Stars of Heaven, Grains of Sand,
and the Promises of God

The exceedingly high numbers of the able-bodied men over the age of twenty conscripted into the armies of Isra’el in Chapters 1 and 26 are troublesome, to say the least. The numbers of soldiers in each list total in excess of six hundred thousand (603,550 in 1:46 and 601,730 in 26:51). These numbers of able-bodied men mustered for warfare might require a total population of Isra’el estimated to be at least five million. Such numbers seem to be excessively large for the times, the locale, the wilderness journey and in comparison to what we now judge to have been the numbers of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan whom the Israelites set out to conquer.

Many faithful readers of the TaNaKh have taken these large numbers at face value and without question. In fact many people who have broad knowledge of the Bible have never considered the numbers of the chapters to be a problem; the concepts of an army of six hundred thousand and a consequent population of two-and-a-half-million (or more) in this account are often just considered to be a part of the routine data from the story of the TaNaKh . . . to be believed, not questioned. Yet, others, when looking at the numbers in the book of Numbers, believe that they are simply impossibly large.

Some have argued that these numbers may have been corrupted in translation. However, for that to have happened, there would have to be a significant reduction of the numbers in these census lists of Chapters 1 and 26. Thus, the scribal errors would have had to be massive in scope. The entire list in both chapters would have to be in error. It seems that it would take more faith to believe in a corrupted text in these lists than it does to work out the logistics of the numbers as they are presently presented.

The Bible student who does not have skills in reading biblical Hebrew may be surprised to learn that numbers in the Hebrew Bible are not presented in numerical characters, but in words. Thus, the sum for the fighting men of the tribe Reuben in 1:21 does not appear in the Masoretic Text as in English versions (46,500); rather, the numbers are words, written out in a laborious but serviceable pattern. Here are the words in transliteration, “six and [plus] forty thousand and [plus] five hundreds,” woodenly expressed.

Considerable focus has been given to the word ‘elep, translated “thousand” in these two lists. Many scholars have felt that this word for “thousand” might have a different meaning here than the usual numerical idea. The issue is made more complex in that there may be three homonyms (words with the same spelling) that could be confused, either in ancient times or today. First, Hebrew word ‘elep certainly means “thousand” and is correctly translated. Secondly, another Hebrew word ‘elep is a graphic term derived from pastoral language that was used to number herds. As one would look out over many cattle, one might speak in approximate terms of animals numbering ‘elep (“a thousand”). Thirdly, in some biblical passages the Hebrew word for “thousand” (‘elep) is a technical term for a company of men that may or may not equal one thousand, for example Numbers 31:5, Joshua 33:14 and First Samuel 23:33).

One might argue that the term ‘elep has lost all sense of a specific numerical value and means simply a “troop.” Each tribe might be composed of thirty to seventy troops, and the total of the fighting men for these troops would number in the hundreds. This would mean that for Reuben, instead of an actual count of forty-six thousand five hundred men (Numbers 1:21), there were perhaps forty-six troops with five hundred fighting men; for Simeon, instead of fifty-nine thousand three hundred men (Numbers 1:23), there were fifty-nine troops with three hundred fighting men, etc. This would yield a total of 589 troops and some 5,550 fighting men, with each troop having about nine or ten men. This is the preferred conclusion of Numbers 22-23. Others believe in dual meanings and some get into symbolic meanings.⁵

However, the promise of ADONAI in Genesis to Abraham and Sarah that they would have innumerable descendants are clearly in view here. In these Genesis texts, ADONAI promises descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven (see the commentary on Genesis Ef – Abram Believed the LORD and He Credited It to Him as Righteousness) and the grains of sand on the seashore (see Genesis Fp – The Abrahamic Covenant). The sheer number of stars or grains of sand are impossible to count. In addition, the Exodus generation increased so much and grew so strong that Pharaoh said: Look, the Israelites have become much too numerous for us; thus, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous. The war against the Hyksos had just recently been won, but the Egyptians worried that if war with the Hittites broke out, the Israelites would join their enemies, fight against the Egyptians and leave the country (see the commentary on Exodus Ag – Then a New King Who Did Not Know About Joseph Came to Power). The remarkably high numbers in the census lists in Numbers Chapters 1 and 26 represent God’s significant down payment on the promise of countless descendants. But the census totals also underscore the partial character of the fulfillment of the ancestral promises. God is not finished with Isra’el yet. The Promised Land still would lie in the future.⁶

John Calvin (1509 to 1564 noted for his Institutes of Christian Religion 1536) noted the enormous size of the numbers, but argued against anyone who would deny God’s miraculous ability to increase God’s people from one family to some five million in some two-hundred-and-fifty years. It seems to me that if ADONAI can make the walls of Jericho fall (Joshua 6:20), have Noah’s ark survive the Flood (Genesis 6-8), cause the ten plagues in Egypt (Exodus 7-12), allow the Israelites to cross the Sea of Reeds (Exodus 14), rescue Dani’el and his three friends from the fiery furnace (Dani’el 3:8-27), send manna from heaven (Exodus 16), create a pillar of cloud and fire (Exodus 13:21-22, 14:19-20), rescue Dani’el from the lion’s den (Daniel 6), rescue Jonah from the belly of a whale (Jonah 2:10), still the moon and the sun (Joshua 10:12-14), consume the burnt offering on Mount Carmel (First Kings 18:20-20), float an iron ax head (Second Kings 6:1-6), cure leprosy (Second Kings 5:1-19), cause the Israelites cross the Jordan on dry ground (Joshua 3:1-17), have water flow from a rock (Exodus 17:5-6; Numbers 20:11), give a donkey the ability to speak (Numbers 22:21-35), allow Enoch and Elijah not to experience death (Genesis 5:24; Second Kings 2:11), sweeten the waters of Marah (Exodus 15:25), end a drought (First Kings 18:41-45), raise the son of the Shunammite (Second Kings 4:8-37), raise a widow’s son from the dead (First Kings 17:22-23), part the Jordan River (Second Kings 2:14-15), multiply the widows oil (Second Kings 4:1-7), destroy 185,000 Assyrian troops in a single night (Second Kings 19:35), confuse the language of all the earth at Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), cause Aaron’s rod to bud (Numbers 17:1-11), feed one-hundred men with twenty loaves (Second Kings 4:42-44), have the earth open its mouth and swallow up Korah and his men (Numbers 16:1-40), turn Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26), and speak from a burning bush (Exodus 3:1-4),⁷ that He could raise up an army in excess of six hundred thousand. Nothing is too difficult for Him.

Abba: An Aramaic word used as an affectionate term of address to someone’s father. Yeshua used it to refer to God as His Father, and believers in Jesus also use it today to address God as Father. In modern Hebrew, this common name means Dad, Daddy, or Papa (also see Mark 14:36 and Romans 8:15).

Adar: the twelfth month of the Jewish biblical calendar.

Adonai: literally, my Lord, a word the TaNaKh uses to refer to God.

ADONAI: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH (Yud Hay Vav Hay). Since its pronunciation is not known, and also out of respect for God’s name, Jews traditionally substitute the words ADONAI and Ha’Shem. ADONAI, however, is more of an affectionate name like daddy (also see Exodus 3:15; Jeremiah 1:9; Psalm 1:2, Matthew 1:22; Mark 5:19; Luke 1:5; John 1:23).

