Discovery BoxNumbers 3:40 
Context3:40 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Number all the firstborn males of the Israelites from a month old and upward, and take 1 the number of their names.
Numbers 5:25-26
Context5:25 The priest will take the grain offering of suspicion from the woman’s hand, wave the grain offering before the Lord, and bring it to the altar. 5:26 Then the priest will take a handful of the grain offering as its memorial portion, burn it on the altar, and afterward make the woman drink the water.
Numbers 19:3
Context19:3 You must give it to Eleazar the priest so that he can take it outside the camp, and it must be slaughtered before him. 2
Numbers 19:6
Context19:6 And the priest must take cedar wood, hyssop, 3 and scarlet wool and throw them into the midst of the fire where the heifer is burning. 4
Numbers 23:27
Context23:27 Balak said to Balaam, “Come, please; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God 5 to let you curse them for me from there.” 6
Numbers 26:2
Context26:2 “Take a census of the whole community of Israelites, from twenty years old and upward, by their clans, 7 everyone who can serve in the army of Israel.” 8
Numbers 27:18
Context27:18 The Lord replied 9 to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is such a spirit, 10 and lay your hand on him; 11
Numbers 31:26
Context31:26 “You and Eleazar the priest, and all the family leaders of the community, take the sum 12 of the plunder that was captured, both people and animals.
Numbers 31:29
Context31:29 You are to take it from their half-share and give it to Eleazar the priest for a raised offering to the Lord.
1 tn The verb נָשָׂא (nasa’, “take”) has here the sense of collect, take a census, or register the names.
2 tc The clause is a little ambiguous. It reads “and he shall slaughter it before him.” It sounds as if someone else will kill the heifer in the priest’s presence. Since no one is named as the subject, it may be translated as a passive. Some commentators simply interpret that Eleazar was to kill the animal personally, but that is a little forced for “before him.” The Greek text gives a third person plural sense to the verb; the Vulgate follows that reading.
3 sn In addition to the general references, see R. K. Harrison, “The Biblical Problem of Hyssop,” EvQ 26 (1954): 218-24.
4 sn There is no clear explanation available as to why these items were to be burned with the heifer. N. H. Snaith suggests that in accordance with Babylonian sacrifices they would have enhanced the rites with an aroma (Leviticus and Numbers [NCB], 272). In Lev 14 the wood and the hyssop may have been bound together by the scarlet wool to make a sprinkling device. It may be that the symbolism is what is important here. Cedar wood, for example, is durable; it may have symbolized resistance to future corruption and defilement, an early acquired immunity perhaps (R. K. Harrison, Numbers [WEC], 256).
5 tn Heb “be pleasing in the eyes of God.”
6 sn Balak is stubborn, as indeed Balaam is persistent. But Balak still thinks that if another location were used it just might work. Balaam had actually told Balak in the prophecy that other attempts would fail. But Balak refuses to give up so easily. So he insists they perform the ritual and try again. This time, however, Balaam will change his approach, and this will result in a dramatic outpouring of power on him.
7 tn Heb “house of their fathers.”
8 tn Heb “everyone who goes out in the army in Israel.”
9 tn Or “said.”
10 sn The word “spirit” probably refers to the Holy Spirit, in which case it would be rendered “in whom is the Spirit.” This would likely be a permanent endowment for Joshua. But it is also possible to take it to refer to a proper spirit to do all the things required of such a leader (which ultimately is a gift from the Spirit of God). The Hebrew text simply says “in whom is a spirit.”
11 sn This symbolic act would indicate the transfer of leadership to Joshua.
12 tn The idiom here is “take up the head,” meaning take a census, or count the totals.
