Numbers 2:33

2:33 But the Levites were not numbered among the other Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Numbers 4:2

4:2 “Take a census ¹  of the Kohathites from among the Levites, by their families and by their clans,

Numbers 8:14

8:14 And so ²  you are to separate the Levites from among the Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.

Numbers 15:26

15:26 And the whole community ³  of the Israelites and the resident foreigner who lives among them will be forgiven, since all the people were involved in the unintentional offense.

Numbers 15:29

15:29 You must have one law for the person who sins unintentionally, both for the native-born among the Israelites and for the resident foreigner who lives among them.

Numbers 16:45

16:45 “Get away from this community, so that I can consume them in an instant!” But they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground. ⁴ 

Numbers 19:6

19:6 And the priest must take cedar wood, hyssop, ⁵  and scarlet wool and throw them into the midst of the fire where the heifer is burning. ⁶ 

Numbers 32:30

32:30 But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must receive possessions among you in Canaan.”

¹ tn Heb “lift up the head.” The form נָשֹׂא (naso’) is the Qal infinitive absolute functioning here as a pure verb form. This serves to emphasize the basic verbal root idea (see GKC 346 §113.bb).

¹ tn The vav (ו) consecutive on the perfect tense not only carries the nuance of instruction forward to this clause, but also marks this clause out as a summary of what has taken place, i.e., by doing all this ritual Moses will have separated the Levites from the people for God’s own possession.

¹ tn Again, rather than translate literally “and it shall be forgiven [to] them” (all the community), one could say, “they (all the community) will be forgiven.” The meaning is the same.

¹ tn Heb “they fell on their faces.”

¹ sn In addition to the general references, see R. K. Harrison, “The Biblical Problem of Hyssop,” EvQ 26 (1954): 218-24.

² 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).