Numbers 3:3

3:3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed ¹  priests, whom he consecrated ²  to minister as priests. ³ 

Numbers 4:20

4:20 But the Kohathites ⁴  are not to go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, or they will die.”

Numbers 7:15

7:15 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;

Numbers 15:5

15:5 You must also prepare one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering ⁵  with the burnt offering or the sacrifice for each lamb. ⁶ 

Numbers 18:14

18:14 “Everything devoted ⁷  in Israel will be yours.

Numbers 21:31

21:31 So the Israelites ⁸  lived in the land of the Amorites.

Numbers 23:20

23:20 Indeed, I have received a command ⁹  to bless;

he has blessed, ¹⁰  and I cannot reverse it. ¹¹ 

Numbers 32:4

32:4 the land that the Lord subdued ¹²  before the community of Israel, is ideal for cattle, and your servants have cattle.”

Numbers 33:51

33:51 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

¹ tn The verb מָשַׁח (mashakh) means “to anoint”; here the form modifies the “priests.” The service of consecration was carried out with anointing oil (Exod 30:30). The verb is used for the anointing of kings as well as priests in the OT, and so out of that derived the technical title “Messiah” for the coming ideal king – the “Anointed One.”

² tn In this verse the expression is in a relative clause: “who he filled their hand” means “whose hands he filled,” or “whom he consecrated.” The idiomatic expression used here is from Lev 8; it literally is “he filled their hand” (מִלֵּא יָדָם, mille’ yadam). In the ordination service Moses placed some of the meat from the sacrifice in the hand of the ordinand, and this signified what he was going to be about – having his hand full, or being consecrated to the priesthood. There is some evidence that this practice or expression was also known in Mesopotamia. In modern ordination services a NT or a Bible may be placed in the ordinand’s hand – it is what the ministry will be about.

³ tn The form is an infinitival construction for the word for the priest, showing the purpose for the filling of the hands.

⁴ tn In the Hebrew text the verse has as the subject “they,” but to avoid confusion the antecedent has been clarified in the translation.

⁷ sn The drink-offering was an ancient custom, mentioned in the Ugaritic tablets of Ras Shamra (14th century b.c.). The drink offering was poured out at the base of the altar (see Sir 50:15 and Josephus, Ant. 3.9.4 [3.234]).

⁸ tn Heb “for the one lamb,” but it clearly means “for each lamb.”

¹⁰ tn The “ban” (חֵרֶם, kherem) in Hebrew describes that which is exclusively the Lord’s, either for his sanctuary use, or for his destruction. It seems to refer to an individual’s devoting something freely to God.

¹³ tn Heb “Israel.”

¹⁶ tn The Hebrew text simply has “I have received [to] bless.” The infinitive is the object of the verb, telling what he received. Balaam was not actually commanded to bless, but was given the word of blessing so that he was given a divine decree that would bless Israel.

¹⁷ sn The reference is probably to the first speech, where the Lord blessed Israel. Balaam knows that there is nothing he can do to reverse what God has said.

¹⁸ tn The verb is the Hiphil of שׁוּב (shuv), meaning “to cause to return.” He cannot return God’s word to him, for it has been given, and it will be fulfilled.

¹⁹ tn The verb is the Hiphil perfect of נָכָה (nakhah), a term that can mean “smite, strike, attack, destroy.”