manuscripts give the number of Kohathites as 8,300, which is the preferred reading. (The addition of one Hebrew letter changes the "six" to a "three." This letter was dropped very early in the copying of the text.) The Kohathites were responsible for the holy objects of the tabernacle (including transporting the ark) and were to camp south of the tabernacle.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 3:33–37 Merari. The Merarites numbered 6,200 males and were responsible for the wooden framework of the tabernacle. They were to camp north of the tabernacle.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 3:38 Moses . . . Aaron. Moses and Aaron and his sons were given the place of honor on the east of the tabernacle and gave overall supervision to the Levites. Eleazar oversaw the Kohathites (3:32), and Ithamar oversaw the Gershonites and Merarites (4:28, 33).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 3:43 22,273. This was the total number of Gershonite, Kohathite, and Merarite males born in the 12.5 months since the exodus. The

Levites took the place of the first 22,000 firstborns, and the rest (273) were redeemed with 1,365 silver shekels (about 170 lbs.).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 4:1–49 For a discussion of the tabernacle and contents, see notes on Ex. 25–30.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 4:3 thirty . . . to fifty. This second census of the Levites determined those who would carry the tabernacle on the coming journey to Canaan. Only those between the ages of 30 and 50 were called by the Lord for this task (see note on 8:24).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 4:4–16 Kohath. The Kohathites carried the furnishings of the tabernacle only after they had been covered by Aaron and his sons. If the Kohathites touched (4:15) or saw (4:20) any of the holy things, they would die.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 4:21–28 Gershon. See note on 3:21–26.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 4:29–33 Merari. See note on 3:33–37.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 4:34–49 listed. The Kohathites totaled 2,750 (v. 36), the Gershonites 2,630 (v. 40), the Merarites 3,200 (v. 44). All the Levites from 30 to 50 years old in service added up to 8,580 (v. 48).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 5:1–4 These verses deal with outward, visible defects.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 5:2 leprous. One having an infectious skin disease (cf. Lev. 13:1–14:57). discharge. A bodily emission indicative of disease, primarily from the sex organs (cf. Lev. 15:1–33). dead. Physical contact with a dead body (cf. Lev. 21:11). All of these prohibitions had sensible health benefits as well as serving to illustrate the need for moral cleanliness when approaching God.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 5:3 outside the camp . . . in the midst of which I dwell. God's holy presence in the cloud in the tabernacle demanded cleanness. Therefore, all the unclean were barred from the encampment of Israel.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 5:5–10 These verses deal with personal sins, which are not as outwardly visible as the uncleanness of 5:1–4.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 5:6 with the Lord. A sin committed against God's people was considered a sin committed against God himself. There was a need for

confession and restitution in addition to the trespass offering (cf. Lev. 5:14–6:7).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 5:8 no next of kin. A supplement to Lev. 6:1–7. If the injured party had died and there was no family member to receive the restitution called for in Num. 5:7, it was to go to the priest as the Lord's representative.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 5:11–31 These verses deal with the most intimate of human relationships and the most secret of sins. Adultery was to be determined and dealt with to maintain the purity of the camp. To accomplish that purity, God called for a very elaborate and public trial. If adultery was proven, it was punished with death, and this ceremony made guilt or innocence very apparent. It was not a trial with normal judicial process, since such sins are secret and lack witnesses, but it was effective. The ceremony was designed to be so terrifying and convicting that the very tendencies of human nature would make it clear if the person was guilty.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 5:14 spirit of jealousy. A mood of suspicion came over the husband that his wife had defiled herself with another man. The accuracy of the suspicion was determined to be right or wrong.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 5:15 iniquity to remembrance. The purpose of the husband's offering was to bring the secret iniquity (if it was present) to light. How this was done is explained in 5:18, 25–26.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 5:18 before the Lord. The woman was brought to a priest at the tabernacle. There she was in the presence of the Lord, who knew her guilt or innocence. unbind the hair. Lit., "unbind the head." In Lev. 10:6; 13:45; 21:10, this phrase signifies mourning. This seems to signify the expectation of judgment and consequent mourning if the woman was proven to be guilty. water of bitterness. This water included dust from the tabernacle floor (5:17) and the ink used to write the curses (5:23). The woman was to drink the water (5:26). If the woman was guilty, the water would make her life bitter by carrying out the curse of making her thigh rot and her belly swell (5:21, 27). The public, frightening nature of this test could not fail to make guilt or innocence appear when the conscience was so assaulted.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 5:28 conceive children. The penalty for the guilty wife was obvious, since the death penalty was called for. In contrast, the innocent wife was assured she would live to bring forth children.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 6:1–21 Whereas 5:1–31 dealt with the cleansing of the camp by dealing with the unclean and sinful, 6:1–21 showed how consecration to the Lord was possible for every Israelite. Although only the family of Aaron could be priests, any man or woman could be "priestly" (i.e., dedicated to God's service) for a time (from a month to a lifetime) by means of the vow of a Nazirite. Such a vow was made by people unusually devout toward God and dedicated to his service.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 6:2 the vow of a Nazirite. The word "vow" here is related to the word "wonder," which signifies something out of the ordinary. "Nazirite" transliterates a Hebrew term meaning "dedication by separation." The Nazirite separated himself to the Lord by separating himself from 1) grape products (6:3– 4), 2) the cutting of one's hair (6:5), and 3) contact with a dead body (6:6–7). The high priest was also forbidden 1) to drink wine while serving in the tabernacle (Lev. 10:9), and 2) to touch dead bodies (Lev. 21:11). Further, both the high priest's crown (Ex. 29:6; 39:30; Lev. 8:9) and the Nazirite's head (Num. 6:9, 18) are referred to by the same Hebrew word. The Nazirite's hair was like the high priest's crown. Like the high priest, the Nazirite was holy to the Lord (6:8; cf: Ex. 28:36) all the days (Num. 6:4–8) of his vow.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 6:9 dies . . . suddenly. If the Nazirite inadvertently came in contact with a dead body, he was to shave his head, on the eighth day bring the prescribed offerings, and begin the days of his vow again. This is a good illustration of the fact that sin can become mingled with the best intentions, and is not always premeditated. When sin is mixed with the holiest actions, it calls for a renewed cleansing.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 6:13 completed. At the end of the determined time, the Nazirite was released from his vow through offerings and the shaving of his head. His hair was to be brought to the sanctuary at the time of those offerings (cf. Acts 18:18).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 6:22–27 Obedient Israel, organized before and consecrated to the Lord, was the recipient of God's blessing (i.e., his favor) pronounced by the priests.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 6:24 bless. The Lord's blessing was described as his face (i.e., his presence) shining on his people (v. 25) and looking at them (v. 26). God shone forth in benevolence on Israel and looked on them for good. keep. The

results of the Lord's blessing were his preservation of Israel ("keep"), his kindness toward her ("be gracious," v. 25), and her total well-being ("peace," v. 26).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 6:27 put my name. The name of the Lord represented his person and character. The priests were to call for God to dwell among his people and meet all their needs.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 7:1–10:36 These four chapters show how the Lord spoke to Moses (7:89) and led Israel (9:22; 10:11–12) from the tabernacle. As Israel was properly oriented toward the Lord and obeyed his word, God gave them victory over their enemies (10:35).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 7:1–89 As the people of Israel had been generous in giving to the construction of the tabernacle (see Ex. 35:4–29), they showed the same generosity in its dedication.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 7:1 finished setting up the tabernacle. According to Ex. 40:17, the tabernacle was raised up on the first day of the first month of the second year. Thus the tabernacle was set up 11.5 months after the exodus from Egypt.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 7:2 the chiefs of Israel. The leaders of the 12 tribes were those named in 1:5–15 who oversaw the numbering of the people. The order of the presentation by tribe of their offerings to the tabernacle was the same as the order of march given in 2:3–32.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 7:6 the wagons and the oxen. These were to be used in the transportation of the tabernacle. According to v. 9, the sons of Kohath did not receive a cart because they were to carry the holy things of the tabernacle on their shoulders.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 7:12 the first day. I.e., the first day of the first month. The gifts of the leaders to the tabernacle were given over 12 successive days.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 7:84–88 Each of the leaders gave the same offerings to the tabernacle. Here the total of all the gifts was given.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 7:89 it spoke to him. With the completion of the tabernacle, the Lord communicated his word to Moses from the mercy seat in the Most Holy

