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In the previous chapter, we read about how the people irritated Moses, and in this chapter, we read about his patience with close relatives. I. Miriam and Aaron, his own brother and sister, rebuked him (vv. 1-3).

II. God called them to account for this (vv. 4-9).

III. For this sin Miriam was afflicted with leprosy (v. 10).

IV. Aaron obeys, and Moses humbly intercedes for Miriam (vv. 11-13).

V. She is healed, but for seven days she is in shame (vv. 14-16). This situation is described to show that the best people and families can do stupid things and face difficulties.

Verses 1-3... These verses say:

I. About the unworthy conduct of Aaron and Miriam: they rebuked Moses (v. 1). Moses, who received much glory from God, at the same time received many insults and signs of contempt from people; and therefore we should not regard such trials as unusual or harsh, or be annoyed or upset about them. But who would have thought that Moses would be troubled by (1) virtuous and prudent people, moreover, known in religion, since Miriam was a prophetess, and Aaron was a high priest, and both were his authorized representatives during the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian slavery ? I sent Moses, Aaron and Miriam before you (Mic.6: 4).

(2) His closest relatives - siblings, who shone so brightly by borrowing his light? The bride complains about it in a similar way (Song 1: 5): “... my mother's sons were angry with me”; Quarrels between relatives are especially saddening. An embittered brother is more inaccessible than a strong city. Nonetheless, this event helps confirm Moses' calling and shows that his advancement was only made possible by divine favor, not a deal or conspiracy between relatives who were jealous of his advancement. Likewise, many of our Savior's relatives did not believe Him (John 7: 5). It seems that Miriam started the quarrel, and Aaron, who did not take part in the selection of the seventy elders, was somewhat outraged at the time and therefore sided with his sister. It is sad to see that the hand of Aaron was involved in many crimes, but this only proves that the law makes people with weaknesses high priests. First, Satan defeated Eve, and through her, Adam. See how much we must be careful not to get caught up in a quarrel over our relatives, for we do not know how much a little flame can flare up. Aaron had to remember that Moses remained his friend when God was angry with him for the golden calf (Deut 9:20), and not repay him evil for good. Two questions they argued with Moses about:

About his marriage. Some believe the conversation was about his marriage to a Kushita, a resident of southern Arabia, others about his marriage to Zipporah, whom in this conversation they contemptuously refer to the Ethiopian woman and who, they believe, had too much influence on Moses when he chose seventy elders. ... Perhaps there were some personal quarrels between Zipporah and Miriam, the result of which was offensive words, and one irritating thought generates another, and Moses and Aaron were involved in a quarrel.

About his leadership, but not about his mismanagement, but about his monopolization (v. 2): “Was it only Moses that the Lord spoke to? Should he himself choose the people on whom the spirit of prophecy should descend? Didn't He tell us too? Shouldn't we, too, participate in this matter and give preference to our friends, as Moses to his? " They could not deny that God spoke through Moses, but it was known that sometimes He spoke something through them; and they first of all strove to make themselves equal to him, although God distinguished him from them in various ways. Note, The struggle for supremacy is a sin that easily overwhelmed the disciples and is inherently excessively sinful. Even someone who has made significant progress rarely rejoices at the success of another if he is ahead of him. Those who are superior to others are most often envied.

II. The excellent patience of Moses undergoing this provocation. And the Lord heard this (v. 2), but Moses himself did not pay attention to it, as he was a very meek man (v. 3). He was sensible enough not to be indignant at the insult he had inflicted; the behavior of relatives was unfriendly and the time was too inappropriate, since the people were inclined to rebellion and quite recently greatly angered them with their murmur, which in this situation could again resume and break out if Aaron and Miriam led the Israelites and began to patronize them. But Moses was deaf — he didn’t hear. When the honor of God is hurt, as was the case with the golden calf, there was no man more zealous than Moses; when his own honor was touched, there was no man more meek. He was as bold as a lion when it came to God, but as meek as a lamb when it came to himself. The people of God are humble lands (Seph 2: 3), but some are more outstanding than others because of this grace, like Moses, who was therefore suitable for the work to which he was called, requiring meekness and sometimes even more. And sometimes the ill will of friends is a greater test for our meekness than the viciousness of our enemies. Christ Himself spoke of His meekness: "I am meek and lowly in heart ..." (Mat 11:29);

the meekness shown by Christ had no spot, which cannot be said of the meekness of Moses.

Verses 4-9... Moses did not resent the insult inflicted on him, did not complain to God and did not appeal to Him, but God was indignant. He hears everything we say in a rage and is a direct witness to our hasty speeches, which is the reason why we must resolutely curb our tongue and not speak ill of others, why we must patiently close our ears and ignore when speak badly about us. I do not hear, for You will hear, Lord (Ps 37: 14-16). The more silent we are when it comes to us, the more God takes part in interceding for us. One who is accused but is innocent need not say much, since the Judge himself is his lawyer.

I. The essence of the matter is set out, and the parties are called to immediately appear before the doors of the tabernacle (v. 4, 5). Moses often showed his zeal for the glory of God, and now God has shown himself to be jealous of his reputation, for whoever glorifies God, God will glorify him, and He will not be in debt to those who stand up for Him. In the old days, judges sat at the gates of the city to judge cases, and in this case the glory of God appeared in a cloud of glory at the entrance of the tabernacle, and Aaron and Miriam, as guilty, were called to judgment.

