Bilangan 6:22

The Priestly Benediction

6:22 ¹ The Lord spoke to Moses:

Bilangan 6:25-26

6:25 The Lord make his face to shine upon you,

and be gracious to you; ² 

6:26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon you ³ 

and give you peace.”’

Bilangan 7:6

7:6 So Moses accepted the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites.

Bilangan 8:6

8:6 “Take the Levites from among the Israelites and purify ⁴  them.

Bilangan 10:28

10:28 These were the traveling arrangements ⁵  of the Israelites according to their companies when they traveled. ⁶ 

Bilangan 14:9

14:9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. ⁷  Their protection ⁸  has turned aside from them, but the Lord is with us. Do not fear them!”

Bilangan 18:11

18:11 “And this is yours: the raised offering of their gift, along with all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual ordinance. Everyone who is ceremonially clean in your household may eat of it.

Bilangan 22:39

22:39 So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.

Bilangan 31:10

31:10 They burned ⁹  all their towns ¹⁰  where they lived and all their encampments.

[6:22]  ¹ sn This brief section records the blessing of the priest, especially the high priest after he emerges from the holy of holies to bless the people (see Lev 9:22). The two main elements in the oracle are “grace and peace.” It is probable that the Apostle Paul based his salutations on this oracle. For additional information, see L. J. Liebreich, “The Songs of Ascent and the Priestly Blessing,” JBL 74 (1955): 33-36; P. D. Miller, “The Blessing of God: An Interpretation of Num 6:22-27,” Int 29 (1975): 240-51; and A. Murtonen, “The Use and Meaning of the Words lébarek and bérakah in the Old Testament,” VT 9 (1959): 158-77.

[6:25]  ² tn Whereas the first line of the blessing had three Hebrew words, the second has five, and the third has seven. In this second line and the following third, the blessing takes the form of an emblem followed by the truth. For the Lord to make his face shine on them would mean to be gracious to them. M. Noth rightly calls this image of the shining face “a figure of speech for benevolence and favour” (Numbers [OTL], 59); see, for example, Pss 4:7; 31:17; 44:4; 67:2; 80:4, 8, 20; 119:135; Dan 9:17). The image may have its inspiration in the theophanies. The picture is of divine favor – the beaming face of a parent for his beloved.

[6:26]  ³ tn The last line of the blessing also has first the image and then the parallel interpretation – for God to lift up his face is for God to give peace. The idea of the fallen face is one of anger (see Gen 4:6,7); and the idea of the hidden face is that of withholding support, favor, or peace (see Deut 31:18; Ps 30:8; Ps 44:25). If God lifts his face toward his people, it means he has given them peace – peace, prosperity, completeness, health, safety, general well-being, and the like.

[8:6]  ⁴ tn The verb טָהַר (tahar) means that Moses was “to purify” or “to make ceremonially clean” the Levites so that they could enter the sanctuary and do the work prescribed for them. Whatever is “unclean” is not permitted in the sanctuary at all.

[10:28]  ⁵ tn Or “journeyings of.”

[10:28]  ⁶ tn The verb is the preterite with vav (ו) consecutive. But in this sentence it should be subordinated as a temporal clause to the preceding statement, even though it follows it.

[14:9]  ⁷ sn The expression must indicate that they could destroy the enemies as easily as they could eat bread.

[14:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “their shade.” The figure compares the shade from the sun with the protection from the enemy. It is also possible that the text is alluding to their deities here.

[31:10]  ⁹ tn Heb “burned with fire.”

[31:10]  ¹⁰ tn The ban applied to the encampments and forts of this group of Midianite tribes living in the region of Moab.