Bilangan 5:8

5:8 But if the individual has no close relative ¹  to whom reparation can be made for the wrong, the reparation for the wrong must be paid to the Lord ²  for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement by which atonement is made for him.

Bilangan 5:27

5:27 When he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, the water that brings a curse will enter her to produce bitterness – her abdomen will swell, her thigh will fall away, and the woman will become a curse among her people.

Bilangan 6:3

6:3 he must separate ³  himself from wine and strong drink, he must drink neither vinegar ⁴  made from wine nor vinegar made from strong drink, nor may he drink any juice ⁵  of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins. ⁶ 

Bilangan 7:3

7:3 They brought ⁷  their offering before the Lord, six covered carts ⁸  and twelve oxen – one cart for every two of the leaders, and an ox for each one; and they presented them in front of the tabernacle.

Bilangan 7:89

7:89 Now when Moses went into ⁹  the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, ¹⁰  he heard the voice speaking to him from above the atonement lid ¹¹  that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim. ¹²  Thus he spoke to him.

Bilangan 9:14

9:14 If a resident foreigner lives ¹³  among you and wants to keep ¹⁴  the Passover to the Lord, he must do so according to the statute of the Passover, and according to its custom. You must have ¹⁵  the same ¹⁶  statute for the resident foreigner ¹⁷  and for the one who was born in the land.’”

Bilangan 11:16-17

The Response of God

11:16 ¹⁸ 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 ¹⁹  over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting; let them take their position there with you. 11:17 Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take part of the spirit that is on you, and will put it on them, and they will bear some of the burden of the people with you, so that you do not bear it ²⁰  all by yourself.

Bilangan 11:31

Provision of Quail

11:31 Now a wind ²¹  went out ²²  from the Lord and brought quail ²³  from the sea, and let them fall ²⁴  near the camp, about a day’s journey on this side, and about a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about three feet ²⁵  high on the surface of the ground.

Bilangan 13:3

13:3 So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the command ²⁶  of the Lord. All of them were leaders ²⁷  of the Israelites.

Bilangan 13:20

13:20 and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether or not there are forests in it. And be brave, ²⁸  and bring back some of the fruit of the land.” Now it was the time of year ²⁹  for the first ripe grapes. ³⁰ 

Bilangan 13:23

13:23 When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a staff ³¹  between two men, as well as some of the pomegranates and the figs.

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. ³²  Their protection ³³  has turned aside from them, but the Lord is with us. Do not fear them!”

Bilangan 14:34

14:34 According to the number of the days you have investigated this land, forty days – one day for a year – you will suffer for ³⁴  your iniquities, forty years, and you will know what it means to thwart me. ³⁵ 

Bilangan 16:5

16:5 Then he said to Korah and to all his company, “In the morning the Lord will make known who are his, and who is holy. He will cause that person ³⁶  to approach him; the person he has chosen he will cause to approach him.

Bilangan 16:30

16:30 But if the Lord does something entirely new, ³⁷  and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up ³⁸  along with all that they have, and they ³⁹  go down alive to the grave, ⁴⁰  then you will know that these men have despised the Lord!”

Bilangan 18:9

18:9 Of all the most holy offerings reserved ⁴¹  from the fire this will be yours: Every offering of theirs, whether from every grain offering or from every purification offering or from every reparation offering which they bring to me, will be most holy for you and for your sons.

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 ⁴²  their blood on the altar and burn their fat for an offering made by fire for a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

Bilangan 18:28

18:28 Thus you are to offer up a raised offering to the Lord of all your tithes which you receive from the Israelites; and you must give the Lord’s raised offering from it to Aaron the priest.

Bilangan 19:12

19:12 He must purify himself ⁴³  with water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third day and the seventh day, then he will not be clean.

Bilangan 25:18

25:18 because they bring trouble to you by their treachery with which they have deceived ⁴⁴  you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, ⁴⁵  their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague that happened as a result of Peor.”

Bilangan 26:62

26:62 Those of them who were numbered were 23,000, all males from a month old and upward, for they were not numbered among the Israelites; no inheritance was given to them among the Israelites.

Bilangan 27:1

Special Inheritance Laws

27:1 ⁴⁶ Then the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh of the families of Manasseh, ⁴⁷  the son Joseph came forward. Now these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

Bilangan 29:8

29:8 But you must offer a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs one year old, all of them without blemish. ⁴⁸ 

Bilangan 29:13

29:13 You must offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire as a pleasing aroma to the Lord: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs each one year old, all of them without blemish.

Bilangan 33:55

33:55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, then those whom you allow to remain will be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your side, and will cause you trouble in the land where you will be living.

Bilangan 36:1

Women and Land Inheritance

36:1 Then the heads of the family groups ⁴⁹  of the Gileadites, the descendant of Machir, the descendant of Manasseh, who were from the Josephite families, approached and spoke before Moses ⁵⁰  and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families. ⁵¹ 

[5:8]  ¹ sn For more information on the word, see A. R. Johnson, “The Primary Meaning of גאל,” VTSup 1 (1953): 67-77.

