i q s 1-4. Commandment.
t 5. Intention announced.
r u 6,7. Obedience.
v 8,9. Intention. Effected.
q s 10-. Commandment.
t -10. Intention. Predicted.
r u 11. Obedience.
v 12,13. Intention. Accomplished.
1490-1452 B.C.
Numbers 17)
1: And the Lord (Yahaveh) spoke to Moses (see 1:1), saying,
2: "Speak to the sons 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 you every man's name upon his rod.
3: And you shall write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.
4: And you shall lay them up in the tent of the congregation before the ark of the covenant, where I will meet with you.
5: And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from Me the murmurings of the sons of Israel, whereby they murmur against you."
6: And Moses spoke to the sons of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
7: And Moses laid up the rods (Korah's rebellion added 2 things to the tabernacle: Aaron's rod within, bronze plates outside [16:39,40]) before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness (= the tent of [or containing] the testimony [i.e. the ark, and the 2 tables]).
8: And it came to pass, that on the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
9: And Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord to all the sons of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
10: And the Lord said to Moses, "Bring Aaron's rod again before the ark of the covenant, to be kept for a token against the sons of rebellion (genitive of character = rebellious ones);
and you shall quite take away their murmurings from Me, that they not die."
11: And Moses did so: as the Lord commanded him, so he did.
12: And the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, "Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish (Fig., to enhance the alarm of the People).
13: Whosoever comes any thing near to the dwelling place of the Lord shall die: shall we be consumed with dying? (Fig., to emphasize alarm)