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Book of Numbers

January 25, 2023

For other uses, see Book of Numbers (disambiguation).

The Book of Numbers (from Greek Ἀριθμοί, Arithmoi; Hebrew: בְּמִדְבַּר, Bəmīḏbar, "In the desert [of]") is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah.[1] The book has a long and complex history; its final form is possibly due to a Priestly redaction (i.e., editing) of a Yahwistic source made some time in the early Persian period (5th century BC).[2] The name of the book comes from the two censuses taken of the Israelites.

Numbers begins at Mount Sinai, where the Israelites have received their laws and covenant from God and God has taken up residence among them in the sanctuary.[3] The task before them is to take possession of the Promised Land. The people are counted and preparations are made for resuming their march. The Israelites begin the journey, but they "grumble" at the hardships along the way, and about the authority of Moses and Aaron. For these acts, God destroys approximately 15,000 of them through various means. They arrive at the borders of Canaan and send spies into the land. Upon hearing the spies' fearful report concerning the conditions in Canaan, the Israelites refuse to take possession of it. God condemns them to death in the wilderness until a new generation can grow up and carry out the task. The book ends with the new generation of Israelites in the "plains of Moab" ready for the crossing of the Jordan River.[4]

Numbers is the culmination of the story of Israel's exodus from oppression in Egypt and their journey to take possession of the land God promised their fathers. As such it draws to a conclusion the themes introduced in Genesis and played out in Exodus and Leviticus: God has promised the Israelites that they shall become a great (i.e. numerous) nation, that they will have a special relationship with Yahweh their god, and that they shall take possession of the land of Canaan. Numbers also demonstrates the importance of holiness, faithfulness and trust: despite God's presence and his priests, Israel lacks in faith and the possession of the land is left to a new generation.[2]

Structure

Most commentators divide Numbers into three sections based on locale (Mount Sinai, Kadesh-Barnea and the plains of Moab), linked by two travel sections;[5] an alternative is to see it as structured around the two generations of those condemned to die in the wilderness and the new generation who will enter Canaan, making a theological distinction between the disobedience of the first generation and the obedience of the second.[6]

Summary

 
Priest, Levite, and furnishings of the Tabernacle

God orders Moses, in the wilderness of Sinai, to number those able to bear arms—of all the men "from twenty years old and upward," and to appoint princes over each tribe. A total of 603,550 Israelites are found to be fit for military service. The tribe of Levi is exempted from military service and therefore not included in the census. Moses consecrates the Levites for the service of the Tabernacle in the place of the first-born sons, who hitherto had performed that service. The Levites are divided into three families, the Gershonites, the Kohathites, and the Merarites, each under a chief. The Kohathites were headed by Eleazar, son of Aaron, while the Gershonites and Merarites were headed by Aaron's other son, Ithamar. Preparations are then made for resuming the march to the Promised Land. Various ordinances and laws are decreed.

The Israelites set out from Sinai. The people murmur against God and are punished by fire; Moses complains of their stubbornness and is ordered to choose seventy elders to assist him in the government of the people. Miriam and Aaron insult Moses at Hazeroth, which angers God; Miriam is punished with leprosy and is shut out of camp for seven days, at the end of which the Israelites proceed to the desert of Paran on the border of Canaan. Twelve spies are sent out into Canaan and come back to report to Moses. Joshua and Caleb, two of the spies, report that the land is abundant and is "flowing with milk and honey", but the other spies say that it is inhabited by giants, and the Israelites refuse to enter the land. Yahweh decrees that the Israelites will be punished for their loss of faith by having to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.

God orders Moses to make plates to cover the altar. The children of Israel murmur against Moses and Aaron on account of the destruction of Korah's men and are stricken with the plague, with 14,700 perishing. Aaron and his family are declared by God to be responsible for any iniquity committed in connection with the sanctuary. The Levites are again appointed to help in the keeping of the Tabernacle. The Levites are ordered to surrender to the priests a part of the tithes taken to them.

