E- Num_1:1-54; Num_2:1-34; Num_3:1-51; Num_4:1-49

Pgs. 240-251

Ch. 1-4 THE PALESTINIAN TARGUM ON THE BOOK OF NUMBERS.

SECTION OF THE TORAH XXXIV.

BEMIDBAR.

I. AND theLord spake with Mosheh in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle ofordinance, on the first of the month Ijar, which was the second month of thesecond year from the time of their coming forth from the land of Mizraim,saying: Take the account of the whole congregation of the Beni Israel,according to the families of their fathers’ house, by the number of the namesof all the males by their capitations. From each son twenty years and upwards,every one going out in the host in Israel; thou and Aharon number them by theirhosts. And let there be with you a man of each tribe, a chief of his father’shouse. And these are the names of the men who shall stand with you. Of Reuben,Elizur bar Shedeur: of Shemeon, the leader,^{[1] <l >} Shelumiel bar Zuri-Shaddai:the prince of Jehudah, Nachshon bar Amminadab: the prince of Issakar, Nathanielbar Zuar : the prince of Zebulon, Eliab bar Chelon: the prince of the BeniJoseph, of Ephraim, Elishama bar Ammihud: the prince of Menasheh, Gamliel barPedazur: the prince of Benjamin, Abidan bar Gideoni: the prince of Dan,Achiezer bar Ammi-shadai: the prince of Asher, Pagiel bar Achran: theprince of Gad, Eljasaph bar Dehuel: the prince of Naphtali, Achira bar Enan.These (were) the notables of the congregation of the people, chiefs of theirfathers’ tribes, heads of thousands in Israel these. And Mosheh and Aharon tookthese men who are expressed by their names: and they assembled all thecongregation on the first day of the month Ijar, which is the second month, andrecensed them by the families of their fathers’ house, by the number of theirnames, from twenty years old and upward by their capitations. As the Lordcommanded Mosheh, they numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai. And thesons of Reuben, the first-born of Israel by the families of thegenerations of their fathers’ house, in the number of their names by theirpolls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all going forth in thehost, the sum of the tribe of Reuben, forty-six thousand Five hundred.[JERUSALEM. Their sum.] Of the families of the Beni Shemeon, after thegenerations of their fathers’ house in the number of their names by theirpolls, every male from twenty years and upward, every one going forth in thehost, the sum of the tribe of Shemeon, fifty-nine thousand three hundred:of the family of the Beni Gad, after the generation of their fathers’ house, inthe number of their names by their polls, every male from twenty years andupward, forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty. The sum of the tribe ofJehudah seventy-four thousand six hundred:^{[2] <l >} of Issakar, fifty-fourthousand four hundred: of Zebulon, fifty-seven thousand four hundred: ofEphraim, forty thousand five hundred: Of Menasheh, thirty-two thousandtwo hundred: Benjamin, thirty five thousand four hundred: Dan, sixty-twothousand seven hundred: Asher, forty-one thousand five hundred: Naphtali, fifty-threethousand four hundred.

These are the sums of the numbered ones which Mosheh and Aharon, andthe princes of Israel, twelve men, a man for each house of their fathers, didnumber. And all the sums of the numbered of the Beni Israel were six hundredand three thousand five hundred and fifty. But the Levites after their father’stribe were not numbered among them. For the Lord had spoken with Mosheh,saying: Nevertheless, the tribe of Levi thou shalt not number, nor take theirsum among the children of Israel: but thou shalt appoint the Levites over thetabernacle of the testimony, and over all its vessels, and whatever thingspertain unto it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its vessels, and doservice in it; and round about the tabernacle shall they dwell. And when thetabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it apart; and when thetabernacle is to be stationary, the Levites are to uprear it: the common personwho draweth near will be slain by a flaming fire from before the Lord. And the sons of Israel shall encamp every one by the place of his owncompany, every one under his standard according to their hosts. But the Levitesshall encamp round about the tabernacle of the testimony, that there may not bewrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shallkeep charge of the tabernacle of testimony. And the sons of Israel didaccording to all that the Lord commanded Mosheb, so did they.

