Numbers 17
PATthered together against Moses and Aaron, (ver. 19.) some of which were swallowed up/ but most of them remained still alive to do more mischief. Murmured against Moses and against Aaron.’] In such a mutinous and threatening manner, as demonstrated the contagious nature of a seditious humour, beyond all ex T ample: for, from a discontented party, who grumbled, that they were not preferred suitably to the opinion they had of themselves, it spread itself into the whole body of the people, and so infected them as to kindle a new flame, as soon as the former had been extinguished, by such a terrible vengeance, as ono would have expected should not have left the smallest spark of this mutinous humour in them. Saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord.] So they impudently call those men, whom God himself had declared, by a visible token, to be presumptuous sinners against their own souls. Some imagine they quarrelled with Moses and Aaron, because they had not prevailed with God to pardon them; which they could as well have done as procured this judgment upon them. But the displeasure which God here expresses against this new murmuring, shews this not to be a true excuse for them. beep enough done to satisfy the people that Aaron was advanced to the priesthood by God’s appointment, and not by Moses’s affection to his kindred; yet their minds had been so poisoned by Korah and his complices, with the contrary opinion, that it was necessary to do still more to root it out. Which was the occasion of what follows. translation, Kal r\ /5a/3Soc*Actpwv avajuhov riov pa/3Swv airwv; and the rod of Aaron in the midst of their rods. And if it were cut from the very same tree with theirs, the miracle became the more remarkable. they interpret those words, (vcr. 8.) the rod of Aaron was budded, u e. brought forth leaves; for the next words speak of its budding, which followed after. And thirdly, that it thrust out leaves before the blossoms, which is contrary to the nature of the almond tree. And next, that it put forth blossoms all the rod over; as they interpret those words; bloomed blossoms. And then, that a dry stick (as they understand it) should produce fruit, and this fruit almonds; which such trees (they think), as that rod was taken from, did not bear. And further, that it produced ripe almonds, as the Hebrew wofd schekedim imports. And lastly, that Moses shewed the people all these at one view, the leaves, buds, blossoms, and fruit in perfection. By which multiplicity of miracles the dignity of Aaron was so demonstrated, that we do not find they at any time hereafter adventured to rise up against him. For, besides all those wonders now mentioned, it may be, that it was not the season of the year for almonds, nor so much as for the budding of that tree; which made it the more astonishing. But the greatest thing of all was, the continuing of this miracle to future ages; which might well make them afraid to open their mouths again in murmurings against Aaron. That they die not.’] Be not consumed in a moment,.as God had more than once formerly threatened, (chap. xvi. 21. 45.) and now declared, if they did not mend their manners, and cease their murmurings about this matter,- he. would instantly execute.,
Numbers 17:1
AND the Lord spake unto ifoscs, saying. Not long after the plague watf stayed. For though there had
Numbers 17:2
Speak unto the children of Israel. Order them to bring what I require thee to take of them. And take of every one of them.] i. e. Of every tribe. A rod.] Or a staff, as the Hebrew word matteli is often translated: which some take for an ordinary walking-staff, or for the staff which was the badge of their authority, as princes of the several tribes; neither of which seems to me to be true. For what reason have we to think that every man’s staff which he commonly used was made of the wood of an almond tree? as these were, one may probably conclude from the eighth verse. And therefore, I take it, they were now all cut off from some tree of that kind, and it is likely from one and the same tree, that none might fancy there was any difference between them. For the miracle was great enough (which here follows), without supposing, as some do, that these rods were all of some other common wood; and yet Aaron’s rod produced almonds, which were not the proper fruit of it: though it must be confessed, that if they ^vvere not of the wood of an almond tree, the wonder was greater that his rod should bring forth almonds; and struck their minds more strongly. According to the house of their fathers.] In the Hebrew it is father, in the singular number; denoting the principal person or patriarch (as we call them); of whose house: or family he was to take one rod. Of all their princes, according to the house of their fathers.] This explains the meaning more fully, that the prince of every tribe, who was the head of the house of their fathers, should bring thbse rods. Their names we have in the first chapter of this book, (ver. 5, G.chap. vii. 2. 12, &c.) Twelve rods.] Besides Aaron’s; for so many tribes there w r ere besides that of Levi. And too great a number of every tribe, in all likelihood, had joined with Korah in their discontented murmurings, at the confinement of the priesthood unto Aaron’s family alone; to which they all fancied they had as much right as he. “Which is the reason of taking a rod from every tribe; that they might all be convinced that none of them, but he and his family alone, were owned by God for his priests: (see’ehap. xvi. 3.) Write thou every man’s name upon his rod.] Either by an incision into the very wood; or with such ink as they wrote withal in those days, (v. 22.) This he did in the presence of the princes; that they might not afterward suspect any fraud, -when they came to take thcir-rods again; but be satisfied they were the very same which they saw noted with their names.
