1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.
3 And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
4 And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.
5 When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.
6 When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.
7 But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.
8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.
9 And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.
10 Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.
11 And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony.
12 And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran.
13 And they first took their journey according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
14 In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies: and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
15 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethaneel the son of Zuar.
16 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.
17 And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward, bearing the tabernacle.
18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur.
19 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
20 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
21 And the Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary: and the other did set up the tabernacle against they came.
22 And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud.
23 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
24 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.
25 And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, which was the rearward of all the camps throughout their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
26 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran.
27 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.
28 Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their armies, when they set forward.
29 And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses' father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the LORD hath spoken good concerning Israel.
30 And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred.
31 And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes.
32 And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the LORD shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.
33 And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days' journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them.
34 And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.
35 And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.
36 And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel.
1 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559
2 Make H6213 thee two H8147 trumpets H2689 of silver; H3701 of a whole piece H4749 shalt thou make H6213 them: that thou mayest use H1961 them for the calling H4744 of the assembly, H5712 and for the journeying H4550 of the camps. H4264
3 And when they shall blow H8628 with them, H2004 all the assembly H5712 shall assemble H3259 themselves to thee at the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150
4 And if they blow H8628 but with one H259 trumpet, then the princes, H5387 which are heads H7218 of the thousands H505 of Israel, H3478 shall gather H3259 themselves unto thee.
5 When ye blow H8628 an alarm, H8643 then the camps H4264 that lie H2583 on the east parts H6924 shall go forward. H5265
6 When ye blow H8628 an alarm H8643 the second time, H8145 then the camps H4264 that lie H2583 on the south side H8486 shall take their journey: H5265 they shall blow H8628 an alarm H8643 for their journeys. H4550
7 But when the congregation H6951 is to be gathered together, H6950 ye shall blow, H8628 but ye shall not sound an alarm. H7321
8 And the sons H1121 of Aaron, H175 the priests, H3548 shall blow H8628 with the trumpets; H2689 and they shall be to you for an ordinance H2708 for ever H5769 throughout your generations. H1755
9 And if ye go H935 to war H4421 in your land H776 against H6862 the enemy that oppresseth H6887 you, then ye shall blow an alarm H7321 with the trumpets; H2689 and ye shall be remembered H2142 before H6440 the LORD H3068 your God, H430 and ye shall be saved H3467 from your enemies. H341
10 Also in the day H3117 of your gladness, H8057 and in your solemn days, H4150 and in the beginnings H7218 of your months, H2320 ye shall blow H8628 with the trumpets H2689 over your burnt offerings, H5930 and over the sacrifices H2077 of your peace offerings; H8002 that they may be to you for a memorial H2146 before H6440 your God: H430 I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430
11 And it came to pass on the twentieth H6242 day of the second H8145 month, H2320 in the second H8145 year, H8141 that the cloud H6051 was taken up H5927 from off the tabernacle H4908 of the testimony. H5715
12 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 took H5265 their journeys H4550 out of the wilderness H4057 of Sinai; H5514 and the cloud H6051 rested H7931 in the wilderness H4057 of Paran. H6290
13 And they first H7223 took their journey H5265 according to the commandment H6310 of the LORD H3068 by the hand H3027 of Moses. H4872
14 In the first H7223 place went H5265 the standard H1714 of the camp H4264 of the children H1121 of Judah H3063 according to their armies: H6635 and over his host was Nahshon H5177 the son H1121 of Amminadab. H5992
15 And over the host H6635 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Issachar H3485 was Nethaneel H5417 the son H1121 of Zuar. H6686
16 And over the host H6635 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Zebulun H2074 was Eliab H446 the son H1121 of Helon. H2497
17 And the tabernacle H4908 was taken down; H3381 and the sons H1121 of Gershon H1648 and the sons H1121 of Merari H4847 set forward, H5265 bearing H5375 the tabernacle. H4908
18 And the standard H1714 of the camp H4264 of Reuben H7205 set forward H5265 according to their armies: H6635 and over his host H6635 was Elizur H468 the son H1121 of Shedeur. H7707
19 And over the host H6635 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Simeon H8095 was Shelumiel H8017 the son H1121 of Zurishaddai. H6701
20 And over the host H6635 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Gad H1410 was Eliasaph H460 the son H1121 of Deuel. H1845
21 And the Kohathites H6956 set forward, H5265 bearing H5375 the sanctuary: H4720 and the other did set up H6965 the tabernacle H4908 against they came. H935
22 And the standard H1714 of the camp H4264 of the children H1121 of Ephraim H669 set forward H5265 according to their armies: H6635 and over his host H6635 was Elishama H476 the son H1121 of Ammihud. H5989
23 And over the host H6635 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Manasseh H4519 was Gamaliel H1583 the son H1121 of Pedahzur. H6301
24 And over the host H6635 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 was Abidan H27 the son H1121 of Gideoni. H1441
25 And the standard H1714 of the camp H4264 of the children H1121 of Dan H1835 set forward, H5265 which was the rereward H622 of all the camps H4264 throughout their hosts: H6635 and over his host H6635 was Ahiezer H295 the son H1121 of Ammishaddai. H5996
26 And over the host H6635 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Asher H836 was Pagiel H6295 the son H1121 of Ocran. H5918
27 And over the host H6635 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Naphtali H5321 was Ahira H299 the son H1121 of Enan. H5881
28 Thus were H428 the journeyings H4550 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 according to their armies, H6635 when they set forward. H5265
29 And Moses H4872 said H559 unto Hobab, H2246 the son H1121 of Raguel H7467 the Midianite, H4084 Moses' H4872 father in law, H2859 We are journeying H5265 unto the place H4725 of which the LORD H3068 said, H559 I will give H5414 it you: come H3212 thou with us, and we will do thee good: H2895 for the LORD H3068 hath spoken H1696 good H2896 concerning Israel. H3478
30 And he said H559 unto him, I will not go; H3212 but I will depart H3212 to mine own land, H776 and to my kindred. H4138
31 And he said, H559 Leave H5800 us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest H3651 H3045 how we are to encamp H2583 in the wilderness, H4057 and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes. H5869
32 And it shall be, if thou go H3212 with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness H2896 the LORD H3068 shall do H3190 unto us, the same will we do H2895 unto thee.
