Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Numbers 10:1-10
Chapter 10 The Silver Trumpets And The Commencement of Their Journeying.
The problem for any large company on the march in those days was communication. In the case of Israel this was partly resolved by the use of two silver trumpets, by the blowing of which quick messages could be rapidly imparted over a wide area.
Note again the chiastic arrangement.
a The general purposes of the trumpets (Numbers 10:1).
b When they were blown the congregation would gather, one blast will call up the princes (Numbers 10:3).
c A blast will cause those on the east to journey (Numbers 10:5).
c A second blast will cause those on the south to journey (Numbers 10:6).
b When the assembly was to gather together they were to be blown - note the reverse order (Numbers 10:7).
a The general purpose of the trumpets (Numbers 10:8)
‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,'
As ever this resulted from Yahweh's words to Moses.
‘Make yourself two trumpets of silver; of beaten work shall you make them, and you shall use them for the calling of the congregation, and for the journeying of the camps.'
Two trumpets were to be made of beaten silver. They were to be used for the calling together of all the men in the camp for worship or consultation, or just for calling the princes of the tribe, or for giving indications about moving forward. Trumpets were used in Egypt for similar purposes in 16th-11th century BC. While we do not know what these were like we do know what they were like centuries later. They were then straight pipes, about 45 centimetres (18 inches) long, and flared at the end.
‘And when they shall blow them, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the door of the tent of meeting.'
The normal signal, possibly two or three blasts, would call together the whole congregation at the door of the Tent of meeting. They would gather around the Dwellingplace.
‘And if they blow but one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves to you.'
One sharp blast would be a signal for the princes, those who were over tribes and sub tribes, to gather. Each tribe was here seen as ‘an 'eleph'.
‘And when you blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall take their journey.'
A different type of blast would be a signal to be on the move. The first such blast would be the signal for the camps that lay on the east side to commence their journey. These would be the tribes in association with Judah.
‘And when you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey. They shall blow an alarm for their journeys.'
A second similar blast would indicate that it was time for those on the south side to move forward. These were the tribes in association with Reuben. Presumably the system continued for the western and northern tribes. The northern tribes in association with Dan moved last because they guarded against any unexpected attack from the north at a time when they might be vulnerable.
‘But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm.'
However the calling of the assembly would be by a different kind of blast. It would not be an alarm signal. ‘The assembly' here might signify the whole of the people, in contrast with the men (‘the congregation') or vice versa. The terms tend to be used interchangeably.
‘And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and they shall be to you for a statute for ever throughout your generations.'
The blowing of the trumpets was to be by the sons of Aaron. This was to a permanently fixed practise into the distant future.
‘And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you shall be remembered before Yahweh your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.'
They were assured that the sounding of the alarm when in battle against oppressors would be heard not only by their men, but by Yahweh. He would hear, and remember them, and move to deliver them. Sounding the silver trumpets would, among other things, be like a prayer directed to Yahweh.
‘Also in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your whole burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings, and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God. I am Yahweh your God.'
The trumpets would also be sounded at their feasts and at times of rejoicing and at the beginning of each moon period. This time with a glad note. They would be sounded over their whole burnt offerings, and over their sacrifices, and would be a reminder to them that they were being brought into remembrance before their God. And their God was Yahweh.
Our trumpets are our prayers which bring us into remembrance before God. And for us the final trumpet will sound when we are called to be with Him at His second coming when we will ‘march forward' to the heavenly land (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Matthew 24:31; 1 Corinthians 15:52). That will sound a glad note indeed.