Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 17:13
Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?
13. shall we perish all of us? ] The exact force of the words is doubtful. They may mean ‘Shall we completely come to an end by expiring?’ of which R.V. is a correct paraphrase: or ‘Shall we ever finish expiring?’ i.e. ‘can we ever be free from the danger of death’ if we approach the Tent?
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Any thing near, i.e. nearer than he should do; an error which we may easily commit.
Shall we be consumed? will God proceed with us in these severe courses, according to his strict justice? will he show us no mercy nor pity, till all the people be cut off and destroyed with dying one after another.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. cometh any thing nearthatis, nearer than he ought to do; an error into which many may fall.Will the stern justice of God overtake every slight offense? We shallall be destroyed. Some, however, regard this exclamation as thesymptom or a new discontent, rather than the indication of areverential and submissive spirit. Let us fear and sin not.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Whosoever cometh anything near unto the tabernacle of the Lord shall die,…. They who before were so bold and daring as to think the priesthood was common to them with Aaron, or they had as good a right to it, and might go into the sanctuary of the Lord where he did, are now so frightened at the rod being laid up as a token against them, that they thought they must not come near the tabernacle at all, and, if they did, would be in the utmost danger of death:
shall we be consumed with dying? such violent deaths, until there are none left of us? but the Syriac and Arabic versions render the words affirmatively; we are near or about to be consumed; and so the Targum of Onkelos, lo, we are to be consumed; which agrees best with the preceding clause, for they would scarcely make a question of what they had affirmed.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
13. Shall we be consumed Where God cannot awaken genuine faith and obedience, as he could not in this rejected generation, he inspires a salutary dread as a preventive of renewed rebellion. Terror must restrain those whom love fails to win. Yet at this point lay the chief danger to faith in the theocracy, the difficulty of realizing the invisible presence of God, and of conceiving a communion with him which should not crush or absorb the finite creature. This shrinking back from joyful communion by reason of the divine majesty appears very often in thoughtful Hebrews, as in Deu 5:24-27; Num 17:12-13; Isa 45:15. See also Job 9:32-35; Job 13:21-22. Hence arose idolatry, which is an attempt to commune with superior powers by visible symbols or images. The incarnation of the Godhead in one true and visible man has removed all excuse for idolatry arising from the inconceivable infinity and awfulness of Jehovah.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Num 17:13. Whosoever comethnear unto the tabernacleshall die i.e. “We are now convinced, and firmly believe, that whosoever cometh near to the tabernacle, to officiate as a priest, without the divine appointment, shall certainly be struck dead by the hand of God.” Nothing can more strongly paint the consternation of the people, than the words in this and the preceding verse: they are always in extremes, either daring and presumptuous, or abject and full of despair; now they seem to have such a slavish fear of God upon their spirits, from the late severe visitation, that they speak of it as extremely dangerous to engage at all in sacred duties, left, by committing one error against the instituted forms of religion, they should suffer death, as their brethren had done: to obviate which cavil, the following declaration seems intended, ch. Num 18:1.
REFLECTIONS.The rods are produced, and a new miracle confirms God’s appointment of Aaron.
1. His rod, alone, was teeming with life; fruit, leaves, and blossoms, all adorn it: thus every suspicion of fraud in Moses is removed, and Aaron’s office confirmed to him. Note; (1.) They bring forth fruit abundantly whom God hath called and chosen. (2.) Those whom Christ ordains and sends to his work he will bless. To see no souls quickened and converted by our ministry, would be a pretty strong proof that we have not been ordained of God.
2. Aaron’s rod is said up for a memorial; that if, as is probable, the blossoms, leaves, and fruit, continued un-withering, it served as an abiding proof of Aaron’s choice, and a constant token against the past, as well as a guard against future rebellion. Note; The design of God in sending his Son, and in every dispensation of his grace or providence, is the salvation of all that will believe.