Miriam dies at Kadesh Barnea and the Israelites set out for Moab, on Canaan's eastern border. The Israelites blame Moses for the lack of water. Moses is ordered by God to speak to a rock but initially disobeys, and is punished by the announcement that he shall not enter Canaan. The king of Edom refuses permission to pass through his land and they go around it. Aaron dies on Mount Hor. The Israelites are bitten by Fiery flying serpents for speaking against God and Moses. A brazen serpent is made to ward off these serpents.

The Israelites arrive on the plains of Moab, across the River Jordan from Jericho. Here, the Israelites find themselves in conflict with the Amorites and Og, king of Bashan, both of whom they defeat. Balak, king of Moab decides to fight the Israelites as well, and summons a local diviner named Balaam to curse the Israelites. However, God tells Balaam not to curse them, and when Balaam attempts to travel to Balak with the Moabite officials God sends an angel to stop his donkey. Realising that he cannot curse the Israelites, Balaam blesses them instead, and foresees a figure whom he identifies as 'the Star of Jacob' who will defeat Israel's enemies. This angers Balak, but Balaam informs Balak that he cannot say anything except what God tells him to say.

The longer the Israelites stay on the plains of Shittim, the more they intermarry with the local Moabites, and the more they participate in the local religion, worshipping a deity known as Baal-Peor. God sends a plague in retaliation, and Moses tells the judges to kill anyone participating in this practice. When one of Aaron's grandsons, Phinehas, finds out a Simeonite prince named Zimri has married a Midianite woman named Cozbi, he enters their tent and runs a spear through them. God rewards him by giving his descendants an everlasting priesthood. God also tells the Israelites to consider the Midianites their enemies.

A new census gives the total number of males from twenty years and upward as 601,730, and the number of the Levites from the age of one month and upward as 23,000. The land shall be divided by lot. The daughters of Zelophehad, who had no sons, are to share in the allotment. Moses is ordered to appoint Joshua as his successor. Prescriptions for the observance of the feasts and the offerings for different occasions are enumerated. Moses orders the Israelites to massacre the people of Midian, in retaliation for the Baal-Peor incident. The Reubenites and the Gadites request Moses to assign them the land east of the Jordan. Moses grants their request after they promise to help in the conquest of the land west of the Jordan. The land east of the Jordan is divided among the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Moses recalls the stations at which the Israelites halted during their forty years' wanderings and instructs the Israelites to exterminate the Canaanites and destroy their idols. The boundaries of the land are spelled out; the land is to be divided under the supervision of Eleazar, Joshua, and twelve princes, one of each tribe.

Composition

 
Balaam and the Angel (illustration from the 1493 Nuremberg Chronicle)

The majority of modern biblical scholars believe that the Torah (the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) reached its present form in the post-Exilic period (i.e., after c.520 BC), based on pre-existing written and oral traditions, as well as contemporary geographical and political realities.[7][8][2] The five books are often described as being drawn from four "sources" - schools of writers rather than individuals - the Yahwist and the Elohist (frequently treated as a single source), the Priestly source and the Deuteronomist.[9] There is an ongoing dispute over the origins of the non-Priestly source(s), but it is generally agreed that the Priestly source is post-exilic.[10]

  • Genesis is made up of Priestly and non-Priestly material.[10]
  • Exodus is an anthology drawn from nearly all periods of Israel's history.[11]
  • Leviticus is entirely Priestly and dates from the exilic/post-exilic period.[12]
  • Numbers is a Priestly redaction (i.e., editing) of a non-Priestly original.[2]
  • Deuteronomy, now the last book of the Torah, began as the set of religious laws (these make up the bulk of the book), was extended in the early part of the 6th century BCE to serve as the introduction to the Deuteronomistic history (the books from Joshua to Kings), and later still was detached from that history, extended and edited again, and attached to the Torah.[13]

Themes

 
A Plague Inflicted on Israel While Eating the Quail (illustration from the 1728 Figures de la Bible)