[5:8]  ² tc The editors of BHS prefer to follow the Greek, Syriac, and Latin and not read “for the Lord” here, but read a form of the verb “to be” instead. But the text makes more sense as it stands: The payment is to be made to the Lord for the benefit of the priests.

[6:3]  ³ tn The operative verb now will be the Hiphil of נָזַר (nazar); the consecration to the Lord meant separation from certain things in the world. The first will be wine and strong drink – barley beer (from Akkadian sikaru, a fermented beer). But the second word may be somewhat wider in its application than beer. The Nazirite, then, was to avoid all intoxicants as a sign of his commitment to the Lord. The restriction may have proved a hardship in the daily diet of the one taking the vow, but it spoke a protest to the corrupt religious and social world that used alcohol to excess.

[6:3]  ⁴ tn The “vinegar” (חֹמֶץ, homets) is some kind of drink preparation that has been allowed to go sour.

[6:3]  ⁵ tn This word occurs only here. It may come from the word “to water, to be moist,” and so refer to juice.

[6:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “dried” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).

[7:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “and they brought.”

[7:3]  ⁸ sn For a discussion and drawings, see W. S. McCullough, IDB 1:540. But see also D. J. Wiseman, IBD 1:254.

[7:89]  ⁹ tn The adverbial clause of time is constructed with the infinitive construct of the verb “to enter” (בּוֹא, bo’) with the preposition and with the subjective genitive that follows serving as the subject of the clause. The verse is strategic in the structure of the book: At the completion of the dedication with the offerings Moses received more revelation from the Lord in the tent. This verse therefore lays the foundation for what follows.

[7:89]  ¹⁰ tc The MT is obscure here, simply giving the purpose infinitive and the prepositional phrase (“with him”). But the following clause using the Hitpael of the same verb, introducing a reflexive sense: “then he heard the voice speaking with him.” The Greek clarified it by inserting “Lord” after the word “voice.” The editor of BHS favors emendation of the form to a Piel participle rather than the Hitpael of the MT (reading מְדַבֵּר [mÿdabber] instead of מִדַּבֵּר [middabber], the Hitpael with assimilation). Most commentators agree with the change, assuming there was a mistaken pointing in the MT.

[7:89]  ¹¹ tn The Hebrew word כַּפֹּרֶת (kapporet) has been traditionally rendered “mercy seat,” but since the ark is the footstool (see Ps 132), this translation is somewhat misleading. The word is etymologically connected to the verb “to make atonement.” A technical translation would be “place of atonement” or “propitiatory”; a more common translation would be “cover, lid” – provided that the definition “to cover” does not get transferred to the verb “to atone,” for that idea belongs to a homonym. See also Exod 25:17.

[7:89]  ¹² tn The cherubim are the carved forms of the angels attached to the ark. They indicate the guarding role of this order of angels in the holy of holies. They were also embroidered on the curtains. For basic material see ZPEB 1:788-90, and R. K. Harrison, ISBE 1:642-43.

[9:14]  ¹³ tn The words translated “resident foreigner” and “live” are from the same Hebrew root, גּוּר (gur), traditionally translated “to sojourn.” The “sojourner” who “sojourns” is a foreigner, a resident alien, who lives in the land as a temporary resident with rights of land ownership.

[9:14]  ¹⁴ tn The verb is the simple perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive. It is therefore the equivalent to the imperfect that comes before it. The desiderative imperfect fits this usage well, since the alien is not required to keep the feast, but may indeed desire to do so.

[9:14]  ¹⁵ tn The Hebrew text has “there will be to you,” which is the way of expressing possession in Hebrew. Since this is legal instruction, the imperfect tense must be instruction or legislation.

[9:14]  ¹⁶ tn Or “you must have one statute.”

[9:14]  ¹⁷ tn The conjunction is used here to specify the application of the law: “and for the resident foreigner, and for the one…” indicates “both for the resident foreigner and the one who….”

[11:16]  ¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹ 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.

[11:17]  ²⁰ tn The imperfect tense here is to be classified as a final imperfect, showing the result of this action by God. Moses would be relieved of some of the responsibility when these others were given the grace to understand and to resolve cases.

[11:31]  ²¹ sn The irony in this chapter is expressed in part by the use of the word רוּחַ (ruakh). In the last episode it clearly meant the Spirit of the Lord that empowered the men for their spiritual service. But here the word is “wind.” Both the spiritual service and the judgment come from God.

[11:31]  ²² tn The verb means “burst forth” or “sprang up.” See the ways it is used in Gen 33:12, Judg 16:3, 14; Isa 33:20.

