Numbers 17:6-13

6 Moses spoke to the Israelites; and all their leaders gave him staffs, one for each leader, according to their ancestral houses, twelve staffs; and the staff of Aaron was among theirs.

7 So Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant.

8 When Moses went into the tent of the covenant on the next day, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted. It put forth buds, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.

9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the Israelites; and they looked, and each man took his staff.

10 And the Lord said to Moses, "Put back the staff of Aaron before the covenant, to be kept as a warning to rebels, so that you may make an end of their complaints against me, or else they will die."

11 Moses did so; just as the Lord commanded him, so he did.

12 The Israelites said to Moses, "We are perishing; we are lost, all of us are lost!

13 Everyone who approaches the tabernacle of the Lord will die. Are we all to perish?"

Numbers 17:6-13 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

• [a]. Or [treaty], or [testimony]; Heb [eduth]
• [b]. Or [treaty], or [testimony]; Heb [eduth]
• [c]. Or [treaty], or [testimony]; Heb [eduth]