Numbers 17:1-6

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods of them, according to the houses of their families, a rod from all their princes, according to the houses of their families, twelve rods, and write the name of each on his rod.

3 And write the name of Aaron on the rod of Levi; for it is one rod : they shall give according to the tribe of the house of their families.

4 And thou shalt put them in the tabernacle of witness, before the testimony, where I will be made known to thee.

5 And it shall be, the man whom I shall choose, his rod shall blossom; and I will remove from me the murmuring of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you.

6 And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and all their chiefs gave him a rod , for one chief a rod, according to the house of their families, twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron in the midst of the rods.

Numbers 17:1-6 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

• [a]. a rod