ADONAI Elohei-Tzva’ot: the LORD God of heaven’s angelic armies . God does not have many names, as seen here and below, He has only one name – YHVH (Yud Hay Vav Hay). All the other names in the Bible describe His characteristics and His attributes.

ADONAI Elohim: This is the Hebrew word for LORD God. This title links Isra’el’s God, the God of the Covenant, with God as Creator of the universe (also see Genesis 2:4; Isaiah 48:16; Psalm 72:18; Luke 1:32; Revelation 1:8).

ADONAI Nissi: the LORD my Banner (see Exodus 17:15; Psalm 20:1).

ADONAI Shalom: the LORD of Peace.

ADONAI Tzidkenu: the LORD our Righteousness.

ADONAI-Tzva’ot: The LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (see Joshua 5:13-15; Second Kings 19:31; Psalm 24:10; Second Corinthians 6:18).

Adversary: Satan, the devil, the prince of the power of the air, and the old dragon.

Afikomen: Literally, “That which comes after.” Piece of matzah that is hidden during the Seder, to be found and eaten after the third cup of redemption.

Amen: At the end of a prayer, this word means, “It is true,” or “Let it be so,” or “May it become true,” indicating that the readers or listeners agree with what has just been said. Although everything Yeshua said was true, “amen” adds special emphasis (also see Deuteronomy 27:25; Jeremiah 28:6; Psalm 41:14; Nehemiah 8:6; Matthew 5:26; Mark 10:15; Luke 23:43; John 10:1).

Anti-missionaries: Today they are Orthodox Jews who champion Jews for Judaism. They do not limit their mischief to harassing missionaries; any Jewish believer is a target. It is unfortunate that so many of these anti-missionaries feel their ends justify certain unethical means. In order to “protect” Judaism, they do or encourage others to do what Judaism condemns. In Paul’s day, they were the Judaizers who wanted Gentile believers to add obedience to the 613 commandments of Moshe, circumcision, and eating kosher to Paul’s salvation equals faith-plus-nothing gospel.

Antinomian: A person who maintains that believers, by virtue of Divine grace, are freed not only from biblical mitzvot and biblical behavior, but also from all moral law.

Ariel: lion of God, fireplace on God’s altar.

Aviv: the first month of the biblical year, corresponding to the modern Jewish month of Nisan.

Avraham: Abraham

Azazel: a scapegoat or goat demon sent out in the wilderness on Yom Kippur.

Ba’al: the chief male god of the Phoenicians and Canaanites. The word means lord or master.

Bar Mitzvah: Hebrew for “Son of the Commandment.” Although not specifically mentioned in the Bible, it is a Jewish coming of age ritual in which a young man, or Bat Mitzvah for a young woman, chooses to follow the commandments of their forefathers and takes responsibility for their own relationship with the God of Isra’el. This ceremony normally takes place at age 13 for boys or age 12 for girls. Afterwards, he/she is theoretically considered to be an adult, but in modern Judaism this is mostly symbolic, and a twelve-year-old is not treated like an adult.

Beit-Lechem: Bethlehem, the birthplace of David and Yeshua, meaning house of bread.

Bnei-Yisrael: The children of Isra’el.

B’rit Chadashah: Hebrew for the New Covenant. Christians commonly call it the New Testament.

Challah: Challah is a special bread of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, usually braided and typically eaten on ceremonial occasions such as Shabbat and major Jewish holidays. Ritually acceptable challah is made of dough from which a small portion has been set aside as an offering.

Cherem: Set apart for destruction, as seen in the incident with Achan taking items from Jericho that Ha’Shem had declared cherem (Joshua 7:1-26).

Chesed: “mercy,” “lovingkindness,” and/or “covenant-loyalty.” It is a complex word that summarizes God’s complex and overwhelming love for His people, going beyond the concepts of love, mercy or kindness all together (also see Isaiah 63:7; Zechariah 7:1; Psalm 13:1; Psalm 86:1; Psalm 107:1; Psalm 118:1; Psalm 136:1).

Clear oil: In the oil pressing process this would have been oil from the first of three or pressings. The first pressing, most likely done by adding one stone weight to a wooden bean which then put pressure onto a bag of olives by being forced downward by the weight, was the one which produced the purest oil. This was traditionally the oil used in the Temple.

Cohen of Ha’Elyon: Priest of the God Most High.

Cohen Rosh Gadol: The Great High Priest who served as the head religious official, the only one to enter the Most Holy Place. Aaron, the brother of Moses, was the first man appointed as the Cohen Gadol. In later times, the Cohen Gadol was in charge of the Temple and its administration. The Cohen Gadol Caiaphas, played a key role in questioning Yeshua at His trial. The writer of Hebrews describes Messiah as our great Cohen Gadol, who gives us access to God’s throne in the heavenly sanctuary (also see Leviticus 21:10; Haggai 1:14; Nehemiah 3:1; Matthew 26:57ff; Mark 14:61ff; John 18:19ff; Hebrews 4:14ff and 10:19-22).

Cohen: A priest, a man who offered sacrifices and performed other religious rituals at the Temple in Jerusalem.

Cohanim: The Cohanim were descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses. The Sadducees were from the priestly sect of Judaism.

Covenant: Theologically, it speaks of the contractual relationship between God and His people. The Hebrew term is b’rit. Also see B’rit Chadashah, Hebrew for New Covenant (see Genesis 6:18 and 17:2; Jeremiah 31:30; Nehemiah 9:32; Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 1:72).

Defile, or tam’ei in Hebrew: This is not a sinful condition, but a condition of life. From this we can see that being tam’ei is merely a state of being unable to participate in the Temple service until cleansed because the person has come into contact with the realm of sin and/or death, not necessarily because the person has sinned himself.

Diaspora, the Dispersion: the scattering of the Jewish people in exile throughout the world. Today almost 7 million Jews live in Isra’el, and over 8 million more Jews live in the Diaspora (also see Isaiah 11:10; John 7:35).

Drash: A drash is a long d’var.

D’var: Is a short talk on topics relating to a parashah, the weekly Torah portion.

Echad: The Hebrew word for “one” or “unity.” Echad is used in the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4).

Elyon: A title for God, meaning the Most High God (see Luke 1:35 and 76; Acts 7:48). A longer form is El Elyon, God Most High (also see Deuteronomy 32:8; Isaiah 14:14; Psalm 91:1; Acts 16:17).

Elohim: “God” in general terms, or as Creator. Compared with ADONAI, God’s “covenant name” used especially in His relationship to the Jewish people. Elohim is the plural form of El, also found in the Bible occasionally with the same meaning. Yeshua is sometimes called Ben-Elohim, the Son of God (also see Genesis 2:19; Isaiah 61:11; Matthew 4:3; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:35; John 11:4).

El Shaddai: God Almighty

Emissaries: Apostles

God-fearers: These were Gentiles who became convinced that ADONAI was the only true God, they abandoned their paganism and idolatry, but they did not choose to become a proselyte in any form, and hence there was no adoption of Jewish customs or practices (see the commentary on Acts, to see link click Bb – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah).

Goyim: Nations, non-Jews, Gentiles

Gehenna: The word for “hell,” the place of perpetual misery and suffering after this life. It comes from the Greek word Genna and the Hebrew word Gei-Hinnom, which means the valley of Hinnom. There was actually such a valley by that name south of the Temple in Jerusalem. It was used as a garbage dump, and fires were always burning there, making it a suitable picture of life in hell. In Jewish sources, the term is used as the opposite of Gan-Eden, or the Garden of Eden or Paradise (Matthew 23:33; Mark 9:43).

