Numbers 26:2-4

26:2 “Take a census of the whole community of Israelites, from twenty years old and upward, by their clans, ¹  everyone who can serve in the army of Israel.” ²  26:3 So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan River ³  across from Jericho. ⁴  They said, 26:4 “Number the people ⁵  from twenty years old and upward, just as the Lord commanded Moses and the Israelites who went out from the land of Egypt.”

Numbers 26:63-64

26:63 These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the Israelites in the plains of Moab along the Jordan River opposite Jericho. ⁶  26:64 But there was not a man among these who had been ⁷  among those numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai.

Exodus 30:12

30:12 “When you take a census ⁸  of the Israelites according to their number, ⁹  then each man is to pay a ransom ¹⁰  for his life to the Lord when you number them, ¹¹  so that there will be no plague among them when you number them.

Exodus 38:26

38:26 one beka per person, that is, a half shekel, ¹²  according to the sanctuary shekel, for everyone who crossed over to those numbered, from twenty years old or older, ¹³  603,550 in all. ¹⁴ 

Exodus 38:2

38:2 He made its horns on its four corners; its horns were part of it, ¹⁵  and he overlaid it with bronze.

Exodus 24:1-3

The Lord Ratifies the Covenant

24:1 ¹⁶ But to Moses the Lord ¹⁷  said, “Come up ¹⁸  to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from a distance. ¹⁹  24:2 Moses alone may come ²⁰  near the Lord, but the others ²¹  must not come near, ²²  nor may the people go up with him.”

24:3 Moses came ²³  and told the people all the Lord’s words ²⁴  and all the decisions. All the people answered together, ²⁵  “We are willing to do ²⁶  all the words that the Lord has said,”

Exodus 24:1

The Lord Ratifies the Covenant

24:1 ²⁷ But to Moses the Lord ²⁸  said, “Come up ²⁹  to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from a distance. ³⁰ 

Exodus 21:1-2

The Decisions

21:1 ³¹ “These are the decisions that you will set before them:

Hebrew Servants

21:2 ³² “If you buy ³³  a Hebrew servant, ³⁴  he is to serve you for six years, but in the seventh year he will go out free ³⁵  without paying anything. ³⁶ 

Exodus 27:1

The Altar

27:1 “You are to make the ³⁷  altar of acacia wood, seven feet six inches long, ³⁸  and seven feet six inches wide; the altar is to be square, ³⁹  and its height is to be ⁴⁰  four feet six inches.

Exodus 27:1

The Altar

27:1 “You are to make the ⁴¹  altar of acacia wood, seven feet six inches long, ⁴²  and seven feet six inches wide; the altar is to be square, ⁴³  and its height is to be ⁴⁴  four feet six inches.

[26:2]  ¹ tn Heb “house of their fathers.”

[26:2]  ² tn Heb “everyone who goes out in the army in Israel.”

[26:3]  ³ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity (also in v. 62).

[26:3]  ⁴ map For the location of Jericho see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[26:4]  ⁵ tn “Number the people” is added here to the text for a smooth reading.

[26:63]  ⁶ map For the location of Jericho see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[26:64]  ⁷ tn “who had been” is added to clarify the text.

[30:12]  ⁸ tn The expression is “when you take [lift up] the sum [head] of the Israelites.”

[30:12]  ⁹ tn The form is לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם (lifqudehem, “according to those that are numbered of/by them”) from the verb פָּקַד (paqad, “to visit”). But the idea of this word seems more to be that of changing or determining the destiny, and so “appoint” and “number” become clear categories of meaning for the word. Here it simply refers to the census, but when this word is used for a census it often involves mustering an army for a military purpose. Here there is no indication of a war, but it may be laying down the principle that when they should do this, here is the price. B. Jacob (Exodus, 835) uses Num 31 as a good illustration, showing that the warrior was essentially a murderer, if he killed anyone in battle. For this reason his blood was forfeit; if he survived he must pay a כֹּפֶר (kofer) because every human life possesses value and must be atoned for. The payment during the census represented a “presumptive ransom” so that they could not be faulted for what they might do in war.

