Numbers 8:4

8:4 This is how the lampstand was made: ¹  It was beaten work in gold; ²  from its shaft to its flowers it was beaten work. According to the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

Numbers 8:22

8:22 After this, the Levites went in to do their work in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons. As the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did.

Numbers 11:12

11:12 Did I conceive this entire people? ³  Did I give birth to ⁴  them, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your arms, as a foster father ⁵  bears a nursing child,’ to the land which you swore to their fathers?

Numbers 14:22

14:22 For all the people have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tempted ⁶  me now these ten times, ⁷  and have not obeyed me, ⁸ 

Numbers 22:32

22:32 The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you because what you are doing ⁹  is perverse before me. ¹⁰ 

Numbers 23:7

23:7 Then Balaam ¹¹  uttered ¹²  his oracle, saying,

“Balak, the king of Moab, brought me ¹³  from Aram,

out of the mountains of the east, saying,

‘Come, pronounce a curse on Jacob for me;

come, denounce Israel.’ ¹⁴ 

Numbers 24:10

24:10 Then Balak became very angry at Balaam, and he struck his hands together. ¹⁵  Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have done nothing but bless ¹⁶  them these three times!

Numbers 27:7

27:7 “The daughters of Zelophehad have a valid claim. ¹⁷  You must indeed ¹⁸  give them possession of an inheritance among their father’s relatives, and you must transfer ¹⁹  the inheritance of their father to them.

Numbers 30:5

30:5 But if her father overrules her when he hears ²⁰  about it, then none ²¹  of her vows or her obligations which she has pledged for herself will stand. And the Lord will release ²²  her from it, because her father overruled her.

Numbers 31:47

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.

Numbers 31:54

31:54 So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders ²³  of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial ²⁴  for the Israelites before the Lord.

Numbers 34:14

34:14 because the tribe of the Reubenites by their families, ²⁵  the tribe of the Gadites by their families, and half of the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.

¹ tn The Hebrew text literally has “and this is the work of the lampstand,” but that rendering does not convey the sense that it is describing how it was made.

² sn The idea is that it was all hammered from a single plate of gold.

³ sn The questions Moses asks are rhetorical. He is actually affirming that they are not his people, that he did not produce them, but now is to support them. His point is that God produced this nation, but has put the burden of caring for their needs on him.

⁴ tn The verb means “to beget, give birth to.” The figurative image from procreation completes the parallel question, first the conceiving and second the giving birth to the nation.

⁵ tn The word אֹמֵן (’omen) is often translated “nurse,” but the form is a masculine form and would better be rendered as a “foster parent.” This does not work as well, though, with the יֹנֵק (yoneq), the “sucking child.” The two metaphors are simply designed to portray the duty of a parent to a child as a picture of Moses’ duty for the nation. The idea that it portrays God as a mother pushes it too far (see M. Noth, Numbers [OTL], 86-87).

⁵ tn The verb נָסָה (nasah) means “to test, to tempt, to prove.” It can be used to indicate things are tried or proven, or for testing in a good sense, or tempting in the bad sense, i.e., putting God to the test. In all uses there is uncertainty or doubt about the outcome. Some uses of the verb are positive: If God tests Abraham in Genesis 22:1, it is because there is uncertainty whether he fears the Lord or not; if people like Gideon put out the fleece and test the Lord, it is done by faith but in order to be certain of the Lord’s presence. But here, when these people put God to the test ten times, it was because they doubted the goodness and ability of God, and this was a major weakness. They had proof to the contrary, but chose to challenge God.

⁶ tn “Ten” is here a round figure, emphasizing the complete testing. But see F. V. Winnett, The Mosaic Tradition, 121-54.

⁷ tn Heb “listened to my voice.”

⁷ tn Heb “your way.”

⁸ tn The verb יָרַט (yarat) occurs only here and in Job 16:11. Balaam is embarking on a foolish mission with base motives. The old rendering “perverse” is still acceptable.

⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Balaam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰ tn Heb “took up.”

¹¹ tn The passage calls for a past tense translation; since the verb form is a prefixed conjugation, this tense should be classified as a preterite without the vav (ו). Such forms do occur, especially in the ancient poetic passages.

¹² sn The opening lines seem to be a formula for the seer to identify himself and the occasion for the oracle. The tension is laid out early; Balaam knows that God has intended to bless Israel, but he has been paid to curse them.

¹¹ sn This is apparently a sign of contempt or derision (see Job 27:23; and Lam 2:15).

¹² tn The construction is emphatic, using the infinitive absolute with the perfect tense for “bless.”

¹³ tn Heb “[the daughters of Zelophehad] speak right” (using the participle דֹּבְרֹת [dovÿrot] with כֵּן [ken]).

¹⁴ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute with the imperfect tense. The imperfect is functioning as the imperfect of instruction, and so the infinitive strengthens the force of the instruction.

¹⁵ tn The verb is the Hiphil perfect with a vav (ו) consecutive, from the root עָבַר (’avar, “to pass over”). Here it functions as the equivalent of the imperfect of instruction: “and you shall cause to pass,” meaning, “transfer.”

¹⁵ tn The idiom is “in the day of,” but it is used in place of a preposition before the infinitive construct with its suffixed subjective genitive. The clause is temporal.

¹⁶ tn The Hebrew “all will not stand” is best rendered “none will stand.”

¹⁷ tn The verb has often been translated “forgive” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV, NLT), but that would suggest a sin that needed forgiving. The idea of “release from obligation” is better; the idea is like that of having a debt “forgiven” or “retired.” In other words, she is free from the vow she had made. The Lord will not hold the woman responsible to do what she vowed.

¹⁷ tn The Hebrew text does not repeat the word “commanders” here, but it is implied.

¹⁸ tn The purpose of the offering was to remind the Lord to remember Israel. But it would also be an encouragement for Israel as they remembered the great victory.

¹⁹ tn Heb “the house of their fathers.” So also a little later in this verse.