Numbers 10
OGCNumbers 10:1-10
**F. THE SILVER TRUMPETS (Numbers 10:1-10)
TEXT**
Numbers 10:1. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2. Make these two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. 3. And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 4. And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee. 5. When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward. 6. When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys. 7. But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm. 8. And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations. 9. And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies. 10. Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the Lord your God.
PARAPHRASE
Numbers 10:1. And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, 2. Make two trumpets of silver; of one beaten piece each, you shall make them. You shall use them to call the congregation, and for the traveling of the camps. 3. And when they blow them, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 4. If they blow only one trumpet, then the princes, heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. 5. When you blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall go forward. 6. When you blow the second alarm, the camps that lie on the south side shall go forward: they shall blow an alarm for their travels. 7. But when the congregation is to be assembled, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm. 8. And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and they shall be a law for you forever throughout your generations. 9. And if you go to war in your land against an oppressor enemy, you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before the Lord God, and you shall be saved from your enemies, 10, Also, in the day of your gladness and in your feast days, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of the peace offerings, so that they may be a memorial to you before your God: I am the Lord your God.
COMMENTARY
The trumpet named here, the chatsotserah, was almost certainly a long slender tube of silver with a widened mouth. Two other trumpets were known, the cheren and the shophar, both curved after the general shape of the ram’s horn; often they were actually the ram’s horn itself. Two of the trumpets are prescribed, doubtless giving distinctive sounds in order that even a single blast might be recognized at once.
Since the signal for Israel to move from one place to another was the removal of the cloud and pillar, trumpets might seem unnecessary. The purpose of the instruments was not simply to signal movement, but to give an orderly method for the tribes to follow as they disbanded their sites. They further served to call the entire assembly together for any special occasions, for announcements, or for hearing the Lord’s instructions in a given situation: unique signals were also established for summoning the princes of the tribes to receive their personal advice from Moses and Aaron.
When the signal of the trumpets designated a forward march, the first sound called the tribes from the east of the Tabernacle: Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. The sound was a long, unbroken note, distinguished from short, sharp tones as in Numbers 10:7. The second signal called Reuben, Simeon and Gad from the south. For some unknown reason, the order in which the western and northern tribes is not given; the LXX assigns the west to the third signal, and the northern three to the final blast.
Since the trumpets were to be used only for religious purposes, they were to be kept as sacred utensils; their use was restricted to the sons of Aaron. When they were sounded under the circumstances of war, it was to summon the soldierssuch would have been impossible in Canaan with the tribes widely scattered, and only two trumpetsit was to pronounce to Israel that they were dependent upon Jehovah in battle, cf. Numbers 31:6 and 2 Chronicles 13:12; 2 Chronicles 13:14. When they were sounded to call the congregation of Israel into holy assembly, it was in conjunction with the designated feasts, at the start of each month, and at appropriate times during the offerings of those days. Later sacred history records that the trumpets were also blown on some very auspicious occasions: when the ark of the covenant was removed from the tent of Obed-edom unto the tent prepared for it by David (1 Chronicles 15:24 ff.); it was sounded when Solomon’s temple was dedicated (2 Chronicles 5:12Solomon had here increased the number to 120 trumpets and 120 priests); when the foundation of the second temple was laid (Ezra 3:10); at the consecration of the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12:35; Nehemiah 12:41); as well as other occasions of the festivals Numbers 29:27).
QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS
Describe the kind of horn used for setting Israel forth on their journeying, and compare it to the other types of trumpets we know about from that time.
For what reasons were the trumpets assigned to the sons of Aaron?
Why were only two trumpets designated for the use to which these are ascribed?
Differentiate between the type of sound made for marching orders and the sound which called the princes of the congregation together.
How did the sounding of the trumpets contribute to the orderly process of marching?
For what regular, ordinary purposes were the trumpets blown?
What was the primary reason for blowing the trumpets at the time of war?
What corollary promise did the Lord make unto Israel if they would faithfully remember to sound the trumpets before confronting their enemies in battle?
List the occasions upon which the trumpets were used in later history, beyond those originally prescribed.
What alteration did Solomon make in the number of trumpets and trumpeters when the temple was consecrated?
Numbers 10:11-28
**Part Two: Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea (Numbers 10:11-36; Numbers 11; Numbers 12; Numbers 13; Numbers 14)
I. FROM SINAI TO HAZEROTH (Numbers 10:11-36; Numbers 11; Numbers 12)
A. DEPARTURE, AND ORDER OF MARCH, vv. 11-28 TEXT**
Numbers 10:11. And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony. 12. And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran. 13. And they first took their journey according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
- In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies: and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 15. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nathaneel the son of Zuar. 16. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon. 17. And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward, bearing the tabernacle.
