Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Book of Numbers


The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch.
The first half of Numbers tells what happened to the generation of Israelites who left Egypt with Moses.
Numbers begins at Mount Sinai, where the Israelites have received their laws and covenant from God and God has taken up residence among them in the sanctuary. The task before them is to take possession of the Promised Land. The people are numbered and preparations are made for resuming their march. The Israelites begin the journey, but immediately they "murmur" (complain or kvetch) at the hardships along the way. They arrive at the borders of Canaan and send spies into the land, but on hearing the spies' report the Israelites refuse to take possession of Canaan and God condemns them to death in the wilderness until a new generation can grow up and carry out the task. The book ends with the new generation of Israelites in the plain of Moab ready for the crossing of the Jordan River.
Numbers is the culmination of the story of Israel's exodus from oppression in Egypt and their journey to take possession of the land God promised their fathers. As such it draws to a conclusion the themes introduced in Genesis and played out in Exodus and Leviticus: God has promised the Israelites that they shall become a great nation, that they will have a special relationship with Yahweh their god, and that they shall take possession of the land of Canaan. Against this, Numbers also demonstrates the importance of holiness, faithfulness and trust: despite God's presence and his priests, Israel lacks faith and the possession of the land is left to a new generation.
The book has a long and complex history, but its final form is probably due to a Priestly redaction of a Yahwiistic original text some time in the early Persian period (5th century BC).




Bamidbar, on Numbers 1-4: First census, priestly duties
Naso, on Numbers 4-7: Priestly duties, the camp, unfaithfulness and the Nazirite, Tabernacle consecration
Behaalotecha, on Numbers 8-12: Levites, journing by cloud and fire, complaints, questioning of Moses
Shlach, on Numbers 13-15: Mixed report of the scouts and Israel's response
Korach, on Numbers 16-18: Korah’s rebellion, plague, Aaron’s staff buds, duties of the Levites
Chukat, on Numbers 19-21: Red heifer, water from a rock, Miriam’s and Aaron’s deaths, victories, serpents
Balak, on Numbers 22-25: Balaam's donkey and blessing
Pinchas, on Numbers 25-29: Phinehas, second census, inheritance, Moses' successor, offerings and holidays
Matot, on Numbers 30-34: Vows, Midian, dividing booty, land for Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh
Masei, on Numbers 33-36: Stations of the Israelites’ journeys, instructions for conquest, cities for Levites

Book of Numbers Chapter 1


1. And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying:
2. 'Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male, by their polls;
3. from twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: ye shall number them by their hosts, even thou and Aaron.
4. And with you there shall be a man of every tribe, every one head of his fathers' house.
5. And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur.
6. Of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
7. Of Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
8. Of Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar.
9. Of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon.
10. Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
11. Of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni.
12. Of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
13. Of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran.
14. Of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
15. Of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.'
16. These were the elect of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel.
17. And Moses and Aaron took these men that are pointed out by name.
18. And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.
19. As the LORD commanded Moses, so did he number them in the wilderness of Sinai.
20. And the children of Reuben, Israel's first-born, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
21. those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.
22. Of the children of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, those that were numbered thereof, according to the number of names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
23. those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred.
24. Of the children of Gad, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
25. those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Gad, were forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty.
26. Of the children of Judah, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
27. those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Judah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.
28. Of the children of Issachar, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
29. those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.
30. Of the children of Zebulun, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
31. those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred.
32. Of the children of Joseph, namely, of the children of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
33. those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred.
34. Of the children of Manasseh, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
35. those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred.
36. Of the children of Benjamin, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
37. those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred.
38. Of the children of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
39. those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Dan, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred.
40. Of the children of Asher, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
41. those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Asher, were forty and one thousand and five hundred.
42. Of the children of Naphtali, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
43. those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.
44. These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men; they were each one for his fathers' house.
45. And all those that were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers' houses, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel;
46. even all those that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.
47. But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.
48. And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:
49. 'Howbeit the tribe of Levi thou shalt not number, neither shalt thou take the sum of them among the children of Israel;
50. but appoint thou the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all the furniture thereof, and over all that belongeth to it; they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the furniture thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.
51. And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the common man that draweth nigh shall be put to death.
52. And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man with his own camp, and every man with his own standard, according to their hosts.
53. But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of the testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.'
54. Thus did the children of Israel; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.

Book of Numbers Chapter 2


1. And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying:
2. 'The children of Israel shall pitch by their fathers' houses; every man with his own standard, according to the ensigns; a good way off shall they pitch round about the tent of meeting.
3. Now those that pitch on the east side toward the sunrising shall be they of the standard of the camp of Judah, according to their hosts; the prince of the children of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab,
4. and his host, and those that were numbered of them, threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred;
5. and those that pitch next unto him shall be the tribe of Issachar; the prince of the children of Issachar being Nethanel the son of Zuar,
6. and his host, even those that were numbered thereof, fifty and four thousand and four hundred;
7. and the tribe of Zebulun; the prince of the children of Zebulun being Eliab the son of Helon,
8. and his host, and those that were numbered thereof, fifty and seven thousand and four hundred;
9. all that were numbered of the camp of Judah being a hundred thousand and fourscore thousand and six thousand and four hundred, according to their hosts; they shall set forth first.
10. On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their hosts; the prince of the children of Reuben being Elizur the son of Shedeur,
11. and his host, and those that were numbered thereof, forty and six thousand and five hundred;
12. and those that pitch next unto him shall be the tribe of Simeon; the prince of the children of Simeon being Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai,
13. and his host, and those that were numbered of them, fifty and nine thousand and three hundred;
14. and the tribe of Gad; the prince of the children of Gad being Eliasaph the son of Reuel,
15. and his host, even those that were numbered of them, forty and five thousand and six hundred and fifty;
16. all that were numbered of the camp of Reuben being a hundred thousand and fifty and one thousand and four hundred and fifty, according to their hosts; and they shall set forth second.
17. Then the tent of meeting, with the camp of the Levites, shall set forward in the midst of the camps; as they encamp, so shall they set forward, every man in his place, by their standards.
18. On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their hosts; the prince of the children of Ephraim being Elishama the son of Ammihud,
19. and his host, and those that were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred;
20. and next unto him shall be the tribe of Manasseh; the prince of the children of Manasseh being Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur,
21. and his host, and those that were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and two hundred;
22. and the tribe of Benjamin; the prince of the children of Benjamin being Abidan the son of Gideoni,
23. and his host, and those that were numbered of them, thirty and five thousand and four hundred;
24. all that were numbered of the camp of Ephraim being a hundred thousand and eight thousand and a hundred, according to their hosts; and they shall set forth third.
25. On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan according to their hosts; the prince of the children of Dan being Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai,
26. and his host, and those that were numbered of them, threescore and two thousand and seven hundred;
27. and those that pitch next unto him shall be the tribe of Asher; the prince of the children of Asher being Pagiel the son of Ochran,
28. and his host, and those that were numbered of them, forty and one thousand and five hundred;
29. and the tribe of Naphtali; the prince of the children of Naphtali being Ahira the son of Enan,
30. and his host, and those that were numbered of them, fifty and three thousand and four hundred;
31. all that were numbered of the camp of Dan being a hundred thousand and fifty and seven thousand and six hundred; they shall set forth hindmost by their standards.'
32. These are they that were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers' houses; all that were numbered of the camps according to their hosts were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.
33. But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses.
34. Thus did the children of Israel: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they pitched by their standards, and so they set forward, each one according to its families, and according to its fathers' houses.