II. Aaron and Miriam were informed that no matter how important they might be, they should not claim equality with Moses or be rivals to him (vv. 6-8). Were they prophets of the Lord? One could say with certainty about Moses: "He is greater."

1. Undoubtedly, God clothed the prophets with great glory. No matter how people laughed and mistreated them, they were favorites and heirs of heaven. God revealed himself to them either in dreams when they slept, or in visions when they were awake, and through them revealed himself to others. And those are blessed and great, truly blessed and great, to whom God has revealed himself. Now He does this not with the help of dreams and visions, as in the old days, but with the help of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, which makes it clear to infants what the prophets and kings wanted to see and could not. Therefore, in the last days, the days of the Messiah, Scripture says that sons and daughters will prophesy (Joel 2:28), because they will be better acquainted with the mysteries of the kingdom of grace than the priests themselves had previously (see Heb 1: 1,2).

2. Nevertheless, the glory with which Moses was clothed was much greater (v. 7): “But it is not so with My servant Moses; he surpasses them all. " To reward Moses for his meekness and tolerance with which he endured insults to Miriam and Aaron, God not only justified him, but glorified him, using this opportunity to praise him. These words remained in writing to the eternal glory of Moses. Likewise, all who are reviled and persecuted because of righteousness will have a great reward in heaven; Christ recognizes them before the Father and the holy angels.

(1.) Moses was a very honest man; his faithfulness was tested. He is faithful in all my house. This quality is the first in describing his character, since grace surpasses gifts, love - knowledge, and sincerity in serving God dresses man with great glory and recommends his divine favor more than education, unintelligible theories and the ability to speak in tongues. It is this trait of the character of Moses that the apostle mentions when he wants to show that Christ is greater than Moses, emphasizing that it was this trait that made him great, for Moses was faithful as a minister, and Christ as a Son (Heb. 3: 2,5,6). God commissioned Moses to transmit His will concerning all matters to Israel; Israel entrusted Moses to negotiate on his behalf with God; and he was faithful to both. In managing great deeds, he spoke and acted as befits an honest man who seeks only to give glory to God and preserve the welfare of Israel.

(2.) Therefore, Moses was given a special privilege to know clearly the will of God and to have a closer fellowship with God than any other prophet. He will hear God better than any other prophet - more clearly and clearly: "... mouth to mouth I speak to him" or face to face, as someone would speak to his friend (Ex. 33:11), with whom they speak easily and at ease, without the embarrassment and numbness that often befell other prophets such as Ezekiel and John when God spoke to them. Through other prophets, God sent to His people denunciations and predictions about good or evil in obscure sayings, images and parables, and through Moses He gave laws to His people and established holy decrees, which in no case could be transmitted through fortune-telling, but be expressed in the simplest and clearest way.

Seeing God more often than any other prophet: the image of the Lord He sees as he saw him on the rock in Horeb, when God revealed His name to him. At the same time, he saw only the image of the Lord, and angels and glorified saints constantly contemplate the face of our Father. Moses possessed a special spirit of prophecy that placed him far above all other prophets. At the same time, the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than him, and our Lord Jesus is infinitely superior to him (Heb. 3: 1ff.). Now let Miriam and Aaron ponder: whom did they offend: how then were you not afraid to reproach My servant Moses? To reproach My servant, to reproach Moses - it is written in the original. "How could you dare to offend any of My slaves, especially a minister like Moses, who is My friend, governor and steward of My house?" How dare they grieve and denounce the one for whom God spoke so well? Didn't they think that God would resent their behavior and take it as an insult to Him? Note, We have reason to be afraid to say or do anything bad to God's servants; if we do this, we are preparing ourselves for destruction, for God will intercede for them and will consider the apple of His eye touching them. It is very dangerous to tempt one of these little ones who believe in Jesus (Matthew 18: 6). One can be called presumptuous who does not fear to speak evil of the higher ones (2 Pet. 2:10).

III. Thus, by showing them their error and folly, God further demonstrates His displeasure to them (v. 9): and the Lord's anger was kindled against them. Perhaps this was evidently evidenced by a change in the color of the cloud and minor flashes of lightning emanating from it. Undoubtedly, the fact that He departed and did not want to listen to their excuses sufficiently indicated His displeasure, for He did not need them, understanding their thoughts from afar. Note, When God departs from us, it bears witness to His displeasure with us. Woe to us if He departs, but He will never leave us until we, through our sin and folly, reject Him from ourselves.

Verses 10-16... These verses describe:

I. The judgment of God on Miriam (v. 10): the cloud departed from that part of the tabernacle, and Miriam was immediately covered with leprosy; when God departs, evil comes; do not expect to find good when God departs. Leprosy was a disease that the hand of God instantly struck as punishment for any particular sin; this is how Gehazi was punished for lying, Azariah for encroaching on the ministry of a priest, and here Miriam was punished for abuse and strife between relatives. It seemed that leprosy appeared on her face, and therefore everyone who saw her understood that it was punishment in its worst form; she was white as snow; she became not only white, but also soft; the elastic flesh has lost its hardness, which often accompanies the decomposition process. Her vile tongue (says Bishop Hall) was justly punished by rotting face, and her folly, when she decided to compete with Moses, became obvious to all people, for everyone saw his face glorified, and hers covered with leprosy. And if Moses needed a veil to cover his glory, then Miriam needed it to hide her shame. Note, Disorders that distort us in any way should be taken as a reproach for our pride and used to heal it; in the grip of such a humble providence, we must be very humble. If the flesh needs to be humbled, then this is a sign that the heart is hardened, although at the same time the lusts of the flesh remain unsuppressed. It seems that this illness that befell Miriam was intended to demonstrate the law of leprosy (Lev. 13), for Scripture refers to and repeats this law (Deut 24: 8,9). Miriam was struck by leprosy, for she was the first to sin, but not Aaron, for God always distinguishes between those who are led astray and those who are led astray. Although Aaron's ministry did not save him from God's displeasure, it saved him from such a sign of God's displeasure, which would not only temporarily remove him from the ministry (since there were no priests besides him and his sons), if he could not be spared, but also created would have a negative opinion of himself and his ministry, and also leave an eternal stain on his family. Aaron, as a priest, had to decide for himself whether it was leprosy, and in this case, in fulfilling this duty of his ministry, when he looked at Miriam and saw her in leprosy, it largely humbled him. He was smitten through his sister and could not proclaim her a leper without experiencing shame and awe, realizing that he was equally disgusting. We must take the judgment of Miriam as a warning to us to beware of offending our Lord Jesus in the slightest degree. If she was so punished for rebuking Moses, what will happen to those who sin against Christ?

II. Aaron's humble submission in this situation (v. 11,12). He humbles himself before Moses, confesses his mistake and asks for forgiveness. Although he had just joined his sister in condemning Moses, in this situation he was forced to repentantly ask him about himself and his sister, magnifying as much as possible the one (as if he possessed the power of God to forgive and heal) whom he had just condemned. ... Note, He who tramples upon the saints and the servants of God will one day be glad to show them reverence. This will happen much later, in another world; so the foolish virgins asked the wise for a little oil, and the rich man asked Lazarus for a little water. Or perhaps it will happen already in this world; so Job's friend asked him to pray for him, and here Aaron asks Moses about it (Rev 3: 9). In a humble state (1.) he confesses his and his sister's sin (v. 11). He speaks respectfully to Moses, calling him lord, although recently he spoke scornfully, and now he reproaches himself, ashamed of his words: we acted foolishly and sinned. He sins and acts stupidly, who insults and reviles others, especially people who are good and in power. To repent is to deny previously spoken bad words; it is better to renounce than to perish from them.

(2.) He asks Moses for forgiveness: do not make us sin. Aaron was supposed to bring his gift to the altar, but knowing that his brother has something against him, he is deeply concerned about this and seeks first of all to be reconciled with him in order to be worthy to offer his gift. Some believe that it was his quick obedience, which was noticed by God, that protected him from the leprosy that struck his sister.

(3) He describes to Moses the deplorable state of his sister, appealing to compassion and prudence (v. 12): “Do not let her be like a stillborn baby, that is, do not let her remain deprived of communion, defiling everything for which touches, and decaying during life, as if she were dead. " He eloquently describes her plight in order to pity him.

III. Intercession concerning Miriam (v. 13): “And Moses cried out to the Lord with a loud voice, for the cloud - a symbol of His presence - moved and stopped at some distance. Moses' words express his zeal in this request: "God, heal her!" Thus, he demonstrates that he sincerely forgave the insult she inflicted, for he does not blame her before God and does not cry for just retribution. He was so far from this thought that when God out of compassion for his honor punished her for an insult, he was the first to ask for the abolition of the punishment. In this example, Scripture teaches us to pray for those who offend us and not rejoice when God or man justly punishes those who have wronged us. The stiff hand of Jeroboam was healed at the special request and insistence of the prophet against whom it was stretched out (1 Kings 13: 6). So Miriam in this case was healed thanks to the prayer of Moses, whom she offended, and Abimelech - thanks to the prayer of Abraham (Gen. 20:17). Moses could have stood aside and said, "She got what she deserved, let her have better control over her tongue next time." But he is not satisfied with the opportunity to justify himself by not praying for her punishment, but fervently praying that it be canceled. We must learn to imitate Moses and the Savior in this, who asked: "Father, forgive them."

IV. How the situation was resolved, so that justice is satisfied and mercy shown.

1. Mercy will be performed if Miriam is healed; since Moses forgave her, so did God (see 2 Cor. 2:10).

2. But justice will prevail if Miriam humbles herself (v. 14): let her be imprisoned for seven days outside the camp, so that she would more sensitively realize her own mistake and repent of her, so that the punishment would be more indicative, and all Israel would turn to his attention and took the warning not to rebel. If the prophetess Miriam was subjected to such a humble punishment for one thoughtless word addressed to Moses, then what can we expect for our murmuring? For if they do this to a green tree, what will happen to a dry tree? See how people humiliate and devalue themselves with sin, how they stain their glory and cast their honor to dust. When Miriam glorified God, she led the society and was its most striking decoration (Ex 15:20). And now, when she was at enmity with God, she was expelled as unclean and a waste of society. She was commanded to be outside the camp for seven days, as she had to endure for her iniquity. If her father, her earthly father, spat in her face, thereby expressing his displeasure, then should she not have to worry and suffer because of this; Shouldn't she be so sorry for her misdeed that she would shut herself up for a while in her room and not show herself to him or the whole family, ashamed of her own folly and unhappiness? If this reverence is to be shown to the fathers of our flesh when they discipline us, then we must humble ourselves even more, being in the power of the mighty hand of the Father of Spirits. --Heb 12: 9. Note, When we are touched by the signs of God's displeasure for sin, it is fitting for us to be ashamed of ourselves, to submit to that shame, recognizing that we have shame on our faces. If, because of our own error and folly, we expose ourselves to the censure and contempt of people, the just condemnation of the Church or the reproaches of divine providence, then we should be ashamed of our deed and admit that our Father justly spits in our face.