Numbers 17:3
And thou shall write Aarorts name upon the rod of Levi. Because God had made him the prince of that tribe, by giving him the high-priesthood. And he would have them see, that as ho other person in any of the twelve tribes, so no other Levite. ought to pretend unto that high office, which he had invested him withal, and him alone. For one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.] One rod was sufficient, because the head of the tribe comprehended the whole tribe, who were all excluded from the priesthood, by the exclusion of him who represented them.
Numbers 17:4
And thou shall lay them up in the tabernacle. In the most holy place. Before the testimony.] i.e. Before the ark; called in many places the ark of the testimony, (Exod.xl. 3.) because therein Moses put the testimony (or, two tables of stone), and the mercy-seat above it, ver. 20, 21. where the Divine Glory resided. Therefore, to lay the rods beforethe testimony, was to lay them before the Divine Majesty; who intended by them finally to determine the present controversy. Wliere I will meet with you.] There he promised to meet with Moses, Exod. xxv. 22. by whom he communicated his mind unto the people. For he neither met with them, nor with Aaron, there, any other way, but by Mosesi And therefore the Vulgar Latin here translates it, minding the sense rather than the words, Wliere I will speak to them. And so the LXX. By which I will be made known to thee there. And indeed ineeting with them here, is nothing but declaring, or’making known his mind to them all, by what was done there upon Aaron’s rod. So it follows in the next verse. And for this reason the tabernacle of the Lord is called ohelmoed, the tabernacle of meeting; not of men’s meeting there (as is commonly supposedly our translating it the tabernacle of the congregation), but of God’s meeting there with men: for so the Lord himself gives the reason of the name, both here and in Exod. xxix. 42. xxx. 36. wliere I have noted the same out of Mr. Mede.
Numbers 17:5
And it shall come to pass, that the man*s rod whom- 1 shall choose shall blossom. The rods being laid before me,* I will tell yon whom I have chosen to minister to me in the priesthood, by making the Tod upon which his name is written to blossom, when all the rest remain as they were before, without any alteration. This was a kind of new choice (as the words import), whereby God confirmed the choice he had formerly made of Aaronto be high-priest. And I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur againstyonS] And hereby stop all their mouths from murmuring any more about this matter; unless they will oppose me directly, who declare beforehand how I intend to give judgment in thig case, and put an end to this dispute. Ver. G. And Moses spake unto the children of Israel.] Told them what God had said, that they might be all consenting to this way of decision. And every one of their princes gave him a rod a-piece.] For they could not refuse such a fair proposal. For each prince one, according to their fathers 9 houses; even twelve rods.] Observing herein the commands of Moses; who wrote, no doubt, every man’s name upon his rod, as he was also commanded, ver. 2. And the rod of Aaron was among their rods.] Not one of the twelve, us the Jews fancy; but besides the twelve rods for the twelve tribes (as was directed, ver. 2. and obeyed by them, as the foregoing words tell us), his rod was put among k them with his name upon it, as their names were upon their rods. And therefore the Vulgar translates it, having regard to the sense only, there were twelve rods besides the rod of Aaron: which the LXX/ intended in their
Numbers 17:7
And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord.) Who was by them to declare his choice, (ver. 5.) In the tabernacle of witness. In that part of the tabernacle where the ark was, which had in it the tvitness or testimony which God gave Moses, (Exod. xxv. 21.) who alone could go into that place.
Numbers 17:8
And it came to pass, that on the morrow. It is likely God told him he would forthwith shew whom he had chosen. • Moses went into the tabernacle of witness J] The most holy place, where the rods were laid up by God’s order* And behold, the rod of Aaron.] Which had his name written on it.. For the house of Levi.] Or, to the house of Levi, i. e. whom God had made head of the Levites. Was budded, and brought forth buds, and blossomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.] In some places of the rod, I suppose, there was an appearance of buds coming forth; in others, the buds were fully thrust out; and in others, tbey were opened and shot forth into blossoms; and those blossoms, in other paTts, knotted and grown into almonds. Meyi<rrovKa\To’tQairiaToiQ Oavua, &c. as Gregory Nyssen speaks in the Life of Moses, (p. 185.) The greatest miracle even in the judgment of unbelievers; who now acknowledged that which before they opposed, (ver. 12, 13.) For, that in one night, a dry stick (as some suppose them all to have been) should produce buds, and flowers, and fruit, when all the rest, which perhaps were cut from the same tree, were as dry as they were before, could not but be very amazing; and, unless they would shut their eyes, make them see the distinction which the Lord made between Aaron, whose name that rod bore, and all the rest of the children of Israel, whojn the other rods represented. The heathen did not think such things incredible, as Huetius hath shewn in his Quaestiones AInetanse, (lib. i. cap. 12. n. 24.)
