Num 10:11-14:45 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Num 10:11-36: 10:11-36 Leaving Sinai was a pivotal moment in Israel’s history. Now the Israelites had the law and would be tested as to how they would keep it. The departure from Sinai was the beginning of the march toward Canaan, though it turned into a long journey (cp. Deut 1:6-8 , 19 ). This passage summarizes the daily procedures on the journey.

Summary for Num 10:11-36: 10:11-36 ^a Leaving Sinai was a pivotal moment in Israel’s history. Now the Israelites had the law and would be tested as to how they would keep it. The departure from Sinai was the beginning of the march toward Canaan, though it turned into a long journey (cp. Deut 1:6-8 ^b, 19 ^c). This passage summarizes the daily procedures on the journey.
10:12 ^d The Israelites marched to the wilderness of Paran, an arid or semi-arid region in the northeastern part of the Sinai Peninsula, south of the Negev and west of the Dead Sea/Arabah Rift (cp. Gen 21:21 ^e).
Summary for Num 10:13-28: 10:13-28 ^f The order of march is different here than in 2:3-34 ^g, which specifies that all three clans of Levites were to carry the Tabernacle and its furnishings in the middle of the troop, between the groups headed by Judah and Reuben and the groups headed by Ephraim and Dan. Here, the Gershonites and Merarites carried the components of the Tabernacle structure between Judah and Reuben, and the Kohathites carried the most sacred furniture between Reuben and Ephraim. This useful arrangement allowed time for the Gershonites and Merarites to set up the Tabernacle before the Kohathites arrived with the sacred objects. It also provided security for their special cargo, and it spread the Levites out among the tribes, perhaps enhancing the leavening effect of their influence (cp. Matt 13:33 ^h; 16:6 ⁱ, 11-12 ^j; 1 Cor 5:6-7 ^k).
Summary for Num 10:29-32: 10:29-32 ^l After the trek toward Paran had begun, Moses took the practical step of asking his brother-in-law, Hobab (cp. Judg 4:11 ^m), to join the Israelites as their guide (literally to serve as Israel’s eyes) and so to share in their promised blessings. As a Midianite shepherd, Hobab knew the routes and possible sources of food and water in this region of the Sinai Peninsula.

• Reuel the Midianite: See profile for Jethro (Reuel) at end of chapter.

• my own land and family: Midian was probably in northwestern Arabia. Judges 1:16 ⁿ suggests that Hobab accepted the appeal.
10:33 ^o The mountain of the Lord refers here to Mount Sinai; elsewhere the expression refers to Mount Moriah or Zion in Jerusalem (Gen 22:14 ^p; Ps 24:3 ^q; Isa 2:3 ^r; Zech 8:3 ^s).
10:35 ^t Moses’ invocation, spoken when the Ark set out, acknowledged the Lord as a warrior who would give Israel the Promised Land and called him to fight Israel’s battles (cp. Ps 68:1 ^u).
10:36 ^v This invocation called the Lord to join his people and protect Israel while they camped.

Profile: Jethro (Reuel)
Jethro, also called Reuel (Exod 2:16-18 ^w; Num 10:29 ^x), was “the priest of Midian” (Exod 2:16 ^y). Moses rescued Jethro’s seven daughters from the rough treatment of other shepherds at a well and helped them water their flocks. At home they told their father of this surprising encounter with “an Egyptian.” Jethro responded gratefully by inviting Moses for a meal, and Moses proceeded to settle there. At a later point, Jethro gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
While Moses was still living in Midian near his father-in-law, he encountered God at the burning bush (Exod 3:1-2 ^z). Before leaving for Egypt, Moses asked Jethro’s permission to go; he later sent his family to stay with Jethro during the Exodus.
When Moses and the Israelites were in the wilderness, Jethro returned with Moses’ family. Jethro, having heard of Yahweh’s deliverance of his people from Egypt, acknowledged him as the God of all gods. He worshiped Yahweh with a burnt offering and sacrifices, thereby identifying himself with Israel (18:11 ^aa). In response, Israel’s leaders joined him for “a sacrificial meal in God’s presence” (18:12 ^ab).
Jethro saw that Moses was overwhelmed with caring for the vast numbers of Israelites, so he gave Moses good administrative advice about organizing the people more efficiently and about judging disputes among the people (18:13-23 ^ac). Moses listened to this counsel and appointed able men to assist him as leaders and judges over the people (18:24-27 ^ad). Jethro returned to Midian and seems not to have interacted further with Israel, but his son (Num 10:29-33 ^ae) and other descendants later settled with the Israelites (Judg 1:16 ^af; 4:11 ^ag).