David A. Clines, in his influential The Themes of the Pentateuch (1978), identified the overarching theme of the five books as the partial fulfilment of a promise made by God to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The promise has three elements: posterity (i.e., descendants – Abraham is told that his descendants will be as innumerable as the stars), divine-human relationship (Israel is to be God's chosen people), and land (the land of Canaan, cursed by Noah immediately after the Deluge).[14]

The theme of the divine-human relationship is expressed, or managed, through a series of covenants (meaning treaties, legally binding agreements) stretching from Genesis to Deuteronomy and beyond. The first is the covenant between God and Noah immediately after the Deluge in which God agrees never again to destroy the Earth with water. The next is between God and Abraham, and the third between God and all Israel at Mount Sinai. In this third covenant, unlike the first two, God hands down an elaborate set of laws (scattered through Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers), which the Israelites are to observe; they are also to remain faithful to Yahweh, the god of Israel, meaning, among other things, that they must put their trust in his help.[15]

The theme of descendants marks the first event in Numbers, the census of Israel's fighting men: the huge number which results (over 600,000) demonstrates the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham of innumerable descendants, as well as serving as God's guarantee of victory in Canaan.[16] As chapters 1–10 progress, the theme of God's presence with Israel comes to the fore: these chapters describe how Israel is to be organized around the Sanctuary, God's dwelling-place in their midst, under the charge of the Levites and priests, in preparation for the conquest of the land.[17]

The Israelites then set out to conquer the land, but almost immediately they refuse to enter it, and Yahweh condemns the whole generation who left Egypt to die in the wilderness. The message is clear: failure was not due to any fault in the preparation, because Yahweh had foreseen everything, but to Israel's sin of unfaithfulness. In the final section, the Israelites of the new generation follow Yahweh's instructions as given through Moses and are successful in all they attempt.[17] The last five chapters are exclusively concerned with land: instructions for the extermination of the Canaanites, the demarcation of the boundaries of the land, how the land is to be divided, holy cities for the Levites and "cities of refuge", the problem of pollution of the land by blood, and regulations for inheritance when a male heir is lacking.[18]

Judaism's weekly Torah portions in the Book of Numbers

Main article: Weekly Torah portion
  • Bemidbar, on Numbers 1–4: First census, priestly duties
  • Naso, on Numbers 4–7: Priestly duties, the camp, unfaithfulness, and the Nazirite, Tabernacle consecration
  • Behaalotecha, on Numbers 8–12: Levites, journeying by cloud and fire, complaints, questioning of Moses
  • Shlach, on Numbers 13–15: Mixed report of the scouts and Israel's response, libations, bread, idol worship, fringes
  • Korach, on Numbers 16–18: Korah's rebellion, plague, Aaron's staff buds, duties of the Levites
  • Chukat, on Numbers 19–21: Red heifer, water from a rock, Miriam's and Aaron's deaths, victories, serpents
  • Balak, on Numbers 22–25: Balaam's donkey and blessing
  • Pinechas, on Numbers 25–29: Phinehas, second census, inheritance, Moses' successor, offerings and holidays
  • Matot, on Numbers 30–32: Vows, Midian, dividing booty, land for Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh
  • Masei, on Numbers 33–36: Stations of the Israelites’ journeys, instructions for conquest, cities for Levites

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ Ashley 1993, p. 1.
  2. ^ a b c d McDermott 2002, p. 21.
  3. ^ Olson 1996, p. 9.
  4. ^ Stubbs 2009, p. 19–20.
  5. ^ Ashley 1993, p. 2-3.
  6. ^ Knierim 1995, p. 381.
  7. ^ Enns 2012, p. 5.
  8. ^ Finkelstein & Silberman 2002, pp. 68–69.
  9. ^ Coogan, Brettler & Newsom 2007, p. 6.
  10. ^ a b Carr 2000, p. 492.
  11. ^ Dozeman 2000, p. 443.
  12. ^ Houston 2003, p. 102.
  13. ^ Van Seters 2004, p. 93.
  14. ^ Clines 1997, p. 29.
  15. ^ Bandstra 2004, p. 28-29.
  16. ^ Olson 1996, p. 14.
  17. ^ a b Ska 2006, p. 38.
  18. ^ Clines 1997, p. 62.