II. And the Lord spake with Mosheh and with Aharon, saying: Everyman of the Beni Israel shall encamp by his standard, by the ensign which issignified upon the standards of their fathers’ house over against thetabernacle of ordinance shall they encamp round about. The length of the campof Israel shall be twelve miles, and its breadth twelve miles. And they whoencamp eastward to the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Jehudahby their hosts, spreading over four miles. And his standard shall be of silk,of three colours, corresponding with (those of) the precious stones which arein the breastplate,--sardius, topaz, and carbuncle; and upon it shall beexpressed and set forth the names of the three tribes of Jehudah, Issakar, andZebulon; and in the midst shall be written : Arise, 0 Lord, and let Thine enemies bescattered, and Thine adversaries be driven away before Thee; and uponit shall be set forth the figure of a young lion. And the Rabba of the BeniJehudah shall be Nachshon bar Amminadab. And the sum of the hosts of that tribewas seventy-four thousand six hundred. And they who encamp next by him shall be the tribe of Issakar, and theRabba appointed over the host of the Beni Issakar, Nathaniel bar Zuar: and thesum of the host of the tribe fifty-four thousand four hundred. The tribeof Zebulon,--the Rabba, Eliab bar Chelon; the number, fifty-seventhousand four hundred. All the numbered ones of the camp of Jehudah, onehundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred, by their hosts; they shallgo forward in front.

(By) thestandard of the camp of Reuben they, shall encamp southward by their hosts,spreading over four miles. And his standard shall be of silk, of three colours,corresponding with (those of) the precious stones that are in the breastplate,azmorad, sapphire, and adamant: on it shall be expressed and set forth thenames of the three tribes of Reuben, Shemeon, Gad; and in the midst of it bewritten, Hear, Israel, the Lord our God is One; and upon it shall be set forth the figure of a stag. Some would havethought there should have been upon it the figure of a young ox; but Mosheh theprophet altered it, that the sin of the calf might not be remembered againstthem. And the Rabba set over the host of the tribe Reuben was Elizur barShedeur. And his host and the numbered of his tribe were fifty-ninethousand three hundred. The tribe of Gad: the Rabba set over the host of thetribe of the Beni Gad was Eljasaph bar Dehuel. And his host and the number ofhis tribe, forty-five thousand six hundred. All the sum of the numberedones of the camp of Reuben, one hundred and fifty one thousand four hundred andfifty by their hosts; and they went forward secondly, But the tabernacle shall go with the host of the Levites, in the midstof their host; and their camp spreadeth over four miles, in the midst are theyto be: as they encamp, so shall they go, every man going in his appointedplace, by their standard. The camp of Ephraim by the standard of their hosts shall pitch on thewest; their camp spreadeth over four miles; and their standard is of silk ofthree colours, corresponding with the precious stones in the breastplate,ligure, agate, and amethyst; and upon it expressed and set forth the names ofthe three tribes, Ephraim, Menasheh and Benjamin, having written in the midst, Andthe Cloud of the Lord was over them, in the going forward of the host; and upon it was set forth the figure of a young man.And the Rabba set over the tribe of Ephraim, Elishama bar Ammihud; and the sumof his host, forty thousand five hundred. And next to him were the tribe ofMenasheh: the Rabba, Gamliel bar Pedashur; their number, thirty-twothousand two hundred. Of the tribe of Benjamin the Rabba was Abidan barGideoni, and the number of his host thirty-five thousand four hundred. The Sumof the camp of Ephraim was one hundred and eight thousand one hundred; and theywent forward thirdly. The standard of the camp of Dan shall be to thenorth with their hosts; and the space of their camp shall spread over fourmiles. His standard shall be of silk of three colours, corresponding with thestones in the breastplate, chrysolite, beryl, and jasper; in it shall beexpressed and set forth the names of the three tribes, Dan, Naphtali, andAsher; and upon it shall be expressed: And in his encampment shall he say,Return, 0 Lord, and dwell in Thy glory in the midst of the myriads of Israel; and upon it shall also be set forth the figure of abasilisk serpent. (Gen. xlix. 17.) The Rabba set over the hosts of Dan wasAchiezer bar Aminishaddai, and the number of his tribe sixty-two thousandseven hundred. They who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher; theRabbi was Paghiel bar Achran, and the numbers forty-one thousand fivehundred. Of the tribe Naphtali, the Rabba, Achira bar Enan; and the numbers,fifty-three thousand four hundred. The sum of the hosts of Dan was onehundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred: and these went forward last withtheir ensigns. This is the amount of the numbers of the Beni Israel, according to thehouse of their fathers; all the sums of the camps by their hosts were sixhundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. But the Levites were notnumbered among the sons of Israel, as the Lord commanded Mosheh. And the sonsof Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Mosheh; so did theyencamp by their standards, and so went they forward, every man with his familyby the house of his fathers.

