“Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each fathers’ house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod.
Parallel Translations
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“Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each fathers’ house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod.
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Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.
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(17-17) 'Speak unto 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; thou shalt write every man's name upon his rod.
Cross-references (13)
Passages linked to Numbers 17:2 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Genesis 49:10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.
- Exodus 4:2 Yahweh said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”
- Exodus 4:17 You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”
- Numbers 1:5-16 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.
- Numbers 2:3-30 Those who encamp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah, according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Judah shall be Nahshon the son of Amminadab. His division, and those who were counted of them, were seventy-four thousand six hundred. Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar. The prince of the children of Issachar shall be Nethanel the son of Zuar. His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-four thousand four hundred. The tribe of Zebulun: the prince of the children of Zebulun shall be Eliab the son of Helon. His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred. All who were counted 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 counted 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 counted of them, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred. “The tribe of Gad: the prince of the children of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel. His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty. “All who were counted of the camp of Reuben were one hundred fifty-one thousand four hundred fifty, according to their armies. They shall set out second. “Then the Tent of Meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the middle 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. The prince of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud. His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty thousand five hundred. “Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh. The prince of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. His division, and those who were counted of them, were thirty-two thousand two hundred. “The tribe of Benjamin: the prince of the children of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni. His army, and those who were counted of them, were thirty-five thousand four hundred. “All who were counted 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. The prince of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. His division, and those who were counted of them, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred. “Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher. The prince of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ochran. His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty-one thousand and five hundred. “The tribe of Naphtali: the prince of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan. His division, and those who were counted of them, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.
- Numbers 10:14-27 First, the standard of the camp of the children of Judah went forward according to their armies. Nahshon the son of Amminadab was over his army. Nethanel the son of Zuar was over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar. Eliab the son of Helon was over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun. The tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, went forward. The standard of the camp of Reuben went forward according to their armies. Elizur the son of Shedeur was over his army. Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai was over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon. Eliasaph the son of Deuel was over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad. The Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary. The others set up the tabernacle before they arrived. The standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies. Elishama the son of Ammihud was over his army. Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur was over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh. Abidan the son of Gideoni was over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin. The standard of the camp of the children of Dan, which was the rear guard of all the camps, set forward according to their armies. Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai was over his army. Pagiel the son of Ochran was over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher. Ahira the son of Enan was over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali.
- Psalms 110:2 Yahweh will send out the rod of your strength out of Zion. Rule among your enemies.
- Psalms 125:3 For the scepter of wickedness won’t remain over the allotment of the righteous; so that the righteous won’t use their hands to do evil.
- Ezekiel 19:14 Fire has gone out of its branches. It has devoured its fruit, so that there is in it no strong branch to be a scepter to rule.’ This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.”
- Ezekiel 21:10 It is sharpened that it may make a slaughter. It is polished that it may be as lightning. Should we then make mirth? The rod of my son condemns every tree.
- Ezekiel 21:13 “For there is a trial. What if even the rod that condemns will be no more?” says the Lord Yahweh.
- Ezekiel 37:16-20 “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.’ Then join them for yourself to one another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. “When the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Won’t you show us what you mean by these?’ tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “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, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in my hand. The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes.” ’
- Micah 7:14 Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your heritage, who dwell by themselves in a forest, in the middle of fertile pasture land, let them feed; in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (12 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Num 17:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and…
Num 17:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of [their] fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.
Ver. 2. Take of every one of them a rod.] Or, Staff; the ensign of their honour, {Num 21:18} and of their civil authority; {Psa 110:2 Jer 48:16-17} a suificient witness against them, that the priesthood belonged not to them. Uzziah smarted for invading it. George, prince of Anhalt, was a singular example, qui primus et unus ex omni Principum Germanorum numero, subditos suos ipse et viva voce et scriptis editis de via salutis erudiret, who was the first, and the only German prince, that both by preaching and writing taught his subjects. {a}
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{a} Melch. Adam.
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 Speak unto the children of Israel, that I may…
Speak unto the children of Israel, that I may fully and finally satisfy all their scruples, and take away all pretence and cause of murmuring.
Of every one of them; not of every person, but of every tribe, as it follows.
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A rod; either an ordinary walking staff; or rather, that staff or rod which the princes carried in their hand as tokens of their dignity and authority, as may be gathered from Num 21:18, compared with Psa 110:2; Jer 48:16,17.
According to the house of their fathers, i.e. according to each family proceeding from the patriarch or father of that tribe.
Every man’s name, i.e. every prince’s; for they being the first-born, and the chief of their tribes, might above all others pretend to the priesthood, if it was communicable to any of their tribes, and besides each prince represented and acted for all his tribe; so that this was a full decision of the whole question. And this plate seems to confirm what was before observed, that not only Korah and the Levites, but also those of other tribes, contested with Moses and Aaron about the priesthood, as that which belonged to all the congregation, they being all holy, as they said, Num 16:3.
