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Numbers 25

Worship of Baal of Peor.

1While Israel was living at Shittim,^* the people profaned themselves by prostituting themselves with the Moabite women.^a

2These then invited the people to the sacrifices of their god, and the people ate of the sacrifices^b and bowed down to their god.

3Israel thereby attached itself to the Baal of Peor,^c and the LORD’s anger flared up against Israel.

4^d The LORD said to Moses: Gather all the leaders of the people, and publicly execute them^* before the LORD, that the blazing wrath of the LORD may turn away from Israel.

5So Moses told the Israelite judges, “Each of you kill those of his men who have attached themselves to the Baal of Peor.”^*

Zeal of Phinehas.

6At this a certain Israelite came and brought in a Midianite woman^* to his kindred in the view of Moses and of the whole Israelite community, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

7^e When Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he rose up from the assembly, and taking a spear in his hand,

8followed the Israelite into the tent where he pierced the two of them, the Israelite and the woman. Thus the plague upon the Israelites was checked;

9but the dead from the plague were twenty-four thousand.

10Then the LORD said to Moses:

11Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned my anger from the Israelites by his being as jealous among them as I am; that is why I did not put an end to the Israelites in my jealousy.^*

12^f Announce, therefore, that I hereby give him my covenant of peace,^*

13which shall be for him and for his descendants after him the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous on behalf of his God and thus made expiation for the Israelites.

14^* The name of the slain Israelite, the one slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, son of Salu, prince of a Simeonite ancestral house.

15The name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, daughter of Zur, who was head of a clan, an ancestral house, in Midian.

Vengeance on the Midianites.

16^* The LORD then said to Moses:

17^g Treat the Midianites as enemies and strike them,

18for they have been your enemies by the deceitful dealings they had with you regarding Peor and their kinswoman Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite prince, who was slain at the time of the plague because of Peor.

Numbers 26

The Second Census.

19After the plague

1the LORD said to Moses and Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest:

2Take a census, by ancestral houses, throughout the community of the Israelites of all those of twenty years or more who are eligible for military service in Israel.^a

3So on the plains of Moab along the Jordan at Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest enrolled them,

4those of twenty years or more, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

The Israelites who came out of the land of Egypt were as follows:^*

5^b Reuben, the firstborn of Israel. The descendants of Reuben by their clans were: through Hanoch, the clan of the Hanochites; through Pallu, the clan of the Palluites;

6through Hezron, the clan of the Hezronites; through Carmi, the clan of the Carmites.

7These were the clans of the Reubenites, and those enrolled numbered forty-three thousand seven hundred and thirty.

8From Pallu descended Eliab.

9The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram^c—the same Dathan and Abiram, ones designated by the community, who contended with Moses and Aaron as part of Korah’s faction when they contended with the LORD.

10The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, along with Korah, as a warning. The faction was destroyed when the fire consumed two hundred and fifty men.

11The descendants of Korah, however, did not die out.

12The descendants of Simeon by clans were: through Nemuel,^* the clan of the Nemuelites; through Jamin, the clan of the Jaminites; through Jachin, the clan of the Jachinites;

13through Zerah, the clan of the Zerahites; through Shaul, the clan of the Shaulites.

14These were the clans of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand two hundred.

15The descendants of Gad by clans were: through Zephon, the clan of the Zephonites; through Haggi, the clan of the Haggites; through Shuni, the clan of the Shunites;

16through Ozni, the clan of the Oznites; through Eri, the clan of the Erites;

17through Arod, the clan of the Arodites; through Areli, the clan of the Arelites.

18These were the clans of the descendants of Gad, of whom there were enrolled forty thousand five hundred.

19The sons of Judah were Er and Onan. Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.^d

20The descendants of Judah by their clans were: through Shelah, the clan of the Shelahites; through Perez, the clan of the Perezites; through Zerah, the clan of the Zerahites.

21The descendants of Perez were: through Hezron, the clan of the Hezronites; through Hamul, the clan of the Hamulites.

22These were the clans of Judah, of whom there were enrolled seventy-six thousand five hundred.

23The descendants of Issachar by their clans were: through Tola, the clan of the Tolaites; through Puvah, the clan of the Puvahites;

24through Jashub, the clan of the Jashubites; through Shimron, the clan of the Shimronites.

25These were the clans of Issachar, of whom there were enrolled sixty-four thousand three hundred.

26The descendants of Zebulun by their clans were: through Sered, the clan of the Seredites; through Elon, the clan of the Elonites; through Jahleel, the clan of the Jahleelites.

