Bible in one year 4/26/2022
Numbers Introduction & Chapter 1-5
By
Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian
Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry &
Counseling
Introduction
to the book of numbers
Author:
Moses Date:1450-1410
B.C.
Title -
Appropriately, the Hebrew title of the book, taken from the first verse, means
“ in the Desert of” because most of the book records the history of the Israelites
in their forty years of wandering in the Desert of Sinai. The Septuagint, the
Greek translation of the Old Testament, entitles the book Arithmoi (Numbers)
because of the prominence of census figures(chaps.1-3,26).
Historical
Setting- The account covers
the period between Israel’s departure from Egypt and her arrival in Canaan.
Exactly one year after they fled from Egypt, the Israelites were gathered at
Mount Sinai to receive instructions concerning the law and the Tabernacle (as
recorded in the book of Leviticus).Numbers continues the historical narrative
one month after the close of the last chapter of Exodus(Ex.40:2 and Num1:1).
The book covers the winding thirty-nine years’ journey from Sinai to Kadesh
Barnea, through various places in the wilderness, and finally to the plains of
Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho.
Theme- The principal lesson of
Numbers is that God’s people must walk by faith, trusting His promises, if they
are to move forward. In reinforcing this theme, the book recounts the unbelief
and discontent of the people in general (11:1) and of Miriam and Aaron(12:1),
the refusal at Kadesh Barnea to enter the Promised Land(14:2), Moses’ own
failure(20:12), and the idolatrous worship(25:3). Yet, in spite of repeated
failure, the Israelites’ covenant –keeping God miraculously supported them
during those years of rebellion and wandering and finally brought them to the
Promised Land. The New Testament uses
several of the events in Numbers to remind believers of the seriousness of sin(compare
John3:14 and Num.21:9; 1 Cor.10:5-11 and
Num.14:29-35,16:41-50,20:1-13;2Pet.2:15-16,Rev.2:14 and Num.22-24; Jude 11 and
Num.16,27:3. The lessons should not be lost on us.
Numbers Chapter 1 Israel preparing at Sinai;
the Census of the people-
The population of the
tribes the first day of the second month. This census was taken one month after
the tabernacle was set up(Ex.40:2,17). Take a census of the whole Israelite
community by their clans and families twenty years old or more who are able to
serve in the army. A phrase that occurs fourteen times in the book.(v.3). The
census obviously had a military purpose. This number, 603,550 (v.46) was the
number of those qualified for the army, making the total population of the
nation somewhere between two and three million. The nonmilitary tribe of Levi
had a separate census and did not receive a tribal allotment of land.(v.47). The
Levites, charged with tending the tabernacle, pitched their tents around it to
protect it from any desecration (3:10,38).
Numbers
Chapter 2 The position of the tribes in camp and on march-
Half
the tribes (those on the east-Judah, Issachar, Zebulun – and on the south
–Reuben, Simeon, Gad) marched ahead of the Tabernacle and the Levites, and half
(those on the west-Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin-and north – Dan, Asher,
Naphtali) marched behind. (v.17). The obedience of the people at this point is
in marked contrast to subsequent events recorded in the book.
Numbers
Chapter 3 the place of the Levites-
Nadab and Abihu, however,
fell dead (v.4). Levites in place of the first male offspring (v.12). The tribe
of Levi was used in the service of God in place of the firstborn from among all
the tribes. In place of indicates substitution, as in Gen.22:13 (Matt.20:28).
The addition of one Hebrew letter would change 8,600 to 8,300 and bring the
figures in verses 22, 28 and 34 into agreement with the total in verse 39. The
number of firstborn males (22,273) seems small in comparison with the total
number of men over age twenty (603,550; cf.1:46). The figure likely includes on
ly those born since the Exodus, when the requirement to sanctify the firstborn
was given(Ex.13:1-2). The difference between the 22,273 firstborn (v.43) and
the 22,000 Levites (v.39), was to be compensated for by paying five shekels for
each of the 273 firstborn not matched by a Levite.
