Yahweh said to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the covenant, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their complaining against me, that they not die.”
Parallel Translations
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Yahweh said to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the covenant, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their complaining against me, that they not die.”
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And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.
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(17-25) And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept there, for a token against the rebellious children; that there may be made an end of their murmurings against Me, that they die not.'
Cross-references (13)
Passages linked to Numbers 17:10 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Ephesians 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience.
- Hebrews 9:4 having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which was a golden pot holding the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;
- Isaiah 1:2 Hear, heavens, and listen, earth; for Yahweh has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me.
- Exodus 16:32 Moses said, “This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded, ‘Let an omer-full of it be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’ ”
- Numbers 16:38 even the censers of those who sinned against their own lives. Let them be beaten into plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before Yahweh. Therefore they are holy. They shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”
- Numbers 16:40 to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger who isn’t of the offspring of Aaron, would come near to burn incense before Yahweh, that he not be as Korah, and as his company; as Yahweh spoke to him by Moses.
- Deuteronomy 9:24 You have been rebellious against Yahweh from the day that I knew you.
- Deuteronomy 31:19-26 “Now therefore write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel. For when I have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they have eaten and filled themselves, and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant. It will happen, when many evils and troubles have come on them, that this song will testify before them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten out of the mouths of their descendants; for I know their ways and what they are doing today, before I have brought them into the land which I promised them.” So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel. He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and courageous; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land which I swore to them. I will be with you.” When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, saying, “Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the ark of Yahweh your God’s covenant, that it may be there for a witness against you.
- 1 Samuel 2:12 Now the sons of Eli were wicked men. They didn’t know Yahweh.
- 1 Samuel 30:22 Then all the wicked men and worthless fellows, of those who went with David, answered and said, “Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give them anything of the plunder that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away, and depart.”
- Psalms 57:4 My soul is among lions. I lie among those who are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
- Hosea 10:9 “Israel, you have sinned from the days of Gibeah. There they remained. The battle against the children of iniquity doesn’t overtake them in Gibeah.
- Ephesians 2:2-3 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience. We also all once lived among them in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (14 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Grudging that Aaron should be high Priest.
Grudging that Aaron should be high Priest.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Num 17:10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring…
Num 17:10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.
Ver. 10. And thou shalt quite take away their murmurinus.] Which yet would hardly be done. See on Num 17:5. Many men’s lips, like rusty hinges, for want of the oil of grace and gladness, move not without murmuring and complaining.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain For if after all these warnings and prohibitions, backed…
For if after all these warnings and prohibitions, backed with such miracles and judgments, they shall usurp the priesthood, they shall assuredly die for it.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And Moses did so; as the Lord commanded him,…
And Moses did so; as the Lord commanded him, even so did he. Took Aaron's rod, and laid it up before the ark for the purpose mentioned, being a faithful servant to God in all his house.
And Moses did so; as the Lord commanded him, even so did he. Took Aaron's rod, and laid it up before the ark for the purpose mentioned, being a faithful servant to God in all his house.
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Numbers 17:12
num 17:12
num 17:12
num 17:12And the children of Israel spake unto Moses,.... The princes of the tribes, who had seen the miracle of the rod, and knew that it was laid up in the most holy place, and for what purpose, which gave them a sensible concern: these, and as many as were acquainted with it, addressed Moses upon it, as follows:
saying, behold, we die, we perish, we all perish; which being expressed without the copulative, and in different words, show that they were spoken quick and in haste, and discover the passion of mind and distress they were in, and the sense they had of their sin and danger, fearing they should all die and perish, as many had already; it has respect, as some think, to punishments past and future, so the Targum of Jonathan,"some of us have been consumed by flaming fire, and others of us have been swallowed up in the earth and are lost, and, lo, we are accounted as if all of us would perish.''
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain To be kept for a token - it is…
To be kept for a token - it is probable, the buds and blossoms and fruit, all which could never have grown together, but by miracle, continued fresh, the same which produced them in a night preserving them for ages.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Num 17:10. To be kept for a token —…
Num 17:10. To be kept for a token — It is probable, the buds, and blossoms, and fruit, (all which could never have grown together, but by miracle,) continued fresh, the same power which produced them in a night, preserving them for ages.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The testimony - i. e. the two tables of…
The testimony - i. e. the two tables of the Law; compare Exo 25:16 note. No doubt the rod lay in front of the tables within the ark. In the days of Solomon 1Ki 8:9 there was nothing in the ark save the Two tables. Aaron’s rod was probably lost when the ark was taken by the Philistines.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Testimony. St. Paul (Hebrews ix. 4,) says it was…
Testimony. St. Paul (Hebrews ix. 4,) says it was in the ark. See Deuteronomy xxxi. 26. (Calmet) --- It was not the rod with which so many miracles had been wrought. (Tirinus)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be…
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.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 10. To be kept for a token — Probably…
10. To be kept for a token — Probably the buds, blossoms, and fruit remained upon the rod fresh from age to age, a standing miracle and token of the presence and inworking of the Spirit of God in the priestly office, making its ministrations efficacious for the salvation of obedient Israel.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 10. Put back the staff of Aaron] Cf. Heb_9:4.
