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NUMBERS 17

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

 NASB  NKJV  NRSV  TEV   NJB
(MT versing)
The Censers
(follows MT versing)
17:1-3
17:4-5
Aaron Intercedes
17:6-8
17:9-15
Aaron's Rod Buds The budding of Aaron's Rod Aaron's Budding Rod Aaron's Walking Stick Aaron's Branch
17:1-7 17:1-5 17:1-7 17:1-5 17:16-20
17:6-7 17:6-7 17:21-24
17:8-11 17:8-9 17:8-11 17:8-11 17:25-26
17:10-11 Expiation: The Function of the Priesthood
17:12-13 17:12-13 17:12-13 17:12-13 17:27-18:7

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

  1. First paragraph
  2. Second paragraph
  3. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 17:1-7
  1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2"Speak to the sons of Israel, and get from them a rod for each father's household: twelve rods, from all their leaders according to their fathers' households. You shall write each name on his rod, 3and write Aaron's name on the rod of Levi; for there is one rod for the head of each of their fathers' households. 4You shall then deposit them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony, where I meet with you. 5It will come about that the rod of the man whom I choose will sprout. Thus I will lessen from upon Myself the grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling against you." 6Moses therefore spoke to the sons of Israel, and all their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers' households, twelve rods, with the rod of Aaron among their rods. 7So Moses deposited the rods before the Lord in the tent of the testimony.

17:2 "a rod" This NOUN (BDB 641) has a wide semantic field.

  1. a staff
    1. walking staff (symbol of wealth and status as family leader) ‒ Gen. 38:18
      (1) Moses' staff ‒ Exod. 4:2,17,20; 7:2,20; 14:16
      (2) Aaron's staff ‒ Exod. 7:9,10,12,19, etc.
      (3) court magician's staff ‒ Exod. 7:8-12
      (4) God's staff ‒ Exod. 4:20; 17:9
    2. shepherd's staff
    3. symbol of sustaining food ‒ Lev. 20:26
  2. a rod
    1. a weapon ‒ 1 Sam. 14:27
    2. pole of tribe ‒ here
    3. symbol of power/rule ‒ Isa. 9:4; 10:5; 30:32
    4. symbol of wicked power ‒ Ezek. 7:11
    5. symbol of God's discipline ‒ Job 9:34; 21:9; Ps. 89:32
  3. a tribe (i.e., led by one with a leader's staff) ‒ Exod. 31:2; Lev. 24:11; Num. 1:4; Josh. 7:1; Mic. 6:9
  4. branch ‒ Ezek. 19:11,12,14 (twice); see JB; NJB has "branch" in Num. 17:2

The familiar passage in Ps. 23:4 has different but overlapping meanings.

  1. rod ‒ BDB 986
  2. staff ‒ BDB 1044

17:4 "where I meet with you" This phrase shows the uniqueness of Moses' relationship with YHWH (and, by implication, Aaron, cf. Exod. 4:10-16). The issue of YHWH's choice of Moses has already been made!

This rod blooming, like so many visible symbols (cf. v. 10; Num. 16:37-40) of YHWH's presence, power, and purposes, will clearly reveal who is the leader of Israel (v. 5).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 17:8-11
  8Now on the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. 9Moses then brought out all the rods from the presence of the Lord to all the sons of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod. 10But the Lord said to Moses, "Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put an end to their grumblings against Me, so that they will not die." 11Thus Moses did; just as the Lord had commanded him, so he did.

17:8 This verse implies Aaron's rod showed a process of fruitfulness.

  1. sprouted ‒ BDB 827 I, KB 965, Qal PERFECT
  2. put forth buds ‒ BDB 422, KB 425, Hiphil IMPERFECT with waw
  3. blossomed ‒ BDB 847, KB 1013, Hiphil IMPERFECT with waw
  4. produced fruit ‒ BDB 168, KB 19, Qal IMPERFECT with waw

17:8-11 The tribes of Israel (i.e., their leaders) clearly saw and confirmed YHWH's choice.

17:10 YHWH wants Israel's past faithlessness to be a current warning. He does not want to judge His people.

▣ "rebels" This is literally the idiom "sons of rebellion" (BDB 598).

17:11 The theme of "obedience" is crucial in Numbers. See SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 17:12-13
  12Then the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, "Behold, we perish, we are dying, we are all dying! 13Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord, must die. Are we to perish completely?"

17:12-13 These verses seem out of place. They do not fit the flow of the context. There have been several theories.

  1. The Oxford Study Bible, p. 159, suggests they should go after Num. 14:34 (so too, JB)
  2. also possibly after Num. 14:41-45
  3. They represent the repentance of Israel after questioning YHWH's chosen leaders 3 times. They finally see the need of an intermediating priesthood.
  4. It is an introduction to chapter 18.

Plagues were often a divine judgment on Israel, Num. 14:37; 16:45-50; 25:8-9, 18; 31:16; 2 Sam. 24:21, 28; 1 Chr. 21:22; 2 Chr. 21:14-15; Ps. 106:28-31; Jer. 21:6. But, note the purpose was always a purification resulting in repentance and restoration of fellowship and covenant.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

  1. Why does the Hebrew word "rod" also denote a tribe?
  2. If there are 13 tribes, why twelve rods?
  3. Why did God want Aaron's rod kept permanently?
  4. What is the contextual purpose of Num. 17:12-13?

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