3. The people, now convinced of their guilt, are ready to give up all for lost; so apt are we to be verging to extremes, and changing presumption for despair. Trembling at the rod laid up against them, they resolve not to come near the tabernacle of the Lord, or ever again challenge Aaron’s place, left death should accomplish the ruin which it had begun. Note; It is never too late to repent: happy for us, if, by experience, we are convinced of the evil and danger of sin, bow down before the chastening rod, and with jealousy watch and pray that we may never again return unto folly!
General Reflections on Chapters XVI. and XVII.
Among the miracles which it pleased God to perform by the ministration of Moses, there are few which more evidently prove the truth of the Jewish religion than this destruction of Korah and his seditious company. To give this prodigy its full force, we ought above all things to remark, that it happened not by chance, but that Moses predicted the punishment before it could possibly be known that such an event would happen. That the earth should swallow up men and their dwellings had nothing in it contrary to the powers of Nature; it is an event which has often happened in different countries; but the miracle before us is entirely out of the common laws of Nature: while the earth was firm and entire, Moses announced the time when, the place where, the persons on whom, and the manner in which this prodigy should happen; and the effect immediately followed the prediction. But what we ought particularly to remark, is, that this miracle happened not in Sicily, in Italy, or in a country undermined with subterraneous fire: it was not in mountainous places, which might have been supposed to have abounded in cavities, but it was in Arabia; a sandy desart soil, and which, like all flat places, is less subject to earthquakes. Thus doth this severe vengeance appear to be strikingly miraculous; and the occasion of it abundantly shews, that every one ought to abide in his calling, and submit himself to the order which God has established: that none ought to assume to themselves the honour of the ministry, nor exercise its functions, unless God has called them to it.
It is observable, that the greatest part of the miracles which God wrought for the establishment of the Jewish religion, were fearful and destructive; on the contrary, the truth of the Gospel is founded upon an infinite number of miracles, which were salutary no less to the enemies than to the friends of that religion. There reigned in the ancient law a spirit of bondage which kept in fear; Rom 8:15 instead of which, in the new Dispensation, there reigns a spirit of love; a spirit of adoption, which fills with joy inexpressible the hearts of all true believers; and which ought, certainly, to render them no less forward than Moses to pray for those who have injured them, to intercede for them with God, and to labour by all means to bring them back to their duty.
If the destruction of the rebellious Korah and his company evidently proves the divine interposition, the blossoming of Aaron’s rod is a no less striking proof of it. Neither Nature nor Chance could occasion it: we have the order of God, his promise and prediction, with a full completion, related in the text. To be sensible of the greatness of this miracle, we should observe the circumstances of the time. The rod continued exposed, not for many months or weeks, but only for the space of a day and a night. Yesterday, without sap and perfectly dry; to-day, it is filled with moisture: and only one of twelve, equally exposed to the powers of nature, and the omnipotence of God, laid up in a hot climate, in a dry place, impenetrable to the rain and dew; the only one which, in the space of one night, produced flowers and fruit. Neither man, nor all his art, could be concerned here; nor could His hand fail to be acknowledged, who calleth the things that are not, as though they were. Rom 4:17. Reflections which ought for ever to silence their malignity, who pretend that Moses employed pious frauds to procure his brother the dignity of the high priesthood.
Every body knows, that the almond is one of those trees of which the children are born before their parents; that at the beginning of the spring it produces flowers before the leaves discover themselves, and that some months after it bears fruit. Here, on the contrary, we see a branch of the almond tree, a dry rod, recovering its verdure in one night, filled with sap, pushing forth its buds, and loaded with flowers, leaves, and fruit. This prodigy, in my opinion, may well justify that exclamation: Who is like unto thee, O Lord? Glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders!
Among the other prodigies attending the rod of Aaron, we ought to number that perpetual miracle which preserved it green, flourishing, and full of flowers and fruit, as a memorial of the event for which the prodigy was wrought. The same hand which caused the rod to blossom and bring forth fruit preserved it in that state: the table of Moses, the rod of Aaron, the miraculous manna, are proper monuments for so holy a shrine as the ark of God; the doctrine, sacraments, and government of his people, are precious to Him, and must be so to all men: he is willing to preserve to all times the memory how his ancient church was led, taught, and ruled. The rod of Moses did great miracles; yet we find it not in the ark: the rod of Aaron has this privilege, because it carried the miracle still in itself.