Numbers 17:9
And Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord unto all the children of Israel. Before whom they were exposed to open view, that they might see the difference God had made. And they looked, and took every man his rod.] Viewed them, and, taking them into their hands, examined them; and found they were the very same rods which they had delivered unto Moses with their names on them, without any alteration.
Numbers 17:10
And the Lord said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again.*. Which either Moses held in his band, or delivered it to Aaron (as he did the rest to the several princes of the tribes), who shewed it to the children of Israel, with the buds, blossoms, and almonds, upon it: after which God commanded it to be returned unto him. Before the testimony.] To be laid up in the place where it was before it was thus changed, (ver. 4. 7.) To be kept for a token against the rebels.] That it might bo produced as a sufficient conviction of their impiety, if any presumed hereafter to rebel against Aaron’s authority: or rather, that it might prevent all insurrections against it for the future. For it remained, we find, in the most holy place for some time; as appears both from the apostle, (Heb. ix. 4.) and from the reason of its being put here, that it might be preserved as a sign or proof of Aaron’s authority, and suppress all opposition to it. But how long it continued we cannot tell, (for it is not mentioned when the ark was brought into the temple of Solomon, 1 Kings viii. 9.) nor is it certain whether it continued in that verdure wherein it now appeared, with the buds, blossoms, and fruit, though it is highly probable it did; because it was to be a testimony that the honour of the priesthood should continue to Aaron’s family alone, through all generations., There are those who take this rod which blossomed, and was laid up in the most holy place, to have been the rod of Moses, wherewith he wrought so many miracles in Egypt arid at the Red Sea: concerning which the Jews tell very many incredible things; as, that it came from a branch of the tree of life, which an angel gave to Seth, who planted it in.the wilderness, where Moses found it grown to a tree, and cut this rod from it. For when they came to Marah, and could not drink the waters, because they were bitter, God shewed them this tree, that with it he might make them sweet. Upon which tree he afterward placed the brazen serpent, by looking on which the people were healed, &c* Thus the cabalists generally tell this tale; but some of them much otherwise; who say it was given to Adam, and by him to Enoch, and so on till it came to Joseph, in whose, house the Egyptians found it when he died, and brought it to Pharaoh; from whom Jethro stole it, &c. with a great deal of sucb-like stuff: which Abarbinel saith is to be understood mystically. But all the ground they have for this fancy, of the rod here laid up being Moses’s rod, is from chap. xx. 8, 9. where it is said, that Moses took the rod from before the Lord, wherewith he brought water out of tho rock; and this rod is said (ver. 11.) to be Moses’s rod. Dr. Owen, upon the Epistle to the Hebrews, follows this conceit, and endeavours to find many mysteries in it. But it is evidently false: for as there is not the least intimation here that it was the rod of Moses, but, quite contrary, it is called the rod of Aaron, ver. G. so it had not been a sufficient argument to convince the infidelity of the Israelites, if Aaron’s rod had not been of the same kind with all the rest For they might have ascribed what came to pass to the singular quality or virtue of that rod, especially if it were Moses’s rod (wherewith wonders used to be wrought), and not to a special hand of God appearing to establish tho authority of Aaron. And besides, a rod full of blossoms and fruit had been very unfit to be used to smite the rock withal; for which purpose that rod (which seems to have been his pastoral staff) wherewith ho smote the rock in Horeb was most proper, (Exod. xvii. 5, 6.) And thou shalt quite take away their miirmuringsfrom me.] i. e. iSilence all their cavils against Aaron and his family; which the Lord here declares he would no longer bear, if they continued in them after this demonstration of his will and pleasure. For here were a great many miraculous things concurred together to convince thein, that to oppose Aaron was to oppose God himself. Tho Jews reckon up eight. First, that Aaron’s rod should bring forth buds, blossoms, and fruit, all in one night, when the other rods, which were of the same nature, brought forth nothing. And then, secondly, that the buds brought forth leaves; for so
Numbers 17:11
And Moses did so: as the Lord commanded, so did he. Both brought the rod again to him, and laid it up before him; and told the children of Israel the reason of it, which occasioned what follows.