Place (see Lev. 1:1; Num. 1:1).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 8:1–4 Exodus 25:32–40 recorded the instructions for the making of the golden lampstand and Ex. 37:17–24 reported its completion. Here, as a part of the dedication of the tabernacle, the seven lamps of the lampstand were lit.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 8:5–26 This ceremony set apart the Levites to the service of the Lord. Their dedication was a feature of the overall description of the dedication of the tabernacle.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 8:6 cleanse. In contrast to the priests who were consecrated (Ex. 29:1, 9), the Levites were cleansed. According to Num. 8:7, this cleansing was accomplished by first, the sprinkling of water; second, the shaving of the body; and third, the washing of the clothes. This cleansing of the Levites made them pure so they might come into contact with the holy objects of the tabernacle. Similar requirements were given for the cleansing of the leper in Lev. 14:8–9.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 8:9 the whole congregation. Since the Levites took the place of the firstborn, who had acted as family priests among the people of Israel (see vv. 16–18), all of the congregation of Israel showed their identification with the Levites by the laying on of their hands.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 8:19 a gift to Aaron. The Levites were given by God to assist the priests. no plague. See note on 1:53.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 8:24 twenty-five years old. The Levites were to begin their service in helping the priests at age 25. However, in 4:3 the age of commencement is 30. A rabbinic suggestion was that the Levites were to serve a five-year apprenticeship. A better solution can be discovered by noting the differing tasks in the two chapters. Numbers 4 dealt with the carrying of the tabernacle, while here they helped in the service in the tabernacle. A Levite began serving in the tabernacle at 25 and carrying the tabernacle at 30. In both cases, his service ended at age 50. David later lowered the age to 20 (see 1 Chron. 23:24, 27; cf. Ezra 3:8).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 9:1–14 The call from the Lord to keep the Passover led to an inquiry from those whose uncleanness kept them from obeying. This request led to an amplification of the requirement by the Lord. This was the second

Passover.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 9:1 the first month. The events recorded in these verses precede the beginning of the census in ch. 1, but follow the dedication of the tabernacle in ch. 7.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 9:3 twilight. The time between the end of one day and the beginning of the next. See Ex. 12:6.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 9:6 unclean. Ceremonially unclean because of contact with a dead body. See note on 5:2.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 9:10 any one . . . of your descendants. This word from the Lord was not only for the current situation, but it was a continuing ordinance for Israel. If a man was unable to eat the Passover because of uncleanness or because he was away from the land, he could partake of the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 9:12 This text is alluded to in John 19:36.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 9:13 cut off. If any Israelite did not keep the Passover at the appointed time and was not unclean or away from the land, he was to be "cut off," which implies that he was to be killed.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 9:14 one statute. A non-Israelite who wished to participate in the Passover would be required to be circumcised.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 9:15–23 See Ex. 40:34–38. The cloud, the visible symbol of the Lord's presence, was continually sitting above the tabernacle. The movement of the cloud was the signal to Israel that they were to travel on their journey.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 9:15 tabernacle was set up. The presence of the Lord arrived when the tabernacle was completed and raised up on the first day of the first month of the second year after they had come out of Egypt.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 9:16 cloud . . . fire. The presence of the Lord, which was seen in the cloud by day, became a fire that was seen at night (cf. Lev. 16:2).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 9:23 command . . . command. The text emphasizes that Israel obeyed the Lord at this point in her experience. Throughout the wilderness

wanderings, the Israelites could only journey as the cloud led them. When it did not move, they stayed encamped where they were.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 10:1–10 Israel was also to be guided by the blowing of the two silver trumpets made by Moses. Both a call to gather and a call to march were communicated with the trumpets.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 10:2 trumpets. According to a Jewish tradition, these instruments were between 12 and 20 inches long and had a narrow tube that was flared at the end. hammered work. The same description is given concerning the cherubim above the mercy seat. See Ex. 25:18 and 37:7.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 10:3–4 both . . . one. The first function of the trumpets was to gather the people to the tabernacle. When both trumpets were blown, all adult males of the congregation were to gather. If only one trumpet was blown, the leaders were to come.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 10:5 set out. The second purpose of the trumpets was to give a signal indicating that the tribes were to begin their march. The exact difference between the blowing for the gathering at the tabernacle and for the march is not known. Jewish tradition said the convocation sound was a long steady blast, while the advance signal was a succession of three shorter notes.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 10:8 a perpetual statute. The blowing of the horns was to be a perpetual ordinance in Israel, calling the people to worship or to war.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 10:11–36 Finally, in an orderly and obedient fashion, Israel departed from Sinai as the Lord commanded through Moses.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 10:11 second year . . . twentieth day of the month. Only 13 months after the exodus from Egypt and 11 months after the arrival at Sinai, Israel began to march toward Canaan.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 10:12 the wilderness of Sinai. According to 13:26, Kadesh was in the Wilderness of Paran, probably at its northern border. This verse gives a summary of God's leading from Sinai to Kadesh.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 10:14–28 The order of march followed by Israel in these verses is in exact conformity to the details given in 2:1–34.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 10:14 standard. See note on 2:2. Nahshon. For the fourth, and final time in the book of Numbers, the 12 leaders of the first generation of

Israel were noted (see chs. 1; 2; and 7). In accordance with Gen. 49:8–12, the tribe of Judah was given preeminence as the ruling tribe. It led the march into the Promised Land.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 10:29 Hobab. As the son of Reuel, Hobab was Moses' brother-in-law. Reuel. Reuel was the father-in-law of Moses (see Ex. 2:18). Come with us. Moses sought Hobab's help in leading Israel through the wilderness. He promised Hobab a portion of the inheritance of Israel within the land if he would come. The text of Numbers does not explicitly state whether Hobab responded to Moses or not. But Judg. 1:16 implies that Hobab agreed to Moses' request. Later, he joined with Judah in the conquest of the land and did receive the blessing of dwelling in the land.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 10:33 three days' journey. The Israelites traveled for three days from Sinai before they encamped for more than one night.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 10:35–36 As Israel traveled and encamped, Moses prayed that the Lord would give victory and that his presence would be among her.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 11:1–25:18 In contrast to Num. 1–10, a major change takes place at 11:1. Obedient Israel became complaining (11:1; 14:2, 27, 29, 36; 16:1– 3, 41; 17:5) and rebellious (14:9; 17:10) Israel. Ultimately, Moses and Aaron rebelled against the Lord as well (20:10, 24). In response to Israel's disobedience, the Lord's anger was aroused (11:1, 10, 33; 12:9; 14:18; 25:3–4) and he plagued his people (14:37; 16:46–50; 25:8–9, 18) as he had Pharaoh and the Egyptians (Ex. 9:14; 12:13; 30:12). Nevertheless, even though God judged that generation of Israel, he will still fulfill his promises to Abraham in the future (23:5–24:24).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 11:1–12:16 The complaining of the people and leaders began on the journey from Sinai to Kadesh.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 11:1 the Lord heard it. Their complaining was outward and loud. outlying parts of the camp. God in his grace consumed only those who were on the very edges of the encampment of Israel.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 11:4 the rabble. The word occurs only here in the OT. However, another word, "multitude," was used in Ex. 12:38. The "rabble" here are non-Israelites who left Egypt with Israel in the exodus. meat. After over a year of eating manna in the wilderness, the mixed multitude wanted the spicy

food of Egypt once again.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 11:7 manna. See Ex. 16:14. bdellium. This refers more to appearance than color, i.e., it had the appearance of a pale resin.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 11:13–14 Moses confessed to God that he was not able to provide meat for the people as they demanded. Their complaining was discouraging him so that because of this great burden, Moses desired death from the hand of the Lord.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 11:16–30 In response to Moses' despair in leading the people, the Lord gave him 70 men to help.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 11:16 seventy men. These aides to Moses might be the same 70 referred to in Ex. 18:21–26.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 11:17 the Spirit. This refers to the Spirit of God. It was by means of the Holy Spirit that Moses was able to lead Israel. In v. 25, the Lord gave the Spirit to the 70 men in fulfillment of the word he gave to Moses.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 11:21 six hundred thousand. Moses rounded off the 603,550 of 1:46 and 2:32.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 11:23 Is the Lord's hand shortened? The Lord indicated he was able to do as he had said and provide meat for the 600,000 men of Israel and their families for one month.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 11:25 prophesied. Here the prophesying refers to the giving of praise and similar expressions of worship to the Lord without prior training. The text is clear that this was a one-time event as far as these men were concerned.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 11:29 that the Lord would put his Spirit on them! Moses desired and anticipated the day when all of God's people would have his Spirit within them. By this, he looked forward to the New Covenant. See Ezek. 36:22– 27; Jer. 31:31ff.; Joel 2:28.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 11:31 a day's journey. The Lord, using a wind, brought a great quantity of quail that surrounded the encampment within one day's journey. about two cubits above the ground. The birds flew at a height of