We may just observe, that the twelve princes of the tribes of Israel would never have written their names on their rods, but in the hope that they might be chosen. Had they not thought it a high preferment, they would never have envied so much the office of Aaron. What should we think of the change which has taken place?Is the evangelical administration of less worth than the Levitical? while the Testament is better, is the service worse? Happy they who value as they ought, and fulfil as well as they are able, the angelic duties of gospel-ministers. Such faithful stewards shall meet a great reward from that God and master who has called them.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
REFLECTIONS
PAUSE, my soul, in the perusal of this chapter, and behold in how sweet a manner thy GOD and FATHER manifested to the church of old the everlasting priesthood of thy glorious intercessor! None but the rod of JESUS, nothing but his Almighty righteousness and sin-offering atonement can bring forth the blessed fruits of salvation for his people. As all our righteousness are filthy rags, so all our rods of created strength, however laid up before the testimony, will be found unfruitful, dead, and withered. But in the various manifestations of thy grace, in the buddings and blossoms and fruit-bearing excellencies of thy mercies, as our souls respectively stand in need, how graciously doth my GOD and Saviour show forth the rod of his strength, in convincing, converting, strengthening, refreshing, and establishing his people.
Dearest JESUS! may I find grace from thy HOLY SPIRIT, to rejoice in thee, as the rod of all gospel mercies laid up for me in time and to all eternity. And though thy glory was veiled from many when on earth, and thy priesthood is unacknowledged and unknown by thousands now thou art above, yet to me in all thy precious offices and characters, be thou ever blooming forth, in every suited grace, and every seasoned mercy, in all my time of need. Let murmurers now, if they dare, dispute the sovereignty of thy GODHEAD, and despise, because they know not, the preciousness of thy great salvation and priesthood; LORD, be thou to me and all thy children the never-failing almond tree of righteousness and peace, which neither drought nor storm, nor all the wintry dispensations of my heart and the powers of darkness can destroy; but by the influences of thy HOLY SPIRIT being enabled to abide in thee, may I bring forth fruit to the praise of thy holy name; and as thou hast said, because thou livest I shall live also.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Num 17:13 Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?
Ver. 13. Whosoever cometh anything near. ] Let them keep further off then who have no sufficient warrant. Why should they meddle with that belongs not to them? Why should they touch the tabernacle? as the Greek here hath it. The fingers of many triflers itch at this day, to be tampering with that tremendous function, the ministry: which if they forbear to touch, it is but as once Mercury is fain to spare Jupiter’s thunderbolts, which he durst not steal, lest they should roar too loud, or at least burn his fingers.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
tabernacle = habitation. Hebrew. mishkan. App-40.
die . . . dying. Figure of speech Epizeuxis (App-6), as in Num 17:12, to emphasize alarm.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Whosoever: Num 1:51-53, Num 18:4-7
any thing: Gen 3:3, 1Sa 6:19-21, 2Sa 6:6-12, 1Ch 13:11-13, 1Ch 15:13, Psa 130:3, Psa 130:4, Act 5:5, Act 5:11-14, Eph 2:13, Heb 10:19-22
consumed: Num 16:26, Num 32:13, Deu 2:16, Job 34:14, Job 34:15, Psa 90:7, Isa 28:22
Reciprocal: Gen 4:14 – that Exo 12:33 – We be all Num 16:34 – Lest Num 18:1 – Thou 1Sa 6:20 – General 2Sa 6:9 – afraid 1Ki 13:33 – whosoever 1Ch 13:12 – afraid of God Psa 73:19 – they are Psa 78:32 – they sinned Pro 19:3 – foolishness Isa 33:14 – sinners Jer 30:21 – and I Eze 37:11 – Our bones Act 5:13 – of Act 7:36 – and in the wilderness Heb 8:4 – he should