New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Numbers 9
1
The Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai. It was the first month of the second year after the people came out of Egypt. He said,
Reference
2
"Tell the people of Israel to celebrate the Passover Feast. Have them do it at the appointed time.
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 23:5
2 Chronicles 35:1
Mark 14:12
Luke 22:7
Numbers 28:16
Ezra 6:19
References Israel
Joshua 5:10
3
Celebrate it when the sun goes down on the 14th day of this month. Obey all of its rules and laws."
4
So Moses told the people of Israel to celebrate the Passover Feast.
5
They did it in the Desert of Sinai. They celebrated it when the sun went down on the 14th day of the first month. The people of Israel did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Reference
References Israel
Joshua 5:10
6
But some of them couldn't celebrate the Passover Feast on that day. That's because they weren't "clean." They had gone near a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron that same day.
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 5:2
Numbers 19:16
Numbers 19:11
Exodus 18:19
John 18:28
Numbers 19:18
References Moses
Exodus 18:15
Numbers 27:2
Exodus 18:26
7
They said to Moses, "We went near a dead body. So we aren't 'clean.' But why should we be kept from bringing the Lord's offering at the appointed time? Why shouldn't we bring it along with the other people of Israel?"
9
Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
10
"Tell the people of Israel, 'Suppose any of you or your children are not "clean" because you have gone near a dead body. Or suppose you are away on a journey. You can still celebrate the Lord's Passover.
11
" 'I want you to celebrate it on the 14th day of the second month. You have to do it when the sun goes down. You have to eat the lamb together with bread that is made without yeast. Eat it with bitter plants.
12
Do not leave any of it until morning. Do not break any of its bones. When you celebrate the Passover Feast, follow all of the rules.
Reference
13
" 'But suppose a man is "clean." He is not on a journey. And he fails to celebrate the Passover Feast. Then he must be cut off from the community of Israel. He did not bring the Lord's offering at the appointed time. He will be punished for his sin.
Reference
14
" 'What if there is an outsider living among you? And what if he wants to celebrate the Lord's Passover? Then he must obey its rules and laws. You must have the same laws for outsiders as you do for the people of Israel.' "
Reference
References Lord
Leviticus 24:22
15
The holy tent was set up. It was the tent where the tablets of the covenant were kept. On the day it was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening until morning the cloud that was above the tent looked like fire.
Reference
16
That's what continued to happen. The cloud covered the tent. At night the cloud looked like fire.
Reference
Parallel theme
Nehemiah 9:12
17
When the cloud lifted from its place above the tent, the people of Israel started out. Where the cloud settled, the people of Israel camped.
Reference
18
When the Lord gave the command, the people of Israel started out. And when he gave the command, they camped. As long as the cloud stayed above the holy tent, they remained in camp.
Reference
19
Sometimes the cloud remained above the tent for a long time. Then the people of Israel obeyed the Lord's order. They didn't start out.
Reference
References Lord
Zechariah 3:7
20
Sometimes the cloud was above the tent for only a few days. When the Lord would give the command, they would camp. Then when he would give the command, they would start out.
21
Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening until morning. When it lifted in the morning, they started out. It didn't matter whether it was day or night. When the cloud lifted, the people started out.
22
It didn't matter whether the cloud stayed above the holy tent for two days or a month or a year. The people of Israel would remain in camp. They wouldn't start out. But when the cloud lifted, they would start out.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 32:8
Chapter Summary
Numbers 9 describes the first Passover performed by the Israelites after leaving Egypt and being in the wilderness. It also describes what should be done if a person was not able to keep the Passover at the appointed time. Furthermore, numbers 9 tell the reader about the cloud over Israel, the Israelites’ journey through the Wilderness, and their arrival at the mountain of God.
At the beginning of the book of Numbers, chapter 9, the Lord spoke to Moses in the first month of the second year after Israel left Egypt. He told him that the children of Israel must keep the Passover at its appointed time. The Passover reminded the people of God bringing them out of Egypt. Everyone had to bring it in their families at the appointed time. Israelites had to perform this ceremony on the fourteenth day of the first month, at evening.
Moses had to inform the Israelites about keeping the Passover, which they did on the fourteenth day of the month. Numbers 9 show that the nation was in the wilderness for a whole year since they left Egypt. They still had a long way to go ahead of them to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Hence, the passage mentioned that Israel kept the Passover to remember that God brought them out of Egypt.
However, some men were unclean because of a dead body, so they could not keep the Passover with the rest of the nation. Therefore, they approached Moses and Aaron and asked him why they should be kept from bringing an offering to the Lord just because they were unclean at the appointed time. They still wanted to bring the offering, just not at the same time as the rest of the nation.
When Moses said that he did not know what to say, they asked him to take their request to the Lord. GOD saw their concern and told Moses that if a person was unclean because of touching a dead body, or a person was away at a journey, they could keep the Passover one month later.
Furthermore, the passage showed that the instructions for the Passover one month later were almost the same as those for the regular Passover. The person had to eat the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They still had to burn everything the next morning and not break any of the lamb’s bones. The one who kept this Passover had to follow the LORD’s orders as well.
God also said that anyone who was able to keep the Passover but did not want to do so would be cut off from the congregation. This part of the passage demonstrated that the Passover was an important holiday, and every adult male had to participate in it. Those who did not respect this order would be punished.
