Numbers 3:48

3:48 And give the money for the redemption of the excess number of them to Aaron and his sons.”

Numbers 23:25

Balaam Relocates Yet Again

23:25 Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all ¹  nor bless them at all!” ² 

Numbers 29:17

29:17 “‘On the second day you must offer twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish,

Numbers 31:18

31:18 But all the young women ³  who have not had sexual intercourse with a man ⁴  will be yours. ⁵ 

[23:25]  ¹ tn The verb is preceded by the infinitive absolute: “you shall by no means curse” or “do not curse them at all.” He brought him to curse, and when he tried to curse there was a blessing. Balak can only say it would be better not to bother.

[23:25]  ² tn The same construction now works with “nor bless them at all.” The two together form a merism – “don’t say anything.” He does not want them blessed, so Balaam is not to do that, but the curse isn’t working either.

[31:18]  ¹ tn Or “girls.” The Hebrew indicates they would be female children, making the selection easy.

[31:18]  ² tn Heb “who have not known [a] man by lying with a man.”

[31:18]  ³ sn Many contemporary scholars see this story as fictitious, composed by the Jews during the captivity. According to this interpretation, the spoils of war here indicate the wealth of the Jews in captivity, which was to be given to the Levites and priests for the restoration of the sanctuary in Jerusalem. The conclusion drawn from this interpretation is that returning Jews had the same problem as the earlier ones: to gain a foothold in the land. Against this interpretation of the account is a lack of hard evidence, a lack which makes this interpretation appear contrived and subjective. If this was the intent of a later writer, he surely could have stated this more clearly than by making up such a story.