Sources

  • Ashley, Timothy R (1993). The Book of Numbers. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802825230.
  • Bandstra, Barry L (2004). Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Wadsworth. ISBN 9780495391050.
  • Carr, David (2000). "Genesis, Book of". In Freedman, David Noel; Myers, Allen C. (eds.). Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9789053565032.
  • Clines, David A (1997). The Theme of the Pentateuch. Sheffield Academic Press. ISBN 9780567431967.
  • Coogan, Michael David; Brettler, Marc Zvi; Newsom, Carol Ann (2007). "Editors' Introduction". In Coogan, Michael David; Brettler, Marc Zvi; Newsom, Carol Ann (eds.). The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195288803.
  • Dozeman, Thomas (2000). "Exodus, Book of". In Freedman, David Noel; Myers, Allen C. (eds.). Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9789053565032.
  • Enns, Peter (2012). The Evolution of Adam. Baker Books. ISBN 9781587433153.
  • Finkelstein, Israel; Silberman, Neil Asher (2002). The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Sacred Texts. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7432-2338-6.
  • Houston, Walter J. (2003). "Leviticus". In Dunn, James D. G.; Rogerson, John William (eds.). Eerdmans Bible Commentary. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802837110.
  • Knierim, Rolf P (1995). The Task of Old Testament Theology: Substance, Method, and Cases. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802807151.
  • McDermott, John J (2002). Reading the Pentateuch: A Historical Introduction. Pauline Press. ISBN 9780809140824.
  • Olson, Dennis T (1996). Numbers. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664237363.
  • Plaut, Gunther. The Torah: A Modern Commentary (1981), ISBN 0-8074-0055-6
  • Ska, Jean-Louis (2006). Introduction to Reading the Pentateuch. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9781575061221.
  • Stubbs, David L (2009). Numbers. Brazos Press. ISBN 9780664237363.
  • Van Seters, John (2004). The Pentateuch: A Social-Science Commentary. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 9780567080882.

Further reading

  • Blenkinsopp, Joseph (2004). Treasures Old and New: Essays in the Theology of the Pentateuch. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802826794.
  • Brueggemann, Walter (2002). Reverberations of Faith: A Theological Handbook of Old Testament Themes. Westminster John Knox. ISBN 9780664222314.
  • Campbell, Antony F; O'Brien, Mark A (1993). Sources of the Pentateuch: Texts, Introductions, Annotations. Fortress Press. ISBN 9781451413670.
  • Carr, David M. (2016). "The Formation of the Hebrew Bible". In Niditch, Susan (ed.). The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Ancient Israel. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780470656778.
  • Dawes, Gregory W (2005). Introduction to the Bible. Liturgical Press. ISBN 9780814628355.
  • Fretheim, Terence E (1998). "Numbers". In John Barton (ed.). Oxford Bible Commentary. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198755005.
  • Gilbert, Christopher (2009). A Complete Introduction to the Bible. Paulist Press. ISBN 9780809145522.
  • Knierim, Rolf P; Coats, George W (2005). Numbers. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802822314.
  • Kugler, Robert; Hartin, Patrick (2009). An Introduction to the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802846365.
  • Van Seters, John (1998). "The Pentateuch". In Steven L. McKenzie, Matt Patrick Graham (ed.). The Hebrew Bible Today: An Introduction to Critical Issues. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664256524.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Book of Numbers.
 
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Numbers (Bible)
  • במדבר Bamidbar – Numbers (Hebrew – English at Mechon-Mamre.org)

Translations

Jewish translations:

  • Numbers at Mechon-Mamre (Jewish Publication Society translation)
  • Numbers (The Living Torah) 2011-08-01 at the Wayback Machine Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's translation and commentary at Ort.org
  • Bamidbar – Numbers (Judaica Press) translation [with Rashi's commentary] at Chabad.org

Christian translations:

Book of Numbers
Preceded by Hebrew Bible Succeeded by
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Old Testament