33 And they departed H5265 from the mount H2022 of the LORD H3068 three H7969 days' H3117 journey: H1870 and the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of the LORD H3068 went H5265 before H6440 them in the three H7969 days' H3117 journey, H1870 to search out H8446 a resting place H4496 for them.
34 And the cloud H6051 of the LORD H3068 was upon them by day, H3119 when they went out H5265 of the camp. H4264
35 And it came to pass, when the ark H727 set forward, H5265 that Moses H4872 said, H559 Rise up, H6965 LORD, H3068 and let thine enemies H341 be scattered; H6327 and let them that hate H8130 thee flee H5127 before H6440 thee.
36 And when it rested, H5117 he said, H559 Return, H7725 O LORD, H3068 unto the many H7233 thousands H505 of Israel. H3478
1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Make thee two trumpets of silver; of beaten work shalt thou make them: and thou shalt use them for the calling of the congregation, and for the journeying of the camps.
3 And when they shall blow them, all the congregation shall gather themselves unto thee at the door of the tent of meeting.
4 And if they blow but one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.
5 And when ye blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall take their journey.
6 And when ye blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.
7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.
8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and they shall be to you for a statute for ever throughout your generations.
9 And when ye go to war in your land against the adversary that oppresseth you, then ye shall sound an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before Jehovah your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.
10 Also in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow the trumpets over your burnt-offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God: I am Jehovah your God.
11 And it came to pass in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, that the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the testimony.
12 And the children of Israel set forward according to their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud abode in the wilderness of Paran.
13 And they first took their journey according to the commandment of Jehovah by Moses.
14 And in the first `place' the standard of the camp of the children of Judah set forward according to their hosts: and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
15 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar.
16 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.
17 And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bare the tabernacle, set forward.
18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their hosts: and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur.
19 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
20 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
21 And the Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary: and `the others' did set up the tabernacle against their coming.
22 And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their hosts: and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud.
23 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
24 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.
25 And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan, which was the rearward of all the camps, set forward according to their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
26 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ochran.
27 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.
28 Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their hosts; and they set forward.
29 And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, We are journeying unto the place of which Jehovah said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good; for Jehovah hath spoken good concerning Israel.
30 And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred.
31 And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou shalt be to us instead of eyes.
32 And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what good soever Jehovah shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.
33 And they set forward from the mount of Jehovah three days' journey; and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah went before them three days' journey, to seek out a resting-place for them.
34 And the cloud of Jehovah was over them by day, when they set forward from the camp.
35 And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, O Jehovah, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.
36 And when it rested, he said, Return, O Jehovah, unto the ten thousands of the thousands of Israel.
1 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
2 `Make to thee two trumpets of silver; beaten work thou dost make them, and they have been to thee for the convocation of the company, and for the journeying of the camps;
3 and they have blown with them, and all the company have met together unto thee, unto the opening of the tent of meeting.
4 And if with one they blow, then have the princes, heads of the thousands of Israel, met together unto thee;
5 `And ye have blown -- a shout, and the camps which are encamping eastward have journeyed.
6 `And ye have blown -- a second shout, and the camps which are encamping southward have journeyed; a shout they blow for their journeys.
7 `And in the assembling of the assembly ye blow, and do not shout;
8 and sons of Aaron, the priests, blow with the trumpets; and they have been to you for a statute age-during to your generations.
9 `And when ye go into battle in your land against the adversary who is distressing you, then ye have shouted with the trumpets, and ye have been remembered before Jehovah your God, and ye have been saved from your enemies.
10 `And in the day of your gladness, and in your appointed seasons, and in the beginnings of your months, ye have blown also with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings, and they have been to you for a memorial before your God; I, Jehovah, `am' your God.'
11 And it cometh to pass -- in the second year, in the second month, in the twentieth of the month -- the cloud hath gone up from off the tabernacle of the testimony,
12 and the sons of Israel journey in their journeyings from the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud doth tabernacle in the wilderness of Paran;
13 and they journey at first, by the command of Jehovah, in the hand of Moses.
14 And the standard of the camp of the sons of Judah journeyeth in the first `place', by their hosts, and over its host `is' Nahshon son of Amminadab.