10. Put back the staff of Aaron] Cf. Heb_9:4.
the sons of rebellion] A common Heb. idiom to express a quality or characteristic; cf. 2Sa_3:34; 2Sa_7:10; 2Sa_12:6 (marg.); Pro_31:5 (marg.). ‘House of rebellion’ is found very frequently in Ezek. as a designation of the house of Israel.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (10) Bring Aaron’s red again before the testimony.—Better, Put…
(10) Bring Aaron’s red again before the testimony.—Better, Put back (literally, make to return) Aaron’s rod . . . It is not stated here that the rod was put within the ark. Nor is it so stated in Exo_16:33 with regard to the pot of manna. Neither of these was within the ark when it was brought into Solomon’s temple (1Ki_8:9); but this statement is by no means inconsistent with that contained in Heb_9:4, inasmuch as the assertion that there was nothing but the tables of the law in the ark at that time does not prove that there were not other things in it at an earlier period, and may be thought to suggest the inference that such was actually the case. The Jews have a tradition that when King Josiah ordered the ark to be put in the house which King Solomon built, the rod of Aaron and the pot of manna and the anointing oil were hidden with the ark, and that at that time the rod of Aaron had buds and almonds.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Before the testimony. By comparison with verse 7 this…
Before the testimony. By comparison with verse 7 this should mean before the ark in which the "testimony" lay. In Heb_9:4, however, the rod is said to have been in the ark, although before Solo-men"s time it had disappeared. (1Ki_8:9) We may suppose that after it had been inspected by the princes it was deposited for safer preservation and easier conveyance inside the sacred chest. To be kept for a token against the rebels. Rather, "against the rebellious," literally, "children of rebellion". (cf. Eph_2:2, Eph_2:3) It could only serve as a token as long as it retained the evidences of having sprouted and fruited, either miraculously in a fresh state, or naturally in a withered state. As a fact, however, it does not appear that the lesson ever needed to be learnt again, and therefore we may suppose that the rod was left first to shrivel with age, and then to be lost through some accident.
The two brethren and their rods.
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I The rod of Moses, a shepherd"s staff, a commonplace instrument, changed by God"s power into "the rod of God", (Exo_4:17) "the rod of his strength.
(1) For the conviction of Moses himself; (Exo_4:1-5)
(2) for the punishment of the rebellious; (Exo_7:20, &c.);
(3) for the deliverance of God"s servants from imminent danger; (Exo_14:16, Exo_14:26)
(4) for the supply of their most urgent wants; (Exo_17:5, Exo_17:6)
(5) for the conquest of their foes. (Exo_17:9-12) Thus God makes the weakest commonest things of the world "mighty through God". (1Co_1:27 2Co_10:4) The rod of the lowly Jesus is "a rod of strength," or" of iron". (Psa_2:9 Psa_110:2 Isa_11:4)
II The rod of Aaron, a tribal scepter, a symbol of power, as the shepherd"s staff was not. This symbol of authority used for remedial and spiritual purposes.
(1) For the confutation of presumptuous upstarts;
(2) for the preservation of the tempted from further sin and consequent destruction (verse 10):
(3) for a type of the fruitfulness of every institution ordained and sustained by God. See further under verse 8. Thus God makes his mightiest power the means of attaining spiritual ends for the we]fare even of sinners. "Christ the power of God" is "the power of God unto salvation." The "Prince" is also the "Saviour". P. (Act_5:31)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 the covenant decrees
the covenant decrees
The phrase "the covenant decrees" refers to the box that held the tablets that the covenant decrees were written on. AT: "the ark of the covenant" or "the box that holds the covenant decrees" (See: Synecdoche)
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so that you may end complaints against me
The word "complaints" is an abstract noun that can be expressed as a verb. AT: "so that you may stop them from complaining against me" (See: Abstract Nouns)
or they will die
This is what would happen if the people were to continue complaining. God wanted to prevent this. AT: "so that they will not die"
translationWords
Aaron
covenant
decree
sign
guilt
rebel
die
command
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.