about 3 feet where they were able to be easily captured or clubbed to the ground by the people.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 11:32 ten homers. About 60–70 bushels.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 12:1–16 The brother and sister of Moses opposed his leadership. The immediate occasion was the prophesying of the elders. Moses' position as the spokesman for God to Israel was called into question.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 12:1 Cushite. Ethiopia (also known as Cush), south of Egypt, was inhabited by the descendants of Cush, the firstborn son of Ham (Gen. 10:6–7). Although the term "Cushite" could have been used concerning Zipporah, Moses' first wife, it seems more likely that Moses had remarried after the death of Zipporah. The marriage to the Ethiopian woman had been recent and furnished the pretext for the attack of Miriam and Aaron. Since Miriam is mentioned first, she probably was the instigator of the attack against Moses.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 12:2 spoken only through Moses. Miriam and Aaron asserted that God had spoken to them in the same way that he had spoken to Moses.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 12:3 very meek. This statement is often cited as evidence that Moses could not have written the book of Numbers, for he would not have boasted in his own humility. However, the Holy Spirit certainly could inspire Moses to make an accurate statement about himself, probably against his own natural inclination. In this context, Moses was asserting there was nothing that he had done to provoke this attack by Miriam and Aaron.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 12:5 the Lord came down. As in Gen. 11:5, this clause states that the Lord knows and deals with situations on earth. Here the Lord came down and, in Num. 12:10, departed. This was God's answer to the attack against Moses.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 12:7 my servant Moses. This phrase is also repeated in v. 8. A servant of the Lord in the OT is one who responded in faith by obedience to the word of the Lord. faithful in all my house. A reference to Moses' loyal performance of his role as covenant mediator between the Lord and Israel.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 12:8 mouth to mouth. God spoke to Moses without mediation. Also the Lord did not speak to Moses through visions and dreams,

but plainly. It was not that Moses saw the full glory of God (cf. John 1:18), but rather that he had the most explicit, intimate encounters (cf. Deut. 34:10). the form of the Lord. This is the likeness or representation of the Lord that Moses was privileged to see. See Ex. 33:23.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 12:10 leprous. In judgment of Miriam's opposition to Moses, the Lord struck her with leprosy. For the treatment of a leper, see Lev. 13–14. A public sin required a public response from the Lord.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 12:16 wilderness of Paran. See note on 10:12.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 13:1–14:45 These chapters record the massive failure of Israel at Kadesh. The people failed to believe the Lord (14:11) and take the Promised Land. Their lack of faith was open rebellion against the Lord (14:9). The NT looks back to these times as an illustration of apostasy (cf. 1 Cor. 10:5; Heb. 3:16–19).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 13:1 The Lord spoke to Moses. According to Deut. 1:22– 23, the people had first requested the spies be sent out after Moses challenged them to take the land. Here, the Lord affirmed the peoples' desire and commanded Moses to send them.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 13:2 spy out the land of Canaan. The spies were specifically called to explore the land that God had promised to Israel. This exploration gave valuable information to Moses for the conquest of the land.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 13:3 heads of the people of Israel. These leaders were different from those mentioned in Num. 1; 2; 7; and 10. Presumably the tribal leaders in the four earlier lists were older men. The task for the spies called for some leaders who were younger, probably about 40 years of age, based on the ages of Caleb and Joshua.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 13:16 Hoshea . . . Joshua. For reasons not made clear, Moses changed the name of Hoshea, meaning "desire for salvation," to Joshua, meaning "the Lord is salvation."

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 13:17–20 The spies were to determine the nature of the land itself, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the people.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 13:20 the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.

Mid-summer (mid to late July).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 13:21 from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob. These were the southernmost and northernmost borders of the land.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 13:22 Hebron. The first major city the spies came to in Canaan. Abram had earlier built an altar to the Lord here (cf. Gen. 13:18). Abraham and Isaac were buried here (Gen. 49:31). The city had been fortified at about 1730 B.C., seven years before the building of Zoan in Egypt, and later became the inheritance of Caleb (Josh. 14:13–15) and then David's capital when he reigned over Judah (2 Sam. 2:1–4). the descendants of Anak. Cf. Num. 13:28. Anak was probably the ancestor of Ahiman, Sheshiai, and Talmai, who were living at Hebron. They were noted for their height (Deut. 2:21; 9:2).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 13:23 the Valley of Eshcol. Eshcol means "cluster."

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 13:28 the people . . . are strong. The spies reported that the land was good; however, the people were too strong to be conquered.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 13:30 Caleb quieted the people. The verb "quieted" usually occurs in the form of the interjection "Hush!" This implies that the spies report evoked a vocal reaction from the people. Caleb concurred with the report of the other spies, but called the people to go up and take the land, knowing that with God's help they were able to overcome the strong people.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 13:32 a bad report. The report of the 10 spies was evil because it exaggerated the dangers of the people in the land, sought to stir up and instill fear in the people of Israel and, most important, it expressed their faithless attitude toward God and his promises.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 13:33 Nephilim. This term was used in Gen. 6:4 for a group of strong men who lived on the earth before the flood. The descendants of Anak were, in exaggeration, compared to these giants, which led the spies to view themselves as grasshoppers before them.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 14:1 all the congregation . . . wept. All of Israel bewailed the circumstances.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 14:2 grumbled. The term means "to murmur." Specifically they wished they had died in Egypt or the wilderness.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 14:4 choose a leader and go back to Egypt. The faithless people were ready to reject God's leader, Moses.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 14:6 tore their clothes. This was an indication of distress (see Gen. 37:29).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 14:7–9 Joshua and Caleb reaffirmed their appraisal that the land was good and their confidence that the Lord would deliver it and its people into their hands.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 14:10 the glory of the Lord appeared. In response to the people's violent rejection of Joshua and Caleb's challenge, God appeared.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 14:11 despise . . . not believe in me. They had refused to trust or rely on God and his power to give them the land of Canaan in spite of the signs that he had done in their midst.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 14:12 I will make of you a nation. As in Ex. 32:9–10, God threatened to wipe out the people and start over again with Moses' "son." This justifiable threat showed the seriousness with which God took rebellion on the part of his people.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 14:13–19 As in Ex. 32:11–13, Moses interceded for Israel to protect the Lord's reputation with the Egyptians, who would charge the Lord with inability to complete his deliverance of Israel and thus deny his power. Second, the Lord's loyal love was the basis on which the Lord could forgive his people.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 14:22 ten times. Taken literally this includes: 1) Ex. 14:10– 12; 2) Ex. 15:22–24; 3) Ex. 16:1–3; 4) Ex. 16:19–20; 5) Ex. 16:27–30; 6) Ex. 17:1–4; 7) Ex. 32:1–35; 8) Num. 11:1–3; 9) Num. 11:4–34; and 10) Num. 14:3.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 14:24 my servant Caleb. Since Caleb was recognized as one who feared and trusted the Lord, he later rewarded his faith (cf. Josh. 14).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 14:25 turn . . . and set out for the wilderness. Because of Israel's refusal to enter the land, instead of continuing northward, God commanded they move southward toward the Gulf of Aqabah.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 14:26–35 The Lord granted the Israelites their wish, i.e.,

their judgment was that they would die in the wilderness (vv. 29, 35: cf. v. 2). Their children, however, whom they thought would become victims (v. 3), God would bring into the land of Canaan (vv. 30–32). The present generation of rebels would die in the wilderness until 40 years were completed. The 40 years were calculated as one year for each day the spies were in Canaan.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 14:37 died by plague. As an indication of the certainty of the coming judgment, the 10 spies who undermined the people's faith were struck by the plague and died.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 14:44 they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country. With characteristic obstinacy, the people rejected Moses' counsel and the Lord's command and went to attack the Amalekites in the hill country. Since the Lord was not with them, they were defeated.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 15:1–41 Even though the Israelites had rebelled against the Lord and were under his judgment, the Lord still planned to give the land of Canaan to them. These laws assumed Israel's entrance into the land (15:2, 17).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 15:1–16 The law of the grain offering recorded here differs from that given in Lev. 2. The grain offerings in Leviticus were offered separately as a gift to the Lord. Here, for the first time, grain and drink offerings were allowed to be offered along with either a burnt or a peace offering.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 15:4 ephah . . . hin. Measurements equal to 4 to 6 gallons and 6 to 8 pints.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 15:17–21 This regulation pertained to the offering of the firstfruits of the harvest. When the people entered the land of Canaan and began to enjoy its produce, they were to show their devotion to the Lord by presenting to him a cake baked from the first cuttings of the grain.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 15:22 sin unintentionally. Sin offerings were prescribed whenever any of the Lord's commands were disobeyed accidentally, i.e., by unintentional neglect or omission. In vv. 24–26, the offerings for the whole community were given. In vv. 27–29, the offerings for the individual person who sinned unintentionally were stated.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 15:30 does anything with a high hand. These sins, committed knowingly and deliberately, were described as blasphemous because

