Numbers 17:3-13

3 and the name of Aaron on the staff of Levi, because one staff [is] for the head of [each of] {their families}.
4 You must then put them in the tent of assembly {before} the testimony where I meet with you.
5 And it will happen, the man whom I will choose, his staff will blossom, and so I will rid from upon myself the grumblings of the {Israelites}, who [are] grumbling against you."
6 Moses spoke to the {Israelites}, and all their leaders gave him a staff for each leader, one from {each of their families}, twelve staffs, and the staff of Aaron [was] in the midst of their tribes.
7 And Moses put the staffs before Yahweh in the tent of testimony.
8 Then the next day, Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi blossomed and put forth a flower and produced blossoms, and it produced almonds.
9 Then Moses brought out to all the {Israelites} all the staffs before the presence of Yahweh, and they saw, and each man took his staff.
10 And Yahweh said to Moses, "Bring back the staff of Aaron before the testimony as a guard and sign for the children of rebellion, and let them finish their grumblings before me and not die."
11 So Moses did; just as Yahweh commanded him, so he did.
12 And the {Israelites} said to Moses, saying, "Look! We will die! We will be destroyed! All of us will perish!
13 Anyone who approaches the tabernacle of Yahweh will die. {Will we all die}?"

Numbers 17:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 17

In this chapter the priesthood of Aaron is further confirmed and established by the budding and blossom of his rod, as it lay among the princes of the several tribes, when theirs did not, Nu 17:1-9; which rod of Aaron was ordered to be laid up before the ark, as a token against the rebels, and to put an end to all murmurings against Aaron for the future; which was accordingly done, Nu 17:10,11; upon which the people expressed their fear of perishing because of their sins, Nu 17:12,13.

Footnotes 10

  • [a]. Literally "the house of their fathers"
  • [b]. Literally "in the presence of"
  • [c]. Or "the statute"
  • [d]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
  • [e]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
  • [f]. Literally "each from the house of their fathers"
  • [g]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
  • [h]. Or "the statute"
  • [i]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
  • [j]. Literally "Will we all die to perish?"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.