Passages for Further Study
Exod 2:16-25 ^ah; 3:1 ^ai; 18:1-27 ^aj; Num 10:29 ^ak; Judg 1:16 ^al; 4:11 ^am

‏ Numbers 11

Summary for Num 11:1-35: 11:1-35 ^an This is one of many occasions in the wilderness when Israel was disobedient to the Lord. 11:1 ^ao Soon the people began to complain. ... Then the Lord’s anger blazed: The link between Israel’s complaints and God’s anger is a major theme of Numbers and throughout the Old Testament (e.g., Deut 9:22 ^ap; Ps 78 ^aq). God is holy and just, and he demands obedience from his people. Complaints are equivalent to rejecting him (cp. Num 11:20 ^ar).

• their hardship: Mount Sinai had provided a stable residence for a year; the road to Paran provided heat, thirst, and fatigue.

• fire ... destroyed some: Cp. Lev 10:2 ^as.
Summary for Num 11:2-3: 11:2-3 ^at The people sought Moses’ intercession again (cp. Exod 15:25 ^au; 32:11-14 ^av), which brought an end to the fire of God’s judgment.

• Taberah: Cp. Num 11:34-35 ^aw; see Deut 9:22 ^ax.
Summary for Num 11:4-15: 11:4-15 ^ay Israel had not relinquished the attitude that brought about the judgment at Taberah (11:1-3 ^az), so they readily joined the foreign rabble in craving the delicacies of Egypt, forgetting the misery of slavery there.
Summary for Num 11:4-6: 11:4-6 ^ba Oh, for some meat! The Israelites had flocks and herds (e.g., 32:1 ^bb; Exod 12:32 ^bc, 38 ^bd; 17:3 ^be; 34:3 ^bf), but the animals were more valuable for their dairy products and other benefits produced while alive and were only butchered for meat on a selective basis. The Hebrews would not have had enough meat to feed such a large population regularly (cp. Num 11:21-22 ^bg).
11:6 ^bh The Lord had earlier provided manna and quail (Exod 16 ^bi).
Summary for Num 11:7-9: 11:7-9 ^bj The manna has often been explained as one of various edible substances that occur naturally (but see Deut 8:3 ^bk); even so, its quantity and duration were miraculous.
Summary for Num 11:10-15: 11:10-15 ^bl The Israelites’ persistent whining led a frustrated Moses to register his own complaints with God. With biting sarcasm, Moses reminded God that he had not wanted this job in the first place (cp. Exod 4:10 ^bm). Israel became such a burden that Moses wished that God would do him the favor of killing him (cp. Job 6:9 ^bn).

• Moses’ complaint was acceptable, unlike the complaints of the people, because he was seeking the Lord rather than pining for the delights of Egypt.
Summary for Num 11:16-30: 11:16-30 ^bo When Jethro proposed a judicial hierarchy (Exod 18:13-26 ^bp), he was concerned with practical matters, as were the tribal leaders who helped Moses with the registration (Num 1:5-15 ^bq). By contrast, this group of seventy ... elders would provide Israel with spiritual guidance. They needed a share of God’s Spirit that already rested upon Moses and made him the Lord’s special spokesman. Their capacity as leaders depended on the presence of God’s Spirit (cp. 1 Sam 10:6 ^br; 19:20 ^bs; Joel 2:28 ^bt; Acts 2:16-18 ^bu; 1 Cor 12:10 ^bv; 2 Pet 1:20-21 ^bw).
11:25 ^bx We are not told what happened when the Spirit rested upon them and they prophesied. Whatever happened (possibly ecstatic utterances; cp. Acts 2:4 ^by; 1 Cor 14:2 ^bz), it was a unique occurrence.
Summary for Num 11:28-29: 11:28-29 ^ca Joshua’s zealous protest was prompted by his jealousy in a worthy but immature desire to safeguard his master’s status. Moses was humble (Num 12:3 ^cb) and was not threatened by Eldad and Medad’s prophecy. Instead, he was magnanimous about sharing the spotlight and happy to learn that God was working through others in such special ways. Moses had leadership qualities that the younger Joshua had not yet acquired (cp. Mark 9:38-40 ^cc).
Summary for Num 11:31-35: 11:31-35 ^cd God responded to the people’s complaints by sending a storm of quail and a plague. God had provided quail along with manna in Exod 16:13 ^ce, but here they expressed God’s judgment in their sickeningly overabundant supply.
Summary for Num 11:34-35: 11:34-35 ^cf The precise locations of Kibroth-hattaavah and Hazeroth are unknown.