III. Theseare the generations of Aharon and Mosheb, who were genealogized in the day thatthe Lord spake with Mosheh in the mountain of Sinai. And these are the names ofthe Beni Aharon the priests, the disciples of Moses, the Rabbi of Israel; andthey were called by his name in the day that they were anointed to minister inoffering their oblations. But Nadab and Abihu died by the flaming fire at thetime of their offering the strange fire from their own tents; and they had nochildren. And Elazar and Ithamar ministered before Aharon their father. And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: Bring the tribe of Levi near,and appoint them before Aharon the priest to minister with him, (or, to do himservice;) and let them be divided into twenty and four parties, and they shallkeep his charge, and the charge of all the congregation before the tabernacleof ordinance, to perform the work of the tabernacle; and they shall have chargeof all the vessels of the tabernacle of ordinance, and the charge of the sonsof Israel to do the service of the tabernacle. And I have given the Levitesunto Aharon and his sons; a gift are they given and delivered to him from amongthe sons of Israel; and number thou Aharon and his soils, that they may keeptheir priesthood; and the stranger who cometh near shall be slain by the flamefrom. before the Lord. And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: And I, behold, I have broughtnigh the Levites from among the sons of Israel, instead of all the first-bornwho open the womb among the sons of Israel; and the Levites shall ministerbefore Me. For every first-born among the sons of Israel is Mine, fromthe day when. I slew every first-born in the land of Mizraim; I have sanctifiedbefore Me every first-born in Israel; from man to animal, they are Mine:I am the Lord. And theLord spake with Mosheh in the wilderness of Sinai, saying: Number the sons ofLevi according to the house of their fathers and their families; every malefrom a month old and upward shalt thou number them. Moses therefore numberedthem according to the mouth of the Word of the Lord, as he had been commanded.And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kehath, and Merari.And these are the names of the Beni Gershon, according to their families, Libniand Shemei. And the Beni Kehath by their families, Amram, Jizhar, Hebron, andUzziel. And the Beni Merari by their families, Machli, and Mushi: these are thefamilies of the Levites after the house of their fathers.

OfGershon, the family of Libni, and the family of Shemei; these are the familiesof Gershon. The sum of them, by the numbers of all the males from a month oldand upward, seven thousand five hundred. The two families who spring fromGershon shall encamp after the tabernacle westward; and the Rab of the house ofthe fathers set over the two families shall be Eljasaph bar Lael. And the chargeof the Beni Gershon in the tabernacle of ordinance shall be the tent, and thecovering that overspreadeth, and the hanging of the door of the tabernacle ofordinance, and the curtains of the court, and the hanging which is at the gateof the court by the tabernacle, and the altar round about, and the cords of it,for all the service thereof. Of Kehath was the family ofAmram, and the family of Izbar, and of Hebron, and Uzziel: these are thefamilies of Kehath, the numbers eight thousand six hundred, keeping the chargeof the sanctuary. The four families that spring from Kehath shall encamp by thesouth side of the tabernacle; the Rab shall be Elizaphan bar Uzziel, and theircharge, the ark, the table, the candelabrum, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuarywherewith they minister, and the veil, and that which pertaineth to itsservice. And the Amarkol set over the chiefs of the Levites shall be Elazar barAharon the priest, who inquireth by Uraya and Thumaya; and under his hand shallthey be appointed who keep the charge of the sanctuary. Of Merari,the families of Machli and Mushi, their number six thousand two hundred, andthe Rab Zeruel bar Abichael: they shall encamp by the tabernacle northward; andthat delivered to their charge shall be the boards of the tabernacle, its bars,pillars, and sockets, and all (that pertains to) the service thereof. Thepillars of the court also round about, their sockets, pins, and cords. But they who encamp before the tabernacle of ordinance eastward (shallbe) Mosheh and Aharon, and his sons; keeping charge of the sanctuary and ofIsrael; and the stranger who draweth near shall be slain by flaming fire frombefore the Lord. The sum of the Levites whom Mosheh and Aharon numbered by themouth of the Word of the Lord was twenty-two thousand. And the Lord said unto Mosheh, Number all the first-bonmales among the sons of Israel, from a month old and upward, and take thenumber of their names. And bring near the Levites before me--I am theLord--instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and all the cattleof the Levites instead of all the firstling cattle of the children of Israel.And Mosheh numbered, as the Lord commanded him, all the firstborn of the sonsof Israel: the sum of their number was twenty-two thousand two hundred andseventy-three. And theLord spake with Mosheh, saying: Bring near the Levites instead of every first-bornamong Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle, that theLevites may minister before me: I am the Lord. And for the redemption of thetwo hundred and seventy and three of the first-born of the Beni Israel,who are more (than the number of) the Levites, thou shalt take of each fiveshekels by poll, in the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take, twenty mahinto the shekel. And thou shalt give the Shekel unto Aharon, and to his sons, asthe redemption of them who are more than they. Arid Mosheh took the redemption(money) of them who were above those who were released by the Levites, one thousandthree hundred and sixty-five shekels; and Mosheh gave the redemptionsilver to Aharon, and to his sons, according to the mouth of the Word of theLord, as the Lord commanded Mosheh.

