Lux Domini

Numbers 10

Chapter context

What is happening in Numbers 10?

pilgrimagerebellionjudgmentmercy

Numbers 10 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as departure, complaint, and rebellion in the wilderness. Numbers combines census lists, camp order, priestly concerns, wilderness rebellion, judgment, mercy, and renewed preparation for entering the promised land. Read this chapter with the wider themes of pilgrimage, rebellion, and judgment in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,   2 Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.   3 And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.   4 And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.   5 When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.   6 When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.   7 But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.   8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.   9 And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.   10 Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.   11 And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony.   12 And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran.   13 And they first took their journey according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.   14 In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies: and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.   15 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethaneel the son of Zuar.   16 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.   17 And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward, bearing the tabernacle.   18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur.   19 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.   20 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.   21 And the Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary: and the other did set up the tabernacle against they came.   22 And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud.   23 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.   24 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.   25 And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, which was the rereward of all the camps throughout their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.   26 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran.   27 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.   28 Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their armies, when they set forward.   29 And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses’ father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the LORD hath spoken good concerning Israel.   30 And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred.   31 And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes.   32 And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the LORD shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.   33 And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them.   34 And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.   35 And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.   36 And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel.  

Study helps

Glossary

Tabernacle Object v. 3, 11, 17, 21

(1. ) A house or dwelling-place ( Job 5:24 ; 18:6 , etc. ). (2. ) A portable shrine (comp. Acts 19:24 ) containing the image of Moloch ( Amos 5:26 ; marg. and R. V., “Siccuth”). (3. ) The human body.

Egypt Place v. 11

The land of the Nile and the pyramids, the oldest kingdom of which we have any record, holds a place of great significance in Scripture. Modern identification: Ain Shams.

Paran Place v. 12

Abounding in foliage, or abounding in caverns, ( Gen. 21:21 ), a desert tract forming the north-eastern division of the peninsula of Sinai, lying between the ‘Arabah on the east and the wilderness of Shur on the west. Modern identification: Paran.

Wilderness of Sinai Place v. 12

Biblical region. Modern identification: Jebel Musa.

Amminadab Tribe v. 14

Kindred of the prince. (1. ) The father of Nahshon, who was chief of the tribe of Judah ( Num. 1:7 ; 2:3 ; 7:12 , 17; 10:14). His daughter Elisheba was married to Aaron ( Ex. 6:23 ).

Nahshon Person v. 14

Sorcerer, the son of Aminadab, and prince of the children of Judah at the time of the first numbering of the tribes in the wilderness ( Ex. 6:23 ). His sister Elisheba was the wife of Aaron. He died in the wilderness.

Nethaneel Person v. 15

Given of God. (1. ) The son of Zuar, chief of the tribe of Issachar at the Exodus ( Num. 1:8 ; 2:5 ). (2. ) One of David’s brothers ( 1 Chr. 2:14 ).

Eliab Tribe v. 16

To whom God is father. (1. ) A Reubenite, son of Pallu ( Num. 16:1 , 12; 26:8, 9; Deut. 11:6 ). (2. ) A son of Helon, and chief of the tribe of Zebulun at the time of the census in the wilderness ( Num. 1:9 ; 2:7 ).

Helon Person v. 16

Strong, father of Eliab, who was “captain of the children of Zebulun” ( Num. 1:9 ; 2:7 ).

Zebulun Person v. 16

Dwelling, the sixth and youngest son of Jacob and Leah ( Gen. 30:20 ). Little is known of his personal history. He had three sons (46:14).

Merari Person v. 17

Sad; bitter, the youngest son of Levi, born before the descent of Jacob into Egypt, and one of the seventy who accompanied him thither ( Gen. 46:11 ; Ex. 6:16 ).

Reuben Person v. 18

Behold a son!, the eldest son of Jacob and Leah ( Gen. 29:32 ). His sinful conduct, referred to in Gen. 35:22 , brought down upon him his dying father’s malediction (48:4).

Simeon Person v. 19

Hearing. (1. ) The second son of Jacob by Leah ( Gen. 29:33 ). He was associated with Levi in the terrible act of vengeance against Hamor and the Shechemites (34:25, 26).

Zurishaddai Tribe v. 19

Rock of the Almighty, the father of Shelumiel, who was chief of the tribe of Simeon when Israel was encamped at Sinai ( Num. 1:6 ; 2:12 ).

Gad Person v. 20

Fortune; luck. (1. ) Jacob’s seventh son, by Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, and the brother of Asher ( Gen. 30:11-13 ; 46:16 , 18). In the Authorized Version of 30:11 the words, “A troop cometh: and she called,” etc.

Kohathites People v. 21

The descendants of Kohath. They formed the first of the three divisions of the Levites ( Ex. 6:16 , 18; Num. 3:17 ).

Ammihud Person v. 22

People of glory; i. e., “renowned. ” (1. ) The father of the Ephraimite chief Elishama, at the time of the Exodus ( Num. 1:10 ; 2:18 ; 7:48 , 53). (2. ) Num. 34:20 . (3. ) Num. 34:28 .

Elishama Person v. 22

Whom God hears. (1. ) A prince of Benjamin, grandfather of Joshua ( Num. 1:10 ; 1 Chr. 7:26 ). (2. ) One of David’s sons ( 2 Sam. 5:16 ). (3. ) Another of David’s sons ( 1 Chr. 3:6 ).

Gamaliel Tribe v. 23

Reward of God. (1. ) A chief of the tribe of Manasseh at the census at Sinai ( Num. 1:10 ; 2:20 ; 7:54 , 59). (2. ) The son of rabbi Simeon, and grandson of the famous rabbi Hillel.

Pedahzur Person v. 23

Rock of redemption, the father of Gamaliel and prince of Manasseh at the time of the Exodus ( Num. 1:10 ; 2:20 ).

Abidan Tribe v. 24

Father of judgment; judge, head of the tribe of Benjamin at the Exodus ( Num. 1:11 ; 2:22 ).

Benjamin Person v. 24

Son of my right hand. (1. ) The younger son of Jacob by Rachel ( Gen. 35:18 ). His birth took place at Ephrath, on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, at a short distance from the latter place.

Ahiezer Tribe v. 25

Brother of help; i. e., “helpful. ” (1. ) The chief of the tribe of Dan at the time of the Exodus ( Num. 1:12 ; 2:25 ; 10:25 ). (2. ) The chief of the Benjamite slingers that repaired to David at Ziklag ( 1 Chr. 12:3 ).

Ammishaddai Person v. 25

People of the Almighty, the father of Ahiezer, who was chief of the Danites at the time of the Exodus ( Num. 1:12 ; 2:25 ). This is one of the few names compounded with the name of God, Shaddai, “Almighty. ”.

Rereward Tribe v. 25

( Josh. 6:9 ), the troops in the rear of an army on the march, the rear-guard. This word is a corruption of the French arriere-garde. During the wilderness march the tribe of Dan formed the rear-guard.

Pagiel Tribe v. 26

God allots, a prince of the tribe of Asher ( Num. 1:13 ), in the wilderness.

Ahira Tribe v. 27

Brother of evil = unlucky, or my brother is friend, chief of the tribe of Naphtali at the Exodus ( Num. 1:15 ; 2:29 ).

Naphtali Person v. 27

My wrestling, the fifth son of Jacob. His mother was Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid ( Gen. 30:8 ). When Jacob went down into Egypt, Naphtali had four sons ( Gen. 46:24 ). Little is known of him as an individual.

Ark Object v. 33, 35

Noah’s ark, a building of gopher-wood, and covered with pitch, 300 cubits long, 50 cubits broad, and 30 cubits high.