‏ Numbers 12

Summary for Num 12:1-16: 12:1-16 ^cg Rebellion was not restricted to the “foreign rabble” or to the Israelites who were bored with manna (11:4 ^ch). Moses’ own brother and sister, Aaron the high priest (Exod 29:30 ^ci) and Miriam the prophet (Exod 15:20 ^cj), rebelled against him. Israel was near the nadir of its rebellion against God (Num 13:25–14:12 ^ck).
Summary for Num 12:1-2: 12:1-2 ^cl Miriam and Aaron might have perceived Moses’ marriage as a threat to their status and ambitions. Miriam is named first, which suggests that she instigated this family feud and could explain why God punished her and not Aaron (12:9-10 ^cm). 12:1 ^cn Most interpreters understand the Cushite woman to be Moses’ wife Zipporah from Midian (Exod 2:16-22 ^co), understanding Cush as referring here to Cushan, a region and people near Midian (Hab 3:7 ^cp). Other interpreters, taking Cushite in its usual sense as referring to Kusi (in northern Arabia), Ethiopia, or Sudan, think that she was a different wife. In either case, it is possible that Miriam and Aaron disapproved of his having married a non-Israelite or that they were jealous of her influence over Moses.
12:2 ^cq The challenge to Moses’ authority was, by implication, a rejection of the Lord’s choice of Moses as Israel’s leader.

• the Lord heard: The same phrase in 11:1 ^cr foreshadows the Lord’s response.
12:3 ^cs Moses’ incomparable humility contrasts his godly character (see also Prov 3:34 ^ct; Matt 5:5 ^cu) with Miriam and Aaron’s jealousy.

• This parenthetical comment, a simple statement of the truth from God’s perspective, could be the words of Moses or of a later editor.
Summary for Num 12:4-8: 12:4-8 ^cv In response, the Lord reconfirmed Moses’ special status and authority.
Summary for Num 12:6-8: 12:6-8 ^cw The Lord’s trust in Moses resulted in an intimate relationship. God spoke to prophets in visions and dreams, but he spoke to Moses face to face (literally mouth to mouth; see Exod 33:8-11 ^cx, 18-23 ^cy; Deut 34:10 ^cz).
Summary for Num 12:9-16: 12:9-16 ^da Miriam bore the brunt of God’s wrath (see study note on 12:1-2). Once Aaron saw what had happened to her, he admitted his error and sought Moses’ intercession (cp. 11:2 ^db). Both Moses and the Lord accepted Aaron’s confession.
12:14 ^dc Miriam was required to follow the normal procedure for achieving ritual purity after a skin disease (5:2-4 ^dd; Lev 13–14 ^de).
12:16 ^df The camp in the wilderness of Paran was at Kadesh-barnea (13:26 ^dg; Deut 1:19-22 ^dh).