27These were the clans of the Zebulunites, of whom there were enrolled sixty thousand five hundred.

28The sons of Joseph were Manasseh and Ephraim.

29The descendants of Manasseh by clans were: through Machir, the clan of the Machirites. Now Machir begot Gilead: through Gilead, the clan of the Gileadites.

30The descendants of Gilead were: through Iezer, the clan of the Iezrites; through Helek, the clan of the Helekites;

31through Asriel, the clan of the Asrielites; through Shechem, the clan of the Shechemites;

32through Shemida, the clan of the Shemidaites; through Hepher, the clan of the Hepherites.

33^e As for Zelophehad, son of Hepher—he had no sons, but only daughters. The names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.

34These were the clans of Manasseh, and those enrolled numbered fifty-two thousand seven hundred.

35These were the descendants of Ephraim by their clans: through Shuthelah, the clan of the Shuthelahites; through Becher, the clan of the Becherites; through Tahan, the clan of the Tahanites.

36These were the descendants of Shuthelah: through Eran, the clan of the Eranites.

37These were the clans of the Ephraimites, of whom there were enrolled thirty-two thousand five hundred.

These were the descendants of Joseph by their clans.

38The descendants of Benjamin by their clans were: through Bela, the clan of the Belaites; through Ashbel, the clan of the Ashbelites; through Ahiram, the clan of the Ahiramites;

39through Shupham, the clan of the Shuphamites; through Hupham, the clan of the Huphamites.

40The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: through Ard, the clan of the Ardites; through Naaman, the clan of the Naamites.

41These were the descendants of Benjamin by their clans, of whom there were enrolled forty-five thousand six hundred.

42These were the descendants of Dan by their clans: through Shuham the clan of the Shuhamites. These were the clans of Dan,

43of whom there were enrolled sixty-four thousand four hundred.

44The descendants of Asher by their clans were: through Imnah, the clan of the Imnites; through Ishvi, the clan of the Ishvites; through Beriah, the clan of the Beriites;

45through Heber, the clan of the Heberites; through Malchiel, the clan of the Malchielites.

46The name of Asher’s daughter was Serah.

47These were the clans of the descendants of Asher, of whom there were enrolled fifty-three thousand four hundred.

48The descendants of Naphtali by their clans were: through Jahzeel, the clan of the Jahzeelites; through Guni, the clan of the Gunites;

49through Jezer, the clan of the Jezerites; through Shillem, the clan of the Shillemites.

50These were the clans of Naphtali, of whom there were enrolled forty-five thousand four hundred.

51These were the Israelites who were enrolled: six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.

Allotment of the Land.^*

52The LORD said to Moses:

53^f Among these the land shall be divided as their heritage in keeping with the number of people named.

54^g To a large tribe you shall assign a large heritage, to a small tribe a small heritage, each receiving its heritage in proportion to the number enrolled in it.

55But the land shall be divided by lot, all inheriting according to the lists of their ancestral tribes.

56As the lot falls the heritage of each tribe, large or small, will be assigned.

Census of the Levites.

57These were the Levites enrolled by clans: through Gershon, the clan of the Gershonites; through Kohath, the clan of the Kohathites; through Merari, the clan of the Merarites.

58These were clans of Levi: the clan of the Libnites, the clan of the Hebronites, the clan of the Mahlites, the clan of the Mushites, the clan of the Korahites.^*

Now Kohath begot Amram,

59whose wife was named Jochebed. She was the daughter of Levi, born to Levi in Egypt. To Amram she bore Aaron and Moses and Miriam their sister.

60To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

61But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD.

62The Levites enrolled were twenty-three thousand, every male one month or more of age.^h They were not enrolled with the other Israelites, however, for no heritage was given them among the Israelites.

63These, then, were those enrolled by Moses and Eleazar the priest, when they enrolled the Israelites on the plains of Moab along the Jordan at Jericho.

64Among them there was not one of those who had been enrolled by Moses and Aaron the priest, when they enrolled the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai.

65ⁱ For the LORD had told them that they would surely die in the wilderness, and not one of them was left except Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, son of Nun.

Numbers 27

Zelophehad’s Daughters.

1The daughters of Zelophehad, son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, came forward. (Zelophehad belonged to the clans of Manasseh, son of Joseph.) The names of his daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.^a

2Standing before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the princes, and the whole community at the entrance of the tent of meeting, they said:

3“Our father died in the wilderness. Although he did not join the faction of those who conspired against the LORD,^* Korah’s faction, he died for his own sin without leaving any sons.