Gentiles: A term for individuals or groups who are not Jewish. In Hebrew a common word for Gentile is goy or goyim is the plural form (see Isaiah 8:23; Matthew 10:18; Mark 10:33).

Go’el: Literally, a redeemer, used both for God and of people. In the book of Ruth, go’el means the kinsman-redeemer, a close relative obligated to defend and protect his kin. The go’el could buy back (redeem) land or someone who sold himself into slavery, and could marry a widow in the family in order to protect her future. The human go’el is a picture of God the greater Go’el who protects and redeems us, the members of His family (see Ruth 3:9-12).

Hag ha’Matzah: The Feast of Unleavened Bread

Halakhah: are mitzvot governing Jewish life and comes from the Hebrew root to walk. The rabbis used the term to refer to the legal way to walk out the commandments of the Torah. It can also refer to the Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law). A (one) halakhah is a specific ruling given regarding a particular issue, “the halakhah” being the ruling accepted and observed by the Jewish community.

Hametz or Chametz: The Hebrew word for leaven, or yeast, which makes bread rise. God commanded Isra’el not to eat hametz during Passover, Yeshua teaches that both good and evil spread, the same way hametz leavens the whole batch of dough (Also see 16:6-12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1 Exodus 12:20; Leviticus 7:13; Amos 4:5; Matthew 13:33 and 13:21).

Hanukkah: Meaning dedication, the feast commemorating the victory of the Maccabees over the armies of Antiochus Epiphanes in 165 BC and the rebuilding and dedication of the Temple after its desecration by Syrian invaders.

Ha’Shem: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH. Since its pronunciation is not known, and also out of respect for God’s name, Jews traditionally substitute the words ADONAI and Ha’Shem. While ADONAI is more of an affectionate name like daddy, Ha’Shem is a more formal name like sir (also see Exodus 3:15; Jeremiah 1:9; Psalm 1:2, Matthew 1:22; Mark 5:19; Luke 1:5; John 1:23).

Hellenist: In the B’rit Chadashah, it refers to Jews who lived in the Diaspora, or had moved to Isra’el from the Diaspora, spoke Greek, and were more Greek in their culture, than traditional Jewish people brought up in Isra’el (Acts 6:1, 9:29, 11:20). For example, Luke was a Hellenistic Jew.

Immerse: To dip the whole body under water as an act of dedication to the LORD, or as a profession of faith in Yeshua. The word is often seen in other translations as “baptize.” The ceremony of dipping is called “immersion” or “baptism.” Yeshua’s cousin was known as John the Immerser (Matthew 3:1; Mark 6:14; Luke 7:20).

Imputation: To reckon or charge to one’s account. When the Spirit gives life (John 6:63a), that means that all the righteousness of Christ is transferred to your spiritual account at the moment of faith. What is true of Messiah is true of you, minus His deity.

Incarnation: The divine revelation (Hebrews 1:1-2) of YHVH becoming one with humanity as an ordinary human being in the person of Yeshua Messiah. He was one-hundred percent man and one-hundred present God. The Triune God knew that the Second Person would come to earth to be subject to numerous evils: hunger, ridicule, rejection, and death. He did this in order to negate sin, and therefore, its evil effects.

Judaizers: Jewish false teachers, who taught that obedience to the 613 commandments of the Torah were necessary to have a relationship with God, and opposed Paul at every turn. Everywhere Paul went, the Judaizers were sure to follow. Once Paul established a church in Galatia, as soon as he left, they would come in and distort the gospel of Messiah (1:7).

Justification: The act of God whereby, negatively, He forgives the sins of believers and, positively, He declares them righteous by imputing the obedience and righteousness of Messiah to them through faith (Luke 18:9-14). It is not a reward for anything good we have done. It is not something we cooperate with God in (in other words, it is not sanctification). It is an utterly undeserved free gift of the mercy of ADONAI (Romans 3:24; Titus 3:7). It is entirely accomplished by God, once and for all, at the moment of salvation. It results in good deeds (James 2:14-26) and sanctification over our lifetime.

Kadosh: The Hebrew word for ‘holy.” This term describes the people set apart for God. ADONAI Himself is kodosh (Leviticus 19:1-2). Many letters to Christ’s newly formed communities (churches) address Yeshua’s followers as the Kedoshim (also see Jeremiah 2:3; Nehemiah 8:10; First Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:2).

Kedoshim: The holy ones

Kippahs: Known as a yarmulke or skullcap, a kippah is a head covering for Jews. The tradition to wear a kippah does not come from any biblical passage. Rather, it is a custom which evolved as a sign of recognition that there is Someone “above” who watches our every act.

Korban: The root of the word korban, can be translated to bring near. A korban, then, should be defined as something brought near. The reason it is so named is that the person bringing an offering did so in order to be brought near to God. It was a sacrifice or offering dedicated to God, especially to fulfill a vow. If something was to be dedicated to God, it generally could not be used for other purposes. Some Pharisees and teachers of the Torah wrongly used this as an excuse not to provide for their parents in their old age, even though Jewish teaching insisted that the commandment to honor one’s father and mother extended to providing for their physical needs (see The Life of Christ Fs – Who Do Your Disciples Break the Tradition of the Elders).

Kosher: Kosher foods are those that conform to the Jewish dietary regulations of kashrut, primarily derived from Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Food that may be consumed according to halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér, meaning “fit”.

Levite: Descendants of the tribe of Levi, who served in the Tabernacle and Temple as gatekeepers, musicians, teachers, and assistants to the priests. The scribes, or Torah-teachers, originally came only from among the Levites and were the forerunners of the Pharisees. They later expanded to include members who were from all tribes, with no affiliation with Levi required. (Also see Exodus 4:14; Ezeki’el 48:12; Ezra 1:5; John 1:19).

LORD: When the translators of the King James Bible in the 1600’s came to the Hebrew word YHVH, they needed to distinguish it from the word Lord, meaning master. So, they capitalized it. Therefore, LORD is actually the Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH.

LXX (Septuagint): The “official” Greek translation of the TaNaKh, dating from the third century BC through the fourth century AD. The original translation was of the Torah (the five books of Moshe), which the Letter of Aristeas records was allegedly made by seventy Jewish scholars in Alexandria (Egypt) from which it gained its name (Septuaginta). It is commonly referred to by the abbreviation, LXX (70).

Malki-Tzedek: Melchizedek.

Mashiach (Hebrew): Messiah, the Anointed One (Matthew 26:63; Mark 1:1; John 20:31).

Matzah (singular) or Matzot (plural): Unleavened bread, which is made without yeast, eaten especially during the feast of Passover. Also see hametz (also see Exodus 13:6; Leviticus 2:5; Ezeki’el 45:21; Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; John 13:26).

Masoretic Text: The official text of the TaNaKh edited by the Massoretes, or Jewish grammarians, during the sixth to tenth centuries AD. This text is “pointed” with various vowel signs and accents which were lacking in the previous texts.

M’chitzah, the: The middle wall of separation (see the commentary on Acts Cn – Paul’s Advice from Jacob and the Elders at Jerusalem).

Megillah (singular) or Megillot (plural): The five books in the Writings used for special readings during the holidays: Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther.

Menorah (singular) or Menorot (plural): The seven branched lampstand(s) designed and commanded by God for service in the Tabernacle/Temple (Exodus 25:32; First Kings 7:49; Zechariah 4:2).