V. Obstacles that therefore prevent a person from moving forward: The people did not set out until Miriam returned (v. 15). God did not move the stake, and therefore they did not move their camp. This was done in order (1) to rebuke people who realized that they had sinned in the same way as Miriam, expressing displeasure with Moses. Therefore, they had to share her punishment, and this delayed their advance into Canaan. There are many things that oppose us, but nothing stands in the way of our progress towards heaven as sin.

(2) To show respect for Miriam. If during her exile the camp had moved, then her shame and difficulties would have increased; therefore, out of compassion for her, the Israelites had to remain in place until the expiration of her exile and she was recaptured, undergoing the usual ritual of cleansing a leper. Note, A person who has been condemned and rebuked for sin should be treated with the greatest tenderness — not overdoing it, covering him up with shame, and not counting him as an enemy (2 Thess. 3:15), but forgive him and comfort him (2 Cor. 2: 7). Sinners should be cast out with sorrow, and those who repent should be welcomed with joy. When Miriam was forgiven and again admitted to the camp, the people set off and went to the Paran desert, which was adjacent to the southern border of Canaan, and they would have come there after the next crossing, if they had not put an obstacle in their own way.

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The Book of Numbers is the fourth among the books of the Pentateuch (you can read the history of the creation of the Pentateuch).

The title of the book is explained by the fact that it contains a number of detailed data on the calculation of the people, its individual tribes, clergymen, firstborn, etc.

The Book of Numbers covers the 39-year period after the establishment of the covenant between God and Israel at Mount Sinai (Ex. 19).

Despite the fact that God freed the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, fed them in the wilderness, gave them holy and good laws, as well as the ability to worship Him without hindrance, they did not obey and constantly rebelled against Him.

For that God decided to punish them , forcing them to wander in the wilderness, until the previous generation died (14:27 - 35).

40 years of wandering in the desert as a punishment ...

Two censuses of the people mark the change of an old, sinful generation to a new one.

The book begins with an account of how Israel is becoming a powerful military force. The Israelites are leaving Mount Sinai no longer as fugitives, but as mighty an army led by God ready to bring His rule to the nations (10:35).

But, having heard bad news, they suddenly stop at the borders of Canaan and refuse to cross the Jordan River.

God's righteous wrath against disobedient people is one of the main themes of Numbers ... Not only the people as a whole experience His wrath on themselves, but in some situations Moses himself, and his brother Aaron, and sister Miriam.

Despite the apostasy of the people, God stayed true his covenant. He did not abandon the plan to bring the Israelites to the promised land and raised a new generation to fulfill it.

His changed goals were stated at the end of the book by one of the most unexpected characters - Balaam, a pagan priest who, at the request of Moab, should curse Israel, but instead was able to utter only blessings.

Through him, God assured Israel of His constant presence and help in the present and the coming of the great Ruler (Jesus Christ) in the distant future.

The book ends with the first conquests east of the Jordan; a new generation is ready to enter Canaan.

The main content of this book is the life of the people in the desert, in the face of the Creator and "alone" with Him.

The Book of Numbers was written between 1440 and 1400 BC.

Key Verses:

Numbers 6: 24-26 : "May the Lord bless you, and may He preserve you!? May His gaze, turned to you, be bright, and may He be merciful to you!" May the Lord turn His face to you, and may He send you peace! "

Numbers 12: 6-8: "If there is a prophet of the Lord among you, I open myself to him in visions, I speak with him through dreams.? With My servant, Moses, - not so: I have entrusted all My possessions to him !? I speak with him face to face, I appear him without riddles, and he sees the image of the Lord. How then were you not afraid to reproach my servant, Moses? "

Numbers 14: 30-34 : “None of you will enter the country in which I have sworn to settle you - none but Kaleb, the son of Jefunne, and Joshua. But your children, for whom you feared, lest they were captured, I will bring them to the country that you rejected. They will see what this country is !? Your bodies will remain in this desert, and your children will graze cattle in this desert for forty years: they will bear the punishment for your betrayal until the last of you dies in the desert.? Forty days you examined country, and according to the number of these days, one year in a day, you will bear the punishment for your sins: forty years! Then you will know what it means to change Me. "

Purpose of writing

The message of this book is universal and timeless. It reminds believers of the spiritual struggle in which they are involved, since the book of Numbers is a book about the ministry and life of God's people.

"I serve God not because I want to be saved, but because I am saved"

The Book of Numbers essentially bridges the time gap between the moment the Israelites received the Law (s) and their preparation for entering the Promised Land (and Joshua).

