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Numbers 9

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The Passover Commanded at Sinai 1–5

1
And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying, ​
2
Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season. ​
3
In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.
4
And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover.
5
And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.

Provision for the Second Passover (Pesach Sheni) 6–14

6
And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day: ​
7
And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the LORD in his appointed season among the children of Israel?
8
And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you. ​
9
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
10
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD. ​
11
The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
12
They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.
13
But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin. ​
14
And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto the LORD; according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land. ​

The Cloud Guides Israel's Journey 15–23

15
And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. ​
16
So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
17
And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
18
At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents. ​
19
And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not.
20
And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed.
21
And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.
22
Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed. ​
23
At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Numbers 9

Verse 1

the first month of the second year — The date falls before Num 1:1, 'the first day of the second month, in the second year', so the passover of v.5 precedes the census. The tabernacle was commanded to be set up on 'the first day of the first month' (Ex 40:2) and was reared up on that day (Ex 40:17).

Verse 2

at his appointed season — Moed, a fixed time or festival. The date is given in Lev 23:5: 'In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover.' Paul names its fulfilment: 'Christ our passover is sacrificed for us' (1 Cor 5:7).

Verse 6

defiled by the dead body of a man — Touching a corpse made a person unclean: 'He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days' (Num 19:11). That barred these men from the fourteenth day, so they came 'before Moses and before Aaron'.

Verse 8

Stand still — Amad, to stand. Moses gives no ruling of his own but waits: 'I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you.' The same course is taken in another case without precedent: 'Moses brought their cause before the LORD' (Num 27:5).

Verse 10

in a journey afar off — Derek rachoq, a far-off road. Distance is added to uncleanness as a cause for delay, and the rule is for 'your posterity' (dor, generation). The date is v.11, the fourteenth of the second month, used later under Hezekiah (2 Chr 30:2).

Verse 13

shall be cut off from among his people — Karath, to cut off, is the penalty for the man 'clean… and is not in a journey' who 'forbeareth' (chadal, ceases) to keep it. It is also set on the uncircumcised (Gen 17:14). 'That man shall bear his sin.'

Verse 14

one ordinance — The ger, the sojourner, keeps the passover by the same rule, with one condition: 'let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it' (Ex 12:48). Lev 24:22 repeats the principle: 'one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country'.

Verse 15

the tent of the testimony — Eduth, testimony, names the tabernacle for the tables of the law within. The cloud 'covered' it on the day it was reared, as in Ex 40:34, 'and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle'. By night it showed 'the appearance of fire' (cf. Ex 40:38).

Verse 18

At the commandment of the LORD — Literally 'at the mouth' (peh) of the LORD, repeated for both journeying and pitching. 'Abode' is shakan, the root of mishkan, 'tabernacle'. Paul recalls that 'all our fathers were under the cloud' (1 Cor 10:1).

Verse 22

two days, or a month, or a year — The halt could be two days, a month or a year; 'tarried' is arak, to be long, and the camp stayed until the cloud rose. Ex 40:37 states the rule: 'if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.'

Verse 23

by the hand of Moses — The chapter closes on the phrase 'at the commandment of the LORD' used three times, with 'they kept the charge of the LORD' (shamar mishmereth), as in v.19. Moses is the channel; Num 10:13 repeats 'by the hand of Moses' at the first march.