Numbers 9:23

23 They camped at God's command and they marched at God's command. They lived obediently by God's orders as delivered by Moses.

Numbers 9:23 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 9:23

At the commandment of the Lord they rested in their tents,
&c.] Though ever so disagreeable:

and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed;
though the circumstances might be such, that they could have liked a continuance; but whether agreeable or disagreeable, they were obedient to the divine will: this, or what is equivalent to it, is frequently observed in this paragraph, to show that the Israelites, though they were an obstinate and perverse people, and must in general be desirous of getting as soon as they could into the land of promise, yet in this case, in all their stations and journeys, were submissive and obedient to the divine will, as all good men should be with respect to happiness; and happy are they who have God to be their guide through it, even unto death:

they kept the charge of the Lord, at the commandment of the Lord by
the hand of Moses;
observed the rest or motion of the cloud, the order and command of God signified thereby, as it was made known unto them by the ministry and means of Moses.

Numbers 9:23 In-Context

21 If the Cloud stayed only from sunset to daybreak and then lifted at daybreak, they marched. Night or day, it made no difference - when the Cloud lifted, they marched.
22 It made no difference whether the Cloud hovered over The Dwelling for two days or a month or a year, as long as the Cloud was there, they were there. And when the Cloud went up, they got up and marched.
23 They camped at God's command and they marched at God's command. They lived obediently by God's orders as delivered by Moses.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.