Discovery BoxNumbers 1:50 
Context1:50 But appoint 1 the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, 2 over all its furnishings and over everything in it. They must carry 3 the tabernacle and all its furnishings; and they 4 must attend to it and camp around it. 5
Numbers 4:25
Context4:25 They must carry the curtains for the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with its covering, the covering of fine leather that is over it, the curtains for the entrance of the tent of meeting,
Numbers 4:32
Context4:32 and the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their sockets, tent pegs, and ropes, along with all their furnishings and everything for their service. You are to assign by names the items that each man is responsible to carry. 6
Numbers 4:49
Context4:49 According to the word of the Lord they were numbered, 7 by the authority of Moses, each according to his service and according to what he was to carry. 8 Thus were they numbered by him, 9 as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Numbers 5:30
Context5:30 or when jealous feelings come over a man and he becomes suspicious of his wife; then he must have the woman stand before the Lord, and the priest will carry out all this law upon her.
Numbers 11:12
Context11:12 Did I conceive this entire people? 10 Did I give birth to 11 them, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your arms, as a foster father 12 bears a nursing child,’ to the land which you swore to their fathers?
1 tn The same verb translated “number” (פָּקַד, paqad) is now used to mean “appoint” (הַפְקֵד, hafqed), which focuses more on the purpose of the verbal action of numbering people. Here the idea is that the Levites were appointed to take care of the tabernacle. On the use of this verb with the Levites’ appointment, see M. Gertner, “The Masorah and the Levites,” VT 10 (1960): 252.
2 tn The Hebrew name used here is מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדֻת (mishkan ha’edut). The tabernacle or dwelling place of the
3 tn The imperfect tense here is an obligatory imperfect telling that they are bound to do this since they are appointed for this specific task.
4 tn The addition of the pronoun before the verb is emphatic – they are the ones who are to attend to the tabernacle. The verb used is שָׁרַת (sharat) in the Piel, indicating that they are to serve, minister to, attend to all the details about this shrine.
5 tn Heb “the tabernacle.” The pronoun (“it”) was used in the translation here for stylistic reasons.
6 tn Heb “you shall assign by names the vessels of the responsibility of their burden.”
7 tn The verb is the simple perfect tense – “he numbered them.” There is no expressed subject; therefore, the verb can be rendered as a passive.
8 tn Or “his burden.”
9 tn The passive form simply reads “those numbered by him.” Because of the cryptic nature of the word, some suggest reading a preterite, “and they were numbered.” This is supported by the Greek, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate. It would follow in the emendation that the relative pronoun be changed to “just as” (כַּאֲשֶׁר, ka’asher). The MT is impossible the way it stands; it can only be rendered into smooth English by adding something that is missing.
10 sn The questions Moses asks are rhetorical. He is actually affirming that they are not his people, that he did not produce them, but now is to support them. His point is that God produced this nation, but has put the burden of caring for their needs on him.
11 tn The verb means “to beget, give birth to.” The figurative image from procreation completes the parallel question, first the conceiving and second the giving birth to the nation.
12 tn The word אֹמֵן (’omen) is often translated “nurse,” but the form is a masculine form and would better be rendered as a “foster parent.” This does not work as well, though, with the יֹנֵק (yoneq), the “sucking child.” The two metaphors are simply designed to portray the duty of a parent to a child as a picture of Moses’ duty for the nation. The idea that it portrays God as a mother pushes it too far (see M. Noth, Numbers [OTL], 86-87).