‏ Numbers 13

Summary for Num 13:1-14:38: 13:1–14:45 ^di Twelve spies investigated the rich land of Canaan and found it defended by formidable foes. Israel’s disobedience in earlier chapters foreshadows more of the same. The Israelites lacked the obedience, courage, and faith to take the land, so the Lord destined them to spend forty years in the Sinai wilderness; that generation failed to receive their inheritance in the Promised Land.
Summary for Num 13:1-16: 13:1-16 ^dj Moses selected a leader from each tribe to explore the territory that God had promised to give the Hebrews. The tribes listed are those of ch 1 ^dk, though the order is different. Caleb and Joshua are later shown to be men of faith (14:30 ^dl).
Summary for Num 13:17-20: 13:17-20 ^dm The military purpose of the scouting mission is evident; the spies were also to gather information about natural resources and food, which had been on the Israelites’ minds since they left Egypt (ch 11 ^dn; Exod 16 ^do).
13:20 ^dp The season for harvesting the first ripe grapes came in late July or August.
Summary for Num 13:21-24: 13:21-24 ^dq The spies explored the land, which was unusually fertile in contrast with the Sinai wilderness. 13:21 ^dr It was about 275 miles from the wilderness of Zin, located roughly between the wilderness of Paran and the southern frontier of Canaan (see 34:3-5 ^ds; Josh 15:1-4 ^dt), to Lebo-hamath (“entrance of Hamath,” either a notable mountain pass or another city near Hamath) in Syria.

• The exact location of Rehob is uncertain, but it was probably the same as Old Testament Beth-rehob, situated near a major route to Hamath. The text thus already identifies the approximate borders of the Promised Land (see 1 Kgs 8:65 ^du). The phrase “from Dan to Beersheba” (Judg 20:1 ^dv; 2 Sam 3:10 ^dw), frequently used to demarcate Israel’s traditional boundaries, referred to a considerably smaller area than the territory visited by Israel’s spies.
13:22 ^dx Israel’s spies made their way into Canaan’s hill country via the Negev, the dry southland next to the wilderness of Zin. In the southern part of Canaan’s central hill country, they came to Hebron, where Israel’s ancestors had lived (Gen 13:18 ^dy; 23:19 ^dz; 35:27 ^ea; 37:14 ^eb).

• The descendants of Anak were famous for their size and strength (e.g., Deut 9:2 ^ec).

• Zoan (later called Tanis by the Greeks) was a famous city in Egypt’s eastern delta (see also Pss 78:12 ^ed, 43 ^ee; Isa 19:11-13 ^ef; 30:3-5 ^eg).
Summary for Num 13:25-29: 13:25-29 ^eh The spies agreed that the land was good, but most doubted that Israel could conquer it. The strong, well-fed Canaanites had built fortified towns to protect themselves.
13:26 ^ei Kadesh is often identified with ‘Ain el-Qudeirat, a spring at the northern border of Sinai and the southern edge of Canaan. There is no evidence of a Hebrew camp at this site during the period of the Exodus or the wilderness wanderings, so some scholars have suggested that ancient Kadesh was located elsewhere.
13:27 ^ej The Promised Land is often described as a land flowing with milk and honey. Milk and dairy products constituted a major part of the diet in biblical times, and “milk” is used in figurative language for abundance (see Deut 32:14 ^ek; Isa 55:1 ^el; Joel 3:18 ^em). Honey provided sweetness (see Pss 19:10 ^en; 119:103 ^eo; Ezek 3:3 ^ep; Rev 10:9-10 ^eq). The phrase thus refers to a highly desirable destination, a land with an abundance of food and resources (cp. Num 16:13-14 ^er; see also Exod 3:8 ^es; Deut 6:3 ^et; 26:15 ^eu; Jer 11:4-5 ^ev; Ezek 20:6 ^ew). The New Testament emphasizes the spiritual nature of God’s promises, pointing to a promised inheritance in heaven (see Rom 9:6-8 ^ex; Gal 6:14-16 ^ey; Rev 21:1-2 ^ez).
13:29 ^fa The spies answer the question of 13:18 ^fb. Many ethnic groups occupied ancient Canaan.
13:30 ^fc Caleb and Joshua (see 14:6 ^fd, 10 ^fe, 30 ^ff) were more optimistic in their assessment of the land than the other spies were (cp. 14:31-33 ^fg).
13:33 ^fh giants: See study note on Gen 6:4.

‏ Numbers 14

Summary for Num 14:1-45: 14:1-45 ^fi The testimony of the faithful spies Joshua and Caleb was rejected, and rebellion spread through the entire community. Only Moses’ intervention saved Israel from complete destruction. Those who failed to obey God died during a forty-year wilderness sojourn.
Summary for Num 14:3-4: 14:3-4 ^fj The threats about which they complained were real, but the Israelites should have trusted the Lord. In the ancient Near East, women and children were often taken as plunder in the aftermath of battle.