15 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Issachar `is' Nathaneel son of Zuar.
16 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun `is' Eliab son of Helon;
17 And the tabernacle hath been taken down, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari have journeyed, bearing the tabernacle.
18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben hath journeyed, by their hosts, and over its host `is' Elizur son of Shedeur.
19 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Simeon `is' Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
20 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Gad `is' Eliasaph son of Deuel;
21 And the Kohathites have journeyed, bearing the tabernacle, and the `others' have raised up the tabernacle until their coming in.
22 And the standard of the camp of the sons of Ephraim hath journeyed, by their hosts, and over its host `is' Elishama son of Ammihud.
23 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh `is' Gamalial son of Pedahzur.
24 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin `is' Abidan son of Gideoni.
25 And the standard of the camp of the sons of Dan hath journeyed (rearward to all the camps), by their hosts, and over its host `is' Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
26 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Asher `is' Pagiel son of Ocran.
27 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali `is' Ahira son of Enan.
28 These `are' journeyings of the sons of Israel by their hosts -- and they journey.
29 And Moses saith to Hobab son of Raguel the Midianite, father-in-law of Moses, `We are journeying unto the place of which Jehovah hath said, I give it to you; go with us, and we have done good to thee; for Jehovah hath spoken good concerning Israel.'
30 And he saith unto him, `I do not go; but unto my land and unto my kindred do I go.'
31 And he saith, `I pray thee, forsake us not, because thou hast known our encamping in the wilderness, and thou hast been to us for eyes;
32 and it hath come to pass when thou goest with us, yea, it hath come to pass -- that good which Jehovah doth kindly with us -- it we have done kindly to thee.'
33 And they journey from the mount of Jehovah a journey of three days; and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah is journeying before them the journey of three days, to spy out for them a resting-place;
34 and the cloud of Jehovah `is' on them by day, in their journeying from the camp.
35 And it cometh to pass in the journeying of the ark, that Moses saith, `Rise, O Jehovah, and Thine enemies are scattered, and those hating Thee flee from Thy presence.'
36 And in its resting he saith, `Return, O Jehovah, `to' the myriads, the thousands of Israel.'
1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
2 Make thee two trumpets of silver; of beaten work shalt thou make them; and they shall serve for the calling together of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.
3 And when they shall blow with them, the whole assembly shall gather to thee at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
4 And if they blow with one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather unto thee.
5 And when ye blow an alarm, the camps that lie eastward shall set forward.
6 And when ye blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie southward shall set forward; they shall blow an alarm on their setting forward.
7 And when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not blow an alarm:
8 the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an everlasting statute throughout your generations.
9 And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before Jehovah your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.
10 And in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in your new moons, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings and over your sacrifices of peace-offering; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God: I am Jehovah your God.
11 And it came to pass in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony.
12 And the children of Israel set forward according to their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud stood still in the wilderness of Paran.
13 And they first took their journey, according to the commandment of Jehovah through Moses.
14 The standard of the camp of the children of Judah set forward first according to their hosts, and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab;
15 and over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethaneel the son of Zuar;
16 and over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.
17 And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward bearing the tabernacle.
18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their hosts, and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur;
19 and over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;
20 and over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
21 And the Kohathites set forward bearing the sanctuary: and [the others] set up the tabernacle whilst they came.
22 And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their hosts, and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud;
23 and over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;
24 and over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.
25 And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, the rear-guard of all the camps according to their hosts, and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;
26 and over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran;
27 and over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.
28 These were the settings forward of the children of Israel according to their hosts: so did they set forward.
29 And Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, We are journeying to the place of which Jehovah said, I will give it unto you: come with us, and we will do thee good; for Jehovah has spoken good concerning Israel.
30 And he said to him, I will not go; but to mine own land, and to my kindred will I go.
31 And he said, Leave me not, I pray thee, because thou knowest where we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou wilt be to us for eyes.
32 And it shall be, if thou come with us, that whatever good Jehovah doeth unto us, so will we do to thee.
33 And they set forward from the mountain of Jehovah [and went] three days' journey; and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting-place for them.
34 And the cloud of Jehovah was over them by day when they set forward out of the camp.
35 And it came to pass when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Jehovah, and let thine enemies be scattered; And let them that hate thee flee before thy face.
36 And when it rested, he said, Return, Jehovah, unto the myriads of the thousands of Israel.
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2 Make you two trumpets of silver; of beaten work shall you make them: and you shall use them for the calling of the congregation, and for the journeying of the camps.
3 When they shall blow them, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the door of the tent of meeting.
4 If they blow but one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves to you.
5 When you blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall take their journey.
6 When you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.
7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm.
8 The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and they shall be to you for a statute forever throughout your generations.
9 When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before Yahweh your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.
10 Also in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God: I am Yahweh your God.
11 It happened in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, that the cloud was taken up from over the tent of the testimony.
12 The children of Israel set forward according to their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud abode in the wilderness of Paran.
13 They first took their journey according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses.
14 In the first [place] the standard of the camp of the children of Judah set forward according to their hosts: and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
15 Over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar.
16 Over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.
17 The tent was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tent, set forward.
18 The standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their hosts: and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur.
