Numbers 9:9-19

9 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,
10 Speak thou to the sons of Israel, A man of your folk that is unclean upon a soul, either is in the way far (off) , make he pask to the Lord (Say thou to the Israelites, Anyone of your people who is made unclean from contact with a dead body, or is on the way afar off, shall observe the Passover to the Lord)
11 in the second month, in the fourteenth day of the month, at eventide; with therf loaves and lettuces of the field he shall eat it. (in the second month, on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening; yea, they shall eat it with unleavened bread and field lettuce, or bitter herbs.)
12 They shall not leave anything thereof till to the morrowtide, and they shall not break a bone thereof; they shall keep all the custom of pask (they shall follow all the customs, or all the rites, of the Passover).
13 Forsooth if any man is clean, and is not in the way, and nevertheless made not [the] pask, that man shall be destroyed from his peoples, for he offered not sacrifice to the Lord in his time set, or covenable (time); he shall bear his sin. (But if anyone is clean, and is not away, and nevertheless did not observe the Passover, that person shall be cut off from his people, for he did not offer an offering to the Lord at the set, or the appointed, time; he shall bear his sin.)
14 Also if a pilgrim and a comeling is with you, make he pask to the Lord, by the ceremonies and the justifyings thereof; the same behest shall be with (all of) you, as well to a comeling as to a man born in the land. (And if a foreigner or a newcomer is with you, let him observe the Passover to the Lord, with all of its ceremonies and its customs, or its rites; the same law shall apply to all of you, to a newcomer, as well as to someone born in the land.)
15 Therefore in the day in which the tabernacle was raised, a cloud covered it; soothly as the likeness of fire was on the tent, that is, (the) tabernacle, from (the) eventide till to the morrowtide. (And on the day in which the Tabernacle was raised up, a cloud came and covered it; and a brightness like fire was over the Tent, that is, the Tabernacle, from the evening until the morning.)
16 Thus it was done continually, a cloud covered it by day, and as the likeness of fire by night. (Thus it was done continually, that a cloud stood over it by day, and a brightness like fire during the night.)
17 And when the cloud that covered the tabernacle was taken away, then the sons of Israel went forth; and in the place where the cloud stood, there they setted tents. (And when the cloud that covered the Tabernacle lifted up, and moved away, then the Israelites went forth; and in the place where the cloud stopped, there they pitched their tents.)
18 At the commandment of the Lord they went forth, and at his commandment they setted (up) the tabernacle. In all the days in which the cloud stood upon the tabernacle, they dwelled in the same place. (At the Lord's command they went forth, and at his command they put up the Tabernacle. And all the days in which the cloud stood over the Tabernacle, they remained in the same place.)
19 And if it befelled that it dwelled much time upon the tabernacle, the sons of Israel were in the watches of the Lord, and they went not forth, (And if it befell that it stayed a long time over the Tabernacle, the Israelites kept watch for the Lord, and they did not go forth,)

Numbers 9:9-19 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.