Messiah (Greek): Christ, the Anointed One, often used in speaking of a Redeemer sent from God to free His people from exile and oppression (also see Matthew 1:16; Mark 8:29; Luke 2:11 and John 1:41).

Midrash (singular) or Midrashim (plural): allegorical interpretation or application of a text. The listener is expected to understand that the writer of the midrash is not expounding the plain meaning of the text, but introducing his own ideas.

Mikveh: a bath or pool with a flow of fresh water; used in Orthodox Judaism to this day for ritual purification or ceremonial cleansing, performed at various times in a person’s life (see Matthew 3:13 and Titus 3:5).

Mishnah, The: is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions that are known as the Oral Law (see below). 

Mishkan: the Tabernacle, comes from the Hebrew root to dwell.

Mitzvah (singular) or mitzvot (plural): Primarily a commandment from God in the Torah (Deuteronomy 11:22; Second Kings 17:37; Proverbs 6:20; Matthew 26:10; Mark 14:6). Today, more modern meaning would be “a good deed,” more broadly, a general principle for living.

Moshe: Moses.

Musaf Offerings: Additional Offerings.

Olam haba: “The age to come,” or “the world to come.” It describes a time after the world is perfected under the rulership of Messiah. This term also refers to the afterlife, where the soul passes after death. It can be contrasted with olam ha-zeh, “this world” (Matthew 12:32; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30 and 20:35; Ephesians 1:21; Hebrews 6:5; Revelation 20-21).

Omer: Meaning “sheaf,” the bundle of barley used in the Firstfruits offering. After the Temple period it came to be identified with Sefirat ha’Omer, or the counting of the omer, the counting of the days from Firstfruits to Shavu’ot.

Oracle: What are the oracles of God? There are several places in the Bible that mention the oracles of God, which refer to the words of God.

Oral Law: The Oral Law refers to the Talmud, which is a compilation of rabbinic commentaries on the first five books of Moses, called the Torah. The Talmud, completed around 500 AD, consists of the Mishnah and a commentary on the Mishnah called Gemara (Mishnah + Gemara = Talmud). The tradition grew to include a further compendium called Midrash until about the 12^th century. The rabbis taught that when the Messiah came, He would not only believe in the Oral Law, but He would participate in the making of new Oral Laws (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law).

Pesach: Passover. The Jewish festival commemorating deliverance from Egyptian bondage. In Biblical times Jews used to journey to the Temple, sacrifice lambs there, and eat a special meal commemorating the departure of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. It was one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim. Today, Passover is celebrated at home with a special meal called a seder. Yeshua celebrated Passover with His apostles (Matthew 26:18; Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7; John 13:1).

Pharisees: One of the sects of Judaism in the first century. The Pharisees had their own views of how exactly to keep Torah. They were especially concerned with ritual impurity and (unlike the Sadducees) they believed in the resurrection of the dead. While the Sadducees were more involved with the Temple, the Pharisees were concerned more with home and synagogue life.

Progressive revelation: refers to the teaching that God revealed various aspects of His will and overall plan for humanity over different periods of time, which have been referred to as dispensations (see the commentary on Genesis Ap – The Dispensations of God). God revealed only certain aspects of Himself and His plan of salvation in each dispensation, with each new dispensation building upon the prior one.

Propitiation: The averting of God’s wrath by means of the substitutionary and efficacious (producing the desired effect) sacrifice (death) of Yeshua Messiah (the atonement). It is the work of Messiah that satisfies every claim of God’s holiness and justice so that Ha’Shem is free to act on behalf of sinners.

Proselytes at the Gate: There were three levels of Gentile relationship to Judaism. After God-fearers and proselytes of the Gate were the second level. The Gate was the middle wall of separation (Ephesians 2:14) in the Temple compound that Gentiles were not allowed to go beyond under penalty of death (see the commentary on Acts Bb – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah 53). These were Gentiles who adopted many Jewish practices like celebrating Shabbat and the feast of Isra’el, but did not become a full proselyte. Most of these were men because it didn’t require circumcision.

Proselytes of the Covenant: In the third level of Gentile relationship to Judaism (see above), there were proselytes of the Covenant. They entered into the Covenant of Sinai as a full Jew, so to speak. Most of these were women because this level required circumcision.

Purim: Meaning “lots,” is the holiday based on the story of Esther.

Qumran: A site overlooking the Dead Sea where Jewish sects lived in religious communities from 135 BC to 70 AD and from which we have numerous documents which are frequently referred to as the Dead Sea Scrolls. These texts include partial copies and fragments of most of the biblical books (the only whole copy is Isaiah), apocryphal writings such as Enoch, and texts produced by the community itself (the manual of Discipline and the Thanksgiving Hymns). The texts are referred to according to the number of the cave in which they were discovered (for example, 1Qs [Community Rule], 11Q Temp [Temple Scroll]).

Rasheet: One of several names for the Festival of First Fruits.

Redeemed: Setting free from slavery, buying back something lost, for a price.

Righteous of the TaNaKh: Old Testament believers.

Rosh Ha’Shanah: Hebrew for “Head of the Year.” Known as the Jewish New Year, or the Feast of Trumpets.

Ruach: The Hebrew word for “spirit,” “breath,” or “wind.” Yeshua explains wind and Spirit to Nicodemus in John 3:5-8. Scripture frequently refers to the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, the Holy Spirit (Exodus 35:31; Numbers 11:25; Malachi 2:15; Acts 2:2 and 10:44; Romans 8:4-17).

Ruach Ha’Kodesh: The Hebrew name for the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 63:11; Psalm 51:13; Matthew 1:20; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:16; John 14:26).

Sadducees: One of the sects of Judaism in the first century. From the Sadducees came the leading priests who managed the affairs of the Temple. In contrast to the Pharisees, they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead (Matthew 16:12; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27).

Sanhedrin: Literally, the gathering of the seated, like being a judge seated on a bench – a legal term for an officiating judge. This was the Supreme Court of ancient Isra’el. It exercised legislative and judicial authority (Matthew 26:59; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66; John 11:47).

Sanctification: To be set apart, specifically, to the holy use and purposes of God. It is a process that takes a whole lifetime. It is the work of God in which you cooperate (Romans 12:1-2; First Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 12:3-4; First Peter 5:8-9); and is a process Ephesians 4:11-16), trusting in God, apart from whom we can do nothing (John 15:5; Ephesians 3:16; Colossians 1:11; Hebrews 2:18 and 4:14). He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6).

Septuagint: The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures and was presumably made for the Jewish community in Egypt when Greek was the common language throughout the region. It is also called the translation of the Seventy because tradition states that the Septuagint was translated by seventy rabbis. In academia, the Septuagint is often abbreviated as LXX (the Roman numeral for seventy) in honor of this translation.

Shabbat: The Sabbath Day, the seventh day of the week, when work ceases. On this day God’s people are beckoned to rest and renew our relationship with our Creator, who also rested on the seventh day. Shabbat begins on Friday evening at sundown and ends Saturday evening after three stars appear (Exodus 20:10; Nehemiah 9:14; Matthew 12:10; Mark 1:21; Luke 23:56; John 9:14).

Shaddai: A common name for God in the TaNaKh, usually translated as Almighty. The name is often used in a combination such as El Shaddai, or God Almighty (Genesis 17:1; Ezeki’el 1:24; Job 11:7).

Shall be cut off: This phrase may mean that the person is stoned to death, or that he is barred from returning to the Tabernacle or Temple to offer sacrifices. This person would be cherem, literally set apart for destruction, either physically or culturally.

