Numbers 17:8

17:8 On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony – and ¹  the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted, and brought forth buds, and produced blossoms, and yielded almonds! ² 

Numbers 21:23

21:23 But Sihon did not permit Israel to pass through his border; he ³  gathered all his forces ⁴  together and went out against Israel into the wilderness. When ⁵  he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel.

[17:8]  ¹ tn Here too the deictic particle (“and behold”) is added to draw attention to the sight in a vivid way.

[17:8]  ² sn There is no clear answer why the tribe of Levi had used an almond staff. The almond tree is one of the first to bud in the spring, and its white blossoms are a beautiful sign that winter is over. Its name became a name for “watcher”; Jeremiah plays on this name for God’s watching over his people (1:11-12).

[21:23]  ³ tn Heb “Sihon.”

[21:23]  ⁴ tn Heb “people.”

[21:23]  ⁵ tn The clause begins with a preterite with vav (ו) consecutive, but may be subordinated to the next preterite as a temporal clause.