January 25, 2023
book, numbers, other, uses, disambiguation, from, greek, Ἀριθμοί, arithmoi, hebrew, bəmīḏbar, desert, fourth, book, hebrew, bible, fourth, five, books, jewish, torah, book, long, complex, history, final, form, possibly, priestly, redaction, editing, yahwistic,. For other uses see Book of Numbers disambiguation The Book of Numbers from Greek Ἀri8moi Arithmoi Hebrew ב מ ד ב ר Bemiḏbar In the desert of is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah 1 The book has a long and complex history its final form is possibly due to a Priestly redaction i e editing of a Yahwistic source made some time in the early Persian period 5th century BC 2 The name of the book comes from the two censuses taken of the Israelites Numbers begins at Mount Sinai where the Israelites have received their laws and covenant from God and God has taken up residence among them in the sanctuary 3 The task before them is to take possession of the Promised Land The people are counted and preparations are made for resuming their march The Israelites begin the journey but they grumble at the hardships along the way and about the authority of Moses and Aaron For these acts God destroys approximately 15 000 of them through various means They arrive at the borders of Canaan and send spies into the land Upon hearing the spies fearful report concerning the conditions in Canaan the Israelites refuse to take possession of it God condemns them to death in the wilderness until a new generation can grow up and carry out the task The book ends with the new generation of Israelites in the plains of Moab ready for the crossing of the Jordan River 4 Numbers is the culmination of the story of Israel s exodus from oppression in Egypt and their journey to take possession of the land God promised their fathers As such it draws to a conclusion the themes introduced in Genesis and played out in Exodus and Leviticus God has promised the Israelites that they shall become a great i e numerous nation that they will have a special relationship with Yahweh their god and that they shall take possession of the land of Canaan Numbers also demonstrates the importance of holiness faithfulness and trust despite God s presence and his priests Israel lacks in faith and the possession of the land is left to a new generation 2 Contents 1 Structure 2 Summary 3 Composition 4 Themes 5 Judaism s weekly Torah portions in the Book of Numbers 6 See also 7 References 7 1 Citations 7 2 Sources 8 Further reading 9 External links 9 1 TranslationsStructure EditMost commentators divide Numbers into three sections based on locale Mount Sinai Kadesh Barnea and the plains of Moab linked by two travel sections 5 an alternative is to see it as structured around the two generations of those condemned to die in the wilderness and the new generation who will enter Canaan making a theological distinction between the disobedience of the first generation and the obedience of the second 6 Summary Edit Priest Levite and furnishings of the Tabernacle God orders Moses in the wilderness of Sinai to number those able to bear arms of all the men from twenty years old and upward and to appoint princes over each tribe A total of 603 550 Israelites are found to be fit for military service The tribe of Levi is exempted from military service and therefore not included in the census Moses consecrates the Levites for the service of the Tabernacle in the place of the first born sons who hitherto had performed that service The Levites are divided into three families the Gershonites the Kohathites and the Merarites each under a chief The Kohathites were headed by Eleazar son of Aaron while the Gershonites and Merarites were headed by Aaron s other son Ithamar Preparations are then made for resuming the march to the Promised Land Various ordinances and laws are decreed The Israelites set out from Sinai The people murmur against God and are punished by fire Moses complains of their stubbornness and is ordered to choose seventy elders to assist him in the government of the people Miriam and Aaron insult Moses at Hazeroth which angers God Miriam is punished with leprosy and is shut out of camp for seven days at the end of which the Israelites proceed to the desert of Paran on the border of Canaan Twelve spies are sent out into Canaan and come back to report to Moses Joshua and Caleb two of the spies report that the land is abundant and is flowing with milk and honey but the other spies say that it is inhabited by giants and the Israelites refuse to enter the land Yahweh decrees that the