Numbers 1:44

1:44 These were the men whom Moses and Aaron numbered ¹  along with the twelve leaders of Israel, each of whom ²  was from his own family.

Numbers 3:47

3:47 collect ³  five shekels for each ⁴  one individually; you are to collect ⁵  this amount ⁶  in the currency of the sanctuary shekel (this shekel is twenty gerahs). ⁷ 

Numbers 7:11

7:11 For the Lord said to Moses, “They must present their offering, one leader for each day, ⁸  for the dedication of the altar.”

Numbers 7:86

7:86 The twelve gold pans full of incense weighed 10 shekels each, according to the sanctuary shekel; all the gold of the pans weighed 120 shekels.

Numbers 15:5

15:5 You must also prepare one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering ⁹  with the burnt offering or the sacrifice for each lamb. ¹⁰ 

Numbers 17:9

17:9 So Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the Israelites. They looked at them, ¹¹  and each man took his staff.

Numbers 23:2

23:2 So Balak did just as Balaam had said. Balak and Balaam then offered on each ¹²  altar a bull and a ram.

Numbers 23:4

23:4 Then God met Balaam, who ¹³  said to him, “I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”

Numbers 25:5

25:5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you must execute those of his men ¹⁴  who were joined to Baal-peor.”

Numbers 28:28

28:28 with their grain offering of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram,

Numbers 31:20

31:20 You must purify each garment and everything that is made of skin, everything made of goat’s hair, and everything made of wood.” ¹⁵ 

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¹ tn The construction uses both the passive participle הַפְּקֻדִים (happÿqudim) and the verb פָּקַד (paqad), giving a literal translation of “these were the numbered ones, whom Moses and Aaron numbered.”

² tn Heb “they were one man for the house of his fathers.”

³ tn The verb again is the perfect tense in sequence; the meaning of “take” may be interpreted here with the sense of “collect.”

⁴ tn The idea is expressed simply by repetition: “take five, five, shekels according to the skull.” They were to collect five shekels for each individual.

⁵ tn The verb form now is the imperfect of instruction or legislation.

⁶ tn Heb “them,” referring to the five shekels.

⁷ sn The sanctuary shekel was first mentioned in Exod 30:13. The half-shekel of Exod 38:26 would then be 10 gerahs. Consequently, the calculations would indicate that five shekels was about two ounces of silver for each person. See R. B. Y. Scott, “Weights and Measures of the Bible,” BA 22 (1951): 22-40, and “The Scale-Weights from Ophel, 1963-1964,” PEQ 97 (1965): 128-39.

⁸ tn The distributive sense is achieved by repetition: “one leader for the day, one leader for the day.”

⁹ sn The drink-offering was an ancient custom, mentioned in the Ugaritic tablets of Ras Shamra (14th century b.c.). The drink offering was poured out at the base of the altar (see Sir 50:15 and Josephus, Ant. 3.9.4 [3.234]).

¹⁰ tn Heb “for the one lamb,” but it clearly means “for each lamb.”

¹¹ tn The words “at them” are not in the Hebrew text, but they have been added in the translation for clarity.

¹² tn The Hebrew text has “on the altar,” but since there were seven of each animal and seven altars, the implication is that this means on each altar.

¹³ tn The relative pronoun is added here in place of the conjunction to clarify that Balaam is speaking to God and not vice versa.

¹⁴ tn Heb “slay – a man his men.” The imperative is plural, and so “man” is to be taken collectively as “each of you men.”

¹⁵ sn These verses are a reminder that taking a life, even if justified through holy war, still separates one from the holiness of God. It is part of the violation of the fallen world, and only through the ritual of purification can one be once again made fit for the presence of the Lord.