Numbers
Chapter 4 Take a census of the Kohathite branch of the Levites, count all the
men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work in the Tent
of Meeting-
Thirty
(v.3). In 8:24 the age for entering service is given as twenty-five. Possible
there was a five year apprenticeship before a Levite was fully and officially
prepared. To serve in the work. From the same Hebrew word used of military
service in 1:3, suggesting that the work of the Levites for the Lord was as
carefully organized as a militia. The shielding curtain (v.5) the veil that
separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. The blue covering over the
Ark (v.6) was not covered with anything else (as were the other articles in the
Tabernacle), thus making it clearly visible to all during marches. Eleazar
(v.16), (one of Aaron’s sons, Lev.10:6) had charge of the oil (Ex.30:23-25)
Only 8,580 of the 22,000 Levites (3:39) were eligible for service in the
Tabernacle.
Numbers
Chapter 5 The Sanctification of the people; by separation from defiling things-
Chapters 5 and 6 show the
need for the now organized nation to be pure. Infectious skin disease.
Infectious skin disease (Lev.13:2) a discharge. (Lev.15:25). Regarding defilement
because of touching a dead body.(5:2). Chapter 5:6-8 also Lev.6:1 if there were
no living relative to whom restitution could be made, the compensation was to be
paid to the priest, along with a ram (Lev.5:16). Whatever the priest received
in this way was his alone (Num.5:10). Verses 11-31, these verses describe the
“law of jealousy”, whereby a woman suspected of marital unfaithfulness had to
be brought to the priest for trial before the Lord(v.16), who alone could
reveal the truth of the matter. The ritual of verse 23 symbolically transferred
the written words of the curse to the water. Verse 27 may indicate a
miscarriage (waste away literally means “fall”; see Job3:16, whereas similar
Hebrew word refers to untimely birth). The practice here prescribed, apparently
used only in the wilderness, prevented jealousy and suspicion from corrupting
family and community life. God must have miraculously controlled the results
whenever this test was used.
Old
Testament Numbers (NIV) Chapter one- The
Census
1:1 The LORD spoke to
Moses in the Tent of Meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the
second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. He
said:
1:2 "Take a
census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing
every man by name, one by one.
1:3 You and Aaron are
to number by their divisions all the men in Israel twenty years old or more who
are able to serve in the army.
1:4 One man from each
tribe, each the head of his family, is to help you.
1:5 These are the
names of the men who are to assist you: from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;
1:6 from Simeon,
Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;
1:7 from Judah,
Nahshon son of Amminadab;
1:8 from Issachar,
Nethanel son of Zuar;
1:9 from Zebulun,
Eliab son of Helon;
1:10 from the sons of
Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of
Pedahzur;
1:11 from Benjamin,
Abidan son of Gideoni;
1:12 from Dan, Ahiezer
son of Ammishaddai;
1:13 from Asher,
Pagiel son of Ocran;
1:14 from Gad,
Eliasaph son of Deuel;
1:15 from Naphtali,
Ahira son of Enan."
1:16 These were the
men appointed from the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes. They
were the heads of the clans of Israel.
1:17 Moses and Aaron
took these men whose names had been given,
1:18 and they called
the whole community together on the first day of the second month. The people
indicated their ancestry by their clans and families, and the men twenty years old
or more were listed by name, one by one,
1:19 as the LORD
commanded Moses. And so he counted them in the Desert of Sinai:
1:20 From the
descendants of Reuben the firstborn son of Israel: All the men twenty years old
or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, one by one,
according to the records of their clans and families.
1:21 The number from
the tribe of Reuben was 46,500.
1:22 From the
descendants of Simeon: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to
serve in the army were counted and listed by name, one by one, according to the
records of their clans and families.
1:23 The number from
the tribe of Simeon was 59,300.
1:24 From the
descendants of Gad: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve
in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and
families.
1:25 The number from
the tribe of Gad was 45,650.
1:26 From the
descendants of Judah: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to
serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans
and families.
1:27 The number from
the tribe of Judah was 74,600.
1:28 From the
descendants of Issachar: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to
serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans
and families.
1:29 The number from
the tribe of Issachar was 54,400.
1:30 From the
descendants of Zebulun: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to
serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans
and families.
1:31 The number from
the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400.
1:32 From the sons of
Joseph: From the descendants of Ephraim: All the men twenty years old or more
who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the
records of their clans and families.
