Old Testament Commentary - Numbers 9

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
             CHAPTER 9            

Israel again commanded to keep passover—Cloud rests upon tabernacle by day and by night, plus a fire by night—When cloud rested, Israel camped; when it lifted, they journeyed.

  1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the asecond year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
  2 Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season.
  3 In the afourteenth day of this montha, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.
  4 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover.
  5 And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.
 3a fourteenth day of this month The first month, 'this month', is Nisan or Abib of the Jewish lunar calendar which occurs during March-April with variation of dates per Gregorian calendar adjustment. This is the time of passover and the days of the rites thereof. Passover was when the firstborn of Israel was passed over as to destruction while the firstborn of the Egyptians was not. It foreshadowed the Savior's atoning power to redeem Israel and it was the time of the Savior's own sacrifice to come.
  6 ¶ And there were certain men, who were adefiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:
  7 And those men said unto him, We are defiled by athe dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the LORD in his appointed season among the children of Israel?
  8 And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will ahear what the LORD will command concerning you.
  9 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
  10 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD.
  11 The fourteenth day of the asecond month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with bunleavened bread and bitter herbs.
  12 They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor abreak any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.
  13 But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.
  14 And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the apassover unto the LORD; according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: ye shall have one ordinance, both for the bstranger, and for him that was born in the land.
  15 ¶ And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the acloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning.
  16 So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
  17 And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
  18 At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.
  19 And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and ajourneyed not.
  20 And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed.
  21 And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.
  22 Or whether it were two days, or a month, or aa year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.
  23 At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.