1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.
3 And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
4 And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.
5 When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.
6 When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.
7 But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.
8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.
9 And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.
10 Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.
1 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559
2 Make H6213 thee two H8147 trumpets H2689 of silver; H3701 of a whole piece H4749 shalt thou make H6213 them: that thou mayest use H1961 them for the calling H4744 of the assembly, H5712 and for the journeying H4550 of the camps. H4264
3 And when they shall blow H8628 with them, H2004 all the assembly H5712 shall assemble H3259 themselves to thee at the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150
4 And if they blow H8628 but with one H259 trumpet, then the princes, H5387 which are heads H7218 of the thousands H505 of Israel, H3478 shall gather H3259 themselves unto thee.
5 When ye blow H8628 an alarm, H8643 then the camps H4264 that lie H2583 on the east parts H6924 shall go forward. H5265
6 When ye blow H8628 an alarm H8643 the second time, H8145 then the camps H4264 that lie H2583 on the south side H8486 shall take their journey: H5265 they shall blow H8628 an alarm H8643 for their journeys. H4550
7 But when the congregation H6951 is to be gathered together, H6950 ye shall blow, H8628 but ye shall not sound an alarm. H7321
8 And the sons H1121 of Aaron, H175 the priests, H3548 shall blow H8628 with the trumpets; H2689 and they shall be to you for an ordinance H2708 for ever H5769 throughout your generations. H1755
9 And if ye go H935 to war H4421 in your land H776 against H6862 the enemy that oppresseth H6887 you, then ye shall blow an alarm H7321 with the trumpets; H2689 and ye shall be remembered H2142 before H6440 the LORD H3068 your God, H430 and ye shall be saved H3467 from your enemies. H341
10 Also in the day H3117 of your gladness, H8057 and in your solemn days, H4150 and in the beginnings H7218 of your months, H2320 ye shall blow H8628 with the trumpets H2689 over your burnt offerings, H5930 and over the sacrifices H2077 of your peace offerings; H8002 that they may be to you for a memorial H2146 before H6440 your God: H430 I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430
1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Make thee two trumpets of silver; of beaten work shalt thou make them: and thou shalt use them for the calling of the congregation, and for the journeying of the camps.
3 And when they shall blow them, all the congregation shall gather themselves unto thee at the door of the tent of meeting.
4 And if they blow but one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.
5 And when ye blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall take their journey.
6 And when ye blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.
7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.
8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and they shall be to you for a statute for ever throughout your generations.
9 And when ye go to war in your land against the adversary that oppresseth you, then ye shall sound an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before Jehovah your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.
10 Also in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow the trumpets over your burnt-offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God: I am Jehovah your God.
1 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
2 `Make to thee two trumpets of silver; beaten work thou dost make them, and they have been to thee for the convocation of the company, and for the journeying of the camps;
3 and they have blown with them, and all the company have met together unto thee, unto the opening of the tent of meeting.
4 And if with one they blow, then have the princes, heads of the thousands of Israel, met together unto thee;
5 `And ye have blown -- a shout, and the camps which are encamping eastward have journeyed.
6 `And ye have blown -- a second shout, and the camps which are encamping southward have journeyed; a shout they blow for their journeys.
7 `And in the assembling of the assembly ye blow, and do not shout;
8 and sons of Aaron, the priests, blow with the trumpets; and they have been to you for a statute age-during to your generations.
9 `And when ye go into battle in your land against the adversary who is distressing you, then ye have shouted with the trumpets, and ye have been remembered before Jehovah your God, and ye have been saved from your enemies.
10 `And in the day of your gladness, and in your appointed seasons, and in the beginnings of your months, ye have blown also with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings, and they have been to you for a memorial before your God; I, Jehovah, `am' your God.'
1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
2 Make thee two trumpets of silver; of beaten work shalt thou make them; and they shall serve for the calling together of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.
3 And when they shall blow with them, the whole assembly shall gather to thee at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
4 And if they blow with one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather unto thee.
5 And when ye blow an alarm, the camps that lie eastward shall set forward.
6 And when ye blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie southward shall set forward; they shall blow an alarm on their setting forward.
