American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Numbers 9
1
And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
Reference
2
Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season.
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 23:5
2 Chronicles 35:1
Mark 14:12
Luke 22:7
Numbers 28:16
Ezra 6:19
References Israel
Joshua 5:10
3
In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, you shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall you keep it.
4
And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover.
5
And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.
Reference
References Israel
Joshua 5:10
6
And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 5:2
Numbers 19:16
Numbers 19:11
Exodus 18:19
John 18:28
Numbers 19:18
References Moses
Exodus 18:15
Numbers 27:2
Exodus 18:26
7
And those men said to him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: why are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the LORD in his appointed season among the children of Israel?
8
And Moses said to them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you.
Reference
9
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
10
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover to the LORD.
11
The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
12
They shall leave none of it to the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.
Reference
13
But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and declines to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.
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14
And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover to the LORD; according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: you shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land.
Reference
References Lord
Leviticus 24:22
15
And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was on the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning.
Reference
16
So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
Reference
Parallel theme
Nehemiah 9:12
17
And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud stayed, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
Reference
18
At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long as the cloud stayed on the tabernacle they rested in their tents.
Reference
19
And when the cloud tarried long on the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not.
Reference
References Lord
Zechariah 3:7
20
And so it was, when the cloud was a few days on the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they stayed in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed.
21
And so it was, when the cloud stayed from even to the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.
22
Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried on the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel stayed in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 32:8
Summary of Numbers 9
Numbers 9 describes the first Passover performed by the Israelites after leaving Egypt and being in the wilderness. It also describes what should be done if a person was not able to keep the Passover at the appointed time. Furthermore, numbers 9 tell the reader about the cloud over Israel, the Israelites’ journey through the Wilderness, and their arrival at the mountain of God.
At the beginning of the book of Numbers, chapter 9, the Lord spoke to Moses in the first month of the second year after Israel left Egypt. He told him that the children of Israel must keep the Passover at its appointed time. The Passover reminded the people of God bringing them out of Egypt. Everyone had to bring it in their families at the appointed time. Israelites had to perform this ceremony on the fourteenth day of the first month, at evening.
Moses had to inform the Israelites about keeping the Passover, which they did on the fourteenth day of the month. Numbers 9 show that the nation was in the wilderness for a whole year since they left Egypt. They still had a long way to go ahead of them to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Hence, the passage mentioned that Israel kept the Passover to remember that God brought them out of Egypt.
However, some men were unclean because of a dead body, so they could not keep the Passover with the rest of the nation. Therefore, they approached Moses and Aaron and asked him why they should be kept from bringing an offering to the Lord just because they were unclean at the appointed time. They still wanted to bring the offering, just not at the same time as the rest of the nation.
When Moses said that he did not know what to say, they asked him to take their request to the Lord. GOD saw their concern and told Moses that if a person was unclean because of touching a dead body, or a person was away at a journey, they could keep the Passover one month later.
Furthermore, the passage showed that the instructions for the Passover one month later were almost the same as those for the regular Passover. The person had to eat the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They still had to burn everything the next morning and not break any of the lamb’s bones. The one who kept this Passover had to follow the LORD’s orders as well.
God also said that anyone who was able to keep the Passover but did not want to do so would be cut off from the congregation. This part of the passage demonstrated that the Passover was an important holiday, and every adult male had to participate in it. Those who did not respect this order would be punished.
Furthermore, Numbers 9 showed that the stranger who dwelled among the Israelites had to observe the same rules as the locals. Therefore, there was no specific order for the foreigners concerning the Passover. The foreigners were unclean as well, so they had to keep the Passover one month later if they could not do so with the rest of the nation.
The second part of numbers 9 spoke about the cloud over the tabernacle and the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness. When the tabernacle was set up, a cloud covered it, and in the evening, it looked like fire. This cloud showed the children of Israel the way, and they had to travel only when it lifted from the tabernacle. If the cloud stopped hovering over the tabernacle, the Israelites had to set up their camps. Hence, their journeys were not on their terms. Sometimes the cloud hovered over the tabernacle for several days, and sometimes it was only from evening to morning. There were also times when the cloud stayed motionless for two days or a month or even longer. Regardless of the time, the Israelites had to wait for the cloud to move before they moved as well.
The last part of the passage repeated the idea that the Israelites traveled as the cloud indicated. They had to stay in their tents when the cloud stopped hovering over the tabernacle and march when it began to move. Thus, they always followed GOD’s order concerning their movements. Moreover, they obeyed the instructions concerning the Passover and the cloud over the tabernacle.
