Numbers 9:1-14

The Passover

1 Thus the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in ¹the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

2 "Now, let the sons of Israel observe the Passover at ²its appointed time.

3 "On the fourteenth * day of this month, at twilight, you shall observe it at its appointed time; you shall observe it according to all its statutes and according to all its ordinances."

4 So Moses told the sons of Israel to observe the Passover.

5 ³They observed the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth * day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; ⁴according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did.

6 But there were some men who were ⁵unclean because of the dead person, so that they could not observe Passover on that day; so ⁶they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.

7 Those men said to him, "Though we are unclean because of the dead person, why are we restrained from presenting the offering of the LORD at its appointed time among the sons of Israel?"

8 Moses therefore said to them, "⁷Wait, and I will listen to what the LORD will command concerning you."

9 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

10 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'If any one of you or of your generations becomes unclean because of a dead person, or is on a distant journey, he may, however, observe the Passover to the LORD.

11 'In the second month on the ⁸fourteenth * day at twilight, they shall observe it; they ⁹shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

12 'They ¹⁰shall leave none of it until morning, ¹¹nor break a bone of it; according to all the statute of the Passover they shall observe it.

13 '¹²But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and yet neglects to observe the Passover, that person shall then be cut off from his people, for he did not present the offering of the LORD at its appointed time. That man ¹³will bear his sin.

14 '¹⁴If an alien sojourns among you and observes the Passover to the LORD, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its ordinance, so he shall do; you shall have ¹⁵one statute, both for the alien and for the native of the land.' "

Numbers 9:1-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 9

In this chapter the command for keeping the passover is repeated, and it was accordingly kept, Nu 9:1-5; but some persons being defiled and disqualified for observing it, Moses inquires of the Lord, on their solicitation, what should be done in such a case, Nu 9:6-8; when it was ordered to be kept by such, and those on journeys, on the fourteenth day of the second month, but not by others, who were to observe it according to its first appointment, Nu 9:9-14; and an account is given of the appearance of the cloud by day, and fire by night, upon the tabernacle, which directed the children of Israel when to journey, and when to pitch their tents, Nu 9:15-23.

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 40:2, 17; Numbers 1:1
• 2. Exodus 12:6; Leviticus 23:5; Deuteronomy 16:1, 2
• 3. Joshua 5:10
• 4. Exodus 12:1-13
• 5. Numbers 5:2; Numbers 19:11-22
• 6. Exodus 18:15; Numbers 27:2
• 7. Exodus 18:15; Psalms 85:8
• 8. 2 Chronicles 30:2, 15
• 9. Exodus 12:8
• 10. Exodus 12:10
• 11. Exodus 12:46; John 19:36
• 12. Genesis 17:14; Exodus 12:15, 47
• 13. Numbers 5:31
• 14. Exodus 12:48
• 15. Exodus 12:49; Leviticus 24:22; Num 15:15, 16, 29

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "between the two evenings," and so throughout the ch
• [b]. Lit "spoke to"
• [c]. Lit "soul of man"
• [d]. Lit "soul of man"
• [e]. Lit "Stand"
• [f]. Lit "soul"
• [g]. Or "ceases"
• [h]. Lit "soul"
• [i]. Or "would observe"