2 Speak to the children of Israel, and take of them rods, one for each fathers' house, of all their princes according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods: write you every man's name on his rod.
These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: Of Reuben: Elizur the son of Shedeur. Of Simeon: Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. Of Judah: Nahshon the son of Amminadab. Of Issachar: Nethanel the son of Zuar. Of Zebulun: Eliab the son of Helon. Of the children of Joseph: Of Ephraim: Elishama the son of Ammihud. Of Manasseh: Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. Of Benjamin: Abidan the son of Gideoni. Of Dan: Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. Of Asher: Pagiel the son of Ochran. Of Gad: Eliasaph the son of Deuel. Of Naphtali: Ahira the son of Enan." These are those who were called of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel.
Those who encamp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah, according to their divisions: and the prince of the children of Judah shall be Nahshon the son of Amminadab. His division, and those who were numbered of them, were seventy-four thousand six hundred. Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar: and the prince of the children of Issachar shall be Nethanel the son of Zuar. His division, and those who were numbered of it, were fifty-four thousand four hundred. The tribe of Zebulun: and the prince of the children of Zebulun shall be Eliab the son of Helon. His division, and those who were numbered of it, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred. All who were numbered of the camp of Judah were one hundred eighty-six thousand four hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out first. "On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur. His division, and those who were numbered of it, were forty-six thousand five hundred. "Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon. The prince of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. His division, and those who were numbered of them, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred. "The tribe of Gad: and the prince of the children of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel. His division, and those who were numbered of them, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty. "All who were numbered of the camp of Reuben were one hundred fifty-one thousand four hundred fifty, according to their hosts. They shall set out second. "Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps. As they encamp, so shall they set out, every man in his place, by their standards. "On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their divisions: and the prince of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud. His division, and those who were numbered of them, were forty thousand five hundred. "Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh: and the prince of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. His division, and those who were numbered of them, were thirty-two thousand two hundred. "The tribe of Benjamin: and the prince of the children of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni. His host, and those who were numbered of them, were thirty-five thousand four hundred. "All who were numbered of the camp of Ephraim were one hundred eight thousand one hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out third. "On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan according to their divisions: and the prince of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. His division, and those who were numbered of them, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred. "Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher: and the prince of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ochran. His division, and those who were numbered of them, were forty-one thousand and five hundred. "The tribe of Naphtali: and the prince of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan. His division, and those who were numbered of them, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.
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. Over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. Over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon. The tent was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tent, set forward. The standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their hosts: and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur. Over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. Over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel. The Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary: and [the others] did set up the tent against their coming. 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. Over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. Over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni. 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. Over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ochran. Over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.
You, son of man, take one stick, and write on it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write on it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and [for] all the house of Israel his companions: and join them for you one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. When the children of your people shall speak to you, saying, Will you not show us what you mean by these? tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and I will put them with it, [even] with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in my hand. The sticks whereon you write shall be in your hand before their eyes.
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Commentary on Numbers 17 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 17
Nu 17:1-13. Aaron's Rod Flourishes.
2-5. Speak unto the children of Israel—The controversy with Moses and Aaron about the priesthood was of such a nature and magnitude as required a decisive and authoritative settlement. For the removal of all doubts and the silencing of all murmuring in the future regarding the holder of the office, a miracle was wrought of a remarkable character and permanent duration; and in the manner of performing it, all the people were made to have a direct and special interest.
take of every one … princes … twelve rods—As the princes, being the oldest sons of the chief family, and heads of their tribes, might have advanced the best claims to the priesthood, if that sacred dignity was to be shared among all the tribes, they were therefore selected, and being twelve in number—that of Joseph being counted only one—Moses was ordered to see that the name of each was inscribed—a practice borrowed from the Egyptians—upon his rod or wand of office. The name of Aaron rather than of Levi was used, as the latter name would have opened a door of controversy among the Levites; and as there was to be one rod only for the head of each tribe, the express appointment of a rod for Aaron determined him to be the head of that tribe, as well as that branch or family of the tribe to which the priestly dignity should belong. These rods were to be laid in the tabernacle close to the ark (compare Nu 17:10 and Heb 9:4), where a divine token was promised that would for all time terminate the dispute.
6. the rod of Aaron was among their rods—either one of the twelve, or, as many suppose, a thirteenth in the midst (Heb 9:4). The rods were of dry sticks or wands, probably old, as transmitted from one head of the family to a succeeding.
8. Moses went into the tabernacle—being privileged to do so on this occasion by the special command of God. And he there beheld the remarkable spectacle of Aaron's rod—which, according to Josephus, was a stick of an almond tree, bearing fruit in three different stages at once—buds, blossoms, and fruit.
10. Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels—For if, after all admonitions and judgments, seconded by miracles, the people should still rebel, they would certainly pay the penalty by death.
12, 13. Behold, we die, we perish—an exclamation of fear, both from the remembrance of former judgments, and the apprehension of future relapses into murmuring.
13. cometh any thing near—that is, nearer than he ought to do; an error into which many may fall. Will the stern justice of God overtake every slight offense? We shall all be destroyed. Some, however, regard this exclamation as the symptom or a new discontent, rather than the indication of a reverential and submissive spirit. Let us fear and sin not.