Shaliach: A legal representative, meaning one who is sent.

Shalom: The Hebrew word for peace, wholeness, wellness and true happiness; it is a greeting used when meeting or departing (Genesis 26:31; First Samuel 16:4; Second Chronicles 18:16; Matthew 10:13; Mark 9:50; Luke 1:28; John 14:27).

Sh’khinah: The visual manifestation of the glory of God.

Shavu’ot: the festival of Weeks (Hebrew) or Pentecost (Greek), since it comes seven weeks after Pesach; also called Pentecost, from the Greek word for fifty because one counts fifty days after Passover. It is one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim. It originally celebrated the harvest, but later commemorated the day God gave the Torah to Isra’el. After Yeshua’s resurrection, the disciples waited for God’s gift of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, which also came on Shavu’ot (Exodus 34:22; Second Chronicles 8:13; Acts 2:1 and 20:16; First Corinthians 16:8).

Sh’ol: The Hebrew equivalent of the Greek “Hades,” the place where the dead exist.

Shofar: A ram’s horn, used in the Bible for summoning armies, calling to repentance, and in other situations. Blasts of various lengths and numbers signified different instructions. Metal trumpets were also used for similar purposes, but exclusively by the cohanim. Today, the shofar is used on Rosh ha-Shanah of Yom Kippur, the Jewish High Holy Days. The shofar also ushers in the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:9-10; Zechariah 9:14; Matthew 24:31; First Corinthians 15:52; First Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Sinai: the mountain in the desert between Egypt and the land of Isra’el.

Shuwb: turn, turning, and the big idea of Jeremiah.

Son of Man: A name that Yeshua commonly used to refer to Himself. It comes from Dani’el 7:13-14, in which the Son of Man is given all authority. This name sometimes emphasizes Yeshua’s humanity and sometimes His deity (Matthew 9:6; Mark 9:31; Luke 21:36; John 6:27).

Sukkot: the festival of Booths or Tabernacles, celebrating the forty years when the people of Isra’el lived in booths, tents, shacks, in the desert between Egypt and the land of Isra’el. The Hebrew word sukkah means booth and sukkot is the plural and means booths. Sukkot is one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim (Leviticus 23:34; Zechariah 14:16; Second Chronicles 8:13; Matthew 17:4; Mark 9:5; Luke 9:33).

Synagogue: A place of assembly for Jews for hearing the Torah, praying and worshipping God. There were many synagogues throughout Isra’el and the Greco-Roman world (Matthew 4:23; Mark 5:22; Luke 4:16; John 9:22).

Syncretism: Perversion of the Gospel occurs when aspects of the world are blended with it. Syncretism believes that there are many paths to God, like the hub of a wheel with many spokes protruding out from it. So you have a Mormon spoke, a Hindu spoke, a Buddhist spoke, an Islam spoke, and a Jehovah Witness spoke, each leading to God. But Yeshua contradicted this saying: No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).

Tabernacle: A temporary dwelling, such as the booths constructed during Sukkot. It is also used in the TaNaKh of the tent in which God dwelt among the Jewish people, both in the wilderness and in the land of Isra’el. When the word is used as a verb, it refers to Yeshua coming to dwell among His people (John 1:14), reminding us of the wilderness Tabernacle and also of the Feast of Tabernacles (Exodus 25:9; First Chronicles 6:17; John 1:14 and 7:2).

Talmid (singular) or Talmudim (plural): Student or students.

Talmud: The codified body of Jewish Oral Law; includes literary creations, legends, scriptural interpretations, comprised of the Mishnah and the Gemara.

Tamid, the (Hebrew: continual) offering was a regular daily feature in the Temple service. Each morning a one-year-old male lamb without defect was sacrificed as a regular burnt offering. One lamb was offered in the morning to make atonement for the sins of the night and the other lamb was offered in the afternoon to make atonement for the sins of the day.

TaNaKh: The Hebrew word TaNaKh is an acronym, based on the letters T for “Torah,” N for “Nevi’im” (Prophets), and K for “Ketuv’im” (Sacred Writings). It is a collection of the teachings of God to human beings in document form. This term is used instead of the phrase, “the Old Testament,” which sounds “old” and outdated.

Terumah: The gifts offered by the Israelites for the inauguration of the Tabernacle (Mishkan). Portion of gift offerings, of slaughter offerings, which were allocated to the priests.

Torah: Literally, this Hebrew word means teaching or instruction (Exodus 13:9; Isaiah 2:3; Psalm 1:2; Matthew 5:17; Mark 1:22; Luke 24:44; John 7:19; Romans 7:1ff; First Corinthians 9:20-21; Galatians 3:21). It can be used for the five books of Moshe, or more generally to God’s commandments, or the whole TaNaKh (John 10:34). Uncapitalized, torah can be understood generally as a law or principle (Romans 7:21-8:2).

Torah-Teacher: A Torah scribe engaged in interpreting and transmitting the Torah. They wrote Torah scrolls, bills of divorce, and other legal documents. The Hebrew term is sofer.

Tree of Life: The tree at the center of the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9, 3:24), the source of eternal life. Scripture points to a future in the B’rit Chadashah, with access to the Tree of Life. In the meantime, the Torah is like the Tree of Life to those who embrace her, and blessed will be all who hold firmly to her (Proverbs 3:18 also see Revelation 2:7, 22:2 and 14).

Tzedakah: Is a Hebrew word meaning righteousness, but commonly used to signify an ethical obligation to do what is right, and is commonly used to signify charity.

Tzitzit: A fringe that was put on a garment in accordance with Numbers 15:37-41.

Tziyon: Zion, Mount Zion, was originally the City of David, south of the modern Old City of Yerushalayim. Later the name Tziyon came to refer metaphorically to the Temple Mount, Jerusalem, or the people of Isra’el. The hill now called Mount Tziyon was given its name in the fourth century AD (Isaiah 1:27; Psalm 65:2; Matthew 21:5; John 12:15).

Yarmelkes: see Kippah.

Yeshivah: The Hebrew word yeshivah comes from the word that means sit and it signifies a place for learning Torah. The Greek word schole, which gives us the English word school means lecture hall. No English word really comes close to the real meaning of yeshivah, but the Yiddish word shul, or school, comes the closest.

Yeshua: The Hebrew name for our Messiah, known in English as Jesus, and is a masculine form, and a word play on yeshu’ah (salvation) (Matthew 1:21; Mark 6:14; Luke 2:21; John 19:19).

Yerushalayim: Jerusalem.

Y’hudah: Judah.

YHVH: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the Name, the four-letter name of God. Therefore, God does not have many names, He has only one name – YHVH (Yud Hay Vav Hay). All the other names in the Bible describe His characteristics and His attributes.

Yisra’el: Isra’el.

Yochanan: John.

Yom ha’Bikkurim: One of several names for The Feast of Firstfruits.

Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement, the close of the High Holy Days, and considered the holiest day of the year in traditional Judaism.

Numbers from a Messianic Jewish Perspective

To Arnold Fruchtenbaum, who introduced me to a Jewish Messianic perspective when approaching the Scriptures.
I will forever be indebted.

The book of Numbers takes its English name from the Septuagint which calls it Arithmoi, or Numbers. The reason for this is that the book contains many statistics such as tribal population figures, the totals of the priests and Levites, and other numerical data. The Hebrew name is b^emidbar, the fifth word in the book, and means in the wilderness. To see a short video summarizing the book of Numbers click here.