Israelites will be punished for their loss of faith by having to wander in the wilderness for 40 years God orders Moses to make plates to cover the altar The children of Israel murmur against Moses and Aaron on account of the destruction of Korah s men and are stricken with the plague with 14 700 perishing Aaron and his family are declared by God to be responsible for any iniquity committed in connection with the sanctuary The Levites are again appointed to help in the keeping of the Tabernacle The Levites are ordered to surrender to the priests a part of the tithes taken to them Miriam dies at Kadesh Barnea and the Israelites set out for Moab on Canaan s eastern border The Israelites blame Moses for the lack of water Moses is ordered by God to speak to a rock but initially disobeys and is punished by the announcement that he shall not enter Canaan The king of Edom refuses permission to pass through his land and they go around it Aaron dies on Mount Hor The Israelites are bitten by Fiery flying serpents for speaking against God and Moses A brazen serpent is made to ward off these serpents The Israelites arrive on the plains of Moab across the River Jordan from Jericho Here the Israelites find themselves in conflict with the Amorites and Og king of Bashan both of whom they defeat Balak king of Moab decides to fight the Israelites as well and summons a local diviner named Balaam to curse the Israelites However God tells Balaam not to curse them and when Balaam attempts to travel to Balak with the Moabite officials God sends an angel to stop his donkey Realising that he cannot curse the Israelites Balaam blesses them instead and foresees a figure whom he identifies as the Star of Jacob who will defeat Israel s enemies This angers Balak but Balaam informs Balak that he cannot say anything except what God tells him to say The longer the Israelites stay on the plains of Shittim the more they intermarry with the local Moabites and the more they participate in the local religion worshipping a deity known as Baal Peor God sends a plague in retaliation and Moses tells the judges to kill anyone participating in this practice When one of Aaron s grandsons Phinehas finds out a Simeonite prince named Zimri has married a Midianite woman named Cozbi he enters their tent and runs a spear through them God rewards him by giving his descendants an everlasting priesthood God also tells the Israelites to consider the Midianites their enemies A new census gives the total number of males from twenty years and upward as 601 730 and the number of the Levites from the age of one month and upward as 23 000 The land shall be divided by lot The daughters of Zelophehad who had no sons are to share in the allotment Moses is ordered to appoint Joshua as his successor Prescriptions for the observance of the feasts and the offerings for different occasions are enumerated Moses orders the Israelites to massacre the people of Midian in retaliation for the Baal Peor incident The Reubenites and the Gadites request Moses to assign them the land east of the Jordan Moses grants their request after they promise to help in the conquest of the land west of the Jordan The land east of the Jordan is divided among the tribes of Reuben Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh Moses recalls the stations at which the Israelites halted during their forty years wanderings and instructs the Israelites to exterminate the Canaanites and destroy their idols The boundaries of the land are spelled out the land is to be divided under the supervision of Eleazar Joshua and twelve princes one of each tribe Composition Edit Balaam and the Angel illustration from the 1493 Nuremberg Chronicle The majority of modern biblical scholars believe that the Torah the books of Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers and Deuteronomy reached its present form in the post Exilic period i e after c 520 BC based on pre existing written and oral traditions as well as contemporary geographical and political realities 7 8 2 The five books are often described as being drawn from four sources schools of writers rather than individuals the Yahwist and the Elohist frequently treated as a single source the Priestly source and the Deuteronomist 9 There is an ongoing dispute over the origins of the non Priestly source s but it is generally agreed that the Priestly source is post exilic 10 Genesis is made up of Priestly and non Priestly material 10 Exodus is an anthology drawn from nearly all periods of Israel s history 11 Leviticus is entirely Priestly