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 Speak unto the children of Israel,.... The principal men…
Speak unto the children of Israel,.... The principal men among them of the several tribes:
and take of everyone of them; not of every individual of the people of Israel, but of their princes, as afterwards explained:
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a rod, according to the house of their fathers; or "father", of whom their house or tribe was called, as Reuben, Simeon, &c. this rod was either a common walking staff, as some think, or rather the ensign of their princely office and dignity, peculiar to each tribe; though some think it was now freshly cut off from an almond tree, and that all the rods were of one and the same tree; but supposing they were all of the almond kind, as Josephus (d) thinks, yet being dry rods, and of long use, served to make the miracle appear the greater:
of all their princes, according to the house of their fathers, twelve rods; this explains who they were to be taken of, the princes of the several tribes, whose names are given, Num 1:5; and the number of them twelve, according to the number of the twelve tribes:
write thou every man's name upon his rod; the name of each prince, or head of a tribe, either by cutting it into the rod, or fastening a writing to it, after the manner of those times; as, for instance, the name of Elizur for the tribe of Reuben; by which it was to be made and was made to appear, that to none of these tribes belonged the priesthood, but to the tribe of Levi, and to none of that tribe but the family of Aaron; whereby it should seem that some of all the tribes made pretensions to it, as being all holy, and especially the chief firstborn of every tribe, as such their princes were.
(d) Antiqu. l. 4. c. 4. sect. 2.
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 Of every one - Not of every person, but…
Of every one - Not of every person, but of every tribe. A rod - That staff, or rod, which the princes carried in their hands as tokens of their dignity and authority. Every man's name - Every prince's: for they being the first-born, and the chief of their tribes might above all others pretend to the priesthood, if it was communicable to any of their tribes, and besides each prince represented all his tribe: so that this was a full decision of the question. And this place seems to confirm, that not only Korah and the Levites, but also those of other tribes contested with Moses and Aaron about the priesthood, as that which belonged to all the congregation they being all holy.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 2. And take of every one of them…
Verse 2. And take of every one of them a rod] מטה matteh, the staff or sceptre, which the prince or chief of each tribe bore, and which was the sign of office or royalty among almost all the people of the earth.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Num 17:2. Take of every one — Not of…
Num 17:2. Take of every one — Not of every person, but of every tribe. A rod — A twig, or branch, from one and the same almond-tree, as some infer from Num 17:8. Or, according to others, the ordinary rods which the princes of the tribes carried in their hands, as tokens of their dignity and authority, Num 21:18. And indeed the miracle would appear the greater, if neither Aaron’s rod, nor any of the rest, was of the almond-tree. But the miracle was sufficiently great either way to demonstrate the extraordinary interposition of Providence. Every man’s name — Every prince’s: for they being the firstborn, and the chief of their tribes, might, above all others, pretend to the priesthood, if it was communicable to any of their tribes; and besides, the prince represented all his tribe: so that this was a full decision of the question. And this place seems to confirm the opinion, that not only Korah and the Levites, but also those of other tribes, contended with Moses and Aaron about the priesthood, as that which belonged to all the congregation, they being all holy.
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 Compare Eze 37:16 ff.
Compare Eze 37:16 ff.
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 Speak. The cause of the different families of the…
Speak. The cause of the different families of the Levites now being fully decided, that one of the other tribes might pretend to the honour of the priesthood, God orders Moses to propose another miracle to them, of a less terrible nature than the preceding one. --- Man, or prince of the tribe. (Haydock) --- The name of Aaron was written upon his staff, which was taken from an almond tree; those of the princes of the other tribes appeared upon their respective rods, and represented their different families, ver. 3. (Calmet)
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).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 2. A rod — Each chief prince of the…
2. A rod — Each chief prince of the twelve tribes bore a staff or sceptre as the sign of office. Such rods were often hereditary, and of great antiquity. That such dry staves should blossom and bear fruit again is so improbable that the Greeks were accustomed to swear by their sceptres. Thus Achilles:
“But hearken, I will swear a solemn oath,
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By this sceptre, which shall never bud,
Nor boughs bring forth, as once.”
Write… every man’s name — To identify beyond dispute the rod of Aaron after the trial. The illiteracy of Moses and his generation as alleged by some modern writers is here abundantly confuted. Since there were twelve rods, including Levi’s, it is evident that the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim are here counted as one tribe — that of Joseph.
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 2. rods] staves. They were the official staves of…
2. rods] staves. They were the official staves of the princes, symbols of their tribal authority, not fresh rods cut from trees, which might conceivably have blossomed in the ordinary course of nature.
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 (2) And take of every one of them .…
XVII.
(2) And take of every one of them . . . —Better, And take of them a rod for each father’s house.
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Twelve rods.—Some suppose that Aaron’s rod was not included amongst the twelve. Others suppose that one rod only was taken for the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. The latter supposition is more accordant with the terms here employed than the former, and is supported by Deu_27:12-13, where Joseph stands for the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, and Levi is included amongst the twelve tribes.
Write thou every man’s name upon his rod.—This was in accordance with an Egyptian custom. (See Wilkinson’s Ancient Egyptians, III. 388.) The prophet Ezekiel received a similar injunction (Eze_37:16).
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 Take of every one of them a rod. Literally,…
Take of every one of them a rod. Literally, "take of them a rod, a rod," i.e., a rod apiece, in the way immediately particularized hFm (Septuagint, rabdon ,) is used for the staff of Judah (Gen_38:18) and for the rod of Moses. (Exo_4:2) It is also used in the sense of "tribe". (Num_1:4, Num_1:16) Each tribe was but a branch, or rod, out of the stock of Israel, and, therefore, was most naturally represented by the rod cut from the tree. "The words used for scepter in Gen_49:10, and in Psa_45:7, and for rod in Isa_11:1, and elsewhere are different, but the same imagery underlies the use of all of them. Of all their princes... twelve rods. These princes must be those named in chapter 2 and 7. Since among these are to be found the tribe princes of Ephraim and Manasseh, standing upon a perfect equality with the rest, it is evident that the twelve rods were exclusive of that of Aaron. The joining together of Ephraim and Manasseh in Deu_27:12 was a very different thing, because it could not raise any question as between the two.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.