4But why should our father’s name be cut off from his clan merely because he had no son? Give us land among our father’s kindred.”

Laws Concerning Heiresses.^*

5So Moses laid their case before the LORD,

6and the LORD said to him:

7The plea of Zelophehad’s daughters is just; you shall give them hereditary land among their father’s kindred and transfer their father’s heritage to them.

8Tell the Israelites: If a man dies without leaving a son, you shall transfer his heritage to his daughter;

9if he has no daughter, you shall give his heritage to his brothers;

10if he has no brothers, you shall give his heritage to his father’s brothers;

11if his father had no brothers, you shall give his heritage to his nearest relative in his clan, who shall then take possession of it.

This will be the statutory procedure for the Israelites, as the LORD commanded Moses.^b

Joshua to Succeed Moses.

12The LORD said to Moses: Go up into this mountain of the Abarim range^* and view the land that I have given to the Israelites.^c

13When you have viewed it, you will be gathered to your people, as was Aaron your brother.^d

14For in the rebellion of the community in the wilderness of Zin you both rebelled against my order to acknowledge my holiness before them by means of the water.^e (These were the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)

15Then Moses said to the LORD,

16“May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all humanity,^* set over the community someone

17who will be their leader in battle and who will lead them out and bring them in, that the LORD’s community may not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

18And the LORD replied to Moses: Take Joshua, son of Nun,^f a man of spirit,^* and lay your hand upon him.

19Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole community, and commission him in their sight.

20Invest him with some of your own power, that the whole Israelite community may obey him.

21He shall present himself to Eleazar the priest, who will seek for him the decision of the Urim^* in the LORD’s presence; and as it directs, Joshua, all the Israelites with him, and the whole community will go out for battle; and as it directs, they will come in.

22Moses did as the LORD had commanded him. Taking Joshua and having him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole community,

23he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD had directed through Moses.

Numbers 28

General Sacrifices.

1The LORD said to Moses:

2Give the Israelites this commandment: At their prescribed times, you will be careful to present to me the food offerings that are due me, oblations of pleasing aroma to me.

Each Morning and Evening.

3^a You will tell them therefore: This is the oblation which you will offer to the LORD: two unblemished yearling lambs each day as the regular burnt offering,^*

4offering one lamb in the morning and the other during the evening twilight,

5each with a grain offering of one tenth of an ephah of bran flour mixed with a fourth of a hin of oil of crushed olives.^*

6This is the regular burnt offering that was made at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, an oblation to the LORD.

7And as the libation for the first lamb, you will make a libation to the LORD in the sanctuary^* of a fourth of a hin of strong drink.

8The other lamb you will offer during the evening twilight, making the same grain offering and the same libation as in the morning, as an oblation of pleasing aroma to the LORD.

On the Sabbath.

9On the sabbath day: two unblemished yearling lambs, with a grain offering of two tenths of an ephah of bran flour mixed with oil, and its libation.

10This is the sabbath burnt offering each sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its libation.

At the New Moon Feast.

11On your new moons^* you will offer as a burnt offering to the LORD two bulls of the herd, one ram, and seven unblemished yearling lambs,

12with three tenths of an ephah of bran flour mixed with oil as the grain offering for each bull, two tenths of an ephah of bran flour mixed with oil as the grain offering for the ram,

13and one tenth of an ephah of bran flour mixed with oil as the grain offering for each lamb, a burnt offering with a pleasing aroma, an oblation to the LORD.

14Their libations will consist of a half a hin of wine for each bull, a third of a hin for the ram, and a fourth of a hin for each lamb. This is the burnt offering for the new moon, for every new moon through the months of the year.

15Moreover, there will be one goat for a purification offering to the LORD; it will be offered in addition to the regular burnt offering and its libation.

At the Passover.

16The fourteenth day^* of the first month is the Passover of the LORD,^b

17and the fifteenth day of this month is the pilgrimage feast. For seven days unleavened bread is to be eaten.

18On the first day you will declare a holy day, and you shall do no heavy work.^{* c}

19You will offer an oblation, a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls of the herd, one ram, and seven yearling lambs that you are sure are unblemished.

20Their grain offerings will be of bran flour mixed with oil; you will offer three tenths of an ephah for each bull and two tenths for the ram.

21You will offer one tenth for each of the seven lambs;

22and one goat as a purification offering to make atonement for yourselves.

23These offerings you will make in addition to the morning burnt offering which is part of the regular burnt offering.