they were an arrogant act of insubordination against the Lord. Anyone guilty of presumptuous sin was to be excommunicated from Israel and put to death.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 15:32–36 This was an illustration of defiant sin. When it was determined that there was a premeditated violation of the Sabbath law, death was required.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 15:37–38 tassels. These blue tassels were in the form of a flower or petal and were attached to the garments of the Israelites to remind them of their need to trust and obey God's commands.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 15:41 the Lord. This reminder harkens back to Moses' first encounter with the Lord in the desert (Ex. 3:13–22).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 16:1–18:32 In 16:1–40, Korah (a Levite), allied with some Reubenites and other leaders of Israel, instigated an organized opposition to the authority of Aaron and the priests. Their argument against Moses and Aaron was that by claiming the unique right and responsibility to represent the people before God, they exalted themselves based on the promise that "all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them" (16:3). The Lord dealt with these rebels (16:4–40) and reaffirmed his choice of Aaron (16:41–17:13). Finally, the Lord restated the duties and support of both the priests and Levites (18:1–32). These events took place at some unidentified place and time during Israel's wilderness wanderings.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 16:1 Korah. Korah was descended from Levi through Kohath. Being a son of Kohath, he already had significant duties at the tabernacle (see 4:1–20). However, he desired further to be a priest (see 16:10).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 16:8 sons of Levi. Other Levites were involved in this rebellion with Korah.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 16:12 Dathan and Abiram. These two men of the tribe of Reuben despised Moses, blaming him for taking Israel out of the land of Egypt and failing to bring them into the land of Canaan. Because of Moses' perceived failure, they attacked him, joining with Korah in the rebellion against Moses and Aaron.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 16:15 I have not harmed one of them. Moses pled his innocence before the Lord, claiming to have been a true servant-leader. This

confirms that Num. 12:3 could have been written by Moses.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 16:16–35 God judged those who rebelled against Moses and Aaron by putting them to death.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 16:21 The Lord answered Moses' intercession by calling the people to depart from the tents of the rebels so that only they would be judged.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 16:22 God of the spirits of all flesh. This phrase appears only here and in 27:16. Moses called on the omniscient God—who knows the heart of everyone—to judge those who had sinned, and those only.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 16:30 something new. This supernatural opening of the earth to swallow the rebels was a sign of God's wrath and the vindication of Moses and Aaron.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 16:32 their households. Numbers 26:11 indicates that this did not include their children.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 16:36–40 The 250 leaders of Israel had brought censers filled with fire before the Lord (16:17–18). The censers were holy to the Lord since they had been used in the tabernacle. Therefore, Eleazar was commanded to hammer out the metal censers into a covering for the altar. That covering was to be a perpetual reminder that God had chosen Aaron and his descendants for the priesthood.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 16:41–50 Instead of bringing about the repentance of the people, the Lord's wrath only led to more complaining. Though the children of Israel held Moses and Aaron accountable for the people who had been killed by the Lord, it was the intervention of Moses and Aaron for the entire nation that saved them from destruction because of their opposition to God.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 16:46 incense. Incense was symbolic of prayer. Aaron interceded in prayer and the plague stopped (v. 48).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 16:49 14,700. See 1 Cor. 10:10.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 17:2 twelve staffs. These sticks of wood were to bear the names of the 12 tribes, with the tribe of Levi replaced by the name Aaron.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 17:4 before the testimony. The testimony is the Ten Commandments written on two stone tablets kept in the ark of the covenant. The phrase "before the testimony" is synonymous with "before the ark."

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 17:8 the staff of Aaron. God had stated that the stick of the man he had chosen would blossom (17:5). The stick of Aaron had not only blossomed, but had yielded ripe almonds. Thus God had exceeded the demands of the test, so there would be no uncertainty of the fact that Aaron had been chosen as high priest.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 17:10 a sign. Aaron's rod that blossomed and brought forth fruit was to be kept as an indication of God's choice in order to permanently stop the murmuring of the rebellious Israelites.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 17:12 Behold, we perish. Finally, the people realized their sin in challenging Aaron's role.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 17:13 comes near. The people's fear of going near to God led to a reaffirmation of the priesthood of Aaron and his sons in ch. 18.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 18:1–7 Only Aaron and his family could minister with the holy articles of the sanctuary of God.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 18:1 the Lord said to Aaron. Only here in vv. 1–25 and in Lev. 10:8 does the Lord speak directly to Aaron alone. bear iniquity. Aaron and his sons from this point forward were responsible for any offense against the holiness of the tabernacle or violations of the rules of priesthood.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 18:7 priesthood as a gift. Even though the priesthood demanded much, the priests were to view it as a gift from the Lord.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 18:8–20 In return for their service to the Lord, the priests were to receive a portion of the offerings that the people presented in worship. They could keep all of the parts of the sacrifices not consumed on the altar by fire. Also, the offerings of firstfruits and everything devoted to the Lord were theirs as well.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 18:19 a covenant of salt forever. Salt, which does not burn, was a metaphor to speak of durability. As salt keeps its flavor, so the Lord's covenant with the priesthood was durable. The Lord would provide through the

