Numbers 3:51

3:51 Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Numbers 4:45

4:45 These are those numbered from the families of the Merarites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord by the authority of Moses.

Numbers 11:23

11:23 And the Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord’s hand shortened? ¹  Now you will see whether my word to you will come true ²  or not!”

Numbers 15:31

15:31 Because he has despised ³  the word of the Lord and has broken ⁴  his commandment, that person ⁵  must be completely cut off. ⁶  His iniquity will be on him.’” ⁷ 

Numbers 36:5

Moses’ Decision

36:5 Then Moses gave a ruling ⁸  to the Israelites by the word ⁹  of the Lord: “What the tribe of the Josephites is saying is right.

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¹ sn This anthropomorphic expression concerns the power of God. The “hand of the Lord” is idiomatic for his power, what he is able to do. The question is rhetorical; it is affirming that his hand is not shortened, i.e., that his power is not limited. Moses should have known this, and so this is a rebuke for him at this point. God had provided the manna, among all the other powerful acts they had witnessed. Meat would be no problem. But the lack of faith by the people was infectious.

² tn Or “will happen” (TEV); KJV “shall come to pass unto thee.”

³ tn The verb בָּזָה (bazah, “to despise”) means to treat something as worthless, to treat it with contempt, to look down the nose at something as it were.

⁴ tn The verb פָּרַר (parar, “to break”) can mean to nullify, break, or violate a covenant.

⁵ tn Heb “soul.”

⁶ tn The construction uses the Niphal imperfect with the modifying Niphal infinitive absolute. The infinitive makes the sentence more emphatic. If the imperfect tense is taken as an instruction imperfect, then the infinitive makes the instruction more binding. If it is a simple future, then the future is certain. In either case, there is no exclusion from being cut off.

⁷ sn The point is that the person’s iniquity remains with him – he must pay for his sin. The judgment of God in such a case is both appropriate and unavoidable.

⁸ tn Heb “commanded.”

⁹ tn Heb “mouth.”