24You will make exactly the same offerings each day for seven days as food offerings, oblations of pleasing aroma to the LORD; they will be offered in addition to the regular burnt offering with its libation.

25On the seventh day you will declare a holy day: you shall do no heavy work.^d

At Pentecost.

26On the day of first fruits,^* on your feast of Weeks,^e when you present to the LORD an offering of new grain, you will declare a holy day: you shall do no heavy work.

27You will offer burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the LORD: two bulls of the herd, one ram, and seven yearling lambs that you are sure are unblemished.

28Their grain offerings will be of bran flour mixed with oil: three tenths of an ephah for each bull, two tenths for the ram,

29and one tenth for each of the seven lambs.

30One goat will be for a purification offering to make atonement for yourselves.

31You will make these offerings, together with their libations, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering.

Hebrews 4:15-5:10

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The complete Book of Numbers

THE BOOK OF NUMBERS

The Book of Numbers derives its name from the account of the two censuses taken of the Hebrew people, one near the beginning and the other toward the end of the journey in the wilderness (chaps. 1 and 26). It continues the story of that journey begun in Exodus, and describes briefly the experiences of the Israelites for a period of thirty-eight years, from the end of their encampment at Sinai to their arrival at the border of the promised land. Numerous legal ordinances are interspersed in the account, making the book a combination of law and history.

The book divides neatly into two parts. Each part begins with a census of the people (chaps. 1 and 26) and inaugurates a period of preparation prior to entering the promised land. In the first case these preparations come to a tragic end when scouts are sent forth to survey the promised land (chaps. 13–14). Upon their return, the people are so disheartened by the description of the native inhabitants and the seemingly impossible task that lies in front of them that they refuse to enter the land. This results in a decision to doom that entire generation to death and to allow another generation the chance to enter. After the death of the first generation, then, a second census is taken (chap. 26) and again preparations are made to enter the land. In this case, however, the birth of a new generation suggests these preparations will not be in vain. The book ends with the Israelites across the Jordan outside the land of Canaan, underscoring a chief theme of the Pentateuch as a whole: the people anticipating the fulfillment of God’s promise of the land.

In the New Testament numerous allusions to incidents in the Book of Numbers appear: the bronze serpent (Jn 3:14–15), the sedition of Korah and its consequences (1 Cor 10:10), the prophecies of Balaam (2 Pt 2:15–16), and the water gushing from the rock (1 Cor 10:4).

The chief divisions of the Book of Numbers are as follows:

Census and Preparation for the Departure from Sinai (1:1–10:10)
Departure, Rebellion, and Wandering in the Wilderness for Forty Years (10:11–25:18)
Second Census of a New Generation and Preparation to Enter the Promised Land (25:19–36:13)

I. CENSUS AND PREPARATION FOR THE DEPARTURE FROM SINAI

The book of Hebrews

THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS

As early as the second century, this treatise, which is of great rhetorical power and force in its admonition to faithful pilgrimage under Christ’s leadership, bore the title “To the Hebrews.” It was assumed to be directed to Jewish Christians. Usually Hebrews was attached in Greek manuscripts to the collection of letters by Paul. Although no author is mentioned (for there is no address), a reference to Timothy (Heb 13:23) suggested connections to the circle of Paul and his assistants. Yet the exact audience, the author, and even whether Hebrews is a letter have long been disputed.

The author saw the addressees in danger of apostasy from their Christian faith. This danger was due not to any persecution from outsiders but to a weariness with the demands of Christian life and a growing indifference to their calling (Heb 2:1; 4:14; 6:1–12; 10:23–32). The author’s main theme, the priesthood and sacrifice of Jesus (Heb 3–10), is not developed for its own sake but as a means of restoring their lost fervor and strengthening them in their faith. Another important theme of the letter is that of the pilgrimage of the people of God to the heavenly Jerusalem (11:10; 12:1–3, 18–29; 13:14). This theme is intimately connected with that of Jesus’ ministry in the heavenly sanctuary (Heb 9:11–10:22).

The author calls this work a “message of encouragement” (Heb 13:22), a designation that is given to a synagogue sermon in Acts 13:15. Hebrews is probably therefore a written homily, to which the author gave an epistolary ending (Heb 13:22–25). The author begins with a reminder of the preexistence, incarnation, and exaltation of Jesus (Heb 1:3) that proclaimed him the climax of God’s word to humanity (Heb 1:1–3). He dwells upon the dignity of the person of Christ, superior to the angels (Heb 1:4–2:2). Christ is God’s final word of salvation communicated (in association with accredited witnesses to his teaching: cf. Heb 2:3–4) not merely by word but through his suffering in the humanity common to him and to all others (Heb 2:5–16). This enactment of salvation went beyond the pattern known to Moses, faithful prophet of God’s word though he was, for Jesus as high priest expiated sin and was faithful to God with the faithfulness of God’s own Son (Heb 2:17–3:6).