1:33 The number from
the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500.
1:34 From the
descendants of Manasseh: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to
serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans
and families.
1:35 The number from
the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200.
1:36 From the
descendants of Benjamin: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to
serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans
and families.
1:37 The number from
the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400.
1:38 From the
descendants of Dan: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve
in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and
families.
1:39 The number from
the tribe of Dan was 62,700.
1:40 From the
descendants of Asher: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to
serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans
and families.
1:41 The number from
the tribe of Asher was 41,500.
1:42 From the
descendants of Naphtali: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to
serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans
and families.
1:43 The number from
the tribe of Naphtali was 53,400.
1:44 These were the
men counted by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, each one
representing his family.
1:45 All the
Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel's army
were counted according to their families.
1:46 The total number
was 603,550.
1:47 The families of
the tribe of Levi, however, were not counted along with the others.
1:48 The LORD had said
to Moses:
1:49 "You must
not count the tribe of Levi or include them in the census of the other
Israelites.
1:50 Instead, appoint
the Levites to be in charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony--over all its
furnishings and everything belonging to it. They are to carry the tabernacle
and all its furnishings; they are to take care of it and encamp around it.
1:51 Whenever the
tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever the
tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it. Anyone else who goes near
it shall be put to death.
1:52 The Israelites
are to set up their tents by divisions, each man in his own camp under his own
standard.
1:53 The Levites,
however, are to set up their tents around the tabernacle of the Testimony so
that wrath will not fall on the Israelite community. The Levites are to be
responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the Testimony."
1:54 The Israelites
did all this just as the LORD commanded Moses.
Chapter 2 The Arrangement of the Tribal Camps
2:1 The LORD said to
Moses and Aaron:
2:2 "The
Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting some distance from it, each
man under his standard with the banners of his family."
2:3 On the east,
toward the sunrise, the divisions of the camp of Judah are to encamp under
their standard. The leader of the people of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab.
2:4 His division
numbers 74,600.
2:5 The tribe of
Issachar will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Issachar is
Nethanel son of Zuar.
2:6 His division
numbers 54,400.
2:7 The tribe of
Zebulun will be next. The leader of the people of Zebulun is Eliab son of
Helon.
2:8 His division
numbers 57,400.
2:9 All the men
assigned to the camp of Judah, according to their divisions, number 186,400.
They will set out first.
2:10 On the south will
be the divisions of the camp of Reuben under their standard. The leader of the
people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur.
2:11 His division
numbers 46,500.
2:12 The tribe of
Simeon will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel
son of Zurishaddai.
2:13 His division
numbers 59,300.
2:14 The tribe of Gad
will be next. The leader of the people of Gad is Eliasaph son of Deuel.
2:15 His division
numbers 45,650.
2:16 All the men
assigned to the camp of Reuben, according to their divisions, number 151,450.
They will set out second.
2:17 Then the Tent of
Meeting and the camp of the Levites will set out in the middle of the camps.
They will set out in the same order as they encamp, each in his own place under
his standard.
2:18 On the west will
be the divisions of the camp of Ephraim under their standard. The leader of the
people of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud.
2:19 His division
numbers 40,500.
2:20 The tribe of
Manasseh will be next to them. The leader of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel
son of Pedahzur.
2:21 His division
numbers 32,200.
2:22 The tribe of
Benjamin will be next. The leader of the people of Benjamin is Abidan son of
Gideoni.
2:23 His division
numbers 35,400.
2:24 All the men
assigned to the camp of Ephraim, according to their divisions, number 108,100.
They will set out third.
2:25 On the north will
be the divisions of the camp of Dan, under their standard. The leader of the
people of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
2:26 His division
numbers 62,700.
2:27 The tribe of
Asher will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Asher is Pagiel son
of Ocran.
2:28 His division
numbers 41,500.
2:29 The tribe of
Naphtali will be next. The leader of the people of Naphtali is Ahira son of
Enan.
2:30 His division
numbers 53,400.
2:31 All the men
assigned to the camp of Dan number 157,600. They will set out last, under their
standards.