Numbers 9 spoke about keeping the Passover and following the guidance shown by the cloud over the tabernacle. The Israelites had to remember that it was God who brought them out of Egypt and his orders concerning the Passover. They also had to understand that their journey in the wilderness depended on God as well. Following God’s instructions was an honor, but refusing to do so would result in severe punishment.
Numbers 9 also mentioned that God’s orders were flexible for those who could not keep the Passover at the appointed time. They still had to observe it, but not during the first month. Those who were unclean had to keep the Passover one month later, and the foreigners who lived among the locals had to observe the same rules as them. Hence, the passage described the life of the Israelites in the wilderness, which was not bound by time or specific conditions. They had to watch the cloud and obey its every movement. Numbers 9 showed that Israel’s wilderness experience prepared them for the long journey ahead.
At the beginning of the book of Numbers, chapter 9, the Lord spoke to Moses in the first month of the second year after Israel left Egypt. He told him that the children of Israel must keep the Passover at its appointed time. The Passover reminded the people of God bringing them out of Egypt. Everyone had to bring it in their families at the appointed time. Israelites had to perform this ceremony on the fourteenth day of the first month, at evening.
Moses had to inform the Israelites about keeping the Passover, which they did on the fourteenth day of the month. Numbers 9 show that the nation was in the wilderness for a whole year since they left Egypt. They still had a long way to go ahead of them to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Hence, the passage mentioned that Israel kept the Passover to remember that God brought them out of Egypt.
However, some men were unclean because of a dead body, so they could not keep the Passover with the rest of the nation. Therefore, they approached Moses and Aaron and asked him why they should be kept from bringing an offering to the Lord just because they were unclean at the appointed time. They still wanted to bring the offering, just not at the same time as the rest of the nation.
When Moses said that he did not know what to say, they asked him to take their request to the Lord. GOD saw their concern and told Moses that if a person was unclean because of touching a dead body, or a person was away at a journey, they could keep the Passover one month later.
Furthermore, the passage showed that the instructions for the Passover one month later were almost the same as those for the regular Passover. The person had to eat the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They still had to burn everything the next morning and not break any of the lamb’s bones. The one who kept this Passover had to follow the LORD’s orders as well.
God also said that anyone who was able to keep the Passover but did not want to do so would be cut off from the congregation. This part of the passage demonstrated that the Passover was an important holiday, and every adult male had to participate in it. Those who did not respect this order would be punished.
Furthermore, Numbers 9 showed that the stranger who dwelled among the Israelites had to observe the same rules as the locals. Therefore, there was no specific order for the foreigners concerning the Passover. The foreigners were unclean as well, so they had to keep the Passover one month later if they could not do so with the rest of the nation.
The second part of numbers 9 spoke about the cloud over the tabernacle and the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness. When the tabernacle was set up, a cloud covered it, and in the evening, it looked like fire. This cloud showed the children of Israel the way, and they had to travel only when it lifted from the tabernacle. If the cloud stopped hovering over the tabernacle, the Israelites had to set up their camps. Hence, their journeys were not on their terms. Sometimes the cloud hovered over the tabernacle for several days, and sometimes it was only from evening to morning. There were also times when the cloud stayed motionless for two days or a month or even longer. Regardless of the time, the Israelites had to wait for the cloud to move before they moved as well.
The last part of the passage repeated the idea that the Israelites traveled as the cloud indicated. They had to stay in their tents when the cloud stopped hovering over the tabernacle and march when it began to move. Thus, they always followed GOD’s order concerning their movements. Moreover, they obeyed the instructions concerning the Passover and the cloud over the tabernacle.
Numbers 9 spoke about keeping the Passover and following the guidance shown by the cloud over the tabernacle. The Israelites had to remember that it was God who brought them out of Egypt and his orders concerning the Passover. They also had to understand that their journey in the wilderness depended on God as well. Following God’s instructions was an honor, but refusing to do so would result in severe punishment.
Numbers 9 also mentioned that God’s orders were flexible for those who could not keep the Passover at the appointed time. They still had to observe it, but not during the first month. Those who were unclean had to keep the Passover one month later, and the foreigners who lived among the locals had to observe the same rules as them. Hence, the passage described the life of the Israelites in the wilderness, which was not bound by time or specific conditions. They had to watch the cloud and obey its every movement. Numbers 9 showed that Israel’s wilderness experience prepared them for the long journey ahead.