[30:12]  ¹⁰ tn The “ransom” is כֹּפֶר (kofer), a word related to words translated “atone” and “atonement.” Here the noun refers to what is paid for the life. The idea is that of delivering or redeeming by a substitute – here the substitute is the money. If they paid the amount, their lives would be safe (W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:473).

[30:12]  ¹¹ tn The temporal clause uses a preposition, an infinitive construct, and then an accusative. The subject is supplied: “in numbering them” means “when [you] number them.” The verb could also be rendered “when you muster them.”

[38:26]  ¹² sn The weight would be about half an ounce.

[38:26]  ¹³ tn Heb “upward.”

[38:26]  ¹⁴ tn The phrase “in all” has been supplied.

[38:2]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “its horns were from it,” meaning from the same piece.

[24:1]  ¹⁶ sn Exod 24 is the high point of the book in many ways, but most importantly, here Yahweh makes a covenant with the people – the Sinaitic Covenant. The unit not only serves to record the event in Israel’s becoming a nation, but it provides a paradigm of the worship of God’s covenant people – entering into the presence of the glory of Yahweh. See additionally W. A. Maier, “The Analysis of Exodus 24 According to Modern Literary, Form, and Redaction Critical Methodology,” Springfielder 37 (1973): 35-52. The passage may be divided into four parts for exposition: vv. 1-2, the call for worship; vv. 3-8, the consecration of the worshipers; vv. 9-11, the confirmation of the covenant; and vv. 12-18, the communication with Yahweh.

[24:1]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “And he;” the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:1]  ¹⁸ sn They were to come up to the Lord after they had made the preparations that are found in vv. 3-8.

[24:1]  ¹⁹ sn These seventy-four people were to go up the mountain to a certain point. Then they were to prostrate themselves and worship Yahweh as Moses went further up into the presence of Yahweh. Moses occupies the lofty position of mediator (as Christ in the NT), for he alone ascends “to Yahweh” while everyone waits for his return. The emphasis of “bowing down” and that from “far off” stresses again the ominous presence that was on the mountain. This was the holy God – only the designated mediator could draw near to him.

[24:2]  ²⁰ tn The verb is a perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive; it and the preceding perfect tense follow the imperative, and so have either a force of instruction, or, as taken here, are the equivalent of an imperfect tense (of permission).

[24:2]  ²¹ tn Heb “they.”

[24:2]  ²² tn Now the imperfect tense negated is used; here the prohibition would fit (“they will not come near”), or the obligatory (“they must not”) in which the subjects are obliged to act – or not act in this case.

[24:3]  ²³ sn The general consensus among commentators is that this refers to Moses’ coming from the mountain after he made the ascent in 20:21. Here he came and told them the laws (written in 20:22-23:33), and of the call to come up to Yahweh.

[24:3]  ²⁴ sn The Decalogue may not be included here because the people had heard those commands themselves earlier.

[24:3]  ²⁵ tn The text simply has “one voice” (קוֹל אֶחָד, qol ’ekhad); this is an adverbial accusative of manner, telling how the people answered – “in one voice,” or unanimously (see GKC 375 §118.q).

[24:3]  ²⁶ tn The verb is the imperfect tense (נַעֲשֶׂה, na’aseh), although the form could be classified as a cohortative. If the latter, they would be saying that they are resolved to do what God said. If it is an imperfect, then the desiderative would make the most sense: “we are willing to do.” They are not presumptuously saying they are going to do all these things.

[24:1]  ²⁷ sn Exod 24 is the high point of the book in many ways, but most importantly, here Yahweh makes a covenant with the people – the Sinaitic Covenant. The unit not only serves to record the event in Israel’s becoming a nation, but it provides a paradigm of the worship of God’s covenant people – entering into the presence of the glory of Yahweh. See additionally W. A. Maier, “The Analysis of Exodus 24 According to Modern Literary, Form, and Redaction Critical Methodology,” Springfielder 37 (1973): 35-52. The passage may be divided into four parts for exposition: vv. 1-2, the call for worship; vv. 3-8, the consecration of the worshipers; vv. 9-11, the confirmation of the covenant; and vv. 12-18, the communication with Yahweh.

