INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 9 In this chapter the command for keeping the passover is repeated, and it was accordingly kept, Numbers 9:1; but some persons being defiled and disqualified for observing it, Moses inquires of the Lord, on their solicitation, what should be done in such a case, Numbers 9:6;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES IN THE WILDERNESS OF SINAI,.... While the people of Israel were encamped there, before they took their journey from thence: IN THE FIRST MONTH OF THE SECOND YEAR, AFTER THEY WERE COME OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT: the following order was given some time in the first month... [ Continue Reading ]
LET THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL ALSO KEEP THE PASSOVER,.... Though this ordinance was enjoined the people of Israel, and observed by them at the time of their coming out of Egypt, and had been since repeated, Leviticus 23:5; yet without a fresh precept, or an explanation of the former, they seemed not t... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE FOURTEENTH DAY OF THIS MONTH,.... The first month, the month Nisan or Abib, answering to part of our March: AT EVEN YE SHALL KEEP IT, IN HIS APPOINTED SEASON: between the two evenings, Exodus 12:6; and even if it fall on the sabbath day, as Jarchi; and this was a sabbath day, according to th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES SPAKE UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, THAT THEY SHOULD KEEP THE PASSOVER. The time now drawing nigh for the observation of it, it being now almost a year since their coming out of Egypt.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY KEPT THE PASSOVER ON THE FOURTEENTH, DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH AT EVEN IN THE WILDERNESS OF SINAI,.... No mention is made of keeping the feast of unleavened bread seven days, only of the passover, which indeed was only enjoined at this time, though the feast of unleavened bread used to follow... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WERE CERTAIN MEN WHO WERE DEFILED BY THE DEAD BODY OF A MAN,.... The Targum of Jonathan adds, "who died by them suddenly,'' whereby pollution was contracted, see Numbers 6:9; though perhaps this was a whole house or family, one of which was dead, and so all were defiled, being in the pla... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOSE MEN SAID UNTO HIM,.... To Moses, who was the chief magistrate, though Aaron was the high priest. Jarchi says, they were both sitting together when the men came, and put the question to them, but it was not proper to speak to one after another; for if Moses knew not, how should Aaron know?... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES SAID UNTO THEM, STAND STILL,.... Where they were; Aben Ezra says, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: AND I WILL HEAR WHAT THE LORD WILL COMMAND CONCERNING YOU; as it was a singular case, of which there had been no instance before, Moses would not determine anything about i... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES,.... From between the cherubim, after he had laid the case before him, and he gave him an answer: SAYING; as follows.... [ Continue Reading ]
SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, SAYING,.... Not to the men only that came to Moses for advice, but to the body of the people; for the answer of the Lord concerned them all, and carried in it a rule to be observed in the like case, and others mentioned, in all succeeding ages, as long as the passo... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FOURTEENTH DAY OF THE SECOND MONTH AT EVEN THEY SHALL KEEP IT,.... The mouth Ijar, as the Targum of Jonathan, which answers to part of our April and part of May; so that there was a month allowed for those that were defiled to cleanse themselves; and for those on a journey to return home and pre... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL LEAVE NONE OF IT UNTO THE MORNING,.... None of the flesh of the passover lamb, what was left was to be burnt with fire, Exodus 12:10; NOR BREAK ANY BONE OF IT; the same was enjoined, Exodus 12:46; ACCORDING TO ALL THE ORDINANCES OF THE PASSOVER THEY SHALL KEEP IT: as when observed in... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE MAN THAT [IS] CLEAN,.... Free from any pollution by a dead body, or the like: AND IS NOT IN A JOURNEY; in a distant country; for if he was on a journey in his own nation, he ought to return and attend the passover, which all the males from the several parts of the land were obliged unto; wh... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF A STRANGER SHALL SOJOURN AMONG YOU, AND WILL KEEP THE PASSOVER UNTO THE LORD,.... Then he must become a proselyte of righteousness, and be circumcised, or otherwise be might not eat of the passover, Exodus 12:48; Ben Gersom interprets this of the second passover, and of a proselyte that was n... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ON THE DAY THAT THE TABERNACLE WAS REARED UP,.... Which was the first day of the first month in the second year of the people of Israel's coming out of Egypt, Exodus 40:1; THE CLOUD COVERED THE TABERNACLE, [NAMELY], THE TENT OF THE TESTIMONY; that part of the tabernacle in which the testimony w... [ Continue Reading ]
SO IT WAS ALWAY,.... Night and day, as long as the people of Israel were in the wilderness, see Exodus 13:21; THE CLOUD COVERED IT [BY DAY]: the phrase, "by day", is not in the text, but is easily and necessarily supplied from Exodus 40:38; and as it is in the Targum of Jonathan, and in the Septuag... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE CLOUD WAS TAKEN UP FROM THE TABERNACLE,.... Or went up from it, higher than it was before, yet not out of sight, but hung as it were hovering in the air over the tabernacle, but at some distance from it; this was done by the Lord himself: THEN AFTER THAT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL JOURNEYE... [ Continue Reading ]
AT THE COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL JOURNEYED,.... Or "mouth of the Lord"; not that there was any command in form given, or any audible voice heard, directing when to march; but the removal of the cloud was interpretatively the order and command of God for them to move also: AND A... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE CLOUD TARRIED LONG UPON THE TABERNACLE MANY DAYS,.... Or years, for days are sometimes put for years, and in some places the cloud tarried several years; or however, if it stayed but a month or a year in any place, as in Numbers 9:22; THEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL KEPT THE CHARGE OF THE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND [SO] IT WAS, WHEN THE CLOUD WAS A FEW DAYS UPON THE TABERNACLE,.... Or "days of number", which were so few that they might be easily numbered: the Targum of Jonathan interprets them of the seven days of the week, as if the sense was, when the cloud rested a week on the tabernacle: ACCORDING TO... [ Continue Reading ]
AND [SO] IT WAS WHEN THE CLOUD ABODE FROM EVEN UNTO THE MORNING,.... The whole night, during which time they rested in their beds: AND [THAT] THE CLOUD WAS TAKEN UP IN THE MORNING, THEN THEY JOURNEYED; WHETHER [IT WAS] BY DAY OR NIGHT THAT THE CLOUD WAS TAKEN UP, THEY JOURNEYED; whether at morning... [ Continue Reading ]
OR [WHETHER IT WERE] TWO DAYS, OR A MONTH, OR A YEAR, THAT THE CLOUD TARRIED UPON THE TABERNACLE,.... Sometimes it tarried but half a day, sometimes a whole day, sometimes two days, at other times a whole month, and even a year; a full year, as the Targum of Jonathan and Aben Ezra; or a longer time,... [ Continue Reading ]
AT THE COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD THEY RESTED IN THEIR TENTS,.... Though ever so disagreeable: AND AT THE COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD THEY JOURNEYED; though the circumstances might be such, that they could have liked a continuance; but whether agreeable or disagreeable, they were obedient to the divine wi... [ Continue Reading ]