- And the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur. 19. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 20. And over the host of tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel. 21. And the Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary: and the other did set up the tabernacle against they came.
- And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud. 23. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 24. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.
- And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, which was the rearward of all the camps throughout their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 26. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran, 27. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan. 28. Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their armies, when they set forward.
PARAPHRASE
Numbers 10:11. And it happened on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was lifted from the Tabernacle of the Testimony. 12. Then the children of Israel began their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud stayed in the wilderness of Paran. 13. And they first began their travel according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses. 14. In the front went the standard of the camp of Judah, according to their armies; and leading his host was Nahshon, the son of Amminadab. 15. And over the host of the tribe of Issachar was Nethanel, the son of Zuar. 16. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliav, the son of Helon. 17. And the Tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari went forward, carrying the Tabernacle.
- And the standard of the camp of Reuben went forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elizur, the son of Shedeur. 19. And over the host of the tribe of Simeon was Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai. 20. And over the host of the tribe of the children Gad was Eliasaph, the son of Deuel. 21. And the Kohathites went forward, carrying the sanctuary: and the others set up the Tabernacle before their arrival.
- And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim went forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elishama, the son of Ammihad. 23, And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur. 24. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan, the son of Gideoni.
- And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan went forward, which was the rear side of all the camps throughout their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai. 26. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel, the son of Okhran. 27. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira, the son of Enan. 28. These were the travels of the children of Israel according to their armies; then they went forward.
COMMENTARY
Israel had arrived at Mt. Sinai in the third month after their departure from Egypt (Exodus 19:1). Now, on the twentieth day of the second month in the second year, they are summoned for their first march after receiving the Law. It will be the beginning of a long and arduous tripmuch longer and more difficult than even the most gloomy pessimist among them might have guessed. Little do they know that only two of their number above the age of twenty years will ultimately walk across the Jordan River into the Land of Promise; indeed, they know nothing of the circumstances which will make it necessary to take the round-about route from the east rather than the nearer, logical approach from the south. It will be their own stubbornness and lack of faith which will make the difference, and this will cost them dearly: more than thirty-eight years must be spent going from place to place in a barren, waste area before they are finally led of God through Moab.
The land in which most of the intervening time will be spent, called Paran, and, in its northern section, the Negev, is a large desert plateau. It is bounded on the east by the slash of Arabah (that portion of a 3000 mile long geological fault which has resulted in, among other things, the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea). On the southwest, the border is the desert of Shur, the generally acknowledged border between Egypt and Philistia. To the north, the barrenness slowly melds into the more hospitable hills of the Amorites, which formed the southern border of Canaan. The Arabs have called the general region et Tib, the wandering place of the children of Israel. Its sandy soil extends approximately 150 miles from north to south, and virtually the same from east to west. Divided nearly exactly in half by the Wady el Arish, the district is lower in the western half than in the eastern, which rises to lofty mountain heights broken up by many small wadies and large tableland areas. It is hostile country, and far from an ideal place for normal life; this, it would seem, should have made the Israelites even more eager to move quickly into the Land of Promise. That they did not is a reflection upon their unstable faith, and their rejection of the favorable report of the two faithful spies, Joshua and Caleb.
As the cloud was removed from the Tabernacle and the trumpet sounded, the tribe of Judah led the way from Sinai, moving in an almost due north path toward Kadesh-barnea, after a brief northeasterly trek to Hazeroth. There is a slight alteration in the original plan of marching: the Levites, instead of traveling all together, are divided to place the Gershonites and the Merarites after Judah and before Reuben. This allows them, ahead of the Kohathites to erect the Tent of Meeting in advance of its furnishings. It is unnecessary to list the order in which the rest of the tribes follow, other than to demonstrate that they did so in accordance with the divine orders. We may conclude that this experience in such marching became the set pattern for later occasions.
QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS
How long had the Israelites actually been living at Mt. Sinai?
How long would it be before the Land of Promise was actually theirs at the crossing of the Jordan?
Describe the chief characteristics of the territory through which the tribes were to march, and in which they would live for the next several years.
What signaled the fact that the tribes were to pack up their belongings and move?
Why is the original order of march slightly altered now?
For what reason are we taken through the entire order of the first nine tribes-’ departure, without completing the list with the final three tribes?
Numbers 10:29-32
B. AN INVITATION TO HOBAB vv. 29-32 TEXT
Numbers 10:29. And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses-’ father-in-law, We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel. 30. And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred. 31. And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes. 32. And it shall be, that what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.