7 And when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not blow an alarm:
8 the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an everlasting statute throughout your generations.
9 And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before Jehovah your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.
10 And in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in your new moons, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings and over your sacrifices of peace-offering; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God: I am Jehovah your God.
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2 Make you two trumpets of silver; of beaten work shall you make them: and you shall use them for the calling of the congregation, and for the journeying of the camps.
3 When they shall blow them, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the door of the tent of meeting.
4 If they blow but one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves to you.
5 When you blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall take their journey.
6 When you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.
7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm.
8 The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and they shall be to you for a statute forever throughout your generations.
9 When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before Yahweh your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.
10 Also in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God: I am Yahweh your God.
1 And the Lord said to Moses,
2 Make two silver horns of hammered work, to be used for getting the people together and to give the sign for the moving of the tents.
3 When they are sounded, all the people are to come together to you at the door of the Tent of meeting.
4 If only one of them is sounded, then the chiefs, the heads of the thousands of Israel, are to come to you.
5 When a loud note is sounded, the tents placed on the east side are to go forward.
6 At the sound of a second loud note, the tents on the south side are to go forward: the loud note will be the sign to go forward.
7 But when all the people are to come together, the horn is to be sounded but not loudly.
8 The horns are to be sounded by the sons of Aaron, the priests; this is to be a law for you for ever, from generation to generation.
9 And if you go to war in your land against any who do you wrong, then let the loud note of the horn be sounded; and the Lord your God will keep you in mind and give you salvation from those who are against you.
10 And on days of joy and on your regular feasts and on the first day of every month, let the horns be sounded over your burned offerings and your peace-offerings; and they will put the Lord in mind of you: I am the Lord your God.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 10
Commentary on Numbers 10 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 10
Nu 10:1-36. The Use of the Silver Trumpets.
2. Make thee two trumpets of silver—These trumpets were of a long form, in opposition to that of the Egyptian trumpets, with which the people were convened to the worship of Osiris and which were curved like rams' horns. Those which Moses made, as described by Josephus and represented on the arch of Titus, were straight, a cubit or more in length, the tubes of the thickness of a flute. Both extremities bore a close resemblance to those in use among us. They were of solid silver—so as, from the purity of the metal, to give a shrill, distinct sound; and there were two of them, probably because there were only two sons of Aaron; but at a later period the number was greatly increased (Jos 6:8; 2Ch 5:12). And although the camp comprehended 2,500,000 of people, two trumpets would be quite sufficient, for sound is conveyed easily through the pure atmosphere and reverberated strongly among the valleys of the Sinaitic hills.
3-7. when they shall blow with them—There seem to have been signals made by a difference in the loudness and variety in the notes, suited for different occasions, and which the Israelites learned to distinguish. A simple uniform sound by both trumpets summoned a general assembly of the people; the blast of a single trumpet convoked the princes to consult on public affairs; notes of some other kind were made to sound an alarm, whether for journeying or for war. One alarm was the recognized signal for the eastern division of the camp (the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun) to march; two alarms gave the signal for the southern to move; and, though it is not in our present Hebrew text, the Septuagint has, that on three alarms being sounded, those on the west; while on four blasts, those on the north decamped. Thus the greatest order and discipline were established in the Israelitish camp—no military march could be better regulated.
8. the sons of Aaron the priests shall blow with the trumpets, &c.—Neither the Levites nor any in the common ranks of the people could be employed in this office of signal giving. In order to attract greater attention and more faithful observance, it was reserved to the priests alone, as the Lord's ministers; and as anciently in Persia and other Eastern countries the alarm trumpets were sounded from the tent of the sovereign, so were they blown from the tabernacle, the visible residence of Israel's King.
9. If ye go to war—In the land of Canaan, either when attacked by foreign invaders or when they went to take possession according to the divine promise, "ye [that is, the priests] shall blow an alarm." This advice was accordingly acted upon (Nu 31:6; 2Ch 13:12); and in the circumstances it was an act of devout confidence in God. A solemn and religious act on the eve of a battle has often animated the hearts of those who felt they were engaged in a good and just cause; and so the blowing of the trumpet, being an ordinance of God, produced that effect on the minds of the Israelites. But more is meant by the words—namely, that God would, as it were, be aroused by the trumpet to bless with His presence and aid.
10. Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days—Festive and thanksgiving occasions were to be ushered in with the trumpets, as all feasts afterwards were (Ps 81:3; 2Ch 29:27) to intimate the joyous and delighted feelings with which they engaged in the service of God.
11. It came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, &c.—The Israelites had lain encamped in Wady-Er-Rahah and the neighboring valleys of the Sinaitic range for the space of eleven months and twenty-nine days. (Compare Ex 19:1). Besides the religious purposes of the highest importance to which their long sojourn at Sinai was subservient, the Israelites, after the hardships and oppression of the Egyptian servitude, required an interval of repose and refreshment. They were neither physically nor morally in a condition to enter the lists with the warlike people they had to encounter before obtaining possession of Canaan. But the wondrous transactions at Sinai—the arm of Jehovah so visibly displayed in their favor—the covenant entered into, and the special blessings guaranteed, beginning a course of moral and religious education which moulded the character of this people—made them acquainted with their high destiny and inspired them with those noble principles of divine truth and righteousness which alone make a great nation.
12. wilderness of Paran—It stretched from the base of the Sinaitic group, or from Et-Tyh, over that extensive plateau to the southwestern borders of Palestine.
13-27. the children of Israel took their journey … by the hand of Moses—It is probable that Moses, on the breaking up of the encampment, stationed himself on some eminence to see the ranks defile in order through the embouchure of the mountains. The marching order is described (Nu 2:1-34); but, as the vast horde is represented here in actual migration, let us notice the extraordinary care that was taken for ensuring the safe conveyance of the holy things. In the rear of Judah, which, with the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun, led the van, followed the Gershonites and Merarites with the heavy and coarser materials of the tabernacle. Next in order were set in motion the flank divisions of Reuben and Ephraim. Then came the Kohathites, who occupied the center of the moving mass, bearing the sacred utensils on their shoulder. They were so far behind the other portions of the Levitical body that these would have time at the new encampment to rear the framework of the tabernacle before the Kohathites arrived. Last of all, Dan, with the associated tribes, brought up the rear of the immense caravan. Each tribe was marshalled under its prince or chief and in all their movements rallied around its own standard.
29. Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite—called also Reuel (the same as Jethro [Ex 2:18, Margin]). Hobab, the son of this Midianite chief and brother-in-law to Moses, seems to have sojourned among the Israelites during the whole period of their encampment at Sinai and now on their removal proposed returning to his own abode. Moses urged him to remain, both for his own benefit from a religious point of view, and for the useful services his nomad habits could enable him to render.
31. Leave us not, I pray thee … and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes—The earnest importunity of Moses to secure the attendance of this man, when he enjoyed the benefit of the directing cloud, has surprised many. But it should be recollected that the guidance of the cloud, though it showed the general route to be taken through the trackless desert, would not be so special and minute as to point out the places where pasture, shade, and water were to be obtained and which were often hid in obscure spots by the shifting sands. Besides, several detachments were sent off from the main body; the services of Hobab, not as a single Arab, but as a prince of a powerful clan, would have been exceedingly useful.
32. if thou go with us … what goodness the Lord will show unto us, the same will we do unto thee—A strong inducement is here held out; but it seems not to have changed the young man's purpose, for he departed and settled in his own district. (See on Jud 1:16 and 1Sa 15:6).
33. they departed … three days' journey—the first day's progress being very small, about eighteen or twenty miles.
ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them—It was carried in the center, and hence some eminent commentators think the passage should be rendered, "the ark went in their presence," the cloud above upon it being conspicuous in their eyes. But it is probable that the cloudy pillar, which, while stationary, rested upon the ark, preceded them in the march—as, when in motion at one time (Ex 14:19) it is expressly said to have shifted its place.
35, 36. when the ark set forward that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered—Moses, as the organ of the people, uttered an appropriate prayer both at the commencement and the end of each journey. Thus all the journeys were sanctified by devotion; and so should our prayer be, "If thy presence go not with us, carry us not hence" [Ex 33:15].