Numbers 21:15

21:15 and the slope of the valleys ¹ 

that extends to the dwelling of Ar, ² 

and falls off at the border of Moab.”

Numbers 21:18

21:18 The well which the princes ³  dug,

which the leaders of the people opened

with their scepters and their staffs.”

And from the wilderness they traveled to Mattanah;

Exodus 4:2

4:2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” ⁴ 

Exodus 4:17

4:17 You will also take in your hand this staff, with which you will do the signs.” ⁵ 

Exodus 7:20

7:20 Moses and Aaron did so, ⁶  just as the Lord had commanded. Moses raised ⁷  the staff ⁸  and struck the water that was in the Nile right before the eyes ⁹  of Pharaoh and his servants, ¹⁰  and all the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood. ¹¹ 

Exodus 14:16

14:16 And as for you, ¹²  lift up your staff and extend your hand toward the sea and divide it, so that ¹³  the Israelites may go through the middle of the sea on dry ground.

Exodus 17:5

17:5 The Lord said to Moses, “Go over before the people; ¹⁴  take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile and go.

Exodus 17:9

17:9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our ¹⁵  men and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”

[21:15]  ¹ tc There are many variations in this text, but the MT reading of something like “the descent of the torrents/valleys” is preferable, since it is describing the topography.

[21:15]  ² sn The place is unknown; it is apparently an important city in the region.

[21:18]  ³ sn The brief song is supposed to be an old workers’ song, and so the mention of leaders and princes is unusual. Some think they are given credit because they directed where the workers were to dig. The scepter and staff might have served some symbolic or divining custom.

[4:2]  ⁴ tn Or “rod” (KJV, ASV); NCV, CEV “walking stick”; NLT “shepherd’s staff.”

[4:17]  ⁵ sn Mention of the staff makes an appropriate ending to the section, for God’s power (represented by the staff) will work through Moses. The applicable point that this whole section is making could be worded this way: The servants of God who sense their inadequacy must demonstrate the power of God as their sufficiency.

[7:20]  ⁶ sn Both Moses and Aaron had tasks to perform. Moses, being the “god” to Pharaoh, dealt directly with him and the Nile. He would strike the Nile. But Aaron, “his prophet,” would stretch out the staff over the rest of the waters of Egypt.

[7:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “And he raised”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:20]  ⁸ tn Gesenius calls the preposition on “staff” the בְּ (bet) instrumenti, used to introduce the object (GKC 380-81 §119.q). This construction provides a greater emphasis than an accusative.

[7:20]  ⁹ tn The text could be rendered “in the sight of,” or simply “before,” but the literal idea of “before the eyes of” may stress how obvious the event was and how personally they were witnesses of it.

[7:20]  ¹⁰ sn U. Cassuto (Exodus, 98) notes that the striking of the water was not a magical act. It signified two things: (1) the beginning of the sign, which was in accordance with God’s will, as Moses had previously announced, and (2) to symbolize actual “striking,” wherewith the Lord strikes Egypt and its gods (see v. 25).

[7:20]  ¹¹ sn There have been various attempts to explain the details of this plague or blow. One possible suggestion is that the plague turned the Nile into “blood,” but that it gradually turned back to its normal color and substance. However, the effects of the “blood” polluted the water so that dead fish and other contamination left it undrinkable. This would explain how the magicians could also do it – they would not have tried if all water was already turned to blood. It also explains why Pharaoh did not ask for the water to be turned back. This view was put forward by B. Schor; it is summarized by B. Jacob (Exodus, 258), who prefers the view of Rashi that the blow affected only water in use.

[14:16]  ¹² tn The conjunction plus pronoun (“and you”) is emphatic – “and as for you” – before the imperative “lift up.” In contrast, v. 17 begins with “and as for me, I….”

[14:16]  ¹³ tn The imperfect (or jussive) with the vav (ו) is sequential, coming after the series of imperatives instructing Moses to divide the sea; the form then gives the purpose (or result) of the activity – “that they may go.”

[17:5]  ¹⁴ tn “Pass over before” indicates that Moses is the leader who goes first, and the people follow him. In other words, לִפְנֵי (lifney) indicates time and not place here (B. Jacob, Exodus, 477-78).

[17:9]  ¹⁵ tn This could be rendered literally “choose men for us.” But the lamed (ל) preposition probably indicates possession, “our men,” and the fact that Joshua was to choose from Israel, as well as the fact that there is no article on “men,” indicates he was to select some to fight.