Numbers 9:14

9:14 If a resident foreigner lives ¹  among you and wants to keep ²  the Passover to the Lord, he must do so according to the statute of the Passover, and according to its custom. You must have ³  the same ⁴  statute for the resident foreigner ⁵  and for the one who was born in the land.’”

Numbers 15:24

15:24 then if anything is done unintentionally ⁶  without the knowledge of ⁷  the community, the whole community must prepare one young bull for a burnt offering – for a pleasing aroma to the Lord – along with its grain offering and its customary drink offering, and one male goat for a purification offering.

Numbers 27:11

27:11 and if his father has no brothers, then you are to give his inheritance to his relative nearest to him from his family, and he will possess it. This will be for the Israelites a legal requirement, ⁸  as the Lord commanded Moses.’”

Numbers 27:21

27:21 And he will stand before Eleazar the priest, who ⁹  will seek counsel ¹⁰  for him before the Lord by the decision of the Urim. ¹¹  At his command ¹²  they will go out, and at his command they will come in, he and all the Israelites with him, the whole community.”

¹ tn The words translated “resident foreigner” and “live” are from the same Hebrew root, גּוּר (gur), traditionally translated “to sojourn.” The “sojourner” who “sojourns” is a foreigner, a resident alien, who lives in the land as a temporary resident with rights of land ownership.

² tn The verb is the simple perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive. It is therefore the equivalent to the imperfect that comes before it. The desiderative imperfect fits this usage well, since the alien is not required to keep the feast, but may indeed desire to do so.

³ tn The Hebrew text has “there will be to you,” which is the way of expressing possession in Hebrew. Since this is legal instruction, the imperfect tense must be instruction or legislation.

⁴ tn Or “you must have one statute.”

⁵ tn The conjunction is used here to specify the application of the law: “and for the resident foreigner, and for the one…” indicates “both for the resident foreigner and the one who….”

⁶ tn The idea of לִשְׁגָגָה (lishgagah) seems to be that of “inadvertence” or “without intent.” The text gives no indication of how this offense might be committed, or what it might include. It probably describes any transgressions done in ignorance of the Law that involved a violation of tabernacle procedure or priestly protocol or social misdemeanor. Even though it was done unintentionally, it was still a violation and called for ritual purification.

⁷ tn Heb “[away] from the eyes of the community.”

¹¹ tn The expression is חֻקַּת מִשְׁפָּט (khuqqat mishpat, “a statute of judgment”), which means it is a fixed enactment that determines justice. It is one which is established by God.

¹⁶ tn The passage simply has “and he will ask,” but Eleazar is clearly the subject now.

¹⁷ tn Heb “ask.”

¹⁸ 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.

¹⁹ tn Heb “mouth,” meaning what he will say.