and dates from the exilic post exilic period 12 Numbers is a Priestly redaction i e editing of a non Priestly original 2 Deuteronomy now the last book of the Torah began as the set of religious laws these make up the bulk of the book was extended in the early part of the 6th century BCE to serve as the introduction to the Deuteronomistic history the books from Joshua to Kings and later still was detached from that history extended and edited again and attached to the Torah 13 Themes Edit A Plague Inflicted on Israel While Eating the Quail illustration from the 1728 Figures de la Bible David A Clines in his influential The Themes of the Pentateuch 1978 identified the overarching theme of the five books as the partial fulfilment of a promise made by God to the patriarchs Abraham Isaac and Jacob The promise has three elements posterity i e descendants Abraham is told that his descendants will be as innumerable as the stars divine human relationship Israel is to be God s chosen people and land the land of Canaan cursed by Noah immediately after the Deluge 14 The theme of the divine human relationship is expressed or managed through a series of covenants meaning treaties legally binding agreements stretching from Genesis to Deuteronomy and beyond The first is the covenant between God and Noah immediately after the Deluge in which God agrees never again to destroy the Earth with water The next is between God and Abraham and the third between God and all Israel at Mount Sinai In this third covenant unlike the first two God hands down an elaborate set of laws scattered through Exodus Leviticus and Numbers which the Israelites are to observe they are also to remain faithful to Yahweh the god of Israel meaning among other things that they must put their trust in his help 15 The theme of descendants marks the first event in Numbers the census of Israel s fighting men the huge number which results over 600 000 demonstrates the fulfillment of God s promise to Abraham of innumerable descendants as well as serving as God s guarantee of victory in Canaan 16 As chapters 1 10 progress the theme of God s presence with Israel comes to the fore these chapters describe how Israel is to be organized around the Sanctuary God s dwelling place in their midst under the charge of the Levites and priests in preparation for the conquest of the land 17 The Israelites then set out to conquer the land but almost immediately they refuse to enter it and Yahweh condemns the whole generation who left Egypt to die in the wilderness The message is clear failure was not due to any fault in the preparation because Yahweh had foreseen everything but to Israel s sin of unfaithfulness In the final section the Israelites of the new generation follow Yahweh s instructions as given through Moses and are successful in all they attempt 17 The last five chapters are exclusively concerned with land instructions for the extermination of the Canaanites the demarcation of the boundaries of the land how the land is to be divided holy cities for the Levites and cities of refuge the problem of pollution of the land by blood and regulations for inheritance when a male heir is lacking 18 Judaism s weekly Torah portions in the Book of Numbers EditMain article Weekly Torah portion Bemidbar on Numbers 1 4 First census priestly duties Naso on Numbers 4 7 Priestly duties the camp unfaithfulness and the Nazirite Tabernacle consecration Behaalotecha on Numbers 8 12 Levites journeying by cloud and fire complaints questioning of Moses Shlach on Numbers 13 15 Mixed report of the scouts and Israel s response libations bread idol worship fringes Korach on Numbers 16 18 Korah s rebellion plague Aaron s staff buds duties of the Levites Chukat on Numbers 19 21 Red heifer water from a rock Miriam s and Aaron s deaths victories serpents Balak on Numbers 22 25 Balaam s donkey and blessing Pinechas on Numbers 25 29 Phinehas second census inheritance Moses successor offerings and holidays Matot on Numbers 30 32 Vows Midian dividing booty land for Reuben Gad and half of Manasseh Masei on Numbers 33 36 Stations of the Israelites journeys instructions for conquest cities for LevitesSee also EditBalaam Book of the Wars of the Lord Inverted nun only appears twice in the Book of Numbers and seven times in the Book of Psalms Ketef Hinnom scrolls Priestly Blessing Torah What hath God wrought disambiguation Wilderness of SinReferences EditCitations Edit Ashley 1993 p 1 a b c d McDermott 2002 p 21 Olson 1996 p 9 Stubbs 2009 p 19 20 Ashley 1993 p 2 3 Knierim 1995 p 381 Enns 2012 p 5 