19 Over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
20 Over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
21 The Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary: and [the others] did set up the tent against their coming.
22 The standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their hosts: and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud.
23 Over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
24 Over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.
25 The standard of the camp of the children of Dan, which was the rearward of all the camps, set forward according to their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
26 Over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ochran.
27 Over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.
28 Thus were the travels of the children of Israel according to their hosts; and they set forward.
29 Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, We are journeying to the place of which Yahweh said, I will give it you: come you with us, and we will do you good; for Yahweh has spoken good concerning Israel.
30 He said to him, I will not go; but I will depart to my own land, and to my relatives.
31 He said, Don't leave us, please; because you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you shall be to us instead of eyes.
32 It shall be, if you go with us, yes, it shall be, that whatever good Yahweh shall do to us, the same will we do to you.
33 They set forward from the Mount of Yahweh three days' journey; and the ark of the covenant of Yahweh went before them three days' journey, to seek out a resting-place for them.
34 The cloud of Yahweh was over them by day, when they set forward from the camp.
35 It happened, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Yahweh, and let your enemies be scattered; and let those who hate you flee before you.
36 When it rested, he said, Return, Yahweh, to the ten thousands of the thousands of Israel.
1 And the Lord said to Moses,
2 Make two silver horns of hammered work, to be used for getting the people together and to give the sign for the moving of the tents.
3 When they are sounded, all the people are to come together to you at the door of the Tent of meeting.
4 If only one of them is sounded, then the chiefs, the heads of the thousands of Israel, are to come to you.
5 When a loud note is sounded, the tents placed on the east side are to go forward.
6 At the sound of a second loud note, the tents on the south side are to go forward: the loud note will be the sign to go forward.
7 But when all the people are to come together, the horn is to be sounded but not loudly.
8 The horns are to be sounded by the sons of Aaron, the priests; this is to be a law for you for ever, from generation to generation.
9 And if you go to war in your land against any who do you wrong, then let the loud note of the horn be sounded; and the Lord your God will keep you in mind and give you salvation from those who are against you.
10 And on days of joy and on your regular feasts and on the first day of every month, let the horns be sounded over your burned offerings and your peace-offerings; and they will put the Lord in mind of you: I am the Lord your God.
11 Now in the second year, on the twentieth day of the second month, the cloud was taken up from over the Tent of witness.
12 And the children of Israel went on their journey out of the waste land of Sinai; and the cloud came to rest in the waste land of Paran.
13 They went forward for the first time on their journey as the Lord had given orders by the hand of Moses.
14 First the flag of the children of Judah went forward with their armies: and at the head of his army was Nahshon, the son of Amminadab.
15 And at the head of the army of the children of Issachar was Nethanel, the son of Zuar.
16 And at the head of the army of the children of Zebulun was Eliab, the son of Helon.
17 Then the House was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who were responsible for moving the House, went forward.
18 Then the flag of the children of Reuben went forward with their armies: and at the head of his army was Elizur, the son of Shedeur.
19 And at the head of the army of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai.
20 At the head of the army of the children of Gad was Eliasaph, the son of Reuel.
21 Then the Kohathites went forward with the holy place; the others put up the House ready for their coming.
22 Then the flag of the children of Ephraim went forward with their armies: and at the head of his army was Elishama, the son of Ammihud.
23 At the head of the army of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur.
24 At the head of the army of the children of Benjamin was Abidan, the son of Gideoni.
25 And the flag of the children of Dan, whose tents were moved last of all, went forward with their armies: and at the head of his army was Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai.
26 At the head of the army of the children of Asher was Pagiel, the son of Ochran.
27 And at the head of the army of the children of Naphtali was Ahira, the son of Enan.
28 This was the order in which the children of Israel were journeying by armies; so they went forward.
29 Then Moses said to Hobab, the son of his father-in-law Reuel the Midianite, We are journeying to that place of which the Lord has said, I will give it to you: so come with us, and it will be for your profit: for the Lord has good things in store for Israel.
30 But he said, I will not go with you, I will go back to the land of my birth and to my relations.
31 And he said, Do not go from us; for you will be eyes for us, guiding us to the right places in the waste land to put up our tents.
32 And if you come with us, we will give you a part in whatever good the Lord does for us.
33 So they went forward three days' journey from the mountain of the Lord; and the ark of the Lord's agreement went three days' journey before them, looking for a resting-place for them;
34 And by day the cloud of the Lord went over them, when they went forward from the place where they had put up their tents.
35 And when the ark went forward Moses said, Come up, O Lord, and let the armies of those who are against you be broken, and let your haters go in flight before you.
36 And when it came to rest, he said, Take rest, O Lord, and give a blessing to the families of Israel.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Numbers 10
Commentary on Numbers 10 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
The Silver Signal-Trumpets. - Although God Himself appointed the time for removal and encampment by the movement of the cloud of His presence, signals were also requisite for ordering and conducting the march of so numerous a body, by means of which Moses, as commander-in-chief, might make known his commands to the different divisions of the camp. To this end God directed him to prepare two silver trumpets of beaten work ( mikshah , see Exodus 25:18), which should serve “for the calling of the assembly, and for the breaking up of the camps,” i.e., which were to be used for this purpose. The form of these trumpets is not further described. No doubt they were straight, not curved, as we may infer both from the representation of these trumpets on the triumphal arch of Titus at Rome, and also from the fact, that none but straight trumpets occur on the old Egyptian monuments (see my Arch. ii. p. 187). With regard to the use of them for calling the congregation, the following directions are given in Numbers 10:3, Numbers 10:4 : “ When they shall blow with them (i.e., with both), the whole congregation (in all its representatives) shall assemble at the door of the tabernacle; if they blow with only one, the princes or heads of the families of Israel shall assemble together .”
