The Fourth Book of Moses: Numbers

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- Chapter 9 -

(Exodus 12:1–13)

The Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, in the second year after they departed from the land of Egypt, in the first month, saying:

“Let the sons of Israel observe the Passover at its proper time,(a)

on the fourteenth day of this month, in the evening, according to all of its ceremonies and justifications.”

And Moses instructed the sons of Israel, so that they would observe the Passover.

And they observed it at its proper time: on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, at mount Sinai. The sons of Israel acted according to all the things that the Lord had commanded Moses.

But behold, certain ones, who were not able to observe the Passover on that day, being unclean because of the life of a man, approaching Moses and Aaron,(b)

said to them: “We are unclean because of the life of a man. Why have we been cheated, in that we are not permitted to offer, at its proper time, the oblation to the Lord among the sons of Israel?”

And Moses responded to them: “Remain, so that I may consult the Lord, as to what he will rule about you.”

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

“Say to the sons of Israel: The man who becomes unclean because of a life, or if he is on a distant journey within your nation, let him observe the Passover to the Lord.

In the second month, on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, they shall eat it with unleavened bread and wild lettuce.

They shall not leave behind any of it until morning, and they shall not break a bone of it; they shall observe all the rituals of the Passover.

But if any man was both clean, and not on a journey, and yet he did not observe the Passover, that soul shall be exterminated from among his people, because he did not offer the sacrifice to the Lord in its time. He shall bear his sin.

Likewise, the sojourner and the newcomer, if they are among you, shall observe the Passover to the Lord according to its ceremonies and justifications. The same precept shall be with you, as much for the newcomer as for the native.”

The Cloud above the Tabernacle

(Exodus 40:34–38)

And so, on the day when the tabernacle was raised, a cloud covered it. But over the tabernacle, from evening until morning, there was, as it seemed, the appearance of fire.

This was so continually: throughout the day a cloud covered it, and throughout the night, the appearance of fire.

And when the cloud that was protecting the tabernacle had been taken up, then the sons of Israel advanced forward, and in the place where the cloud had remained standing, there they made camp.

Upon the order of the Lord they advanced, and upon his order they fixed the tabernacle. All the days during which the cloud was standing over the tabernacle, they remained in the same place.

And if it happened that it remained for a long time over it, the sons of Israel kept the night watches of the Lord, and they did not advance,(c)

during as many days as the cloud remained over the tabernacle. At the command of the Lord they raised their tents, and at his command they took them down.

If the cloud remained from evening until morning, and immediately, at first light, it left the tabernacle, they set out. And if it withdrew after a day and a night, they dismantled their tents.

Yet truly, whether it remained over the tabernacle for two days, or one month, or a longer time, the sons of Israel remained in the same place, and they did not set out. Then, as soon as it withdrew, they moved the camp.

By the word of the Lord they fixed their tents, and by his word they advanced. And they kept the night watches of the Lord, according to his command by the hand of Moses.

Footnotes

(a)9:2 Make the phase:That is, keep the paschal solemnity, and eat the paschal lamb.(Challoner)

(b)9:6 Behold some who were unclean by occasion of the soul of a man, etc:That is, by having touched or come near a dead body, out of which the soul was departed.(Challoner)

(c)9:19 The word ‘excubiis’ literally means to recline outside; in this context, it refers to keeping the four watches of the night.(Conte)

(Exodus 12:1–13)

The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

“Let the children of Israel keep the Passover in its appointed season.

On the fourteenth day of this month, at evening, you shall keep it in its appointed season. You shall keep it according to all its statutes and according to all its ordinances.”

Moses told the children of Israel that they should keep the Passover.

They kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, in the wilderness of Sinai. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did.

There were certain men who were unclean because of the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.

Those men said to him, “We are unclean because of the dead body of a man. Why are we kept back, that we may not offer the offering of the LORD in its appointed season among the children of Israel?”

Moses answered them, “Wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you.”

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Say to the children of Israel, ‘If any man of you or of your generations is unclean by reason of a dead body, or is on a journey far away, he shall still keep the Passover to the LORD.

In the second month, on the fourteenth day at evening they shall keep it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break a bone of it. According to all the statute of the Passover they shall keep it.

But the man who is clean, and is not on a journey, and fails to keep the Passover, that soul shall be cut off from his people. Because he didn’t offer the offering of the LORD in its appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.

“‘If a foreigner lives among you and desires to keep the Passover to the LORD, then he shall do so according to the statute of the Passover, and according to its ordinance. You shall have one statute, both for the foreigner and for him who is born in the land.’”

The Cloud above the Tabernacle

(Exodus 40:34–38)

On the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, even the Tent of the Testimony. At evening it was over the tabernacle, as it were the appearance of fire, until morning.

So it was continually. The cloud covered it, and the appearance of fire by night.

Whenever the cloud was taken up from over the Tent, then after that the children of Israel traveled; and in the place where the cloud remained, there the children of Israel encamped.

At the commandment of the LORD, the children of Israel traveled, and at the commandment of the LORD they encamped. As long as the cloud remained on the tabernacle they remained encamped.

When the cloud stayed on the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the LORD’s command, and didn’t travel.

Sometimes the cloud was a few days on the tabernacle; then according to the commandment of the LORD they remained encamped, and according to the commandment of the LORD they traveled.

Sometimes the cloud was from evening until morning; and when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they traveled; or by day and by night, when the cloud was taken up, they traveled.

Whether it was two days, or a month, or a year that the cloud stayed on the tabernacle, remaining on it, the children of Israel remained encamped, and didn’t travel; but when it was taken up, they traveled.

At the commandment of the LORD they encamped, and at the commandment of the LORD they traveled. They kept the LORD’s command, at the commandment of the LORD by Moses.