Commentary on Numbers , livre ebook

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© 2012 by Baker Publishing Group
Published by Baker Books
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Ebook short created 2019
Previously published in The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary edited by Gary M. Burge and Andrew E. Hill in 2012
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ISBN 978-1-4934-2442-9
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Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Abbreviations
Introduction
Commentary

1. Preparations for Resuming Journey (1:1–10:10)
A. Military Organization (1:1–2:34)
B. Organization of Sanctuary Personnel (3:1–4:49)
C. Laws and Blessing for Purity and Holiness (5:1–6:27)
D. Sanctuary Supplies and Service (7:1–8:26)
E. Passover and Final Organization (9:1–10:10)
2. Wilderness Journey with God (10:11–25:18)
A. Departure from Sinai Wilderness (10:11–36)
B. Escalating Rebellion (11:1–14:45)
C. Laws concerning Loyalty versus Disloyalty (15:1–41)
D. Rebellion of Korah and Aftermath (16:1–18:32)
E. Law of Purification from Corpse Impurity (19:1–22)
F. From Failure to Victory (20:1–21:35)
G. Balaam’s Failed Attempts to Curse Israel (22:1–24:25)
H. Apostasy with the Baal of Peor (25:1–18)
3. Preparation for Occupation of the Promised Land (26:1–36:13)
A. Organization of the Younger Generation (26:1–27:23)
B. Calendar of Communal Sacrifices (28:1–29:40)
C. Law of Vows (30:1–16)
D. Punishment of Midianites (31:1–54)
E. Allotment of Land in the Transjordan (32:1–42)
F. Itinerary (33:1–49)
G. Instructions for Conquest and Settlement of Canaan (33:50–36:13)
Time Lines
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Abbreviations ANET Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament . Edited by J. B. Pritchard. 3rd ed. Princeton, 1969 BDAG Bauer, W., F. W. Danker, W. F. Arndt, and F. W. Gingrich. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Chicago, 1999 ca. circa (about, approximately) cf. compare chap(s). chapter(s) COS The Context of Scripture . Edited by W. W. Hallo. 3 vols. Leiden, 1997– e.g. for example ESV English Standard Version HALOT Koehler, L., W. Baumgartner, and J. J. Stamm. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Translated and edited under the supervision of M. E. J. Richardson. 5 vols. Leiden, 1994–2000 HCSB Holman Christian Standard Bible i.e. that is KJV King James Version NASB New American Standard Bible NEB New English Bible NET New English Translation NIV New International Version (2011 edition) NIV 1984 New International Version (1984 edition) NJB New Jerusalem Bible NJPS The Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures: The New JPS Translation according to the Traditional Hebrew Text NKJV New King James Version NLT New Living Translation NRSV New Revised Standard Version RSV Revised Standard Version TDOT Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament . Edited by G. J. Botterweck and H. Ringgren. Translated by J. T. Willis, G. W. Bromiley, and D. E. Green. 8 vols. Grand Rapids, 1974– TNIV Today’s New International Version
Numbers
Roy E. Gane
Introduction
Numbers constitutes episode four of a larger five-part composition, the Torah, or Pentateuch. This foundational block of Scripture recounts the dramatic and often convoluted story of divine-human interaction in the early development of humanity and of the Israelite nation. The first verse of Numbers already indicates that it is not a self-standing work: “Then the L ord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying” (Num. 1:1 NASB). Like Leviticus, Numbers begins with the conjunction waw (“and” or “then”) and a verb form that continues a narrative sequence of events by reporting new communication from the Lord at the sanctuary. Information provided by earlier books is necessary for identifying the “Tent of Meeting” and the people referred to in the phrase “after they had come out.”
The reminder of Israelite departure from Egypt and present location in the wilderness of Sinai introduces Numbers as continuing the travel story that commenced in Exodus. The people have entered the wilderness of Sinai in the third month after they left Egypt (Exod. 19:1). For eleven months, the Lord has established them as a theocratic nation by formalizing his covenant with them, giving them laws, directing construction of his sanctuary residence among them, and providing instructions for ritual worship and purity (Exodus 19–Leviticus 27). Numbers commences with a new phase of divinely guided organization: arrangement of the Israelites in a war camp to prepare them for moving on and conquering the land of Canaan, which God has promised them. This phase begins on the first day of the second month in the second year after they departed from Egypt (Num. 1:1), and they set out from the wilderness of Sinai only twenty days later (Num. 10:11–12).
The first ten chapters of Numbers present an ideal of order and harmony. There is every reason to believe that with the Lord leading and empowering his people, the journey to and conquest of Canaan should be rapid. But because of persistent Israelite rebellion, there is disappointment and delay. The outlook improves in the latter part of the book, with several notable victories over other nations (chaps. 21, 31), but these only bring the Israelites to the eastern side of the Jordan River, still outside Canaan (36:13).
Title
The Hebrew title of the book— Bemidbar , “In the Wilderness” (taken from 1:1)—is apt in describing its setting. The English title, “Numbers,” is from Latin Numeri , derived from the earlier Septuagint Greek Arithmoi , which primarily refers to two sets of census lists. These summaries of the adult generation that left Egypt (chaps. 1–4) and the younger generation finally permitted to enter Canaan (chap. 26) are major pillars in the literary structure of the book (see below).

Theological Themes
God’s treatment of the Israelites is much more severe in Numbers than in Exodus. In Exodus, he rescues them and provides water and food when they complain (chaps. 14–17), and they are punished only after they commit themselves to a covenant with him (chap. 24) and break it by turning to idolatry (chap. 32). Divine punishments in Numbers are among the most dramatic in the Bible and escalate in severity, with high body counts.
God’s behavior in Numbers raises the question of theodicy (justification of divine character). However, he had repeatedly delivered the Israelites (Exodus 12; 14; 17) and miraculously sustained them with manna (cf. Exodus 16) every day for a year before they left the wilderness of Sinai, so he could justifiably hold them increasingly accountable for trusting that he would provide. He lavished grace upon them, but they steadfastly refused to develop a trusting heart relationship with him or learn from their mistakes when he disciplined them.
The story of extreme conflict in the wilderness serves as a warning to later people of God (1 Cor. 10:1–11), but it also gives hope. The fact that the Lord can bring the Israelite nation through drastic situations to victory implies that he can save anyone else, provided they choose to follow the example of Moses, Caleb, and Joshua rather than Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. It is possible to safely journey with God and be his holy pe