Numbers 17:12
And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, ice perish, &c. Moses having told them that he laid up the rod for this end, to be a witness against them, that (if they murmured any more) they deserved to be all cut off, as they should certainly be, it moved them to make this doleful complaint, wherein they seem to be convinced of their guilt, and to bewail their miserable state. For the sense of these two verses is, Some of us died before, and now lately more have perished, and we are all in the same danger; surely we shall never have done dying, till we be all consumed. Behold, we die.] This seems to relate to those judgments which had passed upon them heretofore. We perish.] And this to what had very lately happened to Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, with their company, and to those that murmured the next day after, (chap. xvi. 49.) We all perish.] This will be the fate of the whole congregation* Vcr. 13. Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the Lord.] Who was not a priest, and yet approached nearer than God allowed. Shall die.] So Moses had threatened; and they now believed him, and were afraid withal they should some time or other incur God’s displeasure by their rashness. Shall we be consumed with dying?] They seem to be afraid, lest, for their late murmuriugs and insurrection, after such a heavy punishment for that sin, (chap. xvi. 41, 42.) God should further plague them, as by this new sign he convinced them they justly deserved; and therefore beg of Moses to entreat God to spare them, and not to go on utterly to destroy them.
And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron. Their murmuring presently proceeded to an insurrection. That they looked towards the tabernacle of the congregation.] i. e. Moses and Aaron implored help from God, which is implied in their looking towards his dwelling-place. And, behold, the cloud covered it.] One would think by this that it had for some time withdrawn itself from the tabernacle, when the dead bodies of Korah’s company lay at the door of it..And the glory of the Lord appeared.] To comfort them in this distress; and to shew he was ready to support and vindicate them.,
And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation. Perhaps for safety and security; or, k to hear what directions God would give them.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying. Out of the tabernacle; before which he stood, waiting for the Lord’s orders. —.
Get ye up from among this congregation. He speaks to Aaron and Eleazar, I suppose, as well as unto Moses*. Tliat I may consume them as in a moment.] As he was inclined to do before, (ver. 21.) and now had a greater reason. And they fell on their faces.] To beseech God not to punish the people as they deserved, (ver. 22.)
And Moses said unto Aaron. By God’s direc-. tion.. Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the attar.] Near to which they now were, (ver. 43.) And put on incense.] Upon the fire.; but not till he came into the midst of the congregation, (ver. 47.) And go quickly unto the congregation.] With the incense, which regularly was to be offered only at the golden altar within the sanctuary; but now, in this extraordinary case, by God’s special order, Aaron is sent with it into the camp, that they might all be witnesses of his power with God, and that, by his authority, ho was settled in the priesthood. And make an atonement for them.] Which was usually performed by the blood of a sacrifice: but there was not time for that; and therefore now it was made by the incense, wherewith their daily sacrifices, morning and evening, were concluded; and was accompanied by (he prayers of the people, while the priest, as he offered it, made intercession for them, (Psalm cxli. 2.) Thus, as St. Jerome glosses, " Currensira Dei, sacerdotis voce prohibebatur;” the Divine anger, coming with full speed upon them, was stopped by the voice of the priest: which was a notable typo of the power of our great high-priest tind intercessor with God, the Lord Jesus. For there is wrath gone out from the Lord.] Who would not wholly grant their prayer for a pardon, (ver. 45.) but inflicted some punishment upon them. The plague is begun.] A pestilence, in all probability, of which several immediately died.
And Aaron took -as Moses commanded. A censer, and fire from the altar, with incense ready to be put upon it, (ver. 46.) Andran.] According to the command of Moses, (ver. 46.) who bade him go quickly. Jnto the midst of the congregation.] Perhaps into the.midst of, each of the four camps, of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan (mentioned in the second chapter), it being broke out every where. And, behold, the plague was begun among the people.] He saw people die on all sides of him., And he put on incense.] Whereupon he put incense upon the fire, which he’brought along with him from the altar, (ver,4G.), And made an atonement for the people.] Interceded with God for them, and obtained what he desired.
And he stood between the dead and the living. This seems to intimate, that the plague began in the skirts of their camps, and was proceeding into the heart of them, where Aaron stood, as a mediator for those who were not yet smitten. And the plague was stayed.] A stop was put to its progress; which was a further evidence of Aaron’s right to the priesthood, by God’s appointment; who not only preserved him when he offered incense together with Korah’s company, (ver. 17.) but now makes him an instrument of preserving others from destruction. „ A < Vcr. 49. Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred.] Who, it is likely, were of the forwardest men to. associate themselves with Korah, (ver. 19.) Besides them that died about thematter of Korah.] Whose just number is not known; for besides the two hundred and fifty men, (mentioned ver. 25.) the whole families of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were swallowed up.
And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. To carry back his censer. And the plague was stayed.] Or rather, for the plague was stayed; and so, having done his business, he returned to the tabernacle.