Numbers 9:5-6

9:5 And they observed the Passover ¹  on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight in the wilderness of Sinai; in accordance with all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the Israelites did.

9:6 It happened that some men ²  who were ceremonially defiled ³  by the dead body of a man ⁴  could not keep ⁵  the Passover on that day, so they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day.

Numbers 9:10

9:10 “Tell the Israelites, ‘If any ⁶  of you or of your posterity become ceremonially defiled by touching a dead body, or are on a journey far away, then he may ⁷  observe the Passover to the Lord.

Numbers 33:3

33:3 They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day ⁸  after the Passover the Israelites went out defiantly ⁹  in plain sight ¹⁰  of all the Egyptians.

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¹ tc The LXX omits this first clause; it also omits “at twilight.”

² tn In the Hebrew text the noun has no definite article, and so it signifies “some” or “certain” men.

³ tn The meaning, of course, is to be ceremonially unclean, and therefore disqualified from entering the sanctuary.

⁴ tn Or “a human corpse” (so NAB, NKJV). So also in v.7; cf. v. 10.

⁵ tn This clause begins with the vav (ו) conjunction and negative before the perfect tense. Here is the main verb of the sentence: They were not able to observe the Passover. The first part of the verse provides the explanation for their problem.

⁶ tn This sense is conveyed by the repetition of “man” – “if a man, a man becomes unclean.”

⁷ tn The perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive functions as the equivalent of an imperfect tense. In the apodosis of this conditional sentence, the permission nuance fits well.

⁸ tn Heb “morrow.”

⁹ tn Heb “with a high hand”; the expression means “defiantly; boldly” or “with confidence.” The phrase is usually used for arrogant sin and pride, the defiant fist, as it were. The image of the high hand can also mean the hand raised to deliver the blow (Job 38:15).

¹⁰ tn Heb “in the eyes.”