Numbers 33:1

Wanderings from Egypt to Sinai

33:1 ¹ These are the journeys of the Israelites, who went out of the land of Egypt by their divisions under the authority ²  of Moses and Aaron.

Numbers 16:27

16:27 So they got away from the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram on every side, and Dathan and Abiram came out and stationed themselves ³  in the entrances of their tents with their wives, their children, and their toddlers.

Numbers 11:26

Eldad and Medad

11:26 But two men remained in the camp; one’s name was Eldad, and the other’s name was Medad. And the spirit rested on them. (Now they were among those in the registration, ⁴  but had not gone to the tabernacle.) So they prophesied in the camp.

Numbers 27:21

27:21 And he will stand before Eleazar the priest, who ⁵  will seek counsel ⁶  for him before the Lord by the decision of the Urim. ⁷  At his command ⁸  they will go out, and at his command they will come in, he and all the Israelites with him, the whole community.”

Numbers 33:3

33:3 They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day ⁹  after the Passover the Israelites went out defiantly ¹⁰  in plain sight ¹¹  of all the Egyptians.

¹ sn This material can be arranged into four sections: from Egypt to Sinai (vv. 1-15), the wilderness wanderings (vv. 16-36), from Kadesh to Moab (vv. 37-49), and final orders for Canaan (vv. 50-56).

² tn Heb “hand.”

³ tn The verb נִצָּבִים (nitsavim) suggests a defiant stance, for the word is often used in the sense of taking a stand for or against something. It can also be somewhat neutral, having the sense of positioning oneself for a purpose.

⁵ tn The form of the word is the passive participle כְּתֻבִים (kÿtuvim, “written”). It is normally taken to mean “among those registered,” but it is not clear if that means they were to be among the seventy or not. That seems unlikely since there is no mention of the seventy being registered, and vv. 24-25 says all seventy went out and prophesied. The registration may be to eldership, or the role of the officer.

⁷ tn The passage simply has “and he will ask,” but Eleazar is clearly the subject now.

⁸ tn Heb “ask.”

⁹ sn The new leader would not have the privilege that Moses had in speaking to God face to face. Rather, he would have to inquire of the Lord through the priest, and the priest would seek a decision by means of the Urim. The Urim and the Thummim were the sacred lots that the priest had in his pouch, the “breastplate” as it has traditionally been called. Since the Law had now been fully established, there would be fewer cases that the leader would need further rulings. Now it would simply be seeking the Lord’s word for matters such as whether to advance or not. The size, shape or substance of these objects is uncertain. See further C. Van Dam, The Urim and Thummim.

¹⁰ tn Heb “mouth,” meaning what he will say.

⁹ tn Heb “morrow.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “with a high hand”; the expression means “defiantly; boldly” or “with confidence.” The phrase is usually used for arrogant sin and pride, the defiant fist, as it were. The image of the high hand can also mean the hand raised to deliver the blow (Job 38:15).

¹¹ tn Heb “in the eyes.”