[11:31]  ²³ sn The “quail” ordinarily cross the Sinai at various times of the year, but what is described here is not the natural phenomenon. Biblical scholars looking for natural explanations usually note that these birds fly at a low height and can be swatted down easily. But the description here is more of a supernatural supply and provision. See J. Gray, “The Desert Sojourn of the Hebrews and the Sinai Horeb Tradition,” VT 4 (1954): 148-54.

[11:31]  ²⁴ tn Or “left them fluttering.”

[11:31]  ²⁵ tn Heb “two cubits.” The standard cubit in the OT is assumed by most authorities to be about eighteen inches (45 cm) in length.

[13:3]  ²⁶ tn Heb “mouth.”

[13:3]  ²⁷ tn Heb “heads.”

[13:20]  ²⁸ tn The verb is the Hitpael perfect with vav (ו) consecutive, from the root חָזַק (khazaq, “to be strong”). Here it could mean “strengthen yourselves” or “be courageous” or “determined.” See further uses in 2 Sam 10:12; 1 Kgs 20:22; 1 Chr 19:13.

[13:20]  ²⁹ tn Heb “Now the days were the days of.”

[13:20]  ³⁰ sn The reference to the first ripe grapes would put the time somewhere at the end of July.

[13:23]  ³¹ tn The word is related etymologically to the verb for “slip, slide, bend, totter.” This would fit the use very well. A pole that would not bend would be hard to use to carry things, but a pole or stave that was flexible would serve well.

[14:9]  ³² sn The expression must indicate that they could destroy the enemies as easily as they could eat bread.

[14:9]  ³³ 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.

[14:34]  ³⁴ tn Heb “you shall bear.”

[14:34]  ³⁵ tn The phrase refers to the consequences of open hostility to God, or perhaps abandonment of God. The noun תְּנוּאָה (tÿnu’ah) occurs in Job 33:10 (perhaps). The related verb occurs in Num 30:6 HT (30:5 ET) and 32:7 with the sense of “disallow, discourage.” The sense of the expression adopted in this translation comes from the meticulous study of R. Loewe, “Divine Frustration Exegetically Frustrated,” Words and Meanings, 137-58.

[16:5]  ³⁶ tn Heb “him.”

[16:30]  ³⁷ tn The verb בָּרָא (bara’) is normally translated “create” in the Bible. More specifically it means to fashion or make or do something new and fresh. Here the verb is joined with its cognate accusative to underscore that this will be so different everyone will know it is of God.

[16:30]  ³⁸ tn The figures are personifications. But they vividly describe the catastrophe to follow – which was very much like a mouth swallowing them.

[16:30]  ³⁹ tn The word is “life” or “lifetime”; it certainly means their lives – they themselves. But the presence of this word suggest more. It is an accusative specifying the state of the subject – they will go down alive to Sheol.

[16:30]  ⁴⁰ tn The word “Sheol” in the Bible can be used four different ways: the grave, the realm of the departed [wicked] spirits or Hell, death in general, or a place of extreme danger (one that will lead to the grave if God does not intervene). The usage here is certainly the first, and very likely the second as well. A translation of “pit” would not be inappropriate. Since they will go down there alive, it is likely that they will sense the deprivation and the separation from the land above. See H. W. Robinson, Inspiration and Revelation in the Old Testament; N. J. Tromp, Primitive Conceptions of Death and the Netherworld in the Old Testament (BibOr 21), 21-23; and A. Heidel, The Gilgamesh Epic, especially ch. 3.

[18:9]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “from the fire.” It probably refers to those parts that were not burned.

[18:17]  ⁴² tn Or “throw, toss.”

[19:12]  ⁴³ tn The verb is the Hitpael of חָטָא (khata’), a verb that normally means “to sin.” But the Piel idea in many places is “to cleanse; to purify.” This may be explained as a privative use (“to un-sin” someone, meaning cleanse) or denominative (“make a sin offering for someone”). It is surely connected to the purification offering, and so a sense of purify is what is wanted here.

[25:18]  ⁴⁴ tn This is the same word as that translated “treachery.”

[25:18]  ⁴⁵ sn Cozbi’s father, Zur, was one of five Midianite kings who eventually succumbed to Israel (Num 31:8). When the text gives the name and family of a woman, it is asserting that she is important, at least for social reasons, among her people.

[27:1]  ⁴⁶ sn For additional information on this section, see N. H. Snaith, “The Daughters of Zelophehad,” VT 16 (1966): 124-27; and J. Weingreen, “The Case of the Daughters of Zelophehad,” VT 16 (1966): 518-22.

[27:1]  ⁴⁷ tc The phrase “of the families of Manasseh” is absent from the Latin Vulgate.

[29:8]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “they shall be to you without blemish.”

[36:1]  ⁴⁹ tn The expression is “the heads of the fathers by the family of the Gileadites.”

[36:1]  ⁵⁰ tn The Greek and the Syriac add “and before Eleazar the priest.”

[36:1]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “heads of the fathers.”