offerings of his people for his priests forever.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 18:21–24 The Levites received the tithes from the people. This was their source of income and compensation for their tabernacle service.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 18:25–32 As the Levites themselves received the tithe, they were also required to present a tithe (a tenth) of what they received to the Lord.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 19:1–22 Over a period of 38.5 years, over 1.2 million people died in the wilderness because of God's judgment. The Israelites were continually coming into contact with dead bodies, which led to ceremonial uncleanness. Therefore, the Lord provided a means of purification so that those who came into contact with dead bodies might be cleansed.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 19:1–10 The provision given for the preparation of the "water for impurity" (cf. Lev. 12–15).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 19:2 red heifer without defect. A reddish brown cow, probably young since no yoke had been laid on it. This cow was burned and its ashes were used as the agent of purification (see v. 9).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 19:3 Eleazar. The son of Aaron was a deputy high priest who was in charge of the slaughter of the red cow. outside the camp. The red cow was killed outside the camp of Israel, and its ashes were stored there as well (see v. 9). Hebrews 13:11–13 picks up the image of "outside the camp" as it relates to Christ's death outside of Jerusalem.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 19:6 cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet. The cow was totally consumed by the fire along with these three materials, which were also used in the ritual of purification of skin disease (Lev. 14:1–9). The ashes of all these and the cow were mixed to make the agent by which cleansing could take place.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 19:11–22 A general statement regarding the use of the "water for impurity" (vv. 11–13) is followed by a more detailed explanation of the procedure to be followed.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 19:18 a clean person. Any clean person, not just priests, could sprinkle the unclean with the water for impurity.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:1–22:1 These chapters record the beginning of the transition from the old generation (represented by Miriam and Aaron) to the new generation (represented by Eleazar). Geographically, Israel moves from Kadesh (20:1) to the plains of Moab (22:1) from where the conquest of the land would be launched. There is an interval of 37 years between 19:22 and 20:1.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:1–13 Just as the children of Israel failed to trust in the Lord (14:11) and thus were not allowed to go into the Promised Land (14:30), Israel's leaders, Moses and Aaron, would also not go into the land because of failure to trust in the Lord.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:1 the first month. The year is not stated. However, at the end of this chapter, there is a report of the death of Aaron. According to Num. 33:38, Aaron died on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year after the exodus from Egypt. Thus, the first month here must be of the fortieth year. Most of the older generation had died in the wilderness. Kadesh. As the people had begun their wilderness wanderings at Kadesh (13:26), so they ended them there. Kadesh was located on the northern boundary of the wilderness of Paran (13:26) and on the southeast border of the wilderness of Zin. Miriam died. Miriam, who led Israel in celebrating the victory over Egypt at the Red Sea (Ex. 15:20–21), also led the attack against Moses recorded in Num. 12:1–15. Her death served as a symbol that the old generation would not enter Canaan.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:2 no water. During Israel's 40 years in the wilderness, water was their greatest physical need. The Lord had provided it continually, beginning at Horeb (Ex. 17:1–7). The present lack of water stirred the people to contend with Moses.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:3 Would that we had perished when our brothers perished. The situation was so desperate in the people's mind that they wished they had been among those who died in Korah's rebellion (16:41–50).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:6 fell on their faces. As he had done in the past, Moses sought the Lord's counsel (see 14:5; 16:4).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:8 tell the rock. Though God told Moses to take his rod with which he had performed many wonders in the past (Ex. 4:1–5; 7:19–21; 14:16; 17:5–6), he was only to speak to the rock for it to yield water.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:10 you rebels. Instead of speaking to the rock, Moses spoke to the people, accusing them of being rebels against God. By his actions, Moses joined the people in rebellion against God (see 27:14).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:12 you did not believe in me. The Lord's evaluation of Moses was that he failed to take God at his word and thus to treat him as holy to the people. Moses here failed in the same way as Israel had at Kadesh 38 years previously (14:11). you shall not bring this assembly into the land. God's judgment upon Moses for his sin of striking the rock was that he would not take Israel into the land of Canaan. The inclusion of Aaron demonstrated his partnership with Moses in the action against the Lord.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:13 Meribah. Lit., "contention, quarreling" (see esv footnote). The same name was used earlier at the first occasion of bringing water from the rock (Ex. 17:7).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:14–21 Moses' attempt to pass through the territory of Edom was rejected by the king.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:14 your brother Israel. The people of Edom were descended from Esau, the brother of Jacob (see Gen. 36:1).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:17 the King's Highway. The major north-south trade route from the Gulf of Aqabah north to Damascus, which passed through the Edomite city of Sela.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:20 with a large army and with a strong force. The king of Edom sent out his army to intercept Israel. Since Israel was forbidden by the Lord to engage in warfare with Edom (Deut. 2:4–6), they turned away from Edom's border.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:22–29 Eleazar succeeded his father Aaron as high priest. Aaron's death further marked the passing of the first generation.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:22 Mount Hor. Likely a mountain to the northeast of Kadesh on the border of Edom.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:24 because you rebelled against my command. Aaron had joined Moses in rebellion against God (v. 12). Aaron's death foreshadowed the death of Moses.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 20:29 wept . . . thirty days. This was the same mourning period as for Moses (Deut. 34:8). Since the normal time for mourning was seven days (see Gen. 50:10), the length of this mourning showed the importance of Aaron and the loss to Israel.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 21:1–3 Israel's first victory over the Canaanites occurred at Hormah, the place they had previously been defeated (see 14:45).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 21:1 king of Arad. This raiding king came from a Canaanite city in the south (i.e., the Negeb).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 21:3 they devoted them . . . to destruction. Israel vowed to the Lord that if he would give them victory over Arad, they would completely destroy them, not claiming the spoils of victory for themselves. The Lord responded to this vow and gave victory.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 21:4–9 After their victory over Arad, Israel showed again their lack of obedience toward the Lord.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 21:4 by the way to the Red Sea. Cf. Deut. 2:1. Since the way through Edom was barred, Moses turned to the south to take Israel around Edom. Thus, Israel journeyed toward Elath on the coast of the Gulf of Aqabah. This long, circuitous route led to impatience and frustration on the part of Israel.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 21:5 this worthless food. The people's impatience led them to despise the manna (see 11:6).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 21:6 fiery serpents. So called because these snake bites inflicted a fiery inflammation.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 21:7 We have sinned. The people confessed their iniquity and asked that they might be released from the judgment God had sent.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 21:9 a bronze serpent. One had to fix his gaze upon this snake, a definite act of the will, if he wanted to be healed and live. See the typological use of this incident in John 3:14–15.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 21:10–20 Israel circled around both Edom and Moab and encamped on the north side of the Arnon River in the territory of the Amorites.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 21:14 the Book of the Wars of the Lord. This was apparently a book of victory songs that was current at the time of Moses, possibly written by Moses or a contemporary. The work is cited here as evidence that the Arnon River was the northern boundary of Moab.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 21:16 Beer. Lit., "well." Here God provided water for Israel. In response, Israel praised the Lord with a song that might have also come from "the Book of the Wars of the Lord" (vv. 17–18).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 21:21–32 As with Edom (20:14–19), Israel requested passage through the land of Sihon, a king of the Amorites. Since there was no requirement from the Lord not to engage the Amorites in warfare as there had been for Edom, when Sihon brought out his army, he was attacked and defeated by Israel. Israel thus took the land bounded by the Arnon River on the south, the Dead Sea and Jordan River on the west, the Jabbok River on the north, and the land of the Ammonites on the east.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 21:27 the ballad singers say. These words came from the wise men, probably among the Amorites. The words of vv. 27–30 describe the Amorites' defeat of the Moabites north of the Arnon River. Ironically, as the Amorites had taken the land from the Moabites, the Israelites had taken the land from the Amorites. The purpose of these words cited by Moses was to substantiate Israel's right to this land. According to God's commandments, the territory belonging to the Moabites was not to be taken by Israel because the Moabites were descendants of Lot (Deut. 2:9). However, what belonged to the Amorites had been promised to Israel and was theirs for the taking.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 21:33–35 The land north of the Jabbok River was under the control of Og, another Amorite king. Og attacked Israel and suffered a devastating defeat. Thus, all of the land in the Transjordan from the Arnon River in the south to the heights of Bashan in the north came under Israelite control.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 22:1 With their control of Transjordan secured, Israel moved unimpeded to the plains of Moab in preparation for assaulting Canaan.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 22:2–24:25 The narrative changes to center on Balaam, a pagan prophet. His oracles reassert the faithfulness of the Lord to the Abrahamic Covenant and his purpose to bless Israel. In 22:2–40, the events leading to Balaam's words are recorded. This is followed in 22:41–24:24 with the words of

his prophecies, and the conclusion is in 24:25.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 22:3 Moab was in great dread. The Moabites were descendants of Lot (see Gen. 19:36–37). Balak, their king, had seen how the Israelites destroyed the Amorites. Not knowing that Israel was forbidden by God to attack Moab, he was terrified that the same end awaited him and his people (Deut. 2:9).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 22:4 Midian. The Midianites were descendants of Abraham through Keturah (see Gen. 25:1–4), who lived south of Moab's border. When Moab communicated to the elders of Midian that they were in danger of being destroyed by Israel as well, they joined with Moab in an alliance to defeat Israel.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 22:5 Balaam. Balaam was from Pethor, a city on the Euphrates River, perhaps near Mari, where the existence of a cult of prophets whose activities resembled those of Balaam have been found. Balaam practiced magic and divination (24:1) and eventually led Israel into apostasy (31:16). Later Scripture identifies Balaam as a false prophet (Deut. 23:3–6; Josh. 13:22; 24:9– 10; Neh. 13:1–3; Micah 6:5; 2 Pet. 2:15–16; Jude 11; Rev. 2:14).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 22:6 curse this people. Knowing that Israel was too strong to defeat militarily, Balak called for Balaam to come and curse Israel. A curse was a spoken word that was believed to bring misfortune upon the one it was spoken against. Balak acknowledged that Balaam had the reputation of pronouncing curses that actually worked.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 22:8 as the Lord speaks to me. Throughout these chapters Balaam himself used the name "Lord," i.e., Israel's God (22:13, 18–19; 23:3, 12; 24:13). In 22:18 he even called the Lord, "the Lord my God." In this verse it must be assumed that Balaam expected the God of Israel to speak to him. As a pagan prophet he would anticipate making contact with the gods of any people.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 22:9 God came to Balaam. Israel's God did communicate to Balaam. However, rather than using the term "Lord," which indicates a covenant relationship, God consistently used the word "God" when he spoke to him (22:9, 12, 20). Though Balaam used the word "Lord," the biblical text makes it clear that he did not have a relationship with Israel's God.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 22:12 they are blessed. Balaam could not curse Israel because the Lord had determined to give them blessing only.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 22:20 only do what I tell you. Because of his great desire for the material wealth that would come to him, Balaam desired to go to Balak. He implored the Lord even after God had told him not to go. God acceded to Balaam's request to let him go, but told him that he could speak only the true message from God.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 22:22 because he went. Even though God had given Balaam permission to go (v. 20), he knew that his motive was not right. Thus the anger of the Lord burned against Balaam because God knew that he was not yet submissive to what he required. The result of God's confrontation with Balaam was a reaffirmation of the word given in v. 20, repeated in v. 35, that he was to speak only the words that God wanted him to speak. That Balaam got the message is explicitly stated in v. 38. the angel of the Lord. The angel of the Lord was a manifestation of the presence of the Lord himself. He was equated with deity (see Gen. 16:7; 18:1–2; Ex. 3:1–6). See note on Ex. 3:2.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 22:28 the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey. Balaam's donkey was able to see the angel of the Lord with his drawn sword (v. 23, 25, 27). Realizing the danger to herself, she sought to avoid the angel. In doing this, she preserved Balaam as well. Miraculously, the donkey was able to communicate with Balaam.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 22:31 the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam. The Lord allowed Balaam to see things as they really were, especially those things that are not ordinarily visible to humans, and to be submissive to his will as he went to Balak.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 22:41–23:12 Balaam's first oracle emphatically stated that Israel could not be cursed (23:8). She was unlike all the other nations of the world (23:9). Balaam even wished to share in her blessing (23:10).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 23:5 the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth. Even though Balak and Balaam offered sacrifices on pagan altars, it was the Lord who gave Balaam his oracle.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 23:7 Balaam took up his discourse. This statement introduces each of Balaam's speeches (vv. 7, 18; 24:3, 20, 21, 23).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 23:10 Who can count the dust of Jacob. Here is Oriental hyperbole signifying a very populous nation as Jacob's posterity was to be (cf.