• return to Egypt: How quickly the Israelites forgot their bondage (Exod 2:23-24 ^fk) and the hardship of the wilderness (Num 11:1 ^fl)!
14:5 ^fm Moses and Aaron prostrated themselves out of humility, fear, grief, and anguish.
14:6 ^fn Joshua and Caleb joined in the effort to reverse the rebellion and avert God’s wrath; they tore their clothing in a gesture of grief.
Summary for Num 14:7-9: 14:7-9 ^fo Joshua and Caleb understood that Israel’s lack of courage and their criticism of Moses and Aaron were rebellion against the Lord, and they knew what results this would produce.

• the Lord is with us: This was the source of their confidence (cp. Rom 8:31 ^fp).
14:10 ^fq Joshua and Caleb, with their encouragement and expression of trust in God, brought even more opposition; the protests against the leaders were converted into threats of violence against the faithful spies. All of the Israelites’ objections came to a sudden stop when the Lord’s glorious presence (Hebrew kabod; see Exod 24:15-18 ^fr; Ezek 1 ^fs) appeared at the Tabernacle, the site of divine communication.
14:11 ^ft God marveled that Israel had not yet learned to trust him, even after he had miraculously rescued them from slavery and provided for their needs as they traveled in the wilderness (cp. Deut 4:32-40 ^fu; Matt 11:21 ^fv; Luke 10:13 ^fw).
14:12 ^fx God is patient, but he will not tolerate outright rebellion from his people (cp. Exod 32:7-10 ^fy). The writer of Hebrews refers to this episode in his effort to strengthen the faith of Christians whose trust in the Good News was wavering (Heb 3:7-19 ^fz; 12:3 ^ga, 25 ^gb; cp. Ps 95:8-11 ^gc).
Summary for Num 14:13-25: 14:13-25 ^gd Moses interceded on behalf of his people, reminding God that his reputation was bound up with that of Israel and appealing to his faithfulness.
Summary for Num 14:17-18: 14:17-18 ^ge Moses had used this same argument earlier when he sought pardon for Israel’s rebellion (Exod 32:10-14 ^gf). Moses knew that God would not let the Israelites off without punishment (Deut 7:9-10 ^gg).
14:19 ^gh Israel’s history since leaving Egypt had been a series of transgressions forgiven by the Lord (chs 11–12 ^gi; Exod 15:22-27 ^gj; 17:1-7 ^gk; 32:1-14 ^gl; Lev 10 ^gm).
Summary for Num 14:20-25: 14:20-25 ^gn As a result of Moses’ argument, the Lord pardoned Israel’s rebellion and did not obliterate them, but the obstinate adult generation would never see the Promised Land.
14:22 ^go The people’s lack of obedience and faith was a refusal to listen to God’s voice, since they were eyewitnesses of the Lord’s glorious presence (see study note on 14:10) and miraculous signs (Exod 4:29-31 ^gp; 7:1–11:10 ^gq; 14:15-31 ^gr; 16:1–17:13 ^gs).
Summary for Num 14:23-25: 14:23-25 ^gt Having turned their backs on the Promised Land, the Israelites were now ordered to march the other way.

• The Red Sea could refer to bodies of water on either side of the Sinai Peninsula (the Gulf of Aqaba or the Gulf of Suez).
14:28 ^gu Israel’s disobedience brought on the consequences they feared would come from obeying.
14:34 ^gv each day: Cp. 13:25 ^gw.

• to have me for an enemy: Cp. Ezek 5:8 ^gx; 21:3 ^gy.
Summary for Num 14:39-45: 14:39-45 ^gz The threat of divine punishment for their sins brought grief to the people of Israel, but their hearts were still rebellious and they again disobeyed the Lord’s command (14:25 ^ha). The promise of God’s presence had been the basis for Caleb and Joshua’s initial confidence (14:9 ^hb), but God would not fight alongside the Israelites until all the rebels had died.
14:43 ^hc The Lord will abandon you because you have abandoned the Lord: Moses’ prediction summarizes the whole chapter.
14:44 ^hd The Ark symbolized God’s presence and blessings (cp. 1 Sam 4:1-11 ^he).
14:45 ^hf Hormah means “destruction” in Hebrew (see 21:1-3 ^hg).