Authorship: Universal Jewish and Christian tradition attributes the book of Numbers (along with the rest of the Pentateuch) to Moses, though little in Numbers explicitly confirms it, with the exception of 33:2 and 36:13. Even critical scholars admit that Numbers is an inseparable part of the Pentateuch though, as is well known, they deny its Mosaic authorship. Moses is certainly the principal figure in the book and throughout he is a participant in and eyewitness to most of its major events. Without the subject and circular arguments employed by most source critics and redaction critics it is unlikely that any view of authorship other than Mosaic would ever have occurred to most readers.

Date: The last verse in the book of Numbers states: These are the mitzvot and rulings which ADONAI gave through Moshe to the people of Isra’el in the plains of Mo’av by the Jorden, across from Jericho (36:13). This implies that the journey through the wilderness had been completed and that Isra’el was about to enter the land of Canaan. Crossing the Jordan occurred forty years after the Exodus (Joshua 5:6), an event to be dated 1446 BC. Therefore, the book of Numbers must be dated about 1406 BC, obviously before Moses’ death which also took place in that year.

Purpose: The book of Numbers seems to be an instruction manual to post-Sinai Isra’el. The “manual” deals with three areas: (1) how the nation was to order itself in its wilderness wanderings; (2) how the priests and Levites were to function with the Tabernacle moving from place to place, and (3) how they were to prepare themselves for the conquest of Canaan and their settled lives there. The narrative sections, of which there are many, demonstrate the successes and failures of ADONAI’s people as they conformed and did not conform to the mitzvot of the Torah. The fact that the book covers the nearly forty-year period from the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai until the eve of the Conquest, points to its character as history. But it is more than a mere recording of history. It’s history with the purpose of describing God’s expectations and Isra’el’s reactions in a unique era, when the nation had the LORD’s promise of the Land but had not yet experienced its fulfillment.¹ This book is really about God’s faithfulness, despite our shortcomings. Numbers is a very practical book, so it not only needs to be read, but lived.

Chiasm and Introversion: The main structural device, to judge by its attention in nearly every chapter of Numbers, is chiasm and introversion. Chiasm is named after the Greek letter X and denotes a pair of items that reverses itself, yielding the structure A-B-B-A. When there is a series of more than two members -for example A-B-C-C-B-A, then the term is purely an aesthetic device, the introversion can have teaching implications. In the scheme of A-B-C-B-A, the central member frequently contains the main point, climaxing what precedes and anticipating what follows. There are simple chiasms (14:2), chiasms in subsequent repetition (32:16 and 32:24), chiasms in summation (30:17), chiasms with introversion in a speech (11:11-15), introversion in poetry (12:6-8), chiasms within introversion (33:52-56), and larger units (6:1-21) and (5:11-31) for example.²

Anticipatory Passages: Another distinctive literary technique seen in Numbers is the divulging of information that is clearly irrelevant to its context but that prepares the reader for what follows. They should be considered integral to the composition of the book. There can be no doubt that anticipation is a key technique in the book. It piques the curiosity of the reader, sustains his attentiveness, and prods him to read on so that he can discover the full meaning later in the text.³

Key verse: For I, ADONAI, live among the people of Isra’el (35:34).

Composition: The simplest way to look at the book is to recognize that it is divided into five sections – three wilderness locations broken up by two road trips that tie everything together: Sinai (Chapters 1-10) . . . travel (Chapters 10-12) . . . Paran (Chapters 13-19) . . . travel (Chapters 20-21) . . . Mo’ab (Chapters 22-36).

Journey through the Wilderness: a Contemporary Theme: The book of Numbers, the fourth book of the Torah, derives its name from the census lists of the number of people in each of the twelve tribes of Isra’el in Numbers Chapters 1 and 26. It is the story of the people of Isra’el in the wilderness as they travel from the slavery of Egypt toward the freedom of Canaan. The image of “wilderness” has been a powerful metaphor for describing the experience of many people and communities, both ancient and modern. Isaiah used the image to describe the promise of Isra’el’s return from its Babylonian exile. YHVH promised something new: I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert (Isaiah 43:19). In the B’rit Chadashah, John the Immerser was a voice crying out in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord. John spoke from the outer margins of the wilderness into a world where power was concentrated in the hands of the few (Luke 3:1-2). Yeshua was tested and tempted in the wilderness by Satan for forty days, an echo of ancient Isra’el’s sojourn and testing in the wilderness for forty years (Luke). Jews throughout the centuries have found a resonance with the theme of living in the wilderness in times of exile, persecution, and diaspora. The wilderness theme has reemerged as a way of capturing the experience of many people in our world today. Among all the books of the Bible, the book of Numbers is a particularly helpful resource for recapturing this wilderness concept and its many implications for a postmodern world.⁴

The Use of the Complete Jewish Bible: Because I am writing this commentary on the book of Numbers from a Jewish perspective, I will be using the Complete Jewish Bible unless otherwise indicated.

The use of ADONAI: Long before Yeshua’s day, the word ADONAI had, out of respect, been substituted in speaking and in reading aloud for God’s personal name, the four Hebrew letters yod-heh-vav-heh, variously written in English as YHVH. The Talmud (Pesachim 50a) made it a requirement not to pronounce the Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of the LORD, Yod-Hey-Vav-Hey, since the ancient manuscripts do not give any vowel sounds, and this remains the rule in most modern Jewish settings. In deference to this tradition, which is unnecessary but harmless, I will be using ADONAI where YHVH is meant. In ancient times when the scribes were translating the Hebrew Scriptures, they revered the name of YHVH so much that they would use a quill to make one stroke of the name and then throw it away. Then they would make another stroke and throw that quill away until the name was completed. His name became so sacred to them that they started to substitute the phrase the Name, instead of writing or pronouncing His Name. Over centuries of doing this, the actual letters and pronunciation of His Name were lost. The closest we can come is YHVH, with no vowels. The pronunciation has been totally lost. Therefore, the name Yahweh is only a guess of what the original name sounded like. Both ADONAI and Ha’Shem are substitute names for YHVH. ADONAI is more of an affectionate name like daddy, while Ha’Shem is a more formal name like sir. Therefore, Jews, being respectful of the Third Commandment, use these words as replacements. The Talmud explains, “In the Sanctuary, the Name was pronounced as written; but beyond its confines a substitute Name was employed (Tractate Sotah VII.6). God has only one name, YHVH. All His other “names” like ADONAI Elohei-Tzva’ot, ADONAI Elohim, ADONAI Nissi, ADONAI Tzidkenu, and ADONAI-Tzva’ot, merely reflect His attributes.

Contrary to what some religious groups say today, no one can say with confidence how to pronounce God’s Name. The “name” Jehovah, for example, is a made up word by a Franciscan monk in the dark ages. He took YHVH, and inserted vowels between the known letters to invent a new word: YeHoVaH. Jews never, NEVER, use this made up word. The last book of the B’rit Chadashah tells us that when Yeshua returns to the earth, He will reveal the Name that no one knew but Himself (Revelation 19:12). It seems best to leave this lost pronunciation unresolved until the Messiah comes.