Gen. 13:16; 28:14). fourth part of Israel. The camp was divided into four parts, one on each side of the tabernacle. If one could not count the part, certainly no one could count the whole.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 23:13–26 Balaam's second oracle reaffirmed the Lord's determination to bless Israel. The iniquity in Israel was mercifully set aside by the Lord (23:21) and therefore would not stop his plan. The God who supernaturally brought Israel out of Egypt (23:22) would give victory over all her enemies (23:24).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 23:19 God is not man. In contrast to the unreliability of man, so well seen in Balaam himself, God is reliable and immutable. He does not change; therefore, his words always come to pass.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 23:27–24:14 Balaam's third oracle focused on the ultimate King (the "Messiah"), who would bring the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant both to Israel and the nations.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 23:28 Peor. Also named Beth-peor (Deut. 3:29), it was the location of a temple to Baal (Num. 25:3).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 24:2 the Spirit of God came upon him. This terminology was regularly used in the OT for those whom God uniquely prepared to do his work (see Judg. 3:10). Unlike the previous two oracles, Balaam does not involve himself in divination before giving this third oracle. He is empowered with the Holy Spirit to utter God's message accurately.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 24:3 whose eye is opened. His inner eye of understanding had been opened by God's Spirit.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 24:7 Agag. In 1 Sam. 15:32–33, an Amalekite king bore this name. The Amalekites were the first people to attack Israel after they left Egypt (see Ex. 17:8–15). "Agag" may be a proper name or a title of Amalekite rulers, like "Pharaoh" in Egypt.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 24:8 God brings him out of Egypt. Because of the verbal similarities between v. 8 and v. 9, with 23:22 and 23:24, the "him" in this verse is usually interpreted to be Israel. However, since the "him" is singular and the closest reference in 24:7 is to the coming king, it is better to see vv. 8 and 9 as referring to Israel's king. Numbers 24:9 is a direct quote from Gen. 49:9, which

speaks of the ultimate King who will come from Judah—the Messiah.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 24:9 Blessed are those who bless you. These words refer to Gen. 12:3. The ultimate fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant centers upon the coming Messiah. It is the one who blesses Israel who will ultimately reap God's blessing in the future.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 24:14 in the latter days. Lit., "at the end of days." This term is rightfully used in the OT for the distant future. Balaam's fourth oracle takes the truth communicated in the third and applies it to Moab.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 24:15–19 Balaam's fourth oracle predicted the future coming of Israel's king, who would "crush the forehead of Moab" and conquer Edom. He will have total dominion.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 24:20–24 Balaam's final three oracles look at the future of the nations. First, Amalek will come to an end (24:20). Second, the Kenites, identical to or a part of the Midianites, will be carried away by Asshur, i.e., Assyria (24:21–22). Third, Assyria and Eber, probably Israel herself (Gen. 10:21), will be afflicted by Cyprus or Kittim (Kittim came to represent the Mediterranean region west of Palestine and in Dan. 11:30 refers to Rome), until Cyprus comes to ruin.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 25:1–18 The final failure of Israel before the conquest of Canaan occurred in the plains of Moab. According to 31:16, the incident was brought about by the counsel of Balaam. Failing to be able to curse Israel, he gave the Moabites and Midianites direction in how to provoke the Lord's anger against his people.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 25:1 Shittim. The region across the Jordan River from Jericho where Israel invaded the land of Canaan (see Josh. 2:1).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 25:3 yoked himself to Baal of Peor. Israel engaged in acts of sexual immorality with the women of Moab. Since this was part of the pagan cult that was worshiped by the Moabites, the Israelites joined in these idolatrous practices. The Israelites yoked themselves to the false god of the Moabites and the Midianites, referred to as Baal of Peor. This was a violation of the first commandment.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 25:6 Midianite woman. Cf. vv. 14–15.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 25:9 twenty-four thousand. This is to be differentiated from the plague over the golden calf where 23,000 died (cf. Ex. 32:1–14, 28; 1 Cor. 10:8).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 25:10–13 Because of Phinehas' zeal for God's holiness, the Lord made a "covenant of a perpetual priesthood" with him so that through his family line would come all future, legitimate high priests (cf. Ps. 106:30–31). This promise will extend even into the millennial kingdom (cf. Ezek. 40:46; 44:10, 15; 48:11).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 25:17 Harass the Midianites. Because the Midianites had attacked Israel by their schemes of sexual and idolatrous seduction, the Lord called Israel to attack them in return. This attack is recorded in 31:1–24.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 26:1–36:13 The final major section of Numbers records the renewed obedience of Israel. God continued to speak (26:1, 2, 52; 27:6, 12, 18; 28:1; 31:1, 25; 33:50; 34:1, 16; 35:1, 9), and the second generation of Israel obeyed. Most of the commandments in this section related to Israel's life after they entered the land.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 26:1–32:42 These chapters begin and end speaking of going to war (26:2; 32:20, 29, 32) and the ensuing inheritance of Canaan (26:52–56; 32:32). Israel was being prepared for the conquest of the Promised Land.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 26:1–51 This second census, like the first taken over 38 years earlier (1:1–46), counted all the men 20 years of age and older, fit for military service.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 26:5–51 The numbers for each tribe with the net gain or loss were as follows:

Reuben 43,730 (v. 7) -2,770 Simeon 22,200 (v. 14) -37,100 Gad 40,500 (v. 18) -5,150 Judah 76,500 (v. 22) +1,900 Issachar 64,300 (v. 25) +9,900 Zebulun 60,500 (v. 27) +3,100 Manasseh 52,700 (v. 34) +20,500 Ephraim 32,500 (v. 37) -8,000 Benjamin 45,600 (v. 41) +10,200

Dan 64,400 (v. 43) +1,700 Asher 53,400 (v. 47) +11,900 Naphtali 45,400 (v. 50) -8,000 Total 601,730 (v. 51) -1,820

