Bilangan 12:7-8

12:7 My servant ¹  Moses is not like this; he is faithful ²  in all my house. 12:8 With him I will speak face to face, ³  openly, ⁴  and not in riddles; and he will see the form ⁵  of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

Bilangan 22:33

22:33 The donkey saw me and turned from me these three times. If ⁶  she had not turned from me, I would have killed you but saved her alive.”

Bilangan 14:24

14:24 Only my servant Caleb, because he had a different spirit and has followed me fully – I will bring him into the land where he had gone, and his descendants ⁷  will possess it.

Bilangan 14:28

14:28 Say to them, ‘As I live, ⁸  says ⁹  the Lord, I will surely do to you just what you have spoken in my hearing. ¹⁰ 

Bilangan 14:21

14:21 But truly, as I live, ¹¹  all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.

Bilangan 11:16

The Response of God

11:16 ¹² The Lord said to Moses, “Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know are elders of the people and officials ¹³  over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting; let them take their position there with you.

Bilangan 22:32

22:32 The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you because what you are doing ¹⁴  is perverse before me. ¹⁵ 

Bilangan 18:17

18:17 But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow or a sheep or a goat; they are holy. You must splash ¹⁶  their blood on the altar and burn their fat for an offering made by fire for a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

[12:7]  ¹ sn The title “my servant” or “servant of the Lord” is reserved in the Bible for distinguished personages, people who are truly spiritual leaders, like Moses, David, Hezekiah, and also the Messiah. Here it underscores Moses’ obedience.

[12:7]  ² tn The word “faithful” is נֶאֱמָן (ne’eman), the Niphal participle of the verb אָמַן (’aman). This basic word has the sense of “support, be firm.” In the Niphal it describes something that is firm, reliable, dependable – what can be counted on. It could actually be translated “trustworthy.”

[12:8]  ³ tn The emphasis of the line is clear enough – it begins literally “mouth to mouth” I will speak with him. In human communication this would mean equality of rank, but Moses is certainly not equal in rank with the Lord. And yet God is here stating that Moses has an immediacy and directness with communication with God. It goes beyond the idea of friendship, almost to that of a king’s confidant.

[12:8]  ⁴ tn The word מַרְאֶה (mar’eh) refers to what is seen, a vision, an appearance. Here it would have the idea of that which is clearly visible, open, obvious.

[12:8]  ⁵ tn The word “form” (תְּמוּנָה, tÿmunah) means “shape, image, form.” The Greek text took it metaphorically and rendered it “the glory of the Lord.” This line expresses even more the uniqueness of Moses. The elders saw God on one special occasion (Exod 24:10), and the people never (Deut 4:12, 15), but Moses has direct and familiar contact with God.

[22:33]  ⁶ tc Many commentators consider אוּלַי (’ulay, “perhaps”) to be a misspelling in the MT in place of לוּלֵי (luley, “if not”).

[14:24]  ⁷ tn Heb “seed.”

[14:28]  ⁸ sn Here again is the oath that God swore in his wrath, an oath he swore by himself, that they would not enter the land. “As the Lord lives,” or “by the life of the Lord,” are ways to render it.

[14:28]  ⁹ tn The word נְאֻם (nÿ’um) is an “oracle.” It is followed by the subjective genitive: “the oracle of the Lord” is equal to saying “the Lord says.”

[14:28]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “in my ears.”

[14:28]  sn They had expressed the longing to have died in the wilderness, and not in war. God will now give them that. They would not say to God “your will be done,” so he says to them, “your will be done” (to borrow from C. S. Lewis).

[14:21]  ¹¹ sn This is the oath formula, but in the Pentateuch it occurs here and in v. 28.

[11:16]  ¹² sn The Lord provides Spirit-empowered assistance for Moses. Here is another variation on the theme of Moses’ faith. Just as he refused to lead alone and was given Aaron to share the work, so here he protests the burden and will share it with seventy elders. If God’s servant will not trust wholeheartedly, that individual will not be used by God as he or she might have been. Others will share in the power and the work. Probably one could say that it was God’s will for others to share this leadership – but not to receive it through these circumstances.

[11:16]  ¹³ tn The “officials” (שֹׁטְּרִים, shottÿrim) were a group of the elders who seem to have had some administrative capacities. The LXX used the word “scribes.” For further discussion, see R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 69-70.

[22:32]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “your way.”

[22:32]  ¹⁵ tn The verb יָרַט (yarat) occurs only here and in Job 16:11. Balaam is embarking on a foolish mission with base motives. The old rendering “perverse” is still acceptable.

[18:17]  ¹⁶ tn Or “throw, toss.”