1. Part 3
2. Part 4
3. ... Part 5
4. ... Part 6
5. ... Part 7
6. Part 8
7. Part 9

• The first four chapters of this book deal with preparations for a military campaign, and the number of combat-ready men is given, which is 603,550. The same chapters describe the order that was observed both at the camps and on the way: in the center was the Tabernacle, which was carried by the Levites, and on its four sides there were three tribes. This part of the book of Numbers establishes the laws of the Nazarites and concludes with a priestly blessing, and also lists the collective and individual donations of the chiefs of the tribes for the priesthood in the Tabernacle. Each of the rulers brought gifts on the appointed day in the order in which the tribes are listed in Num. 2. Two silver horns were made and rules were laid down for their use in battle and on holidays.
• On the 20th day of the second month in the second year of the Exodus, the Israelites left Mount Sinai and set out.
• Chapters 10: 11–22: 1 report their progress.
  • However, the preparations for coming to the Promised Land were in vain, the people showed moral weakness, which was expressed in acts of disobedience, which are described in chapters 11–25.
    • The first of the cases of Israel's murmuring against God and His messenger Moses is associated with the monotony of food sent by God every morning (manna from heaven) (11: 1–2). In response to Moses' complaints, God ordained 70 men to be elders, placed some of the burden of Moses on them (11: 16–25), and sent the Israelites countless numbers of quails.
    • The following is the story that Aaron and Miriam (Miriam) rebuked Moses “ for the Ethiopian wife"(12: 1-3), which he" took over”, And God punished Miriam with leprosy, subsequently healing her (chapter 12).
    • The Israelites' murmur culminated in their refusal to go to the Promised Land (chapters 13-14). At the behest of God, Moses sent 12 scouts to Canaan - one from each tribe. Returning 40 days later to Moses, they confirmed that in the Land of Israel “ milk and honey flows genuinely"(13:28), however, frightened by the strength of the people living there," spread a bad rumor about the land they were looking at among the children of Israel”(13:33). As a result, the Israelites began to “murmur against Moses” and “said to one another: let us set up a ruler and return to Egypt” (14: 2, 4). Two of the scouts - Joshua (Yehoshua bin Nun) and Caleb (Kalev) - urged the people to trust in God's promise, but the Israelites intended to stone them (14: 6-10). As punishment for the weakness of faith, God condemned everyone (who was 20 or more years old during the exodus from Egypt), with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, to wandering and death in the wilderness, and for the unauthorized attempt of the Israelites to enter Canaan, they were punished by defeat in battle with the Amalekites and Canaanites (14: 11–45).
  • Chapter 15 contains a series of cult precepts, ending with a story about the establishment of the death penalty for breaking the Sabbath and the requirement to wear tzitzit (15: 39–40) as a constant reminder of the Covenant.
    • The story of the "rebellion" of the Levite Korach (Korach) against Moses and Aaron (chapters 16, 17) reflects the dissatisfaction of some of the descendants of the tribe of Reuven, as well as of the Levites, the subordinate position assigned to them in comparison with the Cohens, who were given the prerogative of worship in the Tabernacle. God punished the murmuring and restored Aaron's authority.
  • This is followed by regulations on the duties and rights of the Levites as servants of the priests (chap. 18), and regulations on the ritual cleansing of a red cow with ashes (chap. 19).
• The following is a story about the period ending 40 years of Israel's wanderings in the wilderness.
  • The central theme of the next chapter (chapter 20) is the death of the leaders of the Israelites: the chapter begins with the death of Miriam and ends with the account of the death of Aaron and the inheritance of the priesthood by his son Elezar (Ellokazar).
  • On their way to the Promised Land, the Israelites went to the Jordan region, but the king of Edom rejected their request to allow passage through his territory (20: 14-21). After defeating the Canaanite king Arad (21: 1-3), the Israelites moved along the Red Sea to bypass Edom from the south.
  • The difficulties of the way through the desert again caused cowardice among the Israelites, for which God punished them with an invasion of poisonous snakes (21: 5-6).
  • As a result of the victory over King Sichon, the Israelites acquired their own territory for the first time: “ And Israel smote him with the sword, and took possession of his land ...”(21:24).
  • The story of the Israelites' advance from Sinai to the Jordan region ends with a short story about the victory over the king of Bashan, Og, which allowed the Israelites to complete the seizure of the territories north of the kingdoms beyond the Jordan.
• The last part of the book of Numbers (chapters 22–36) tells the story of the Israelites on the plains of Moab.
  • The story of the sorcerer Balaam (Bil am), whom Balak, king of Moab, sent to curse Israel, and who instead blessed him (chapters 22-24), shows the invulnerability of the people of Israel.
  • Following this, however, there is a story about another apostasy of the people, who fell under the influence of the Moabites into idolatry and “ who committed fornication with the daughters of Moab”(25: 1-3). After Phinees (Pinchas) publicly killed the ringleaders, God commanded Moses to execute the “leaders of the people” and to defeat “twenty-four thousand from the Israelite camp” (25: 9), commanding Israel to be eternal enmity towards the Midianites, “for they dealt with you with hostility in his craftiness ”(25:18).

This episode ends in the book of Numbers with a long list of Israel's apostasy.

