20:9 So Moses took the staff from before the Lord, just as he commanded him.
1:17 So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been mentioned specifically by name,
3:49 So Moses took the redemption money 1 from those who were in excess of those redeemed by the Levites.
7:6 So Moses accepted the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites.
16:1 3 Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, who were Reubenites, 4 took men 5
27:22 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him; he took Joshua and set 9 him before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community.
31:47 From the Israelites’ share Moses took one of every fifty people and animals and gave them to the Levites who were responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle, just as the Lord commanded Moses.
1 sn The word used is “silver.” Coins were not in existence until after 700
1 tn Or perhaps as a place name, “Jeshimon” (cf. 21:20).
1 sn There are three main movements in the story of ch. 16. The first is the rebellion itself (vv. 1-19). The second is the judgment (vv. 20-35). Third is the atonement for the rebels (vv. 36-50). The whole chapter is a marvelous account of a massive rebellion against the leaders that concludes with reconciliation. For further study see G. Hort, “The Death of Qorah,” ABR 7 (1959): 2-26; and J. Liver, “Korah, Dathan and Abiram,” Studies in the Bible (ScrHier 8), 189-217.
2 tc The MT reading is plural (“the sons of Reuben”); the Smr and LXX have the singular (“the son of Reuben”).
3 tn In the Hebrew text there is no object for the verb “took.” The translation presented above supplies the word “men.” However, it is possible that the MT has suffered damage here. The LXX has “and he spoke.” The Syriac and Targum have “and he was divided.” The editor of BHS suggests that perhaps the MT should be emended to “and he arose.”
1 tn Heb “its daughters.”
1 sn The name Bamoth Baal means “the high places of Baal.”
1 tn The first clause is subordinated to the second because both begin with the preterite verbal form, and there is clearly a logical and/or chronological sequence involved.
1 tn Heb “stood.”
1 tn Heb “took.”
2 tn Or “had spoken” (NASB); NRSV “had ordered.”
1 sn There is a justice, always, in the divine plan for the conquest of the land. Modern students of the Bible often think that the conquest passages are crude and unjust. But an understanding of the ancient Near East is critical here. This Sihon was not a part of the original population of the land. He himself invaded the territory and destroyed the population of Moab that was indigenous there and established his own kingdom. The ancient history is filled with such events; it is the way of life they chose – conquer or be conquered. For Israel to defeat them was in part a turning of their own devices back on their heads – “those that live by the sword will die by the sword.” Sihon knew this, and he did not wait, but took the war to Israel. Israel wanted to pass through, not fight. But now they would either fight or be pushed into the gorge. So God used Israel to defeat Sihon, who had no claim to the land, as part of divine judgment.
1 tn The Hebrew text does not repeat the word “commanders” here, but it is implied.
2 tn The purpose of the offering was to remind the