Numbers 4:6

4:6 Then they must put over it a covering of fine leather ¹  and spread over that a cloth entirely of blue, and then they must insert its poles.

Numbers 8:22

8:22 After this, the Levites went in to do their work in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons. As the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did.

Numbers 10:32

10:32 And if you come with us, it is certain ²  that whatever good things the Lord will favor us with, we will share with you as well.”

Numbers 11:5

11:5 We remember ³  the fish we used to eat ⁴  freely ⁵  in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.

Numbers 12:4

The Response of the Lord

12:4 The Lord spoke immediately to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam: “The three of you come to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them went.

Numbers 14:45

14:45 So the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country swooped ⁶  down and attacked them ⁷  as far as Hormah. ⁸ 

Numbers 16:27

16:27 So they got away from the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram on every side, and Dathan and Abiram came out and stationed themselves ⁹  in the entrances of their tents with their wives, their children, and their toddlers.

Numbers 21:2

21:2 So Israel made a vow ¹⁰  to the Lord and said, “If you will indeed deliver ¹¹  this people into our ¹²  hand, then we will utterly destroy ¹³  their cities.”

Numbers 21:24

21:24 But the Israelites ¹⁴  defeated him in battle ¹⁵  and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strongly defended.

Numbers 26:65

26:65 For the Lord had said of them, “They will surely die in the wilderness.” And there was not left a single man of them, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

Numbers 31:5

31:5 So a thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand armed for battle in all, were provided out of the thousands of Israel.

Numbers 31:12

31:12 They brought the captives and the spoils and the plunder to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the Israelite community, to the camp on the plains ¹⁶  of Moab, along the Jordan River ¹⁷  across from Jericho. ¹⁸ 

Numbers 31:49

31:49 and said to him, ¹⁹  “Your servants have taken a count ²⁰  of the men who were in the battle, who were under our authority, ²¹  and not one is missing.

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¹ tn The exact meaning of the Hebrew word here is difficult to determine. The term תַּחַשׁ (takhash) has been translated “badgers’ [skins]” by KJV. ASV has “sealskin” while RSV uses “goatskin”; NEB and NASB have “porpoise skin,” and NIV has “hides of sea cows.” This is close to “porpoise,” and seems influenced by the Arabic. The evidence is not strong for any of these meanings, and some of the suggestions would be problematic. It is possible the word is simply used for “fine leather,” based on the Egyptian ths. This has been followed by NRSV (“fine leather”) and NLT (“fine goatskin leather”) along with the present translation. See further HALOT 1720-21 s.v. תַּחַשׁ.

² tn Heb “and it shall be.”

³ tn The perfect tense here expresses the experience of a state of mind.

sn As with all who complain in such situations, their memory was selective. It was their bitter cries to the Lord from the suffering in bondage that God heard and answered. And now, shortly after being set free, their memory of Egypt is for things they do not now have. It is also somewhat unlikely that they as slaves had such abundant foods in Egypt.

⁴ tn The imperfect tense would here be the customary imperfect, showing continual or incomplete action in past time.

⁵ tn The adverb “freely” is from the word חָנַן (khanan, “to be gracious”), from which is derived the noun “grace.” The word underscores the idea of “free, without cost, for no reason, gratis.” Here the simple sense is “freely,” without any cost. But there may be more significance in the choice of the words in this passage, showing the ingratitude of the Israelites to God for His deliverance from bondage. To them now the bondage is preferable to the salvation – this is what angered the Lord.

⁶ tn Heb “came down.”

⁷ tn The verb used here means “crush by beating,” or “pounded” them. The Greek text used “cut them in pieces.”

⁸ tn The name “Hormah” means “destruction”; it is from the word that means “ban, devote” for either destruction or temple use.

⁹ tn The verb נִצָּבִים (nitsavim) suggests a defiant stance, for the word is often used in the sense of taking a stand for or against something. It can also be somewhat neutral, having the sense of positioning oneself for a purpose.

¹⁰ tn The Hebrew text uses a cognate accusative with the verb: They vowed a vow. The Israelites were therefore determined with God’s help to defeat Arad.

¹¹ tn The Hebrew text has the infinitive absolute and the imperfect tense of נָתַן (natan) to stress the point – if you will surely/indeed give.”

¹² tn Heb “my.”

¹³ tn On the surface this does not sound like much of a vow. But the key is in the use of the verb for “utterly destroy” – חָרַם (kharam). Whatever was put to this “ban” or “devotion” belonged to God, either for his use, or for destruction. The oath was in fact saying that they would take nothing from this for themselves. It would simply be the removal of what was alien to the faith, or to God’s program.

¹⁴ tn The Hebrew text has “Israel,” but the verb is plural.

¹⁵ tn Heb “with the edge of the sword.”

¹⁶ tn Or “steppes.”

¹⁷ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

¹⁸ tn Again this expression, “the Jordan of Jericho,” is used. It describes the intended location along the Jordan River, the Jordan next to or across from Jericho.

map For the location of Jericho see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.

¹⁹ tn Heb “to Moses”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

²⁰ tn Heb “lifted up the head.”

²¹ tn Heb “in our hand.”