Numbers 3:6

3:6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near, ¹  and present ²  them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. ³ 

Numbers 3:32

3:32 Now the head of all the Levitical leaders ⁴  was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsible ⁵  for the sanctuary.

Numbers 5:23

5:23 “‘Then the priest will write these curses on a scroll and then scrape them off into the bitter water. ⁶ 

Numbers 6:16

6:16 “‘Then the priest must present all these ⁷  before the Lord and offer ⁸  his purification offering and his burnt offering.

Numbers 19:6

19:6 And the priest must take cedar wood, hyssop, ⁹  and scarlet wool and throw them into the midst of the fire where the heifer is burning. ¹⁰ 

Numbers 26:3

26:3 So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan River ¹¹  across from Jericho. ¹²  They said,

Numbers 27:19

27:19 set him ¹³  before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community, and commission ¹⁴  him publicly. ¹⁵ 

Numbers 31:13

31:13 Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the community went out to meet them outside the camp.

Numbers 31:31

31:31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

Numbers 31:51

31:51 Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, all of it in the form of ornaments.

[3:6]  ¹ sn The use of the verb קָרַב (qarav) forms an interesting wordplay in the passage. The act of making an offering is described by this verb, as was the reference to the priests’ offering of strange fire. Now the ceremonial presentation of the priests is expressed by the same word – they are being offered to God.

[3:6]  ² tn The verb literally means “make it [the tribe] stand” (וְהַעֲמַדְתָּ אֹתוֹ, vÿha’amadta ’oto). The verb is the Hiphil perfect with a vav (ו) consecutive; it will take the same imperative nuance as the form before it, but follow in sequence (“and then”). This refers to the ceremonial presentation in which the tribe would take its place before Aaron, that is, stand before him and await their assignments. The Levites will function more like a sacred guard than anything else, for they had to protect and care for the sanctuary when it was erected and when it was transported (see J. Milgrom, Studies in Levitical Terminology, 8-10).

[3:6]  ³ tn The verb וְשֵׁרְתוּ (vÿsherÿtu) is the Piel perfect with a vav (ו) consecutive; it carries the same volitional force as the preceding verb forms, but may here be subordinated in the sequence to express the purpose or result of the preceding action.

[3:32]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew construction has “the leader of the leaders of” (וּנְשִׂיא נְשִׂיאֵי, unÿsi’ nÿsi’ey).

[3:32]  ⁵ tn Heb “the keepers of the responsibility” (שֹׁמְרֵי מִשְׁמֶרֶת, shomÿrey mishmeret). The participle is a genitive specifying the duty to which he was appointed (thing possessed); its cognate genitive emphasizes that their responsibility was over the holy place.

[5:23]  ⁷ sn The words written on the scroll were written with a combination of ingredients mixed into an ink. The idea is probably that they would have been washed or flaked off into the water, so that she drank the words of the curse – it became a part of her being.

[6:16]  ¹⁰ tn “all these” is supplied as the object.

[6:16]  ¹¹ tn Heb “make.”

[19:6]  ¹³ sn In addition to the general references, see R. K. Harrison, “The Biblical Problem of Hyssop,” EvQ 26 (1954): 218-24.

[19:6]  ¹⁴ sn There is no clear explanation available as to why these items were to be burned with the heifer. N. H. Snaith suggests that in accordance with Babylonian sacrifices they would have enhanced the rites with an aroma (Leviticus and Numbers [NCB], 272). In Lev 14 the wood and the hyssop may have been bound together by the scarlet wool to make a sprinkling device. It may be that the symbolism is what is important here. Cedar wood, for example, is durable; it may have symbolized resistance to future corruption and defilement, an early acquired immunity perhaps (R. K. Harrison, Numbers [WEC], 256).

[26:3]  ¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁷ map For the location of Jericho see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[27:19]  ¹⁹ tn This could be translated “position him,” or “have him stand,” since it is the causative stem of the verb “to stand.”

[27:19]  ²⁰ tn The verb is the Piel perfect of צִוָּה (tsivvah, literally “to command”). The verb has a wide range of meanings, and so here in this context the idea of instructing gives way to a more general sense of commissioning for duty. The verb in sequence is equal to the imperfect of instruction.

[27:19]  ²¹ tn Heb “in their eyes.”