The Fourth Book of Moses: Numbers

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- Chapter 10 -

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

“Make for yourself two trumpets of ductile silver, with which you may be able to call together the multitude when the camp is to be moved.

And when you sound the trumpets, all the multitude shall gather to you at the door of the tabernacle of the covenant.

If you sound it only once, the leaders and the heads of the multitude of Israel shall come to you.

But if the sound of the trumpets is prolonged, but with interruptions, those who are toward the east side shall move the camp first.

Then, at the second sounding of the trumpet with the same cadence, those who live toward the south shall take up their tents. And the remainder shall act in like manner, when the trumpets shall reverberate for a departure.

But when the people are to be gathered together, the sound of the trumpets shall be simple, and the sounds shall not be separated.

Now it is the sons of Aaron the priest who shall sound the trumpets. And this shall be an everlasting ordinance, in your generations.

If you go forth to war from your land, against the enemies who set out against you, you shall sound the trumpets repeatedly, and there shall be a remembrance of you before the Lord your God, so that you may be rescued from the hands of your enemies.(a)

If at any time you will have a banquet, and on feast days, and on the first days of the months, you shall sound the trumpets over the holocausts and the peace-offering victims, so that they may be for you as a remembrance by your God. I am the Lord your God.”

From Sinai to Paran

In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was lifted up from the tabernacle of the covenant.

And the sons of Israel set out by their companies from the desert of Sinai, and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran.

And the first to move their camp, according to the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses,

were the sons of Judah by their companies, whose leader was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

In the tribe of the sons of Issachar, the leader was Nathanael the son of Zuar.

In the tribe of Zebulon, the leader was Eliab the son of Helon.

And the tabernacle was taken down, because the sons of Gershon and Merari, who carry it, were departing.

And the sons of Ruben also set out, by their companies and ranks, whose leader was Elizur the son of Shedeur.

And in the tribe of Simeon, the leader was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

And in the tribe of Gad, the leader was Eliasaph the son of Reuel.

Then the Kohathites also set out, carrying the Sanctuary. The tabernacle was carried, all the while, until they arrived at the place for setting it up.

The sons of Ephraim also moved their camp by their companies, and the leader of their army was Elishama the son of Ammihud.

And in the tribe of the sons of Manasseh, the leader was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

And in the tribe of Benjamin, the leader was Abidan the son of Gideoni.

The last of all the camp to set out were the sons of Dan by their companies, and the leader of their army was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

And in the tribe of the sons of Asher, the leader was Pagiel the son of Ochran.

And in the tribe of the sons of Naphtali, the leader was Ahira the son of Enan.

These were the camps and departures of the sons of Israel by their companies, when they went forth.

And Moses said to Hobab the son of Raguel the Midianite, his kinsman: “We are setting out to the place which the Lord will give to us. Come with us, so that we may do good to you. For the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”

And he answered him, “I will not go with you, but I will return to my own land, in which I was born.”

And he said: “Do not choose to leave us. For you know in which places in the desert we ought to make camp, and so you shall be our guide.

And if you come with us, whatever will be best among the riches which the Lord will deliver to us, we will give to you.”

Therefore, they set out from the Mountain of the Lord on a journey of three days. And the ark of the covenant of the Lord preceded them, for three days, in order to provide a place for the camp.

Likewise, the cloud of the Lord was over them, throughout the day, while they proceeded.

And when the ark was lifted up, Moses said, “Rise up, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee from your face.”

And when it was set down, he said: “Return, O Lord, to the multitude of the army of Israel.”

Footnotes

(a)10:9 The word ‘ululantibus’ refers to a sound that is rolling, or undulating, or repetitive in some way. The combination of ‘clangetis ululantibus’ indicates that the trumpets are to be sounded repeatedly.(Conte)

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Make two trumpets of silver. You shall make them of beaten work. You shall use them for the calling of the congregation and for the journeying of the camps.

When they blow them, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

If they blow just one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves to you.

When you blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall go forward.

When you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie on the south side shall go forward. They shall blow an alarm for their journeys.

But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm.

“The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. This shall be to you for a statute forever throughout your generations.

When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets. Then you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.

“Also in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God. I am the LORD your God.”

From Sinai to Paran

In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the covenant.

The children of Israel went forward on their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud stayed in the wilderness of Paran.

They first went forward according to the commandment of the LORD by Moses.

First, the standard of the camp of the children of Judah went forward according to their armies. Nahshon the son of Amminadab was over his army.

Nethanel the son of Zuar was over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar.

Eliab the son of Helon was over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun.

The tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, went forward.

The standard of the camp of Reuben went forward according to their armies. Elizur the son of Shedeur was over his army.

Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai was over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon.

Eliasaph the son of Deuel was over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad.

The Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary. The others set up the tabernacle before they arrived.

The standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies. Elishama the son of Ammihud was over his army.

Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur was over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh.

Abidan the son of Gideoni was over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin.

The standard of the camp of the children of Dan, which was the rear guard of all the camps, set forward according to their armies. Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai was over his army.

Pagiel the son of Ochran was over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher.

Ahira the son of Enan was over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali.

Thus were the travels of the children of Israel according to their armies; and they went forward.

Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are journeying to the place of which the LORD said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well; for the LORD has spoken good concerning Israel.”

He said to him, “I will not go; but I will depart to my own land, and to my relatives.”

Moses said, “Don’t leave us, please; because you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.

It shall be, if you go with us—yes, it shall be—that whatever good the LORD does to us, we will do the same to you.”

They set forward from the Mount of the LORD three days’ journey. The ark of the LORD’s covenant went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them.

The cloud of the LORD was over them by day, when they set forward from the camp.

When the ark went forward, Moses said, “Rise up, LORD, and let your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate you flee before you!”

When it rested, he said, “Return, LORD, to the ten thousands of the thousands of Israel.”