IV. And theLord spake with Mosheh, saying: Take the account of the sons of Kehath fromamong the Beni Levi, from thirty years and upwards to fifty years, every onewho cometh by the band to do the work in the tabernacle of ordinance. This isthe service of the Beni Kehath, in the tabernacle of ordinance (with) the mostholy things. But whenever the camp is to be removed, Aharon and his sons shallenter, and unloose the veil that is spread, and cover up the Ark of theTestimony, and put over it the covering of hyacinthine skin, and overspread itwith a wrapper of twined work, and inset its staves. And over the table of thepresence bread they shall spread a wrapper of purple, and set upon it thevials, and the spoons, and the vases, [JERUSALEM. Vials,] and the libationcups; but the bread shall be upon it evermore. And they shall spread upon it awrapper of scarlet, and cover it with a covering of hyacinthine skin, and insetits staves. And they shall take a purple wrapper, and cover the candelabrumthat lighteth, and its lamps, its tongs, its snuff-dishes, and all thevessels of service by which they attend it. [JERUSALEM. Snuffers.] And theyshall put it and all its vessels in a covering of hyacinthine skin, and placeit upon a rest. [JERUSALEM. Upon a beam.] And upon the golden altar they shallspread a purple vest, and cover it with a covering of hyacinthine skin, andinset its staves. And they shall take all the vessels, of the service withwhich they minister in the sanctuary, and wrap them in a covering ofhyacinthine skins, and place it upon a beam. And they shall remove the cinders from the altar, and overspread itwith a covering of crimson. [JERUSALEM. And they shall take away from thealtar,] and put upon it all its vessels with which it is served, the cinder-holders,flesh-hooks, prongs, and basins, even all the vessels of the altar, andspread upon it a covering of hyacinthine skin, and inset its staves. And after Aharon and his sons have completed to cover the sanctuary,and all the vessels thereof, when the camp is to go forward, then the sons ofKehath may enter in to carry: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lestthey die by the flaming fire. This is the burden of the sons of Kehath in thetabernacle of ordinance. And that delivered to Elazar bar Aharon the priestshall be the oil for the light, the aromatic incense, the perpetual mincha, theoil of anointing, and the custody of all the tabernacle, and whatever is in itin the sanctuary and its vessels. And the Lord spake withMosheh, saying: Thou shalt not give occasion for the tribe of the family ofKehath to perish among the Levites. But this appointment make thou for them,that they may live the life of the just, and die not by the flaming fire; theyshall turn away their eyes from the Most Holy Place at the time they approachthither. Aharon and his sons shall enter, and appoint them man by man to hisservice and his burden. But they shall not go in to gaze, when the priests goin to cover the vessels of the sanctuary, that they die not by the flamingfire. [JERUSALEM. And the Levites shall not go in to gaze when the priestscover the vessels of the holy house, lest they die.] ^[1]Amarkol. See Glossary

^[1] The sameform of words is given with each tribe; in the remaining ones I have omittedthe preamble, and rendered the numbers only

^{[1] <l >}Amarkol. See Glossary

^{[2] <l >} The same form of words is given witheach tribe; in the remaining ones I have omitted the preamble, and rendered thenumbers only