Numbers 5:12

5:12 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him,

Numbers 6:2

6:2 “Speak to the Israelites, and tell them, ‘When either a man or a woman ¹  takes a special vow, ²  to take a vow ³  as a Nazirite, ⁴  to separate ⁵  himself to the Lord,

Numbers 13:17

The Spies’ Instructions

13:17 When Moses sent ⁶  them to investigate the land of Canaan, he told them, “Go up through the Negev, ⁷  and then go up into the hill country

Numbers 14:28

14:28 Say to them, ‘As I live, ⁸  says ⁹  the Lord, I will surely do to you just what you have spoken in my hearing. ¹⁰ 

Numbers 15:2

15:2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you enter the land where you are to live, ¹¹  which I am giving you, ¹² 

Numbers 15:18

15:18 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you enter the land to which I am bringing you ¹³ 

Numbers 28:2

28:2 “Command the Israelites: ¹⁴  ‘With regard to my offering, ¹⁵  be sure to offer ¹⁶  my food for my offering made by fire, as a pleasing aroma to me at its appointed time.’ ¹⁷ 

Numbers 33:51

33:51 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

Numbers 35:10

35:10 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you cross over the Jordan River ¹⁸  into the land of Canaan,

[6:2]  ¹ tn The formula is used here again: “a man or a woman – when he takes.” The vow is open to both men and women.

[6:2]  ² tn The vow is considered special in view of the use of the verb יַפְלִא (yafli’), the Hiphil imperfect of the verb “to be wonderful, extraordinary.”

[6:2]  ³ tn The construction uses the infinitive construct followed by the cognate accusative: “to vow a vow.” This intensifies the idea that the vow is being taken carefully.

[6:2]  ⁴ tn The name of the vow is taken from the verb that follows; נָזַר (nazar) means “to consecrate oneself,” and so the Nazirite is a consecrated one. These are folks who would make a decision to take an oath for a time or for a lifetime to be committed to the Lord and show signs of separation from the world. Samuel was to be a Nazirite, as the fragment of the text from Qumran confirms – “he will be a נָזִיר (nazir) forever” (1 Sam 1:22).

[6:2]  ⁵ tn The form of the verb is an Hiphil infinitive construct, forming the wordplay and explanation for the name Nazirite. The Hiphil is here an internal causative, having the meaning of “consecrate oneself” or just “consecrate to the Lord.”

[13:17]  ¹ tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive is here subordinated to the next verb of the same formation to express a temporal clause.

[13:17]  ² tn The instructions had them first go up into the southern desert of the land, and after passing through that, into the hill country of the Canaanites. The text could be rendered “into the Negev” as well as “through the Negev.”

[14:28]  ¹ sn Here again is the oath that God swore in his wrath, an oath he swore by himself, that they would not enter the land. “As the Lord lives,” or “by the life of the Lord,” are ways to render it.

[14:28]  ² tn The word נְאֻם (nÿ’um) is an “oracle.” It is followed by the subjective genitive: “the oracle of the Lord” is equal to saying “the Lord says.”

[14:28]  ³ tn Heb “in my ears.”

[15:2]  ¹ tn Heb “the land of your habitations.”

[15:2]  ² tn The Hebrew participle here has the futur instans use of the participle, expressing that something is going to take place. It is not imminent, but it is certain that God would give the land to Israel.

[15:18]  ¹ tn The relative clause is literally, “which I am causing you to enter there.” The final adverb is resumptive, and must be joined with the relative pronoun.

[28:2]  ¹ tn Heb “and say to them.” These words have not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[28:2]  ² tn Th sentence begins with the accusative “my offering.” It is suspended at the beginning as an independent accusative to itemize the subject matter. The second accusative is the formal object of the verb. It could also be taken in apposition to the first accusative.

[28:2]  ³ tn The construction uses the imperfect tense expressing instruction, followed by the infinitive construct used to express the complement of direct object.

[28:2]  ⁴ sn See L. R. Fisher, “New Ritual Calendar from Ugarit,” HTR 63 (1970): 485-501.

[35:10]  ¹ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.