The use of TaNaKh: The Hebrew word TaNaKh is an acronym, based on the letters T (for “Torah”), N (for “Nevi’im,” the Prophets), and K (for “Ketuvim,” the Sacred Writings). It is the collection of the teachings of God to human beings in document form. The term “Old Covenant” implies that it is no longer valid, or at the very least outdated. Something old, to be either ignored or discarded. But Jesus Himself said: Don’t think I have come to abolish the Torah and the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to complete (Matthew 5:17 CJB). I will be using the Hebrew acronym TaNaKh instead of the phrase the Old Testament, throughout this devotional commentary.

The Use of the phrase, “the righteous of the TaNaKh,” rather than using Old Testament saints: Messianic synagogues, and the Jewish messianic community in general, never use the phrase Old Testament saints. From a Jewish perspective, they prefer to use the phrase, “righteous of the TaNaKh.” Therefore, I will be using “the righteous of the TaNaKh,” rather than Old Testament saints throughout this devotional commentary.

Genesis is the book of beginnings; Exodus shows the giving of the Torah and exit from Egypt; Leviticus is an addendum to Exodus, giving the sacrifices and allowing the Israelites to draw near to God; Numbers records the death of the rebellious Exodus generation, and the hope of a new wilderness generation.

The Outline of the Book of Numbers

Introduction of Numbers from a Messianic Jewish Perspective (Ac)

Glossary (Ad)

Grains of Sand, Stars of Heaven, and the Promises of God (Ae)

Why Read Numbers (Af)

I. The Rebellion of the Exodus Generation – 1:1 to 25:18 (Ag)

II. Isra’el at Sinai: The Preparation for the Departure – 1:1 to 10:10 (Ah)

A. The First Census – 1:1-54 (Ai)

1. The Command to Number – 1:1-19 (Aj)

2. Numbering the Tribes – 1:20-46 (Ak)

3. The Status of the Levites – 1:47-54 (Al)

B. The Camp of the Twelve Tribes of Isra’el – 2:1-34 (Am)

C. The Levitical Census – 3:1 to 4:49 (An)

1. The Levites – 3:1-4 (Ao)

2. Redeeming the Firstborn – 3:5-13 (Ap)

3. The First Numbering of the Levites – 3:14-20 (Aq)

4. The Four Camps of Levites – 3:21-39 (Ar)

5. The Census and the Redemption of the Firstborn – 3:40-51 (As)

6. The Clan of Kohath – 4:1-20 (At)

7. The Clan of Gershom – 4:21-28 (Au)

8. The Clan of Merari – 4:29-49 (Av)

D. Preparing for the Triumphal March – 5:1 to 10:10 (Aw)

1. The Purification of the Camp – 5:1-4 (Ax)

2. Restitution and Repentance – 5:5-10 (Ay)

3. The Suspected Adulteress – 5:11-31 (Az)

4. The Nazirite Vow – 6:1-21 (Ba)

5. The Aaronic Blessing – 6:22-27 (Bb)

6. The Offerings at the Dedication of the Tabernacle 7:1-89 (Bc)

a. Carts and Oxen for the Levites – 7:1-9 (Bd)

b. Gifts of the Twelve Tribes – 7:10-88 (Be)

7. The Voice of God – 7:89 (Bf)

8. The Menorah – 8:1-4 (Bg)

9. The Separation of the Levites – 8:5-26 (Bh)

10. Pesach in the Wilderness – 9:1-14 (Bi)

11. The Preparation for the Departure – 9:15 to 10:10 (Bj)

a. The Pillar of Cloud and Fire – 9:15-23 (Bk)

b. Two Silver Trumpets – 10:1-10 (Bl)

