Exo 28:1, Lev 8:2, Num 3:3, 16:5, 7, 10, 35, 40, 46-48, 17:3-11, 18:1-5 | TSK | STEP | Aaron and his sons are set apart for the priest's office. Holy garments are appointed. The ephod and girdle. The breast-plate with twelve precious stones. The Urim and Thummim. The robe of the ephod, with pomegranates and bells. The plate of the mitre. The embroidered coat. The garments for Aaron's sons. take. among. Nadab.

the plague is begun.God now punished them by a secret blast, so as to put the matter beyond dispute; His hand, and His alone, was seen, not only in the plague, but in the manner in which the mortality was arrested. It was necessary that it should be done in this way, that the whole congregation might see that these men who had perished were not "the people of the Lord," and that God, not Moses and Aaron, had destroyed them.

and ran.

Mt 5:44; Ro 12:21

and behold.

Ps 106:29

and he put.

46; De 33:10,11; Isa 53:10-12 What the plague was we know not; but it seems from this to have begun at one part of the camp, and to have proceeded regularly onward.

18,35; 25:8-11; 2Sa 24:16,17,25; 1Ch 21:26,27; 1Th 1:10

1Ti 2:5,6; Heb 7:24,25; Jas 5:16; Joh 5:14

Numbers 17:3-11

3:2,3; 18:1,7; Ex 6:16,20

Ex 25:16-22; 29:42,43; 30:6,36

Whom I.

16:5

blossom.

8; Isa 5:24; 11:1; 27:6; 35:1,2; Ho 14:5

I will.

10; Isa 13:11; Eze 16:41; 23:27

they murmur.

16:11

a rod a-piece, for each prince one. Heb. a rod for oneprince, a rod for one prince. See on ver.

18:2; Ex 38:21; Ac 7:44

the rod of Aaron.This fact was so unquestionably miraculous, that no doubt could remain on the minds of the people, or the envious chiefs, of the divine appointment of Aaron: and as there were buds, blossoms, and fruit on the rod at the same time, which was never the case with branches in the natural and ordinary course, this evidently proved the miracle, and took away all suspicion of the fraud which has been impiously suggested, that Moses had taken away Aaron's rod in the night time, and put a living branch of an almond tree in the room of it. A sceptre or staff of office resuming its vegetative life, was considered an absolute impossibility among the ancients; and as they were accustomed to swear by their sceptres, this circumstance was added to confirm the oath.

budded.

5; Ge 40:10; Ps 110:2; 132:17,18; So 2:3; Isa 4:2; Eze 17:24

Eze 19:12,14; Joh 15:1-6

Bring Aaron's.

Heb 9:4

for a token.

16:38,40; Ex 16:32; De 31:19-26

rebels. Heb. children of rebellion.

1Sa 2:12; 30:22; Ps 57:4; Isa 1:2; Ho 10:9; Eph 2:2,3; 5:6

and thou.

Numbers 18:1-5

1 The charge of the priests and Levites.

8 The priests' portion.

21 The Levites' portion.

25 The heave offering to the priests out of the Levites' portion.

Aaron, Thou.

17:3,7,13; Heb 4:15

shall bear.To counterbalance the high honour conferred on Aaron and his family, and to allay the fears and abate the envy of the people, it is here declared, that the priest must bear the blame of everything which was not properly conducted in the sanctuary.

22; 14:34; Ex 28:38; Le 22:9; Isa 53:6,11; Eze 3:18,19

Ac 20:26,27; Heb 13:17; 1Pe 2:24

joined unto thee.There is a fine paronomasia in the original. Levi is desired from {lawah,} to join, couple, associate; hence Moses says, the Levites {yillawoo,} "shall be joined," or associated, with the priests: they shall conjointly perform the sacred office, but the priests shall be principal, the Levites their associates or assistants.

4; Ge 29:34

minister.

3:6-9; 8:19,22

but thou.

3:10-13; 4:15; 16:40; 17:7; 1Ch 16:39,40; 2Ch 30:16; Eze 44:15

only they.

3:25,31,36; 4:19,20; 16:40

neither.

4:15

a stranger.

1:51; 3:10; 1Sa 6:19; 2Sa 6:6,7

And ye.

8:2; Ex 27:21; 30:7-10; Le 24:3; 1Ch 9:19,23,33; 24:5; 1Ti 1:18

1Ti 3:15; 5:21; 6:20

no wrath.

8:19; 16:46; Jer 23:15; Zec 10:3