The great decline in the tribe of Simeon might be due to its participation in the sin of Baal of Peor (see 25:14).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 26:9 Dathan, and Abiram. These were singled out for special mention because of their part in the rebellion recorded in 16:1–40. Mention of them was a reminder of God's judgment against rebellion.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 26:11 the sons of Korah. These sons of Korah were spared judgment because they separated themselves from their father's house (see 16:26).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 26:19 Er and Onan. These two sons of Judah did not receive an inheritance in the land because of their great evil (see Gen. 38:1–10).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 26:33 Zelophehad. The mentioning of Zelophehad having no sons, but only daughters, laid the basis for the laws of inheritance stated in 27:1–11 and 36:1–12.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 26:52–56 These census numbers would be used to decide the size of each tribe's inheritance in the land. The exact locations would be determined by lot (see Josh. 13:1–7; 14:1–19:51 for the outworking of these words).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 26:57–65 As in the first census (3:14–39), the Levites were counted separately. The total number of Levites was 23,000 (26:62), an increase of 1,000 over the previous census (see 3:39).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 27:1–11 The coming distribution of the land of Canaan presented a dilemma for the family of Zelophehad since he had no sons. His five daughters boldly asked that they inherit their father's name and his inheritance (vv. 1–4). The Lord's decision that the daughters should receive his inheritance became the basis of a perpetual statute in Israel governing inheritances (vv. 5– 11).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 27:3 died for his own sin. Zelophehad had not been

involved in Korah's rebellion. Instead, he had died under God's judgment in the wilderness, like the rest of the faithless exodus generation.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 27:8–11 The following is the order of inheritance: son, daughter, brother, paternal uncle, and closest relative in the family. This same order (with the exception of the daughter) was followed in Lev. 25:48–49 dealing with the various cases of redemption of the land in the jubilee year.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 27:12–14 God reaffirmed that Moses could not enter the land of Canaan, although he was able to see it from Mount Nebo, across from Jericho (see Deut. 32:49).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 27:15–17 Moses' greatest concern was that Israel have a good leader who was like a shepherd. The Lord answered his request in the man Joshua.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 27:18 lay your hand on him. Joshua already had the inner endowment for leadership. He was empowered by the Holy Spirit. This inner endowment was to be recognized by an external ceremony. Moses publicly laid his hands upon Joshua. This act signified the transfer of Moses' leadership to Joshua. The laying on of hands can accompany a dedication to an office (see 8:10).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 27:20 invest him with some of your authority. Moses was to pass on some of the "honor" or "majesty" that he had to Joshua. See Josh. 3:7.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 27:21 Eleazar . . . shall inquire for him. Moses had been able to communicate directly with God (12:8), but Joshua would receive the word from the Lord through the high priest. Urim. See note on Ex. 28:30 for this part of the high priest's breastpiece (Ex. 39:8–21) as a means of determining God's will (cf. Deut. 33:8; 1 Sam. 28:6).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 28:1–29:40 Instructions concerning the regular celebrations in Israel's worship calendar had been given previously. Now, poised to enter the land, Moses gave an orderly reiteration and summary of the regular offerings for each time of celebration, adding some additional offerings.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 28:3–8 See Ex. 29:38–42.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 28:9–10 These were newly revealed offerings for the

Sabbath.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 28:11–15 These were newly revealed offerings for the "beginnings of your months."

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 28:16–25 See Lev. 23:5–8.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 28:26–31 See Lev. 23:18.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 29:1–6 See Lev. 23:23–25.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 29:7–11 See Lev. 23:26–32.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 29:12–38 See Lev. 23:33–43.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 30:1–16 This chapter added clarification to the laws regarding vows given in Lev. 27:1–33. The basic principle for men is restated in Num. 30:2. Then, it was asserted that a man was also responsible for the vows made by women in his household (vv. 3–16). A father or husband could overrule the vow of a daughter or wife, but a man's silence, if he knew of the vow, meant it must be accomplished.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 30:2 a vow . . . bind himself by a pledge. A promise to do something or a promise not to do something. Christ could have had this text in mind (Matt. 5:33).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 30:9 a widow or of a divorced woman. These were not viewed as being under a man's authority, so the word of the woman alone sufficed.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 31:1–54 This chapter has many links with previous passages in Numbers: vengeance on Midian (vv. 2–3; 25:17–18); Zur the Midianite (31:8; 25:15); Balaam (31:8, 16; 22:2–24:25); Peor (31:16; 25:1–9, 14–15); purification after contact with the dead (31:19–24; 19:11–19); care for the priests and Levites (31:28–47; 18:8–32). This battle with the Midianites modeled God's requirements for holy war when Israel took vengeance on his enemies (see Deut. 20:1–18).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 31:1–11 Israel was commanded by the Lord to take vengeance on Midian because they were responsible for corrupting Israel at Peor (25:1–18).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 31:2 gathered to your people. A euphemism for death (see Gen. 25:8, 17; 35:29).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 31:12–24 All the Midianites, except the virgin women, were to be put to death. Both the soldiers and the spoil needed to be cleansed.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 31:17 The execution of all male children and women of childbearing age ensured the extermination of the Midianites and prevented them from ever again seducing Israel to sin. Reference to Midianites later (Judg. 6:1– 6) was to a different clan. It was the Midianites living in Moab who were destroyed here.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 31:25–54 The plunder was divided equally between those who went and fought and those who stayed.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 32:1–42 The tribes of Reuben and Gad desired to live in the land already conquered because they possessed much livestock and the land was good for grazing. Moses gave them, along with the half tribe of Manasseh, portions of the land only on the condition that they would fully participate in the conquest of Canaan.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 32:3 Ataroth . . . Beon. The places mentioned here cannot be identified, but all lie between the Arnon River to the south and the Jabbok River to the north.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 32:8 Your fathers did this. Moses feared that if these two tribes were comfortably settled, they would not join with the other 10 tribes in conquering Canaan, and that could be the beginning of a general revolt against entering the land. As the 10 spies had dissuaded the people at Kadesh nearly 40 years earlier from conquering the land (vv. 9–13; 13:26–14:4), the refusal of these two tribes could cause the people to fail again (32:15).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 32:23 your sin will find you out. The two tribes committed themselves to provide their warriors for the conquest of the land. This agreement satisfied Moses, although he added that non-participation would be sin and God would certainly find and judge the tribes for their sin.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 32:33 half-tribe of Manasseh. Once the agreement was reached with Reuben and Gad concerning settlement on the east side of the Jordan, the half-tribe of Manasseh, also rich with flocks, joined in seeking land in that territory. However, vv. 39–42 indicate that Manasseh conquered cities not yet taken and settled in the northern area of Gilead.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 33:1–49 The Lord commanded Moses to write a list of Israel's encampments between Egypt and the plains of Moab. Significantly, 40 places were mentioned (not including Rameses and the plains of Moab), reflecting the 40 years spent in the wilderness. Some sites recorded earlier are not listed and other sites are only mentioned here. The God who would lead the Israelites in the conquest of Canaan (33:50–56) was the One who had led them through the wilderness.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 33:50–36:13 The Promised Land had been Israel's goal

from the beginning of Numbers. This last part of the book anticipated the settlement of Canaan.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 33:50–56 God commanded that all of the Canaanites were to be exterminated, along with all their idolatrous symbols.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 33:52 their high places. Hills on which Canaanite altars and shrines were placed.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 33:56 I will do to you as I thought to do to them. If Israel failed to obey God, she would be the object of God's punishment in exactly the same way as the Canaanites were.

The Journey to Canaan

It is difficult to know for certain the exact route the Israelites took from Kadesh-barnea to the plains of Moab, but it is possible that they followed a course shown here, going around the lands of Edom and Moab along a desert route after they were refused passage through them.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 34:1–15 God gave precise instruction to Israel concerning the boundaries of the land of Canaan. Sadly, the actual conquest of the land fell far short of these boundaries.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 34:13 give to the nine tribes and to the half-tribe. The land to be conquered was to be given to the nine and a half tribes. The other two and a half tribes already had their inheritance in Transjordan (32:1–42).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 34:16–29 The Lord appointed the men who were to assign the portions of the land of Canaan: Eleazar the priest (20:25–26), Joshua the commander (27:18–23), and the leaders of each of the 10 tribes that were to receive an inheritance. None of these men were sons of the leaders listed in 1:5– 15.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 35:1–8 Forty-eight cities throughout the land were to be given to the Levites. The tribe of Levi did not receive a tribal allotment, but lived among the other tribes. Joshua 21:1–42 gave the list of these 48 cities.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 35:2 of the inheritance of their possession. According to 18:23, the Levites were to have no land as inheritance in Canaan, so the Levites did not inherit these towns; they only lived in them. pasturelands around the cities. The Levites were also given grazing land around the cities so that their animals might feed.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 35:9–34 Six of the Levitical cities were to be established as "cities of refuge" (see Deut. 19:1–13). These cities were to be havens giving protection to any person who accidentally killed another person (manslaughter).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 35:12 the avenger. The meaning of this term is "near of kin." It refers to the person chosen by a family to deal with a loss suffered in that family. Here the close relative of a homicide victim would seek to avenge his death, but not until proper judgment was made.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 35:19 Swift retribution according to the law of Gen. 9:5–6.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 35:24 judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood. The congregation was called to decide the motive of the killer, whether it was with or without hostility. If there was evil intent, the killer was turned over to the avenger to be put to death. If, however, hostility could not be proven to exist between the killer and the victim, then the killer was allowed to remain in the city of refuge.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 35:25 until the death of the high priest. The manslayer without evil intent was to remain in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. The death of the high priest marked the end of an old era and the beginning of a new one for the manslayer.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 35:30 witnesses. No one could be judged guilty of death on

the testimony of only one witness. Two or more witnesses were required in all capital cases (cf. Deut. 17:6; 19:15).