• • The Israelite numbering in chapter 26 is similar to chapter 1, but gives a slightly lower total that reflects the loss due to God's punishment. The account of reckoning serves as an introduction to the establishment of the laws on the inheritance of daughters (27: 1–11).
  • The chapter concludes with a story about the selection of Joshua to succeed Moses (27: 12–23).
  • The narrative is interrupted by prescriptions about holiday sacrifices (28-30) and about responsibility for the vows given by women (chapter 30).
  • Chapter 31 tells the story of the Israelites' war against the Midianites and gives an example of how to divide the booty captured in the war.
  • Chapter 32 tells of Moses' consent to allow the tribes of Reuben (Reuven) and Gad and half of the tribe of Menashche to settle in Gilad, on the condition that they, along with the rest of the tribes, take part in the war for the conquest of Canaan.
  • Chapter 33 begins with a list of the camps of the Israelites on their journey from Egypt to Moab; most of the place names cited here defy identification, and many of them no longer appear in the Bible.
  • The list is followed by God's command to the Israelites to conquer Canaan and divide its territory between the tribes.
  • Chapter 34 lists all the boundaries of the land intended for the settlement of the Israelites, and the names of those who will have to divide the land by lot.
  • Chapter 35 contains a decree on the cities of the Levites, which, unlike the rest of the tribes, will not receive their own allotment, and on cities of refuge for those who have committed unintentional murder.
  • In the last chapter 36, additional provisions are given for the inheritance of the inheritance of the inheritance by the daughters.

Origin of the book

The stories of the book Numbers about censuses correlate with similar epigraphic finds from Mari (XVIII-XVII centuries BC), in which, as in the book of Numbers, population censuses are associated with military service and the distribution of land, and the terms of the Mari documents ( sabam, pakadu) correspond to biblical terms ( tsawa and pakad). The narrative material of the book should also be compared with the political situation in the thirteenth century. BC e., when numerous states of the region were vassals of the Midianites, who controlled the policies of these states. This fact explains why the approach of the warlike Israelites worried not only the Moabites, but also the Midianite "elders." Apparently, the five noble Midianites killed on the territory of the Amorite king Sihon were Midianite emissaries in Heshbon. Midianite representatives accompanied the Moabite ambassadors who turned to Balaam for help in their actions against the Israelites. It is possible that it was the Midianites who were the initiators of the demoralization of the Israelites, since God ordered Moses to be at enmity with the Midianites, and not with the Moabites, and this order was fulfilled (chapter 31). In 1 millennium BC. NS. midianites practically disappeared from the sight of the Israelites.

Footnotes and sources

Links

• Article " The numbers"In the Electronic Jewish Encyclopedia
• Book of Bemidbar. Preface to the Soncino edition.

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Introduction.

This book got its name from the Septuagint, where it is called in Greek "Arithmoi", that is, literally "numbers". This name was given because the book contains many statistics, including the composition of the tribes, the total number of priests and Levites, and other numerical information. But in Hebrew the Book is called "bemidbar", which corresponds to the fifth word in the text of the book "in the wilderness."

Author.

The mainstream Jewish and Christian tradition attributes the authorship to Moses (as well as the authorship of the Pentateuch in general), although there is little evidence of this in the Numbers themselves (however, 33: 2; 36:13). There is no doubt that Moses is the protagonist of Numbers; he is either a participant or witness to most of the events described in the book.

Time of writing.

The last verse of the book of Numbers says: "These are the commandments and decrees which the Lord gave to the children of Israel through Moses on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan, against Jericho" (36:13). From this we can conclude that Israel's stay in the wilderness was over, and the Jews were about to enter the land of Canaan. Their crossing of the Jordan happened forty years after the beginning of the exodus, and this event dates back to 1446 BC.

Thus, the writing of the book of Numbers should be attributed to about 1406, to the time preceding the death of Moses (he died in this year). (The conclusion that the exodus began in 1446 is based on 1 Kings 6: 1, which says that Solomon began building the temple in the 4th year of his reign (i.e., in 966 BC). H.), and it was 480 years after the exodus. Comment on this text)

Purpose of writing.

The Book of Numbers appears to be a kind of set of guidelines for Israel in its post-Sinai (i.e., after receiving the law at Sinai) period. This "guidance" concerned three areas: a) the order that the people had to follow when they moved through the desert, b) how the priests and Levites should act in the face of constant movement of the people, and c) how the Jews should prepare for the conquest of Canaan and a settled life there.

The fact that the book covers almost 40 years, from the moment the law was given in Sinai, to the events that marked the beginning of the conquest of the land of Canaan, indicates its historical character. However, Numbers are more than historical records. In this book, historical events are presented with a specific purpose: to tell about what the Lord expected from Israel, and how Israel responded to these expectations. This happened in that unique historical period when the land was already promised by God to the people, but the fulfillment of this promise had not yet come.

Book outline:

A. Order of the tribes (chapters 1-2)

B. Instructions to the Levites (chapters 3-4)

C. Cleansing and Sanctification (chapters 5-6)

D. Tabernacle Service (chapters 7-8)

E. Instructions Regarding Passover (9: 1-14)

F. Accompanied by the Lord (9:15 - 10:10)

A. Departure from Sinai (10: 11-36)

B. Popular Revolt (chap. 11)

C. Miriami and Aaron Riot (chap. 12)

D. Scouts in the Promised Land (chapters 13-14)

A. Repetition of Covenant Provisions (chap. 15)

B. Rebellion by Korea (chap. 16)

C. Confirming Aaron's Authority (chap. 17)

D. Role and Privileges of Priests and Levites (chap. 18)

E. Laws of Cleansing (Chapter 19)

E. Coming to the Sin Desert (Chapter 20)

G. Progress towards Moab (21: 1 - 22: 1)

A. The Plight of Moab (22: 2-4a)

B. Seeking help from Balaam (22: 4b-20)

C. The Journey of Balaam (22: 21-35)

D. Prophecies of Balaam (22:36 - 24:25)

E. Israel's Worship of Idols (chap. 25)

V. to the entry into Canaan (chapters 26-36)

A. Securing the right of inheritance (26: 1 - 27:11)

B. Successor of Moses (27: 12-23)

B. Laws of Sacrifice (chapters 28-29)

D. Laws of Vows (Chapter 30)

E. God's Judgment on the Midianites (chap. 31)

E. Land Development East of Jordan (chap. 32)

G. Brief redescription of the journey from Egypt (33: 1-49)

3. Final instructions on conquest and inheritance (33:50 - 36:13)

The book "Numbers" begins with a description of the events that took place after the exodus from Egypt, and tells the story of the life of Israel over the next thirty-nine years. Before the people of God were introduced into the promised land, the Almighty commanded to count all the combat-ready men who were destined for the earthly inheritance (the Levites were not included in the number along with the rest of the tribes of Israel, since for them God provided another destiny: to serve the Most High in His temple) ...

Perhaps this calculation was part of the preparation for what was to happen in the future, when Israel would have to defend against enemies and take possession of the land of Canaan (promised)
As you can see, God, promising His protection to Israel, nevertheless, makes them understand that the promised land will not be provided to them "on a platter with a blue border": all young and strong men of the clan were obliged to work on the conquest of the blessed land for their families

God only intended to provide His people with moral, tactical and strategic support, everything else they had to achieve by their own efforts.

Israel was to be an unusual people in four ways:
1 ) They were the ones who were entrusted by Jehovah writing his word bible (Rom. 3: 1,2)
2) They should have occur the Savior of the world - Christ (Gal 3:16)
3) They had the opportunity communicate and be under the care of the Creator of the universe (Deut. 29: 10-1)
4) They had the opportunity demonstrate to all peoples land, how well and orderly human life goes if it is organized by the heavenly Ruler ( Deut. 4: 6-8).

1:1 And the Lord said to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting
God spoke to all other prophets in visions and dreams (Num. 12: 6), but He spoke to Moses in reality, revealing Himself to Him in the tabernacle.

on the first [day] of the second month, in the second year after they went out of the land of Egypt, saying:
Exactly one month after the erection of the tabernacle at Mount Sinai (Ex. 40:17), God commands to number all combat-ready men in Israel:

1:2,3 number all the congregation of the children of Israel by their generations, by their families, by the number of names, all males without exception:
3 From twenty years old and upward, all who were fit for war in Israel, number them according to their armies, you and Aaron;
Women, old people, children and youths were not included in this census, therefore the number of people leaving Egypt significantly exceeded the number shown in this census.
We can say that 20 years is the age of majority for men in Israel.
The "supreme rulers" of God's people, Moses and Aaron, were to keep the count.

1:4 you must have one person from each tribe, who is the chief of his kind.
To help with the calculations, the two had to enlist the elders of each clan. As you can see, God's people were organized and understood what hierarchy and obedience to those in charge are.

Listing 12 Heads of the Tribes of Israel, Helping Moses and Aaron to Count the People :

1:5-16 And these are the names of the men who will be with you: from Reuben Elitzur son of Shedeur;
6 from Simeon Shelumiel son of Tsurishaddai;
7 from Judah Naasson son of Aminadab;
8 from Issachar Nathanael son of Tsuar;
9 from Zebulun Eliab son of Helon;
10 from the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim Elisham the son of Ammihud; from Manasseh Gamaliel, son of Pedatsur;
11 from Benjamin Abidan son of Gideon;
12 from Dan Akhiezer, son of Ammishaddai;
13 from Asher Pagiel son of the Guard;
14 from Gad Eliasaph son of Reguel;
15 from Naphtali Achir son of Enan.
16 These are the chosen men of the community, the rulers of the tribes of their fathers, the heads of thousands of Israel.
There are no representatives of the tribe of Levi, and instead of Joseph, the heads of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, his sons, are represented.

1:17-19 And Moses and Aaron took these men, who are named by name,
18 And they gathered all the congregation together on the first [day] of the second month. And they announced their genealogies, according to their generations, according to their families, according to the number of names, from twenty years and above, without exception,
19 as the Lord commanded Moses. And he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.
Each head of a kind gathered representatives of his tribe, counted and reported to Moses and Aaron the number of combat-ready men from each family. So Moses exactly fulfilled the command of God.

1:20 - 46 Calculations showed that there are at this moment 603,550 combat-ready men in the camp of Israel (see text 46). The order of sons by knees is listed in accordance with the order of birth of each son of Jacob-Israel, except for the sons of slaves, Dan, Assir, Nephallim (Genesis 29-30 ch, Num. 1: 38-43)
In almost the same order (except for Dan, which completes the camp) - the tribes of Israel were located around the tabernacle of the meeting - and in the camp of Israel (Gen. 2: 2-31)

1:20-23 And there were the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, after their generations, after their families, according to their families, according to the number of names, without exception, all males, from twenty years old and above, all who were fit for war.
21 numbered in the tribe of Reuben forty-six thousand and five hundred.
22 The sons of Simeon, by their generations, by their families, by the house of their families, by the number of names, without exception, all males, from twenty years old and above, all who were fit for war,
23 numbered in the tribe of Simeon fifty-nine thousand three hundred Reuben and Simeon, whose tribes are first named in Numbers, were Jacob's two eldest sons by Leah (Gen. 29: 31-33).

