Numbers 17:10

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.

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.

Grudging that Aaron should be high Priest.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

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.

(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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

GET YOU UP FROM AMONG THIS CONGREGATION, THAT I MAY CONSUME THEM IN A MOMENT. I have not understood the intention of this verse, nor of its companion above, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, for G-d has the power to kill many people in a plague around one righteous person, and he alone remains [alive], as happened during [the plague on] the firstborn of Egypt. Similarly it happened in all other plagues [throughout the generations], that three people would sleep under one blanket — two of them would die whilst the middle one would be saved! It would appear, therefore, that the wrath went forth to slay even the whole congregation with the death of these sinners [Korach and his associates], who had followed in their way, [and so became liable to death either] by the earth opening its mouth or by a consuming fire — these being general punishments which kill all those who are standing there together, unless a miracle of an unusual nature occurs [to save some individuals amongst the people]. Or it may be that the Holy One, blessed be He, said this [Get you up …] in honor of the righteous men, for as long as they were amongst them [the sinners], He would not stretch forth His hand against them. The intention in these and similar words is to inform them that they have to plead for mercy and forgiveness, and Moses in his zeal did so immediately.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.