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 35:33 blood pollutes the land. Though murder and inadvertent killing polluted the land, murder was atoned for by the death of the murderer. Failure to observe these principles would make the land unclean. If the whole land became unclean, then the Lord would no longer be able to dwell in their midst.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 36:1–13 The issue raised here stemmed from a decision regarding female inheritance in 27:1–11. Since a tribe would lose an allotted inheritance in the year of jubilee if an inheriting woman had married into another tribe, the woman of any tribe who inherited land must marry within her own tribe.

NUMBERS—NOTE ON 36:12 married into the clans of . . . Manasseh. The daughters of Zelophehad exemplified the obedience to God's commandments that should have been practiced by all of Israel. Their inheritance was a direct result of their obedience to the Lord—a basic lesson stressed throughout the whole book of Numbers.

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1 • Deuteronomy 2 • Deuteronomy 3 • Deuteronomy 4 •

Deuteronomy 5 • Deuteronomy 6 • Deuteronomy 7 • Deuteronomy 8 • Deuteronomy 9 • Deuteronomy 10 • Deuteronomy 11 • Deuteronomy 12 • Deuteronomy 13 • Deuteronomy 14 • Deuteronomy 15 • Deuteronomy 16 • Deuteronomy 17 • Deuteronomy 18 • Deuteronomy 19 • Deuteronomy 20 • Deuteronomy 21 • Deuteronomy 22 • Deuteronomy 23 • Deuteronomy 24 • Deuteronomy 25 • Deuteronomy 26 • Deuteronomy 27 • Deuteronomy 28 • Deuteronomy 29 • Deuteronomy 30 • Deuteronomy 31 • Deuteronomy 32 • Deuteronomy 33 • Deuteronomy 34 Introduction to Deuteronomy

Title Author and Date Background and Setting Historical and Theological Themes Interpretive Challenges Outline Footnotes Study Notes

Introduction to Deuteronomy

Title

The English title "Deuteronomy" comes from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) mistranslation of "copy of this law" in 17:18 as "second law," which was rendered Deuteronomium in the Latin version (Vulgate). The Hebrew title of the book is translated "These are the words," from the first two Hebrew words of the book. The Hebrew title is a better description of the book since it is not a "second law," but rather the record of Moses' words of explanation concerning the law. Deuteronomy completes the five-part literary unit called the Pentateuch.

Author and Date

Moses has been traditionally recognized as the author of Deuteronomy, since the book itself testifies that Moses wrote it (1:1, 5; 31:9, 22, 24). Both the OT (1 Kings 2:3; 8:53; 2 Kings 14:6; 18:12) and the NT (Acts 3:22–23; Rom. 10:19) support the claim of Mosaic authorship. While Deut. 32:48–34:12 was added after Moses' death (probably by Joshua), the rest of the book came from Moses' hand just before his death in 1405 B.C.

The majority of the book is comprised of farewell speeches that the 120-year-old Moses gave to Israel, beginning on the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year after the exodus from Egypt (Deut. 1:3). These speeches can be dated January–February, 1405 B.C. In the last few weeks of Moses' life, he committed these speeches to writing and gave them to the priests and elders for the coming generations of Israel (31:9, 24–26).

Background and Setting

Like Leviticus, Deuteronomy does not advance historically, but takes place entirely in one location over about one month of time (cf. Deut. 1:3 and 34:8 with Josh. 5:6–12). Israel was encamped in the central rift valley to the east of the Jordan River (Deut. 1:1). This location was referred to in Num. 36:13 as "the plains of Moab," an area north of the Arnon River across the Jordan River from Jericho. It had been almost 40 years since the Israelites had exited Egypt.

The book of Deuteronomy concentrates on events that took place in the final weeks of Moses' life. The major event was the verbal communication of divine revelation from Moses to the people of Israel (1:1–30:20; 31:30–32:47; 33:1– 29). The only other events recorded were: 1) Moses' recording the law in a book and his commissioning of Joshua as the new leader (31:1–29); 2) Moses' viewing of the land of Canaan from Mount Nebo (32:48–52; 34:1–4); and 3) his death (34:5–12).

The original recipients of Deuteronomy, both in its verbal and written presentations, were the second generation of the nation of Israel. All of that generation from 40 to 60 years of age (except Joshua and Caleb, who were older) had been born in Egypt and had participated as children or teens in the exodus. Those under 40 had been born and reared in the wilderness. Together, they comprised the generation that was on the verge of conquering the land of Canaan under Joshua, 40 years after they had left Egypt (1:34–39).

Historical and Theological Themes

Like Leviticus, Deuteronomy contains much legal detail, but with an emphasis on the people rather than the priests. As Moses called the second generation of Israel to trust the Lord and be obedient to his covenant made at Horeb (Sinai), he illustrated his points with references to Israel's past history. He reminded Israel of her rebellion against the Lord at Horeb (9:7–10:11) and at Kadesh (1:26–46), which brought devastating consequences. He also reminded her of the Lord's faithfulness in giving victory over her enemies (2:24–3:11; 29:2, 7–8). Most important, Moses called the people to take the land that God had promised by oath to their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (1:8; 6:10; 9:5; 29:13; 30:20; 34:4; cf. Gen. 15:18–21; 26:3–5; 35:12). Moses not only looked back, he also looked ahead and saw that Israel's future failure to obey God would lead to her being scattered among the nations before the fulfillment of his oath to the patriarchs would be completed (4:25–31; 29:22–30:10; 31:26–29).

The book of Deuteronomy, along with Psalms and Isaiah, reveals much about the attributes of God. Thus, it is directly quoted over 40 times in the NT (exceeded only by Psalms and Isaiah) with many more allusions to its content. Deuteronomy reveals that the Lord is the only God (4:39; 6:4), and that he is jealous (4:24), faithful (7:9), loving (7:13), merciful (4:31), yet angered by sin (6:15). This is the God who called Israel to himself. Over 250 times, Moses repeated the phrase, "the Lord your God" to Israel. Israel was called to obey

(28:2), fear (10:12), love (10:12), and serve (10:12) her God by walking in his ways and keeping his commandments (10:12–13). By obeying him, the people of Israel would receive his blessings (28:1–14). Obedience and the pursuit of personal holiness is always based upon the character of God. Because of who he is, his people are to be holy (cf. 7:6–11; 8:6, 11, 18; 10:12, 16–17; 11:13; 13:3–4; 14:1–2).

Interpretive Challenges

Three interpretive challenges face the reader of Deuteronomy. First, is the book a singular record, or is it only a part of the larger literary whole, the Pentateuch? The remainder of the Scripture always views the Pentateuch as a unit, and the ultimate meaning of Deuteronomy cannot be divorced from its context in the Pentateuch. The book also assumes the reader is already familiar with the four books that precede it; in fact, Deuteronomy brings into focus all that had been revealed in Genesis to Numbers, as well as its implications for the people as they entered the land. However, every available Hebrew manuscript divides the Pentateuch in exactly the same way as the present text, indicating that the book is a well-defined unit recounting the final speeches of Moses to Israel, so it may also be viewed as a singular record.

Second, is the structure of Deuteronomy based on the secular treaties of Moses' day? During the last 35 years, many evangelical scholars have supported the Mosaic authorship of Deuteronomy by appealing to the similarities between the structure of the book and the ancient Near Eastern treaty form of the mid-second millennium B.C. (the approximate time of Moses). These secular suzerainty treaties (i.e., a ruler dictating his will to his vassals) followed a set pattern not used in the mid-first millennium B.C. These treaties usually contained the following elements: 1) preamble—identifying the parties to the covenant; 2) historical prologue—a history of the king's dealing with his vassals; 3) general and specific stipulations; 4) witnesses; 5) blessings and curses; and 6) oaths and covenant ratification. Deuteronomy, it is believed, approximates this basic structure. While there is agreement that 1:1–5 is a preamble, 1:5–4:43 a historical prologue, and chs. 27–28 feature blessings and cursings, there is no consensus as to how the rest of Deuteronomy fits this structure. While there might have been a covenant renewal on the plains of Moab, this is neither clearly explicit nor implicit in Deuteronomy. It is best to take the book for what it claims to be: the explanation of the law given by Moses for the new generation.

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