Just as the infidelity of the people thwarted Moses’ efforts to save them, so the infidelity of any Christian may thwart God’s plan in Christ (3:6–4:13). Christians are to reflect that it is their humanity that Jesus took upon himself, with all its defects save sinfulness, and that he bore the burden of it until death out of obedience to God. God declared this work of his Son to be the cause of salvation for all (Heb 4:14–5:10). Although Christians recognize this fundamental teaching, they may grow weary of it and of its implications, and therefore require other reflections to stimulate their faith (5:11–6:20).

Therefore, the author presents to the readers for their reflection the everlasting priesthood of Christ (Heb 7:1–28), a priesthood that fulfills the promise of the Old Testament (Heb 8:1–13). It also provides the meaning God ultimately intended in the sacrifices of the Old Testament (Heb 9:1–28): these pointed to the unique sacrifice of Christ, which alone obtains forgiveness of sins (Heb 10:1–18). The trial of faith experienced by the readers should resolve itself through their consideration of Christ’s ministry in the heavenly sanctuary and his perpetual intercession there on their behalf (Heb 7:25; 8:1–13). They should also be strengthened by the assurance of his foreordained parousia, and by the fruits of faith that they have already enjoyed (Heb 10:19–39).

It is in the nature of faith to recognize the reality of what is not yet seen and is the object of hope, and the saints of the Old Testament give striking example of that faith (Heb 11:1–40). The perseverance to which the author exhorts the readers is shown forth in the earthly life of Jesus. Despite the afflictions of his ministry and the supreme trial of his suffering and death, he remained confident of the triumph that God would bring him (Heb 12:1–3). The difficulties of human life have meaning when they are accepted as God’s discipline (Heb 12:4–13), and if Christians persevere in fidelity to the word in which they have believed, they are assured of possessing forever the unshakable kingdom of God (Heb 12:14–29).

The letter concludes with specific moral commandments (Heb 13:1–17), in the course of which the author recalls again his central theme of the sacrifice of Jesus and the courage needed to associate oneself with it in faith (Heb 13:9–16).

As early as the end of the second century, the church of Alexandria in Egypt accepted Hebrews as a letter of Paul, and that became the view commonly held in the East. Pauline authorship was contested in the West into the fourth century, but then accepted. In the sixteenth century, doubts about that position were again raised, and the modern consensus is that the letter was not written by Paul. There is, however, no widespread agreement on any of the other suggested authors, e.g., Barnabas, Apollos, or Prisc(ill)a and Aquila. The document itself has no statement about its author.

Among the reasons why Pauline authorship has been abandoned are the great difference of vocabulary and style between Hebrews and Paul’s letters, the alternation of doctrinal teaching with moral exhortation, the different manner of citing the Old Testament, and the resemblance between the thought of Hebrews and that of Alexandrian Judaism. The Greek of the letter is in many ways the best in the New Testament.

Since the letter of Clement of Rome to the Corinthians, written about A.D. 96, most probably cites Hebrews, the upper limit for the date of composition is reasonably certain. While the letter’s references in the present tense to the Old Testament sacrificial worship do not necessarily show that temple worship was still going on, many older commentators and a growing number of recent ones favor the view that it was and that the author wrote before the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. In that case, the argument of the letter is more easily explained as directed toward Jewish Christians rather than those of Gentile origin, and the persecutions they have suffered in the past (cf. Heb 10:32–34) may have been connected with the disturbances that preceded the expulsion of the Jews from Rome in A.D. 49 under the emperor Claudius. These were probably caused by disputes between Jews who accepted Jesus as the Messiah and those who did not.

The principal divisions of the Letter to the Hebrews are the following:

1. Introduction (1:1–4)
2. The Son Higher than the Angels (1:5–2:18)
3. Jesus, Faithful and Compassionate High Priest (3:1–5:10)
4. Jesus’ Eternal Priesthood and Eternal Sacrifice (5:11–10:39)
5. Examples, Discipline, Disobedience (11:1–12:29)
6. Final Exhortation, Blessing, Greetings (13:1–25)