2:32 These are the
Israelites, counted according to their families. All those in the camps, by
their divisions, number 603,550.
2:33 The Levites,
however, were not counted along with the other Israelites, as the LORD
commanded Moses.
2:34 So the Israelites
did everything the LORD commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under
their standards, and that is the way they set out, each with his clan and
family.
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3:1 This is the
account of the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD talked with Moses
on Mount Sinai.
3:2 The names of the
sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
3:3 Those were the
names of Aaron's sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as
priests.
3:4 Nadab and Abihu,
however, fell dead before the LORD when they made an offering with unauthorized
fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons; so only Eleazar and
Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
3:5 The LORD said to
Moses,
3:6 "Bring the
tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him.
3:7 They are to
perform duties for him and for the whole community at the Tent of Meeting by
doing the work of the tabernacle.
3:8 They are to take
care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, fulfilling the obligations
of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle.
3:9 Give the Levites
to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to
him.
3:10 Appoint Aaron and
his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary must be
put to death."
3:11 The LORD also
said to Moses,
3:12 "I have
taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male
offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine,
3:13 for all the
firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart
for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether man or animal. They are to be
mine. I am the LORD."
3:14 The LORD said to
Moses in the Desert of Sinai,
3:15 "Count the
Levites by their families and clans. Count every male a month old or
more."
3:16 So Moses counted
them, as he was commanded by the word of the LORD.
3:17 These were the
names of the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
3:18 These were the
names of the Gershonite clans: Libni and Shimei.
3:19 The Kohathite
clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
3:20 The Merarite
clans: Mahli and Mushi. These were the Levite clans, according to their
families.
3:21 To Gershon
belonged the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites; these were the Gershonite
clans.
3:22 The number of all
the males a month old or more who were counted was 7,500.
3:23 The Gershonite
clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle.
3:24 The leader of the
families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael.
3:25 At the Tent of
Meeting the Gershonites were responsible for the care of the tabernacle and
tent, its coverings, the curtain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,
3:26 the curtains of
the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the
tabernacle and altar, and the ropes--and everything related to their use.
3:27 To Kohath
belonged the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites and Uzzielites;
these were the Kohathite clans.
3:28 The number of all
the males a month old or more was 8,600. The Kohathites were responsible for
the care of the sanctuary.
3:29 The Kohathite
clans were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.
3:30 The leader of the
families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
3:31 They were
responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the
articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and everything
related to their use.
3:32 The chief leader
of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest. He was appointed over
those who were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.
3:33 To Merari belonged
the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these were the Merarite clans.
3:34 The number of all
the males a month old or more who were counted was 6,200.
3:35 The leader of the
families of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on
the north side of the tabernacle.
3:36 The Merarites
were appointed to take care of the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars,
posts, bases, all its equipment, and everything related to their use,
3:37 as well as the
posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs and ropes.
3:38 Moses and Aaron
and his sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, in
front of the Tent of Meeting. They were responsible for the care of the
sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who approached the sanctuary
was to be put to death.
3:39 The total number
of Levites counted at the LORD'S command by Moses and Aaron according to their
clans, including every male a month old or more, was 22,000.
3:40 The LORD said to
Moses, "Count all the firstborn Israelite males who are a month old or
more and make a list of their names.
3:41 Take the Levites
for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites, and the livestock of
the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites. I
am the LORD."
3:42 So Moses counted
all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD commanded him.
3:43 The total number
of firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.
3:44 The LORD also
said to Moses,
3:45 "Take the
Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the
Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am the LORD.
3:46 To redeem the 273
firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites,
3:47 collect five
shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty
gerahs.
3:48 Give the money
for the redemption of the additional Israelites to Aaron and his sons."
3:49 So Moses
collected the redemption money from those who exceeded the number redeemed by
the Levites.
3:50 From the
firstborn of the Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels,
according to the sanctuary shekel.
3:51 Moses gave the
redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded by the word of the
LORD.
Chapter 4 The Kohathites
4:1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron:
4:2 "Take a census of the
Kohathite branch of the Levites by their clans and families.
4:3 Count all the men from thirty to
fifty years of age who come to serve in the work in the Tent of Meeting.