To give the signal for breaking up the camp, they were to blow תּרוּעה , i.e., a noise or alarm. At the first blast the tribes on the east, i.e., those who were encamped in the front of the tabernacle, were to break up; at the second, those who were encamped on the south; and so on in the order prescribed in ch. 2, though this is not expressly mentioned here. The alarm was to be blown למסּעיהם , with regard to their breaking up or marching.
But to call the congregation together they were to blow, not to sound an alarm. תּקע signifies blowing in short, sharp tones. הריע = תּרוּעה תּקע , blowing in a continued peal.
These trumpets were to be used for the holy purposes of the congregation generally, and therefore not only the making, but the manner of using them was prescribed by God Himself. They were to be blown by the priests alone, and “ to be for an eternal ordinance to the families of Israel, ” i.e., to be preserved and used by them in all future times, according to the appointment of God. The blast of these trumpets was to call Israel to remembrance before Jehovah in time of war and on their feast-days.
Numbers 10:9
“ If ye go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, and ye blow the trumpets, ye shall bring yourselves to remembrance before Jehovah, and shall be saved (by Him) from your enemies .” מלחמה בּוא , to come into war, or go to war, is to be distinguished from למּלחמה בּוא , to make ready for war, go out to battle (Numbers 31:21; Numbers 32:6).
Numbers 10:10
“ And on your joyous day, and your feasts and new moons, he shall blow the trumpets over your burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, that they may be to you for a memorial (remembrance) before your God .” - השּׂמחה יום is any day on which a practical expression was given to their joy, in the form of a sacrifice. The השּׂמחה are the feasts enumerated in chs. 28 and 29 and Lev 23. The “beginnings of the months,” or new-moon days, were not, strictly speaking, feast-days, with the exception of the seventh new moon of the year (see at Numbers 28:11). On the object, viz., “ for a memorial, ” see Exodus 28:29, and the explanation, p. 450. In accordance with this divine appointment, so full of promise, we find that in after times the trumpets were blown by the priests in war (Numbers 31:6; 2 Chronicles 13:12, 2 Chronicles 13:14; 2 Chronicles 20:21-22, 2 Chronicles 20:28) as well as on joyful occasions, such as at the removal of the ark (1 Chronicles 15:24; 1 Chronicles 16:6), at the consecration of Solomon's temple (2 Chronicles 5:12; 2 Chronicles 7:6), the laying of the foundation of the second temple (Ezra 3:10), the consecration of the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12:35, Nehemiah 12:41), and other festivities (2 Chronicles 29:27).
After all the preparations were completed for the journey of the Israelites from Sinai to Canaan, on the 20th day of the second month, in the second year, the cloud rose up from the tent of witness, and the children of Israel broke up out of the desert of Sinai, למסעיהם , “according to their journeys” (lit., breaking up; see at Genesis 13:3 and Exodus 40:36, Exodus 40:38), i.e., in the order prescribed in Numbers 2:9, Numbers 2:16, Numbers 2:24, Numbers 2:31, and described in Numbers 10:14. of this chapter. “ And the cloud rested in the desert of Paran. ” In these words, the whole journey from the desert of Sinai to the desert of Paran is given summarily, or as a heading; and the more minute description follows from Numbers 10:14 to Numbers 12:16. The “ desert of Paran ” was not the first station, but the third; and the Israelites did not arrive at it till after they had left Hazeroth (Numbers 12:16). The desert of Sinai is mentioned as the starting-point of the journey through the desert, in contrast with the desert of Paran, in the neighbourhood of Kadesh, whence the spies were sent out to Canaan (Numbers 13:2, Numbers 13:21), the goal and termination of their journey through the desert. That the words, “the cloud rested in the desert of Paran” ( Numbers 10:12 ), contain a preliminary statement (like Genesis 27:23; Genesis 37:5, as compared with Numbers 10:8, and 1 Kings 6:9 as compared with Numbers 10:14, etc.), is unmistakeably apparent, from the fact that Moses' negotiations with Hobab, respecting his accompanying the Israelites to Canaan, as a guide who knew the road, are noticed for the first time in Numbers 10:29., although they took place before the departure from Sinai, and that after this the account of the breaking-up is resumed in Numbers 10:33, and the journey itself described, Hence, although Kurtz (iii. 220) rejects this explanation of Numbers 10:12 as “forced,” and regards the desert of Paran as a place of encampment between Tabeerah and Kibroth-hattaavah, even he cannot help identifying the breaking-up described in Numbers 10:33 with that mentioned in Numbers 10:12; that is to say, regarding Numbers 10:12 as a summary of the events which are afterwards more fully described.
