Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 10:5
When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.
5. blow an alarm ] A signal quite different from the simple ‘blow’ in Num 10:3-4. But it is not known in what the difference consisted. Some think that ‘to blow’ means to produce a single long blast, while ‘to blow an alarm’ was to produce several short sharp notes a ‘fanfare’ (Heb. terh). But the converse is equally likely.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Blow an alarm – i. e. along continuous peal. Compare Num 10:7, ye shall blow, but not sound an alarm: i. e. blow in short, sharp notes, not in a continuous peal. A third and a fourth alarm were probably blown as signals.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 5. When ye blow an alarm] teruah, probably meaning short, broken, sharp tones, terminating with long ones, blown with both the trumpets at once. From the similarity in the words some suppose that the Hebrew teruah was similar to the Roman taratantara, or sound of their clarion.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
To wit, when ye blow once, as appears from Num 10:6.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
When ye blow an alarm,…. Making a broken, uneven, and quavering sound, which is called a “tara-tan-tara”:
then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward; the camps of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, which lay to the east of the tabernacle, at the front of it; see Nu 1:3; this was to be the token for their march, which was first of all; Nu 10:14.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
To give the signal for breaking up the camp, they were to blow , i.e., a noise or alarm. At the first blast the tribes on the east, i.e., those who were encamped in the front of the tabernacle, were to break up; at the second, those who were encamped on the south; and so on in the order prescribed in ch. 2, though this is not expressly mentioned here. The alarm was to be blown , with regard to their breaking up or marching.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(5) When ye blow an alarm.The word teruah, alarm, is supposed to denote a loud and continuous blast, by which the signal for the moving of the camps was distinguished from those which were used for the summoning of the congregation, or of the princes (Num. 10:7). In the former of these cases some suppose that both trumpets were blown, and in the latter only one (Num. 10:4 and Note. Comp. Light-foots Temple Service, Num. 7:5; Num. 7:2.) The fuller directions respecting the order in which the camps were to break up are given in Numbers 2. Here the order of the eastern and southern camps only is prescribed. In the LXX., however, we read thus: And ye shall sound a third alarm, and the camps pitched by the sea (i.e., westward), shall move forward; and ye shall sound a fourth alarm, and they that encamp toward the north shall move forward; they shall sound an alarm at their departure.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. An alarm The same Hebrew word designates the loud clang of the trumpet announcing the new year or the jubilee. Lev 25:9. The order of march has been already fixed in chap. 2. We are left to infer that a third and a fourth alarm were sounded for the camps on the west and north of the tabernacle to move, preceded by the Levites.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
blow. Hebrew. teru’ah = a prolonged blowing.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
blow: Num 10:6, Num 10:7, Isa 58:1, Joe 2:1
camps: Num 2:3-9
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
10:5 When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the {b} east parts shall go forward.
(b) That is, the host of Judah and they that are under his ensign.