PARAPHRASE
Numbers 10:29. And Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel, the Midianite, Moses-’ father-in-law, We are traveling to the place the Lord spoke about. I will give it to you; come with us, and we will do you good, for the Lord has spoken good things concerning Israel. 30. And he said to him, I will not go; instead, I will return to my own land and to my relatives. 31. And Moses said, I pray you, do not leave us since you know we are to camp in the wilderness, and you may be more helpful to us than eyes. 32. And it shall be if you go with us that whatever good the Lord shall do to us, we will do the same to you.
COMMENTARY
Hobab is the son of Raguel (another spelling of Reuel, based upon the LXX: he is also known as Jethro, Exodus 2:18), and hence Moses-’ brother-in-law. He is invited to accompany the Israelites for two very good reasons, either of which alone would seem sufficient: first, by joining himself to Israel he and his family may share in the rich blessings anticipated by the nation; and, having lived all his life in this area and others Similar, Hobab could be invaluable both as a guide and an instructor in adjustments to living in the desert. This is the gist of Num 10:31. The initial refusal of Hobab was not accepted by Moses, who repeated the invitation in greater detail.
It is generally assumed that Hobab did join with the Israelites, since it is more probable that a negative answer would have been recorded than an affirmative one, which seems properly inferred from the abrupt ending. Nevertheless, we do not find Hobab’s name, nor that of his family and descendants, among the later lists of the children of Israel. He is said to dwell among the children of Judah in Judges 1:16. Since Judah led the march, it is logical that Hobab would have become fixed among this tribe, even if he were not actually made a part of the tribe itself.
QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS
Look up the background of the Midianites: the type of life they lived, the areas in which they traveled, and their chief occupation. How would they be especially fitted to aid the Israelites in adjusting to life in Paran?
Why did Hobab refuse Moses-’ invitation the first time it was extended to him?
What do we know of Hobab’s descendants in later history? Why did they settle where they did?
Numbers 10:33-36
C. THE CLOUD AND THE ARK LEAD THE PEOPLE vv. 33-36 TEXT
Numbers 10:33. And they departed from the mount of the Lord three days-’ journey: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them in the three days-’ journey, to search out a resting place for them. 34. And the cloud of the Lord was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp. 35. And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee. 36. And when it rested, he said, Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel.
PARAPHRASE
Numbers 10:33. And they went a three-days-’ journey from the mount of the Lord; and the ark of the covenant went ahead of them during the three days-’ journey to find a resting place for them. 34. And the cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they left the camp. 35. And it happened that when the ark went forth that Moses said, Rise up, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered; and let those who hate you flee before you. 36. And when it rested he said, Return, Lord, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.
COMMENTARY
From this time onward, the nation will be led by the very Presence, symbolized by the cloud and the pillar which attended and preceded the ark of the covenant. This one great difference would be reassuring at all times. Their first leg of the journey occupies three days, suggesting two nights without establishing a camp. They were traversing difficult, sandy terrain. PC claims that a modern army, unencumbered with non-combatants, does not make more than ten miles a day over difficult country, nor can cattle be driven faster than that, p. 98. From Mt. Sinai to the first known station, Hazeroth, is a distance of nearly twice that traveled in the first three days.
With the ark of the covenant moving before them, the Israelites set out. The usual place for the cloud was above the ark while it was within the Tabernacle. It is not certain whether the cloud encompassed the ark as it was being transported, but this seems unlikely, since the vision of the carrier Kohathites would have been obscured. The full description of the appearance of the cloud implies that it stretched backward above the entire company of the people, and far enough ahead to guide the journey of those carrying the ark. The sixty-eighth Psalm is considered to be an enlargement of Moses-’ prayer as the ark moves forward (PC, p. 99). The initial verse, Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him, is certainly similar enough to suggest Moses-’ words as the basis, upon which David composed the song. The words apparently were spoken whenever the ark was moved; this custom may have continued until the ark found its resting place within the Temple.
A counterpart may be seen when the ark rested: Moses invokes the Lord’s return to the myriads of Israel after He has scattered their enemies and caused them to flee from His presence. The contrast between the power of God in destroying Israel’s enemies and in protecting Israel is beautifully developed in the whole of Psalms 68 (q. v.). Both prayers of Moses, given in the briefest of forms, are rich and significant.
QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS
In what respect was the marching order now changed as Israel left Mt. Sinai? Why?
Describe the land into which the Israelites were entering.
About how far might such a company expect to move daily?
Show how the cloud might have been established to conform to the description given in the text.