The desert of Paran is the large desert plateau which is bounded on the east by the Arabah, the deep valley running from the southern point of the Dead Sea to the Elanitic Gulf, and stretches westwards to the desert of Shur ( Jifar ; see Genesis 16:7; Exodus 15:22), that separates Egypt from Philistia: it reaches southwards to Jebel et Tih, the foremost spur of the Horeb mountains, and northwards to the mountains of the Amorites, the southern border of Canaan. The origin and etymology of the name are obscure. The opinion that it was derived from פאר , to open wide, and originally denoted the broad valley of Wady Murreh, between the Hebrew Negeb and the desert of Tih, and was then transferred to the whole district, has very little probability in it ( Knobel ). All that can be regarded as certain is, that the El-paran of Genesis 14:6 is a proof that in the very earliest times the name was applied to the whole of the desert of Tih down to the Elanitic Gulf, and that the Paran of the Bible had no historical connection either with the êù́ìç Öáñá̀í and tribe of Φαρανῖται mentioned by Ptol . (v. 17, i. 3), or with the town of Φαράν , of which the remains are still to be seen in the Wady Feiran at Serbal, or with the tower of Faran Ahrun of Edrisi , the modern Hammân Faraun , on the Red Sea, to the south of the Wady Gharandel. By the Arabian geographers, Isztachri, Kazwini, and others, and also by the Bedouins, it is called et Tih , i.e., the wandering of the children of Israel, as being the ground upon which the children of Israel wandered about in the wilderness for forty years (or more accurately, thirty-eight). This desert plateau, which is thirty German miles (150 English) long from south to north, and almost as broad, consists, according to Arabian geographers, partly of sand and partly of firm soil, and is intersected through almost its entire length by the Wady el Arish , which commences at a short distance from the northern extremity of the southern border mountains of et Tih , and runs in nearly a straight line from south to north, only turning in a north-westerly direction towards the Mediterranean Sea, on the north-east of the Jebel el Helal . This wady divides the desert of Paran into a western and an eastern half. The western half lies lower than the eastern, and slopes off gradually, without any perceptible natural boundary, into the flat desert of Shur ( Jifar ), on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. The eastern half (between the Arabah and the Wady el Arish ) consists throughout of a lofty mountainous country, intersected by larger and smaller wadys, and with extensive table-land between the loftier ranges, which slopes off somewhat in a northerly direction, its southern edge being formed by the eastern spurs of the Jebel et Tih. It is intersected by the Wady el Jerafeh , which commences at the foot of the northern slope of the mountains of Tih , and after proceeding at first in a northerly direction, turns higher up in a north-easterly direction towards the Arabah, but rises in its northern portion to a strong mountain fortress, which is called, from its present inhabitants, the highlands of the Azazimeh , and is bounded on both south and north by steep and lofty mountain ranges. The southern boundary is formed by the range which connects the Araif en Nakba with the Jebel el Mukrah on the east; the northern boundary, by the mountain barrier which stretches along the Wady Murreh from west to east, and rises precipitously from it, and of which the following description has been given by Rowland and Williams , the first of modern travellers to visit this district, who entered the terra incognita by proceeding directly south from Hebron, past Arara or Aroër, and surveyed it from the border of the Rachmah plateau, i.e., of the mountains of the Amorites (Deuteronomy 1:7, Deuteronomy 1:20, Deuteronomy 1:44), or the southernmost plateau of the mountains of Judah (see at Numbers 14:45): - “A gigantic mountain towered above us in savage grandeur, with masses of naked rock, resembling the bastions of some Cyclopean architecture, the end of which it was impossible for the eye to reach, towards either the west or the east. It extended also a long way towards the south; and with its rugged, broken, and dazzling masses of chalk, which reflected the burning rays of the sun, it looked like an unapproachable furnace, a most fearful desert, without the slightest trace of vegetation. A broad defile, called Wady Murreh , ran at the foot of this bulwark, towards the east; and after a course of several miles, on reaching the strangely formed mountain of Moddera (Madurah), it is divided into two parts, the southern branch still retaining the same name, and running eastwards to the Arabah, whilst the other was called Wady Fikreh, and ran in a north-easterly direction to the Dead Sea. This mountain barrier proved to us beyond a doubt that we were now standing on the southern boundary of the promised land; and we were confirmed in this opinion by the statement of the guide, that Kadesh was only a few hours distant from the point where we were standing” ( Ritter , xiv. p. 1084). The place of encampment in the desert of Paran is to be sought for at the north-west corner of this lofty mountain range (see at Numbers 12:16).
In vv. 13-28 the removal of the different camps is more fully described, according to the order of march established in ch. 2, the order in which the different sections of the Levites drew out and marched being particularly described in this place alone (cf. Numbers 10:17 and Numbers 10:21 with Numbers 2:17). First of all (lit., “ at the beginning ”) the banner of Judah drew out, with Issachar and Zebulun (Numbers 10:14-16; cf. Numbers 2:3-9). The tabernacle was then taken down, and the Gershonites and Merarites broke up, carrying those portions of its which were assigned to them (Numbers 10:17; cf. Numbers 4:24., and Numbers 4:31.), that they might set up the dwelling at the place to be chosen for the next encampment, before the Kohathites arrived with the sacred things (Numbers 10:21). The banner of Reuben followed next with Simeon and Gad (Numbers 10:18-21; cf. Numbers 2:10-16), and the Kohathites joined them bearing the sacred things (Numbers 10:21). המּקדּשׁ (= הקּדשׁ , Numbers 7:9, and הקּדשׁים קדשׁ , Numbers 4:4) signifies the sacred things mentioned in Numbers 3:31. In Numbers 10:21 the subject is the Gershonites and Merarites, who had broken up before with the component parts of the dwelling, and set up the dwelling, עד־בּאם , against their (the Kohathites') arrival, so that they might place the holy things at once within it.