4:4 "This is the work of the
Kohathites in the Tent of Meeting: the care of the most holy things.
4:5 When the camp is to move, Aaron
and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and cover the ark
of the Testimony with it.
4:6 Then they are to cover this with
hides of sea cows, spread a cloth of solid blue over that and put the poles in
place.
4:7 "Over the table of the
Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and put on it the plates, dishes and
bowls, and the jars for drink offerings; the bread that is continually there is
to remain on it.
4:8 Over these they are to spread a
scarlet cloth, cover that with hides of sea cows and put its poles in place.
4:9 "They are to take a blue
cloth and cover the lampstand that is for light, together with its lamps, its
wick trimmers and trays, and all its jars for the oil used to supply it.
4:10 Then they are to wrap it and
all its accessories in a covering of hides of sea cows and put it on a carrying
frame.
4:11 "Over the gold altar they
are to spread a blue cloth and cover that with hides of sea cows and put its
poles in place.
4:12 "They are to take all the
articles used for ministering in the sanctuary, wrap them in a blue cloth,
cover that with hides of sea cows and put them on a carrying frame.
4:13 "They are to remove the
ashes from the bronze altar and spread a purple cloth over it.
4:14 Then they are to place on it
all the utensils used for ministering at the altar, including the firepans,
meat forks, shovels and sprinkling bowls. Over it they are to spread a covering
of hides of sea cows and put its poles in place.
4:15 "After Aaron and his sons
have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when
the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites are to come to do the carrying. But
they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to
carry those things that are in the Tent of Meeting.
4:16 "Eleazar son of Aaron, the
priest, is to have charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the
regular grain offering and the anointing oil. He is to be in charge of the
entire tabernacle and everything in it, including its holy furnishings and
articles."
4:17 The LORD said to Moses and
Aaron,
4:18 "See that the Kohathite
tribal clans are not cut off from the Levites.
4:19 So that they may live and not
die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his
sons are to go into the sanctuary and assign to each man his work and what he
is to carry.
4:20 But the Kohathites must not go
in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die."
The Gershonites
4:21 The LORD said to Moses,
4:22 "Take a census also of the
Gershonites by their families and clans.
4:23 Count all the men from thirty
to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
4:24 "This is the service of
the Gershonite clans as they work and carry burdens:
4:25 They are to carry the curtains
of the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, its covering and the outer covering of
hides of sea cows, the curtains for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,
4:26 the curtains of the courtyard
surrounding the tabernacle and altar, the curtain for the entrance, the ropes
and all the equipment used in its service. The Gershonites are to do all that
needs to be done with these things.
4:27 All their service, whether
carrying or doing other work, is to be done under the direction of Aaron and
his sons. You shall assign to them as their responsibility all they are to
carry.
4:28 This is the service of the
Gershonite clans at the Tent of Meeting. Their duties are to be under the
direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest.
The Merarites
4:29 "Count the Merarites by
their clans and families.
4:30 Count all the men from thirty to
fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
4:31 This is their duty as they
perform service at the Tent of Meeting: to carry the frames of the tabernacle,
its crossbars, posts and bases,
4:32 as well as the posts of the
surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, ropes, all their equipment
and everything related to their use. Assign to each man the specific things he
is to carry.
4:33 This is the service of the
Merarite clans as they work at the Tent of Meeting under the direction of
Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest."
The Numbering of the Levite Clans
4:34 Moses, Aaron and the leaders of
the community counted the Kohathites by their clans and families.
4:35 All the men from thirty to
fifty years of age who came to serve in the work in the Tent of Meeting,
4:36 counted by clans, were 2,750.
4:37 This was the total of all those
in the Kohathite clans who served in the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron
counted them according to the LORD'S command through Moses.
4:38 The Gershonites were counted by
their clans and families.
4:39 All the men from thirty to
fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting,
4:40 counted by their clans and
families, were 2,630.
4:41 This was the total of those in
the Gershonite clans who served at the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron counted
them according to the LORD'S command.
4:42 The Merarites were counted by
their clans and families.
4:43 All the men from thirty to
fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting,
4:44 counted by their clans, were
3,200.
