Discovery BoxNumbers 14:18 
Context14:18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in loyal love, 1 forgiving iniquity and transgression, 2 but by no means clearing 3 the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children until the third and fourth generations.’ 4
Numbers 15:15
Context15:15 One statute must apply 5 to you who belong to the congregation and to the resident foreigner who is living among you, as a permanent 6 statute for your future generations. You and the resident foreigner will be alike 7 before the Lord.
Numbers 15:38
Context15:38 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them to make 8 tassels 9 for themselves on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and put a blue thread 10 on the tassel of the corners.
Numbers 18:23
Context18:23 But the Levites must perform the service 11 of the tent of meeting, and they must bear their iniquity. 12 It will be a perpetual ordinance throughout your generations that among the Israelites the Levites 13 have no inheritance. 14
1 tn The expression is רַב־חֶסֶד (rav khesed) means “much of loyal love,” or “faithful love.” Some have it “totally faithful,” but that omits the aspect of his love.
2 tn Or “rebellion.”
3 tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the verbal activity of the imperfect tense, which here serves as a habitual imperfect. Negated it states what God does not do; and the infinitive makes that certain.
4 sn The Decalogue adds “to those who hate me.” The point of the line is that the effects of sin, if not the sinful traits themselves, are passed on to the next generation.
5 tn The word “apply” is supplied in the translation.
6 tn Or “a statute forever.”
7 tn Heb “as you, as [so] the alien.”
8 tn The construction uses the imperative followed by perfect tenses with vav (ו) consecutives. The first perfect tense may be translated as the imperative, but the second, being a third common plural form, has to be subordinated as a purpose clause, or as the object of the preceding verb: “speak…and say…that they make.”
9 sn This is a reference to the צִיצִת (tsitsit), the fringes on the borders of the robes. They were meant to hang from the corners of the upper garment (Deut 22:12), which was worn on top of the clothing. The tassel was probably made by twisting the overhanging threads of the garment into a knot that would hang down. This was a reminder of the covenant. The tassels were retained down through history, and today more elaborate prayer shawls with tassels are worn during prayer. For more information, see F. J. Stephens, “The Ancient Significance of Sisith,” JBL 50 (1931): 59-70; and S. Bertman, “Tasselled Garments in the Ancient East Mediterranean,” BA 24 (1961): 119-28.
10 sn The blue color may represent the heavenly origin of the Law, or perhaps, since it is a royal color, the majesty of the
11 tn The verse begins with the perfect tense of עָבַד (’avad) with vav (ו) consecutive, making the form equal to the instructions preceding it. As its object the verb has the cognate accusative “service.”
12 sn The Levites have the care of the tent of meeting, and so they are responsible for any transgressions against it.
13 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Levites) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
14 tn The Hebrew text uses both the verb and the object from the same root to stress the point: They will not inherit an inheritance. The inheritance refers to land.