Behind the sacred things came the banners of Ephraim, with Manasseh and Benjamin (see Numbers 2:18-24), and Dan with Asher and Naphtali (Numbers 2:25-31); so that the camp of Dan was the “ collector of all the camps according to their hosts, ” i.e., formed that division of the army which kept the hosts together.
The conversation in which Moses persuaded Hobab the Midianite, the son of Reguel (see at Exodus 2:16), and his brother-in-law, to go with the Israelites, and being well acquainted with the desert to act as their leader, preceded the departure in order of time; but it is placed between the setting out and the march itself, as being subordinate to the main events. When and why Hobab came into the camp of the Israelites-whether he came with his father Reguel (or Jethro) when Israel first arrived at Horeb, and so remained behind when Jethro left (Exodus 18:27), or whether he did not come till afterwards-was left uncertain, because it was a matter of no consequence in relation to what is narrated here.
(Note: The grounds upon which Knobel affirms that the “Elohist” is not the author of the account in Numbers 10:29-36, and pronounces it a Jehovistic interpolation, are perfectly futile. The assertion that the Elohist had already given a full description of the departure in vv. 11-28, rests upon an oversight of the peculiarities of the Semitic historians. The expression “they set forward” in Numbers 10:28 is an anticipatory remark, as Knobel himself admits in other places (e.g., Genesis 7:12; Genesis 8:3; Exodus 7:6; Exodus 12:50; Exodus 16:34). The other argument, that Moses' brother-in-law is not mentioned anywhere else, involves a petitio principii , and is just as powerless a proof, as such peculiarities of style as “mount of the Lord,” “ark of the covenant of the Lord,” היטיב to do good (Numbers 10:29), and others of a similar kind, of which the critics have not even attempted to prove that they are at variance with the style of the Elohist, to say nothing of their having actually done so.)
The request addressed to Hobab, that he would go with them to the place which Jehovah had promised to give them, i.e., to Canaan, was supported by the promise that he would do good to them (Hobab and his company), as Jehovah had spoken good concerning Israel, i.e., had promised it prosperity in Canaan. And when Hobab declined the request, and said that he should return into his own land, i.e., to Midian at the south-east of Sinai (see at Exodus 2:15 and Exodus 3:1), and to his kindred, Moses repeated the request, “ Leave us not, forasmuch as thou knowest our encamping in the desert, ” i.e., knowest where we can pitch our tents; “therefore be to us as eyes,” i.e., be our leader and guide, - and promised at the same time to do him the good that Jehovah would do to them. Although Jehovah led the march of the Israelites in the pillar of cloud, not only giving the sign for them to break up and to encamp, but showing generally the direction they were to take; yet Hobab, who was well acquainted with the desert, would be able to render very important service to the Israelites, if he only pointed out, in those places where the sign to encamp was given by the cloud, the springs, oases, and plots of pasture which are often buried quite out of sight in the mountains and valleys that overspread the desert. What Hobab ultimately decided to do, we are not told; but “as no further refusal is mentioned, and the departure of Israel is related immediately afterwards, he probably consented” ( Knobel ). This is raised to a certainty by the fact that, at the commencement of the period of the Judges, the sons of the brother-in-law of Moses went into the desert of Judah to the south of Arad along with the sons of Judah (Judges 1:16), and therefore had entered Canaan with the Israelites, and that they were still living in that neighbourhood in the time of Saul (1 Samuel 15:6; 1 Samuel 27:10; 1 Samuel 30:29).
“ And they (the Israelites) departed from the mount of Jehovah (Exodus 3:1) three days' journey; the ark of the covenant of Jehovah going before them, to search out a resting-place for them. And the cloud of Jehovah was over them by day, when they broke up from the camp. ” Jehovah still did as He had already done on the way to Sinai (Exodus 13:21-22): He went before them in the pillar of cloud, according to His promise (Exodus 33:13), on their journey from Sinai to Canaan; with this simple difference, however, that henceforth the cloud that embodied the presence of Jehovah was connected with the ark of the covenant, as the visible throne of His gracious presence which had been appointed by Jehovah Himself. To this end the ark of the covenant was carried separately from the rest of the sacred things, in front of the whole army; so that the cloud which went before them floated above the ark, leading the procession, and regulating its movements in the direction it took in such a manner that the permanent connection between the cloud and the sanctuary might be visibly manifested even during their march. It is true that, in the order observed in the camp and on the march, no mention is made of the ark of the covenant going in front of the whole army; but this omission is no more a proof of any discrepancy between this verse and Numbers 2:17, or of a difference of authorship, than the separation of the different divisions of the Levites upon the march, which is also not mentioned in Numbers 2:17, although the Gershonites and Merarites actually marched between the banners of Judah and Reuben, and the Kohathites with the holy things between the banners of Reuben and Ephraim (Numbers 10:17 and Numbers 10:21).