1:24-26 Of the sons of Gad, by their generations, by their families, by the house of their families, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war,
25 numbered in the tribe of Gad, forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.
26 The sons of Judah, by their generations, by their families, by the house of their families, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war.
Gad was Jacob's first son by Zilpah, Leah's maidservant (Gen. 30: 9-10).

1:27 numbered in the tribe of Judah seventy-four thousand six hundred.
Judas was Jacob's fourth son, from Leah (Gen. 29:35),

1:28,29 Of the sons of Issachar, by their generations, by their families, by the house of their families, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war,
29 numbered in the tribe of Issachar fifty-four thousand four hundred.
Issachar - the fifth from Leah (Gen. 30: 17-18)

1:30 ,31 Of the sons of Zebulun, by their generations, by their families, by the house of their families, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war,
31 are numbered in the tribe of Zebulun fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
Zebulun is the sixth from Leah (Gen. 30: 19-20).

1:36,37 Of the sons of Benjamin, by their generations, by their families, by the house of their families, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war,
37 numbered in the tribe of Benjamin thirty-five thousand four hundred.
Benjamin was the second son of Rachel (Gen. 35: 16-18).

1:38,39 The sons of Dan, by their generations, by their families, by the house of their families, by the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were fit for war,
39 numbered in the tribe of Dan sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
Dan, the son of Jacob by Valla, Rachel's maid, was older than Joseph (Gen. 30: 4-6). However, in the camp around the tabernacle, it was located behind the sons of Joseph: the sons of a lawful wife cannot be equal in rights with the sons of concubines.

1:40,41 Of the children of Asher, by their generations, by their families, by the house of their families, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war,
41 are numbered in the tribe of Asher, forty-one thousand five hundred.
Asher was the second son of Zilpah, Leah's maidservant (Gen. 30: 12-13). And although he was older than Issachar, the son of Leah, nevertheless, he settled in the camp after Issachar.

1:42,43 Of the sons of Naphtali, by their generations, by their families, by the house of their families, by the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war,
43 numbered in the tribe of Naphtali fifty-three thousand four hundred.
Naphtali was the second son of Valla (Gen. 30: 7-8). He was supposed to close the camp of Israel, being located last (Num. 2: 29-31)

1:44-46 These are the numbered, whom Moses and Aaron and the rulers of Israel numbered — twelve men, one from each tribe.
45 And there were all who were numbered of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go to war in Israel.
46 And there were all who were numbered six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.
As a reminder, Levi, the third son of Leah, is not listed in the census figures given in the Numbers because the Levites were exempted from military service.

If to the listed 603 550 for combat-ready men of Israel to add unaccounted persons (women, children, old people and youths), then the number of Israel leaving Egypt could reach more 2 x million

And the fact that millions of people were well organized, kept in touch with each other and moved smoothly over long distances - the hand of God is seen.

Followed by enumeration of the Levites:
1:47 - 51 And the Levites, according to the generations of their fathers, were not numbered among them.
48 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
49 Only do not enumerate the tribes of Levi, and do not number them with the children of Israel;
50 But commit to the Levites the tabernacle of the testimony, and all its utensils and all that is with it; let them wear the tabernacle and all its utensils, and serve with it, and set their camp near the tabernacle;
51 And when it is necessary to carry the tabernacle, let the Levites raise it, and when it is necessary to stop the tabernacle, let the Levites put it up; but if a stranger comes near, he will be put to death.
The Levites were in a special account with God, they were exempted from military service and did not carry weapons. As we remember, this tribe was the only one that wished to belong to the Lord during the apostasy of Israel and the worship of the golden calf (Ex. 32:26). For them, God provided a special lot: they were to be completely at the disposal of God.

Accordingly, a special activity for them was stipulated: they were to become servants in the temple of the Lord, perform sacred service and serve the tabernacle of the meeting, transfer it with all its components, assemble and disassemble it - during the transitions (Deut. 18: 1,2) ... If someone other than the Levites touched the tabernacle, death awaited him (text 51; compare 1 Samuel 6: 19-20; 2 Samuel 6: 6-7).

1:52 The children of Israel must stand, each in his camp, and each with his banner, according to his armies;
All this multimillion-strong society of the people of God had to be organized not only during the transitions, but also at short halts. Each knee was to be hipped in a strictly designated location. The banner of each tribe (a kind of coat of arms) - served as a distinctive feature of each tribe. The presence of the banner helped to navigate which knee one had to deal with.

1:53 and the Levites must camp near the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there will be no anger against the congregation of the children of Israel, and the Levites will stand guard at the tabernacle of the testimony
The camp of the Levites was located in the center, surrounding the tabernacle. Behind them were located along the outer perimeter of the camp of the Levites - the rest of the tribes (for more details see Num. 2: 16-31). Such a construction of the Lord's society, in which the tabernacle was protected by the dense and wide ring of the tribes of Israel, served as a good protection of the holy things of the Lord - the tabernacle and the priesthood - from external enemies.

1:54 And the children of Israel did; as the Lord commanded Moses, so they did.
In the matter of calculating and building the camp of the Lord's society - Moses fulfilled all the commands of God exactly, not altering the commands at his discretion. Absolute obedience to God distinguished Moses as a prophet of God, led by the holy spirit and therefore having reason to be the authorized representative of God (figuratively "God") for everyone with whom he had to deal (Ex. 7: 1)