III. The Journey from Mount Sinai to Kadesh Barnea – 10:11 to 12:16 (Bm)

A. Leaving Sinai – 10:11-36 (Bn)

B. The Abrupt Slide into Rebellion (Bo)

C. Complaining at Tav’erah – 11:1-3 (Bp)

D. Graves of Greediness – 11:4-35 (Bq)

1. Quail and Manna from ADONAI – 11:4-9 (Br)

2. Moshe’s Complaint about the People – 11:10-15 (Bs)

3. ADONAI’s Response – 11:16-35 (Bt)

4. The Rebellion of Miryam and Aaron – 12:1-16 (Bu)

IV. The Sin of Kadesh-barnea – 13:1 to 14:45 (Bv)

A. The Selection of the Spies – 13:1-16 (Bw)

B. Spying Out the Land – 13:17-25 (Bx)

C. The Report of the Spies – 13:26-33 (By)

D. Faith and Obedience – 14:1-4 (Bz)

E. Moses Intercedes – 14:5-20 (Ca)

F. God’s Response – 14:20-38 (Cb)

G. Defeat by the Canaanites and Amalekites – 14:39-45 (Cc)

H. Theological Reflections on the Spy Story (Cd)

V. Isra’el’s Wilderness Wanderings – 15:1 to 22:1 (Ce)

A. The Interconnections between Numbers 11-14 and Numbers 15 (Cf)

B. A Whisper of Hope – 15:1-41 (Cg)

1. Grain and Drink Offerings – 15:1-16 (Ch)

2. The Challah – 15:17-21 (Ci)

3. Unintentional Sin – 15:22-31 (Cj)

4. The Sabbath-Breaker – 15:32-36 (Ck)

5. Tzit-tzit and Blue Thread – 15:37-41 (Cl)

C. The Interconnections between Numbers 15 and Number 16 (Cm)

D. Korah’s Rebellion – 16:1-50 (Cn)

1. The Rebellion of Korah – 16:1-3 (Co)

2. The Response of Moshe – 16:4-11 (Cp)

3. The Rebellion of Dathan and Abiram – 16:12-17 (Cq)

4. The Response of God – 16:18-40 (Cr)

5. The Rebellion of the People – 16:41-50 (Cs)

6. Echoes Elsewhere in Numbers (Ct)

E. Aaron’s Staff Budded – 17:1-13 (Cu)

F. Mutual Obligations – 18:1-32 (Cv)

1. The Duties of the Priests and the Levites – 18:1-7 (Cw)

2. The Portion for the Priests – 18:8-20 (Cx)

3. The Portion for the Levites – 18:21-24 (Cy)

4. A Tenth of the Tithe – 18:25-32 (Cz)

G. The Red Heifer – 19:1-22 (Da)

H. The Death of Isra’el’s Leaders – 20:1-29 (Db)

1. The Death of Miryam – 20:1 (Dc)

2. The Sin of Moses and Aaron – 20:2-13 (Dd)

3. The Resistance of Edom – 20:14-21 (De)

4. The Death of Aaron – 20:22-29 (Df)

I. The Journey from Kadesh-barnea to the Plains of Mo’av 21:1 to 22:1 (Dg)

J. Signs of Hope and Faith (Dh)

1. The Healing Snake – 21:1-9 (Di)

2. The Book of the Wars of the LORD – 21:10-20 (Dj)

3. The Defeat of Sihon of Heshbon – 21:21-32 (Dk)

4. The Defeat of Og of Basham – 21:33 to 22:1 (Dl)

VI. The Story of Balaam – 22:2 to 24:25 (Dm)

A. Balaam’s Three Encounters with God – 22:2-40 (Dn)

1. Balak’s dilemma – 22:2-6 (Do)

2. Balaam’s First Encounter with God – 22:7-14 (Dp)

3. Balaam’s Second Encounter with God – 22:15-20 (Dq)

4. Balaam and the Donkey – 22:21-40 (Dr)

B. Balaam’s Seven Oracles – 22:41 to 24:24 (Ds)

1. Balaam’s First Oracle – 22:41 to 23:12 (Dt)

2. Balaam’s Second Oracle – 23:13-26 (Du)

3. Balaam’s Third Oracle – 23:27 to 24:14 (Dv)

4. Balaam’s Fourth Oracle – 24:15-19 (Dw)

5. Balaam’s Fifth Oracle – 24:20 (Dx)

6. Balaam’s Sixth Oracle – 24:21-22 (Dy)

7. Balaam’s Seventh Oracle – 24:23-25 (Dz)

8. Taking a Stand for God – 25:1-9 (Ea)

C. God’s Eternal Covenant with Phinehas – 25:10-18 (Eb)

VII. The Second Census: The New Generation of Hope – 26:1-65 (Ec)

A. The Numbering of the Soldiers – 26:1-4 (Ed)

1. The Tribe of Reuben – 26:5-11 (Ee)

2. The Tribe of Simeon – 26:12-14 (Ef)

3. The Tribe of Gad – 26:15-18 (Eg)

4. The Tribe of Judah – 26:19-22 (Eh)

5. The Tribe of Issachar – 26:23-25 (Ei)

6. The Tribe of Zebulun – 26:26-27 (Ej)

7. The Tribe of Joseph – 26:28-37 (Ek)

8. The Tribe of Benjamin – 26:38-41 (El)

9. The Tribe of Dan – 26:42-43 (Em)

10. The Tribe of Asher – 26:44-47 (En)

11. The Tribe of Naphtali – 26:48-50 (Eo)

12. The Numbering of the Eleven Tribes – 26:51 (Ep)

B. The Division of Land – 26:52-56 (Eq)

C. The Second Numbering of the Levites – 26:57-62 (Er)

D. The Wilderness Generation – 26:63-65 (Es)

VIII. Change in Isra’el – 27:1-23 (Et)

A. The Daughters of Zelophehad – 27:1-11 (Eu)

B. The Successor to Moshe – 27:12-23 (Ev)

IX. God’s Ordering of Time and Space – 28:1 to 29:40 (Ew)

A. Tamid: From Start to Finish – 28:1-8 (Ex)

B. The Sabbath Offerings – 28:9-10 (Ey)

C. The New Moon Offerings – 28:11-15 (Ez)

D. The Festival Offerings – 28:16 to 29:40 (Fa)

1. The Pesach Offering – 28:16 (Fb)

2. The Hag ha’Matzah Offering – 28:17-25 (Fc)

3. The Shavu’ot Offering – 28:26-31 (Fd)

4. The Rosh ha’Shanah Offering – 29:1-6 (Fe)

5. The Yom Kippur Offering – 29:7-11 (Ff)

6. The Sukkot Offering – 29:12-34 (Fg)

7. The Eighth Day Assembly – 29:35-40 and 30:1 (Fh)

X. The Fulfillment of Vows – 30:2-16 (Fi)

A. The Male Vow – 30:2 (Fj) 

B. The Single Female Vow – 30:3-5 (Fk)

C. The Betrothed Female Vow – 30:6-8 (Fl)

D. The Vows of a Widow or Divorced Woman – 30:9 (Fm)

E. The Vows of a Married Woman – 30:10-15 (Fn)

F. The General Principle of Vows – 30:16 (Fo)

XI. The War Against Midian – 31:1-54 (Fp)

A. Report of the Battle – 31:1-12 (Fq)

B. The Destruction of Women and Boys – 31:13-18 (Fr)

C. The Purification of the Soldiers and the Spoil – 31:19-24 (Fs)

D. Excursus: Hand Washing – Luke 11:37-41 and Mark 7:1-5 (Ft)

E. The Division of the Spoils of War – 31:25-54 (Fu) 

1. The Division of the Soils for the Soldiers – 31:25-41 (Fv)

2. The Division of the Spoils for the People – 31:42-47 (Fw)

3. The Extra Share for ADONAI – 31:48-54 (Fx)

XII. Reuben and Gad in the Transjordan – 32:1-42 (Fy)

A. Reuben and Gad Request Land – 32:1-15 (Fz)

B. The Promise of Reuben and Gad – 32:16-24 (Ga)

C. The Divisions of the Transjordan – 32:25-42 (Gb) 

XIII. Isra’el’s Travel Log – 33:1-49 (Gc) 

A. The Departure from Egypt – 33:1-4 (Gd)

B. From Egypt to Mount Hor – 33:5-37 (Ge)

C. From Mount Hor to the Plains of Mo’ab – 33:38-49 (Gf)

XIV. Words of Warning and Encouragement to the Second Gen – 33:50 to 36:13 (Gg)

A. The Destruction of the Canaanites – 33:50-56 (Gh)

B. The Boundaries of the Promised Land – 34:1-29 (Gi)

C. Cities for the Levites – 35:1-8 (Gj)

D. Cities of Refuge – 35:9-34 (Gk)

1. Taking a Life in the Cities of Refuge – 35:9-21 (Gl)

2. Cases to be Decided Concerning Taking a Life in Cities of Refuge – 35:22-34 (Gm)

E. A Review of the Inheritance of Women – 36:1-13 (Gn)

F. Concluding Reflections of Numbers 26 to 36 (Go)

End Notes (Gp)

Bibliography (Gq)

Numbers,  Where Life and the Bible Meet . . .

1. Look at the outline (Ab), and the Introduction (Ac) before starting on the commentary itself.

2. The DIG and REFLECT questions are in bold teal and will help to give you a deeper understanding of the book and make it more personal to you. Go slowly and give yourself time to answer these questions. They really strike at the heart of the commentary. What are the DIG questions for? To dig into the Scripture “story.” To find out what’s going on, to figure out the main idea, the plot, the argument, the spiritual principle, and so on. What are the REFLECT questions for? To apply the “story” in the Scripture to your own life; to take personal inventory and to decide what you are going to do about it! Many of the DIG and REFLECT questions are taken from the Serendipity Bible.

3. I would strongly suggest that you look up the references that are given in each section. Many times, this will greatly enhance the background, and hence, your understanding of the Scriptures that you are reading on a particular day. Take your time, read only as much as you can digest.

There are times when I refer you to either another file in Romans, or a file in another book of the Bible, to give you more detail on a particular person, topic, concept or theology. An example might be something like the Great Sanhedrin (see my commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Lg – The Great Sanhedrin). If you feel you already know enough about the Great Sanhedrin, you can skip the reference and continue reading. But if it interests you, or if you don’t know what the Great Sanhedrin is, you can go to that file and read it first before continuing. It’s your choice. 

4. All Scripture is in bold print. The NIV is used unless indicated otherwise. However, sometimes the purpose of the bold print is merely for emphasizing a certain point. When bold maroon is used, it is for special emphasis. The words of Yeshua are bolded in red.

5. When bold teal is used in the text, it is quoted from one of the two Jewish commentaries listed in the bibliography. This will give you the moderate Orthodox Jewish interpretation. It is useful for word studies, but its Christology is obviously entirely wrong. Where rabbinical interpretation is cited, I will add, “The rabbis teach. . .” in front of the passage. Although it is not a Christian interpretation, I think it is interesting to see how the rabbis interpret these passages.

6. Read the Scriptures for a particular day first, then skim the DIG or REFLECT questions, read the commentary and reflect on it; answer the DIG or REFLECT questions, then read your Bible again. Hopefully, it will have greater meaning for you the second time you read it. Then live it out.

7. You can download anything you want from this devotional commentary for bible study. Nothing can be sold © 2024 all rights are reserved by Jay David Mack, M.Div.