Furthermore, Numbers 9 showed that the stranger who dwelled among the Israelites had to observe the same rules as the locals. Therefore, there was no specific order for the foreigners concerning the Passover. The foreigners were unclean as well, so they had to keep the Passover one month later if they could not do so with the rest of the nation.
The second part of numbers 9 spoke about the cloud over the tabernacle and the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness. When the tabernacle was set up, a cloud covered it, and in the evening, it looked like fire. This cloud showed the children of Israel the way, and they had to travel only when it lifted from the tabernacle. If the cloud stopped hovering over the tabernacle, the Israelites had to set up their camps. Hence, their journeys were not on their terms. Sometimes the cloud hovered over the tabernacle for several days, and sometimes it was only from evening to morning. There were also times when the cloud stayed motionless for two days or a month or even longer. Regardless of the time, the Israelites had to wait for the cloud to move before they moved as well.
The last part of the passage repeated the idea that the Israelites traveled as the cloud indicated. They had to stay in their tents when the cloud stopped hovering over the tabernacle and march when it began to move. Thus, they always followed GOD’s order concerning their movements. Moreover, they obeyed the instructions concerning the Passover and the cloud over the tabernacle.
Numbers 9 spoke about keeping the Passover and following the guidance shown by the cloud over the tabernacle. The Israelites had to remember that it was God who brought them out of Egypt and his orders concerning the Passover. They also had to understand that their journey in the wilderness depended on God as well. Following God’s instructions was an honor, but refusing to do so would result in severe punishment.
Numbers 9 also mentioned that God’s orders were flexible for those who could not keep the Passover at the appointed time. They still had to observe it, but not during the first month. Those who were unclean had to keep the Passover one month later, and the foreigners who lived among the locals had to observe the same rules as them. Hence, the passage described the life of the Israelites in the wilderness, which was not bound by time or specific conditions. They had to watch the cloud and obey its every movement. Numbers 9 showed that Israel’s wilderness experience prepared them for the long journey ahead.
At the beginning of the book of Numbers, chapter 9, the Lord spoke to Moses in the first month of the second year after Israel left Egypt. He told him that the children of Israel must keep the Passover at its appointed time. The Passover reminded the people of God bringing them out of Egypt. Everyone had to bring it in their families at the appointed time. Israelites had to perform this ceremony on the fourteenth day of the first month, at evening.
Moses had to inform the Israelites about keeping the Passover, which they did on the fourteenth day of the month. Numbers 9 show that the nation was in the wilderness for a whole year since they left Egypt. They still had a long way to go ahead of them to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Hence, the passage mentioned that Israel kept the Passover to remember that God brought them out of Egypt.
However, some men were unclean because of a dead body, so they could not keep the Passover with the rest of the nation. Therefore, they approached Moses and Aaron and asked him why they should be kept from bringing an offering to the Lord just because they were unclean at the appointed time. They still wanted to bring the offering, just not at the same time as the rest of the nation.
When Moses said that he did not know what to say, they asked him to take their request to the Lord. GOD saw their concern and told Moses that if a person was unclean because of touching a dead body, or a person was away at a journey, they could keep the Passover one month later.
Furthermore, the passage showed that the instructions for the Passover one month later were almost the same as those for the regular Passover. The person had to eat the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They still had to burn everything the next morning and not break any of the lamb’s bones. The one who kept this Passover had to follow the LORD’s orders as well.
God also said that anyone who was able to keep the Passover but did not want to do so would be cut off from the congregation. This part of the passage demonstrated that the Passover was an important holiday, and every adult male had to participate in it. Those who did not respect this order would be punished.
Furthermore, Numbers 9 showed that the stranger who dwelled among the Israelites had to observe the same rules as the locals. Therefore, there was no specific order for the foreigners concerning the Passover. The foreigners were unclean as well, so they had to keep the Passover one month later if they could not do so with the rest of the nation.
The second part of numbers 9 spoke about the cloud over the tabernacle and the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness. When the tabernacle was set up, a cloud covered it, and in the evening, it looked like fire. This cloud showed the children of Israel the way, and they had to travel only when it lifted from the tabernacle. If the cloud stopped hovering over the tabernacle, the Israelites had to set up their camps. Hence, their journeys were not on their terms. Sometimes the cloud hovered over the tabernacle for several days, and sometimes it was only from evening to morning. There were also times when the cloud stayed motionless for two days or a month or even longer. Regardless of the time, the Israelites had to wait for the cloud to move before they moved as well.
The last part of the passage repeated the idea that the Israelites traveled as the cloud indicated. They had to stay in their tents when the cloud stopped hovering over the tabernacle and march when it began to move. Thus, they always followed GOD’s order concerning their movements. Moreover, they obeyed the instructions concerning the Passover and the cloud over the tabernacle.
Numbers 9 spoke about keeping the Passover and following the guidance shown by the cloud over the tabernacle. The Israelites had to remember that it was God who brought them out of Egypt and his orders concerning the Passover. They also had to understand that their journey in the wilderness depended on God as well. Following God’s instructions was an honor, but refusing to do so would result in severe punishment.
Numbers 9 also mentioned that God’s orders were flexible for those who could not keep the Passover at the appointed time. They still had to observe it, but not during the first month. Those who were unclean had to keep the Passover one month later, and the foreigners who lived among the locals had to observe the same rules as them. Hence, the passage described the life of the Israelites in the wilderness, which was not bound by time or specific conditions. They had to watch the cloud and obey its every movement. Numbers 9 showed that Israel’s wilderness experience prepared them for the long journey ahead.