4:45 This was the total of those in
the Merarite clans. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the LORD'S
command through Moses.
4:46 So Moses, Aaron and the leaders
of Israel counted all the Levites by their clans and families.
4:47 All the men from thirty to
fifty years of age who came to do the work of serving and carrying the Tent of
Meeting
4:48 numbered 8,580.
4:49 At the LORD'S command through
Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry. Thus they were
counted, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Chapter 5 The Purity of the Camp
5:1 The LORD said to
Moses,
5:2 "Command the
Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has an infectious skin disease
or a discharge of any kind, or who is ceremonially unclean because of a dead
body.
5:3 Send away male and
female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp,
where I dwell among them."
5:4 The Israelites did
this; they sent them outside the camp. They did just as the LORD had instructed
Moses.
Restitution for Wrongs
5:5 The LORD said to
Moses,
5:6 "Say to the
Israelites: 'When a man or woman wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful
to the LORD, that person is guilty
5:7 and must confess
the sin he has committed. He must make full restitution for his wrong, add one
fifth to it and give it all to the person he has wronged.
5:8 But if that person
has no close relative to whom restitution can be made for the wrong, the restitution
belongs to the LORD and must be given to the priest, along with the ram with
which atonement is made for him.
5:9 All the sacred
contributions the Israelites bring to a priest will belong to him.
5:10 Each man's sacred
gifts are his own, but what he gives to the priest will belong to the
priest.'"
Chapter 5 The Test for an Unfaithful Wife
5:11 Then the LORD
said to Moses,
5:12 "Speak to
the Israelites and say to them: 'If a man's wife goes astray and is unfaithful
to him
5:13 by sleeping with
another man, and this is hidden from her husband and her impurity is undetected
(since there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act),
5:14 and if feelings
of jealousy come over her husband and he suspects his wife and she is
impure--or if he is jealous and suspects her even though she is not impure--
5:15 then he is to
take his wife to the priest. He must also take an offering of a tenth of an
ephah of barley flour on her behalf. He must not pour oil on it or put incense
on it, because it is a grain offering for jealousy, a reminder offering to draw
attention to guilt.
5:16 "'The priest
shall bring her and have her stand before the LORD.
5:17 Then he shall
take some holy water in a clay jar and put some dust from the tabernacle floor
into the water.
5:18 After the priest
has had the woman stand before the LORD, he shall loosen her hair and place in
her hands the reminder offering, the grain offering for jealousy, while he
himself holds the bitter water that brings a curse.
5:19 Then the priest
shall put the woman under oath and say to her, "If no other man has slept
with you and you have not gone astray and become impure while married to your
husband, may this bitter water that brings a curse not harm you.
5:20 But if you have
gone astray while married to your husband and you have defiled yourself by
sleeping with a man other than your husband"--
5:21 here the priest
is to put the woman under this curse of the oath--"may the LORD cause your
people to curse and denounce you when he causes your thigh to waste away and
your abdomen to swell.
5:22 May this water
that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells and your thigh
wastes away." "'Then the woman is to say, "Amen. So be it."
5:23 "'The priest
is to write these curses on a scroll and then wash them off into the bitter
water.
5:24 He shall have the
woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and this water will enter her
and cause bitter suffering.
5:25 The priest is to
take from her hands the grain offering for jealousy, wave it before the LORD
and bring it to the altar.
5:26 The priest is
then to take a handful of the grain offering as a memorial offering and burn it
on the altar; after that, he is to have the woman drink the water.
5:27 If she has
defiled herself and been unfaithful to her husband, then when she is made to
drink the water that brings a curse, it will go into her and cause bitter
suffering; her abdomen will swell and her thigh waste away, and she will become
accursed among her people.
5:28 If, however, the
woman has not defiled herself and is free from impurity, she will be cleared of
guilt and will be able to have children.
5:29 "'This,
then, is the law of jealousy when a woman goes astray and defiles herself while
married to her husband,
5:30 or when feelings of
jealousy come over a man because he suspects his wife. The priest is to have
her stand before the LORD and is to apply this entire law to her.
5:31 The husband will
be innocent of any wrongdoing, but the woman will bear the consequences of her
sin.'"
Bibliography,
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986
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