(Note: As the critics do not deny that vv. 11-28 are written by the “ Elohist ” notwithstanding this difference, they have no right to bring forward the account of the ark going first as a contradiction to ch. 2, and therefore a proof that Numbers 10:33. are not of Elohistic origin.)
The words, “the cloud was above them” (the Israelites), and so forth, can be reconciled with this supposition without any difficulty, whether we understand them as signifying that the cloud, which appeared as a guiding column floating above the ark and moved forward along with it, also extended itself along the whole procession, and spread out as a protecting shade over the whole army (as O. v. Gerlach and Baumgarten suppose), or that “above them” (upon them) is to be regarded as expressive of the fact that it accompanied them as a protection and shade. Nor is Psalms 105:39, which seems, so far as the words are concerned, rather to favour the first explanation, really at variance with this view; for the Psalmist's intention is not so much to give a physical description of the phenomenon, as to describe the sheltering protection of God in poetical words as a spreading out of the cloud above the wandering people of God, in the form of a protection against both heat and rain (cf. Isaiah 4:5-6). Moreover, Numbers 10:33 and Numbers 10:34 have a poetical character, answering to the elevated nature of their subject, and are to be interpreted as follows according to the laws of a poetical parallelism: The one thought that the ark of the covenant, with the cloud soaring above it, led the way and sheltered those who were marching, is divided into two clauses; in Numbers 10:33 only the ark of the covenant is mentioned as going in front of the Israelites, and in Numbers 10:34 only the cloud as a shelter over them: whereas the carrying of the ark in front of the army could only accomplish the end proposed, viz., to search out a resting-place for them, by Jehovah going above them in the cloud, and showing the bearers of the ark both the way they were to take, and the place where they were to rest. The ark with the tables of the law is not called “the ark of testimony” here, according to its contents, as in Exodus 25:22; Exodus 26:33-34; Exodus 30:6, etc., but the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, according to its design and signification for Israel, which was the only point, or at any rate the principal point, in consideration here. The resting-place which the ark of the covenant found at the end of three days, is not mentioned in Numbers 10:34; it was not Tabeerah, however (Numbers 11:3), but Kibroth-hattaavah (Numbers 11:34-35; cf. Numbers 33:16).
In Numbers 10:35 and Numbers 10:36, the words which Moses was in the habit of uttering, both when the ark removed and when it came to rest again, are given not only as a proof of the joyous confidence of Moses, but as an encouragement to the congregation to cherish the same believing confidence. When breaking up, he said, “ Rise up, Jehovah! that Thine enemies may be scattered, and they that hate Thee may flee before Thy face; ” and when it rested, “ Return, Jehovah, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel! ” Moses could speak in this way, because he knew that Jehovah and the ark of the covenant were inseparably connected, and saw in the ark of the covenant, as the throne of Jehovah, a material pledge of the gracious presence of the Almighty God. He said this, however, not merely with reference to enemies who might encounter the Israelites in the desert, but with a confident anticipation of the calling of Israel, to strive for the cause of the Lord in this hostile world, and rear His kingdom upon earth. Human power was not sufficient for this; but to accomplish this end, it was necessary that the Almighty God should go before His people, and scatter their foes. The prayer addressed to God to do this, is an expression of bold believing confidence, - a prayer sure of its answer; and to Israel it was the word with which the congregation of God was to carry on the conflict at all times against the powers and authorities of a whole hostile world. It is in this sense that in Psalms 68:2, the words are held up by David before himself and his generation as a banner of victory, “to arm the Church with confidence, and fortify it against the violent attacks of its foes” ( Calvin ). שׁוּבה is construed with an accusative: return to the ten thousands of the hosts of Israel, i.e., after having scattered Thine enemies, turn back again to Thy people to dwell among them. The “thousands of Israel,” as in Numbers 1:16.
(Note: The inverted nuns , נ , at the beginning and close of Numbers 10:35, Numbers 10:36, which are found, according to R. Menachem's de Lonzano Or Torah (f. 17), in all the Spanish and German MSS, and are sanctioned by the Masorah, are said by the Talmud ( tract de sabbatho ) to be merely signa parentheseos, quae monerent praeter historiae seriem versum 35 et 36 ad capitis finem inseri (cf. Matt. Hilleri de Arcano Kethib et Keri libri duo, pp. 158, 159). The Cabbalists, on the other hand, according to R. Menach. l. c., find an allusion in it to the Shechinah , “ quae velut obversa ad tergum facie sequentes Israelitas ex impenso amore respiceret ” (see the note in J. H. Michaelis' Bibl. hebr. ). In other MSS, however, which are supported by the Masora Erffurt , the inverted nun is found in the words בּנסע (Numbers 10:35) and כּמתאננים העם ויהי (Numbers 11:1): the first, ad innuendum ut sic retrorsum agantur omnes hostes Israeliarum; the second, ut esset symbolum perpetuum perversitatis populi, inter tot illustria signa liberationis et maximorum beneficiorum Dei acerbe quiritantium, ad declarandam ingratitudinem et contumaciam suam (cf. J. Buxtorf, Tiberias, p. 169).)