[24:1]  ²⁸ tn Heb “And he;” the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:1]  ²⁹ sn They were to come up to the Lord after they had made the preparations that are found in vv. 3-8.

[24:1]  ³⁰ sn These seventy-four people were to go up the mountain to a certain point. Then they were to prostrate themselves and worship Yahweh as Moses went further up into the presence of Yahweh. Moses occupies the lofty position of mediator (as Christ in the NT), for he alone ascends “to Yahweh” while everyone waits for his return. The emphasis of “bowing down” and that from “far off” stresses again the ominous presence that was on the mountain. This was the holy God – only the designated mediator could draw near to him.

[21:1]  ³¹ sn There follows now a series of rulings called “the decisions” or “the judgments” (הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים, hammishpatim). A precept is stated, and then various cases in which the law is applicable are examined. These rulings are all in harmony with the Decalogue that has just been given and can be grouped into three categories: civil or criminal laws, religious or cultic laws, and moral or humanitarian laws. The civil and criminal laws make up most of chap. 21; the next two chapters mix the other kinds of laws. Among the many studies of this section of the book are F. C. Fensham, “The Role of the Lord in the Legal Sections of the Covenant Code,” VT 26 (1976): 262-74; S. Paul, “Unrecognized Biblical Legal Idioms in Light of Comparative Akkadian Expressions,” RB 86 (1979): 231-39; M. Galston, “The Purpose of the Law According to Maimonides,” JQR 69 (1978): 27-51.

[21:2]  ³² sn See H. L. Elleson, “The Hebrew Slave: A Study in Early Israelite Society,” EvQ 45 (1973): 30-35; N. P. Lemche, “The Manumission of Slaves – The Fallow Year – The Sabbatical Year – The Jobel Year,” VT 26 (1976): 38-59, and “The ‘Hebrew Slave,’ Comments on the Slave Law – Ex. 21:2-11,” VT 25 (1975): 129-44.

[21:2]  ³³ tn The verbs in both the conditional clause and the following ruling are imperfect tense: “If you buy…then he will serve.” The second imperfect tense (the ruling) could be taken either as a specific future or an obligatory imperfect. Gesenius explains how the verb works in the conditional clauses here (see GKC 497 §159.bb).

[21:2]  ³⁴ sn The interpretation of “Hebrew” in this verse is uncertain: (l) a gentilic ending, (2) a fellow Israelite, (3) or a class of mercenaries of the population (see W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:431). It seems likely that the term describes someone born a Hebrew, as opposed to a foreigner (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 210). The literature on this includes: M. P. Gray, “The Habiru-Hebrew Problem,” HUCA 29 (1958): 135-202.

[21:2]  ³⁵ sn The word חָפְשִׁי (khofshi) means “free.” It is possible that there is some connection between this word and a technical term used in other cultures for a social class of emancipated slaves who were freemen again (see I. Mendelsohn, “New Light on the Hupsu,” BASOR 139 [1955]: 9-11).

[21:2]  ³⁶ tn The adverb חִנָּם (hinnam) means “gratis, free”; it is related to the verb “to be gracious, show favor” and the noun “grace.”

[27:1]  ³⁷ tn The article on this word identifies this as the altar, meaning the main high altar on which the sacrifices would be made.

[27:1]  ³⁸ tn The dimensions are five cubits by five cubits by three cubits high.

[27:1]  ³⁹ tn Heb “four”; this refers to four sides. S. R. Driver says this is an archaism that means there were four equal sides (Exodus, 291).

[27:1]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “and three cubits its height.”

[27:1]  ⁴¹ tn The article on this word identifies this as the altar, meaning the main high altar on which the sacrifices would be made.

[27:1]  ⁴² tn The dimensions are five cubits by five cubits by three cubits high.

[27:1]  ⁴³ tn Heb “four”; this refers to four sides. S. R. Driver says this is an archaism that means there were four equal sides (Exodus, 291).

[27:1]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “and three cubits its height.”