Exodus 24:4

24:4 and Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. Early in the morning he built ¹  an altar at the foot ²  of the mountain and arranged ³  twelve standing stones ⁴  – according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

Exodus 28:21

28:21 The stones are to be for the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, according to the number of ⁵  their names. Each name according to the twelve tribes is to be like ⁶  the engravings of a seal.

Exodus 39:14

39:14 The stones were for the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, corresponding to the number of ⁷  their names. Each name corresponding to one of the twelve tribes was like the engravings of a seal.

Exodus 39:1

The Making of the Priestly Garments

39:1 From the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn they made woven garments for serving in the sanctuary; they made holy garments that were for Aaron, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ⁸ 

Exodus 18:1

The Advice of Jethro

18:1 ⁹ Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, that ¹⁰  the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. ¹¹ 

Ezra 6:17

6:17 For the dedication of this temple of God they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve male goats for the sin of all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

Matthew 19:28

19:28 Jesus ¹²  said to them, “I tell you the truth: ¹³  In the age when all things are renewed, ¹⁴  when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging ¹⁵  the twelve tribes of Israel.

Acts 26:7

26:7 a promise ¹⁶  that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve God ¹⁷  night and day. Concerning this hope the Jews are accusing me, ¹⁸  Your Majesty! ¹⁹ 

Revelation 7:4

7:4 Now ²⁰  I heard the number of those who were marked with the seal, ²¹  one hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed from all ²²  the tribes of the people of Israel: ²³ 

[24:4]  ¹ tn The two preterites quite likely form a verbal hendiadys (the verb “to get up early” is frequently in such constructions). Literally it says, “and he got up early [in the morning] and he built”; this means “early [in the morning] he built.” The first verb becomes the adverb.

[24:4]  ² tn “under.”

[24:4]  ³ tn The verb “arranged” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied to clarify exactly what Moses did with the twelve stones.

[24:4]  ⁴ tn The thing numbered is found in the singular when the number is plural – “twelve standing-stone.” See GKC 433 §134.f. The “standing-stone” could be a small piece about a foot high, or a huge column higher than men. They served to commemorate treaties (Gen 32), or visions (Gen 28) or boundaries, or graves. Here it will function with the altar as a place of worship.

[28:21]  ⁵ tn For clarity the words “the number of” have been supplied.

[28:21]  ⁶ tn The phrase translated “the engravings of a seal” is an adverbial accusative of manner here.

[39:14]  ⁷ tn The phrase “the number of” has been supplied.

[39:1]  ⁸ sn This chapter also will be almost identical to the instructions given earlier, with a few changes along the way.

[18:1]  ⁹ sn This chapter forms the transition to the Law. There has been the deliverance, the testing passages, the provision in the wilderness, and the warfare. Any God who can do all this for his people deserves their allegiance. In chap. 18 the Lawgiver is giving advice, using laws and rulings, but then he is given advice to organize the elders to assist. Thus, when the Law is fully revealed, a system will be in place to administer it. The point of the passage is that a great leader humbly accepts advice from other godly believers to delegate responsibility. He does not try to do it all himself; God does not want one individual to do it all. The chapter has three parts: vv. 1-12 tell how Jethro heard and came and worshiped and blessed; vv. 13-23 have the advice of Jethro, and then vv. 24-27 tell how Moses implemented the plan and Jethro went home. See further E. J. Runions, “Exodus Motifs in 1 Samuel 7 and 8,” EvQ 52 (1980): 130-31; and also see for another idea T. C. Butler, “An Anti-Moses Tradition,” JSOT 12 (1979): 9-15.

[18:1]  ¹⁰ tn This clause beginning with כִּי (ki) answers the question of what Jethro had heard; it provides a second, explanatory noun clause that is the object of the verb – “he heard (1) all that God had done… (2) that he had brought….” See R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 81, §490.

[18:1]  ¹¹ sn This is an important report that Jethro has heard, for the claim of God that he brought Israel out of bondage in Egypt will be the foundation of the covenant stipulations (Exod 20).

[19:28]  ¹² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[19:28]  ¹³ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[19:28]  ¹⁴ sn The Greek term translated the age when all things are renewed (παλιγγενεσία, palingenesia) is understood as a reference to the Messianic age, the time when all things are renewed and restored (cf. Rev 21:5).

[19:28]  ¹⁵ sn The statement you…will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel looks at the future authority the Twelve will have when Jesus returns. They will share in Israel’s judgment.

[26:7]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “to which [promise] our twelve tribes…” The antecedent of the relative pronoun (the promise in v. 6) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:7]  ¹⁷ tn Or “earnestly worship.” The object of this service, God, is omitted but implied: BDAG 587 s.v. λατρεύω states, “Without the dat. of the one to whom service is given: ἐν ἐκτενείᾳ νύκτα κ. ἡμέραν λ. serve (God) earnestly night and day Ac 26:7.” Although clear from the context in Greek, “God” must be supplied as the recipient of the service for the modern English reader.

[26:7]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “I am being accused by the Jews.” The passive construction was simplified by converting it to an active one in the translation.

[26:7]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “O King!”

[7:4]  ²⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of new but related material.

[7:4]  ²¹ tn Grk “who were sealed.”

[7:4]  ²² tn Normally, “every,” but since 144,000 is the total number, “all” is clearer here.

[7:4]  ²³ tn Grk “the sons of Israel,” normally an idiom for the Israelites as an ethnic entity (L&N 11.58). However, many scholars understand the expression in this context to refer to Christians rather than ethnic Israelites.