Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 17:8
And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
8. Stories of the vegetation of dried sticks are not uncommon in legend.
Gray ( Numb. p. 217) mentions that of ‘Joseph of Arimathea’s stick, which placed in the ground of Weary-all hill, became the miraculous thorn of Glastonbury.’ And he cites other instances.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Yielded almonds – Ripened almonds, i. e. brought forth ripe almonds. The name almond in Hebrew denotes the waking-tree, the waking-fruit; and is applied to this tree, because it blossoms early in the season. It serves here, as in Jer 1:11-12, to set forth the speed and certainty with which, at Gods will, His purposes are accomplished. So again the blossoming and bearing of Aarons rod, naturally impotent when severed from the parent tree, may signify the profitableness, because of Gods appointment and blessing, of the various means of grace (e. g. the priesthood, the sacraments), which of themselves and apart from Him could have no such efficacy. Compare Isa 4:2; Isa 11:1; Isa 53:2; Jer 33:5; Zec 6:12.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 8. The rod of Aaron – was budded, c.] That is, on the same rod or staff were found buds, blossoms, and ripe fruit. This fact was so unquestionably miraculous, as to decide the business for ever and probably this was intended to show that in the priesthood, represented by that of Aaron, the beginning, middle, and end of every good work must be found. The buds of good desires, the blossoms of holy resolutions and promising professions, and the ripe fruit of faith, love, and obedience, all spring from the priesthood of the Lord Jesus. It has been thought by some that Aaron’s staff (and perhaps the staves of all the tribes) was made out of the amygdala communis, or common almond tree. In a favourable soil and climate it grows to twenty feet in height; is one of the most noble, flourishing trees in nature: its flowers are of a delicate red, and it puts them forth early in March, having begun to bud in January. It has its name shaked from shakad, to awake, because it buds and flowers sooner than most other trees. And it is very likely that the staves of office, borne by the chiefs of all the tribes, were made of this tree, merely to signify that watchfulness and assiduous care which the chiefs should take of the persons committed, in the course of the Divine providence, to their keeping.
Every thing in this miracle is so far beyond the power of nature, that no doubt could remain on the minds of the people, or the envious chiefs, of the Divine appointment of Aaron, and of the especial interference of God in this case. To see a piece of wood long cut off from the parent stock, without bark or moisture remaining, laid up in a dry place for a single night, with others in the same circumstances-to see such a piece of wood resume and evince the perfection of vegetative life, budding, blossoming, and bringing forth ripe fruit at the same time, must be such a demonstration of the peculiar interference of God, as to silence every doubt and satisfy every scruple. It is worthy of remark that a sceptre, or staff of office, resuming its vegetative life, was considered an absolute impossibility among the ancients; and as they were accustomed to swear by their sceptres, this circumstance was added to establish and confirm the oath. A remarkable instance of this we have in HOMER, Iliad, lib. i., ver. 233, c., where Achilles, in his rage against Agamemnon, thus speaks: –
‘ ,
,
, ,
‘
.
But hearken: I shall swear a solemn oath:
By this same sceptre which shall never bud,
Nor boughs bring forth, as once which, having left
Its parent on the mountain top, what time
The woodman’s axe lopp’d off its foliage green,
And stripp’d its bark, shall never grow again.
COWPER.
VIRGIL represents King Latinus swearing in the same way, to confirm his covenant with AEneas: –
Ut SCEPTRUM hoc (dextra sceptrum nam forte gerebat)
Nunquam fronde levi fundet virgulta neque umbras,
Cum semel in silvis imo de stirpe recisum.
Matre caret, posuitque comas et brachia ferro;
Olim arbos, nunc artificis manus aere decoro
Inclusit, patribusque dedit gestare Latinis,
Talibus inter se firmabant foedera dictis.
AEn., lib. xii., ver. 206-12.
Even as this royal SCEPTRE (for he bore
A sceptre in his hand) shall never more
Shoot out in branches, or renew the birth;
An orphan now, cut from the mother earth
By the keen axe, dishonour’d of its hair,
And cased in brass, for Latian kings to bear.
And thus in public view the peace was tied
With solemn vows, and sworn on either side.
DRYDEN.
When the circumstance of the rod or sceptre being used anciently in this way, and the absolute impossibility of its revivescence so strongly appealed to, is considered, it appears to have been a very proper instrument for the present occasion, for the change that passed on it must be acknowledged as an immediate and incontestable miracle.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Into the tabernacle of witness; into the most holy place, which he might safely do under the protection of Gods command, though otherwise none but the high priest might enter there, and that once in a year.
