Numbers 4:38

4:38 Those numbered from the Gershonites, by their families and by their clans,

Numbers 9:22

9:22 Whether it was for two days, or a month, or a year, 1  that the cloud prolonged its stay 2  over the tabernacle, the Israelites remained camped without traveling; 3  but when it was taken up, they traveled on.

Numbers 28:2

28:2 “Command the Israelites: 4  ‘With regard to my offering, 5  be sure to offer 6  my food for my offering made by fire, as a pleasing aroma to me at its appointed time.’ 7 

1 tn The MT has אוֹ־יָמִים (’o-yamim). Most translators use “or a year” to interpret this expression in view of the sequence of words leading up to it, as well as in comparison with passages like Judg 17:10 and 1 Sam 1:3 and 27:7. See also the uses in Gen 40:4 and 1 Kgs 17:15. For the view that it means four months, see F. S. North, “Four Month Season of the Hebrew Bible,” VT 11 (1961): 446-48.

2 tn In the Hebrew text this sentence has a temporal clause using the preposition with the Hiphil infinitive construct of אָרַךְ (’arakh) followed by the subjective genitive, “the cloud.” But this infinitive is followed by the infinitive construct לִשְׁכֹּן (lishkon), the two of them forming a verbal hendiadys: “the cloud made long to stay” becomes “the cloud prolonged its stay.”

3 tn Heb “and they would not journey”; the clause can be taken adverbially, explaining the preceding verbal clause.

4 tn Heb “and say to them.” These words have not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

5 tn Th sentence begins with the accusative “my offering.” It is suspended at the beginning as an independent accusative to itemize the subject matter. The second accusative is the formal object of the verb. It could also be taken in apposition to the first accusative.

6 tn The construction uses the imperfect tense expressing instruction, followed by the infinitive construct used to express the complement of direct object.

7 sn See L. R. Fisher, “New Ritual Calendar from Ugarit,” HTR 63 (1970): 485-501.