Numbers 3:10

3:10 So you are to appoint Aaron and his sons, and they will be responsible for their priesthood; ¹  but the unauthorized person ²  who comes near must be put to death.”

Numbers 11:29

11:29 Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for me? ³  I wish that ⁴  all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

Numbers 14:33

14:33 and your children will wander ⁵  in the wilderness forty years and suffer for your unfaithfulness, ⁶  until your dead bodies lie finished ⁷  in the wilderness.

Numbers 21:29

21:29 Woe to you, Moab.

You are ruined, O people of Chemosh! ⁸ 

He has made his sons fugitives,

and his daughters the prisoners of King Sihon of the Amorites.

Numbers 24:3

24:3 Then he uttered this oracle: ⁹ 

“The oracle ¹⁰  of Balaam son of Beor;

the oracle of the man whose eyes are open; ¹¹ 

[3:10]  ¹ tc The LXX includes the following words here: “and all things pertaining to the altar and within the veil.” Cf. Num 18:7.

[3:10]  ² tn The word is זָר (zar), usually rendered “stranger, foreigner, pagan.” But in this context it simply refers to anyone who is not a Levite or a priest, an unauthorized person or intruder in the tabernacle. That person would be put to death.

[11:29]  ³ tn The Piel participle מְקַנֵּא (mÿqanne’) serves as a verb here in this interrogative sentence. The word means “to be jealous; to be envious.” That can be in a good sense, such as with the translation “zeal,” or it can be in a negative sense as here. Joshua’s apparent “zeal” is questioned by Moses – was he zealous/envious for Moses sake, or for some other reason?

[11:29]  ⁴ tn The optative is expressed by the interrogative clause in Hebrew, “who will give….” Moses expresses here the wish that the whole nation would have that portion of the Spirit. The new covenant, of course, would turn Moses’ wish into a certainty.

[14:33]  ⁵ tn The word is “shepherds.” It means that the people would be wilderness nomads, grazing their flock on available land.

[14:33]  ⁶ tn Heb “you shall bear your whoredoms.” The imagery of prostitution is used throughout the Bible to reflect spiritual unfaithfulness, leaving the covenant relationship and following after false gods. Here it is used generally for their rebellion in the wilderness, but not for following other gods.

[14:33]  ⁷ tn The infinitive is from תָּמַם (tamam), which means “to be complete.” The word is often used to express completeness in a good sense – whole, blameless, or the like. Here and in v. 35 it seems to mean “until your deaths have been completed.” See also Gen 47:15; Deut 2:15.

[21:29]  ⁷ sn The note of holy war emerges here as the victory is a victory over the local gods as well as over the people.

[24:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “and he took up his oracle and said.”

[24:3]  ¹⁰ tn The word נְאֻם (nÿ’um) is an “oracle.” It is usually followed by a subjective genitive, indicating the doer of the action. The word could be rendered “says,” but this translations is more specific.

[24:3]  ¹¹ tn The Greek version reads “the one who sees truly.” The word has been interpreted in both ways, “shut” or “open.”