Finkelstein amp Silberman 2002 pp 68 69 Coogan Brettler amp Newsom 2007 p 6 a b Carr 2000 p 492 Dozeman 2000 p 443 Houston 2003 p 102 Van Seters 2004 p 93 Clines 1997 p 29 Bandstra 2004 p 28 29 Olson 1996 p 14 a b Ska 2006 p 38 Clines 1997 p 62 Sources Edit Ashley Timothy R 1993 The Book of Numbers Eerdmans ISBN 9780802825230 Bandstra Barry L 2004 Reading the Old Testament An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible Wadsworth ISBN 9780495391050 Carr David 2000 Genesis Book of In Freedman David Noel Myers Allen C eds Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible Eerdmans ISBN 9789053565032 Clines David A 1997 The Theme of the Pentateuch Sheffield Academic Press ISBN 9780567431967 Coogan Michael David Brettler Marc Zvi Newsom Carol Ann 2007 Editors Introduction In Coogan Michael David Brettler Marc Zvi Newsom Carol Ann eds The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal Deuterocanonical Books Oxford University Press ISBN 9780195288803 Dozeman Thomas 2000 Exodus Book of In Freedman David Noel Myers Allen C eds Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible Eerdmans ISBN 9789053565032 Enns Peter 2012 The Evolution of Adam Baker Books ISBN 9781587433153 Finkelstein Israel Silberman Neil Asher 2002 The Bible Unearthed Archaeology s New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Sacred Texts Simon and Schuster ISBN 978 0 7432 2338 6 Houston Walter J 2003 Leviticus In Dunn James D G Rogerson John William eds Eerdmans Bible Commentary Eerdmans ISBN 9780802837110 Knierim Rolf P 1995 The Task of Old Testament Theology Substance Method and Cases Eerdmans ISBN 9780802807151 McDermott John J 2002 Reading the Pentateuch A Historical Introduction Pauline Press ISBN 9780809140824 Olson Dennis T 1996 Numbers Westminster John Knox Press ISBN 9780664237363 Plaut Gunther The Torah A Modern Commentary 1981 ISBN 0 8074 0055 6 Ska Jean Louis 2006 Introduction to Reading the Pentateuch Eisenbrauns ISBN 9781575061221 Stubbs David L 2009 Numbers Brazos Press ISBN 9780664237363 Van Seters John 2004 The Pentateuch A Social Science Commentary Continuum International Publishing Group ISBN 9780567080882 Further reading EditBlenkinsopp Joseph 2004 Treasures Old and New Essays in the Theology of the Pentateuch Eerdmans ISBN 9780802826794 Brueggemann Walter 2002 Reverberations of Faith A Theological Handbook of Old Testament Themes Westminster John Knox ISBN 9780664222314 Campbell Antony F O Brien Mark A 1993 Sources of the Pentateuch Texts Introductions Annotations Fortress Press ISBN 9781451413670 Carr David M 2016 The Formation of the Hebrew Bible In Niditch Susan ed The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Ancient Israel John Wiley amp Sons ISBN 9780470656778 Dawes Gregory W 2005 Introduction to the Bible Liturgical Press ISBN 9780814628355 Fretheim Terence E 1998 Numbers In John Barton ed Oxford Bible Commentary Oxford University Press ISBN 9780198755005 Gilbert Christopher 2009 A Complete Introduction to the Bible Paulist Press ISBN 9780809145522 Knierim Rolf P Coats George W 2005 Numbers Eerdmans ISBN 9780802822314 Kugler Robert Hartin Patrick 2009 An Introduction to the Bible Eerdmans ISBN 9780802846365 Van Seters John 1998 The Pentateuch In Steven L McKenzie Matt Patrick Graham ed The Hebrew Bible Today An Introduction to Critical Issues Westminster John Knox Press ISBN 9780664256524 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Book of Numbers Wikisource has original text related to this article Numbers Bible במדבר Bamidbar Numbers Hebrew English at Mechon Mamre org Translations Edit Jewish translations Numbers at Mechon Mamre Jewish Publication Society translation Numbers The Living Torah Archived 2011 08 01 at the Wayback Machine Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan s translation and commentary at Ort org Bamidbar Numbers Judaica Press translation with Rashi s commentary at Chabad orgChristian translations Numbers Online Bible at GospelHall org King James Version oremus Bible Browser New Revised Standard Version oremus Bible Browser Anglicized New Revised Standard Version Numbers at Wikisource Authorized King James Version Numbers at drbo org Douay Rheims Version Bible Numbers public domain audiobook at LibriVox Various versionsBook of NumbersPentateuchPreceded byLeviticus Hebrew Bible Succeeded byDeuteronomyChristianOld Testament Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Book of Numbers amp oldid 1134648167, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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