the Third Week of Advent
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Bible Commentaries
Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible Barnes' Notes
Census of Israel's Warriors Conducted.Chapter 2
Israelites' Camp Arrangement Around the Tabernacle.Chapter 3
Levites' Duties and Census Described.Chapter 4
Duties of the Kohathites, Gershonites, Merarites.Chapter 5
Laws on Purity, Restitution, and Jealousy.Chapter 6
Nazirite Vow and Aaronic Blessing Established.Chapter 7
Offerings of the Tribal Leaders Presented.Chapter 8
Consecration of the Levites; Lampstand Instructions.Chapter 9
Passover Observed; Cloud Guides Israelites.Chapter 10
Silver Trumpets Used; Israel Departs Sinai.Chapter 11
Israelites Complain; Quail Provided, Plague Strikes.Chapter 12
Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses; Miriam Punished.Chapter 13
Spies Sent to Canaan; Report Given.Chapter 14
Israelites Rebel; Punishment of Wilderness Wandering.Chapter 15
Laws on Offerings and Sabbath Breakers.Chapter 16
Korah's Rebellion; God's Judgment and Plague.Chapter 17
Aaron's Rod Buds, Affirming Priestly Authority.Chapter 18
Duties and Provisions for Priests and Levites.Chapter 19
Purification Laws Using the Red Heifer.Chapter 20
Miriam's Death, Moses' Sin, Aaron's Death.Chapter 21
Victories Over Canaanites; Bronze Serpent.Chapter 22
Balaam's Donkey Speaks; Balaam Blesses Israel.Chapter 23
Balaam's Blessings Over Israel Pronounced.Chapter 24
Balaam's Final Prophecy and Blessing.Chapter 25
Israel's Sin with Moabites; Phinehas' Zeal.Chapter 26
Second Census of Israel's New Generation.Chapter 27
Daughters of Zelophehad; Joshua Appointed Successor.Chapter 28
Daily, Sabbath, and Festival Offerings Listed.Chapter 29
Offerings for Additional Festivals Detailed.Chapter 30
Laws on Vows and Commitments Given.Chapter 31
Vengeance on Midian; Spoils Distributed.Chapter 32
Reuben and Gad Settle East of Jordan.Chapter 33
Israel's Journey Stages from Egypt Reviewed.Chapter 34
Boundaries of Canaan Described; Leaders Appointed.Chapter 35
Cities of Refuge and Levite Towns Assigned.Chapter 36
Inheritance Laws for Daughters Clarified.
- Numbers
by Albert Barnes
Introduction to Numbers
The title commonly given to this book is evidently suggested by the two numberings of the people recorded in Numbers 1:0 and Numbers 26:0.
The book narrates the history of the Israelites during their sojourn in the wilderness from the completion of the law-giving at Sinai, Leviticus 27:34, to their mustering in the plains of Moab for actual entry into the land of promise.
The incidents are generally given in their chronological order, except in the third part. The five chapters comprised in this part appear to deal with a long period, from which only isolated episodes are given; and of these the dates can only be conjectured.
Between the two dates “the first day of the second month of the second year after they were come out of Egypt” Numbers 1:1, and the death of Aaron Numbers 33:38, intervene no less than 38 years and 3 months (compare Deuteronomy 2:14), the long and dreary period of tarrying in the wilderness until the disobedient generation had wasted away.
From the death of Aaron to the date given in the opening verses of Deuteronomy Deuteronomy 1:1-3, occurred a space of exactly six months, in which all the events narrated in the fourth part of the Book of Numbers, from Numbers 20:1 to the end, would seem to have occurred, with the probable exception of the defeat of the king of Arad Numbers 21:1-3.
As regards the authorship and date of composition, the notes of time, the tenor of the contents, no less than the direct assertions of the text itself, lead to the conclusion that Moses is properly spoken of as the writer of the Book of Numbers. It is in substance his work; though many portions of it were probably committed to writing many years before the whole was completed; and the concluding chapters were not written until toward the close of the 40th year after the exodus.