Yielded almonds; this being, as Josephus with great probability affirms, a staff of an almond tree, as the rest also were.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. Moses went into thetabernaclebeing privileged to do so on this occasion by thespecial command of God. And he there beheld the remarkable spectacleof Aaron’s rodwhich, according to JOSEPHUS,was a stick of an almond tree, bearing fruit in three differentstages at oncebuds, blossoms, and fruit.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness,…. Where none but he could go at any time; this was the day after the rods had been placed there:
and, behold, the rod of Aaron, for the house of Levi; the rod that had Aaron’s name upon it, which was to represent the tribe of Levi, of which he was:
was budded, and brought forth buds; knobs of blossom, such that are seen on trees before they open; for the almond tree puts forth its blossoms before its leaves; though the Targum of Jonathan renders it “branches”, as do some versions; and some think this is to be understood of its putting out its leaves first, contrary to the nature of the almond tree, and so makes the miracle the greater; thus Ben Melech:
and blossomed blossoms; open flowers or blossoms, such as appear on the almond tree in the spring, and look very beautiful:
and yielded almonds; ripe almonds, in their full perfection, as the Targums of Jerusalem and Jonathan; the latter of which is,
“in the same night it perfected and brought forth almonds:”
the word used has the signification of weaning, and alludes to children grown up to some ripeness and maturity, Ge 21:8; the case seems to be this, that in one part of the rod were buds, swelling and just putting out, in another part open flowers quite blown, and in others full ripe fruit: now this clearly showed it to be supernatural, since the almond tree, though quick and early in its production of buds and flowers, yet never has those and ripe fruit on it at the same time; to which may be added, that this was not the time of year the almond tree blossoms; not the spring, but rather autumn, as it should seem, since it was after the affair of the spies and the murmurs of the people on their report; now it was the time of the first ripe grapes, when they went into the land, and they were forty days searching it, and it was after their return the insurrections before recorded were: the design of this was to confirm the priesthood in Aaron’s family, and show that it would continue there, in a flourishing condition, and that there would be a succession of priests from him to the time of the Messiah, as there were; and the almond tree having its name in Hebrew from watchfulness and haste, see Jer 1:11; may denote the vigilance of the priests in their office, and the haste punishment makes to come upon such that should oppose them, or usurp the priesthood, as in the case of Uzziah; so Jarchi remarks: this rod of Aaron’s may be an emblem of the Gospel ministry of that rod that should come out of Zion, Ps 110:2; which in the eyes of men is mean and despicable, like a dry stick, but becomes a fruitful one through the power of divine grace; and an almond tree rod may denote the vigilance and watchfulness of Gospel ministers over themselves and others, and their doctrine; and oftentimes whom God puts into the ministry he early calls them by his grace, and frequently makes the first part of their ministry most useful, and fruit is brought forth which remains: moreover, this rod may be considered as a type of Christ; it being a dry rod or stick, may denote the meanness of his descent and appearance in the world, and the unpromising aspect of his being the King, Messiah, and Saviour of men; and being an almond tree rod, may signify his speedy incarnation in the fulness of time, which the Lord hastened; his being the firstborn, and his right to the priesthood, and his vigilance in it; its lying among other rods, and budding, and blossoming, and bringing forth fruit, may point at Christ’s assuming the common nature or man, his being cut off by death, his resurrection from the dead, and the fruits arising from thence, justification, peace, pardon, and eternal life; and as Aaron’s priesthood was confirmed by the budding, c. of this rod, so the deity and Messiahship of Christ are, by his resurrection from the dead
[See comments on Heb 9:4].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. 9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod. 10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. 11 And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he. 12 And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. 13 Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?
Here is, I. The final determination of the controversy concerning the priesthood by a miracle, Num 17:8; Num 17:9. The rods or staves were brought out from the most holy place where they were laid up, and publicly produced before the people; and, while all the rest of the rods remained as they were, Aaron’s rod only, of a dry stick, became a living branch, budded, and blossomed, and yielded almonds. In some places there were buds, in others blossoms, in others fruit, at the same time. This was miraculous, and took away all suspicion of a fraud, as if in the night Moses had taken away Aaron’s rod, and put a living branch of an almond tree in the room of it; for no ordinary branch would have buds, blossoms, and fruits upon it, all at once. Now,
1. This was a plain indication to the people that Aaron was chosen to the priesthood, and not any other of the princes of the tribes. Thus he was distinguished from them and manifested to be under the special blessing of heaven, which sometimes yields increase where there is neither planting nor watering by the hand of man. Bishop Hall here observes that fruitfulness is the best evidence of a divine call, and that the plants of God’s setting, and the boughs cut off from them, will flourish. See Ps. xcii. 12-14. The trees of the Lord, though they seem dry trees, are full of sap.
2. It was a very proper sign to represent the priesthood itself, which was hereby confirmed to Aaron. (1.) That it should be fruitful and serviceable to the church of God. It produced not only blossoms, but almonds; for the priesthood was designed, not only for an honour to Aaron, but for a blessing to Israel. Thus Christ ordained his apostles and ministers that they should go and bring forth fruit, and that their fruit should remain, John xv. 16. (2.) That there should be a succession of priests. Here were not only almonds for the present, but buds and blossoms promising more hereafter. Thus has Christ provided in his church that a seed should serve him from generation to generation. (3.) That yet this priesthood should not be perpetual, but in process of time, like the branches and blossoms of a tree, should fail and wither. The flourishing of the almond-tree is mentioned as one of the signs of old age, Eccl. xii. 5. This character was betimes put upon the Mosaic priesthood, which soon became old and ready to vanish away, Heb. viii. 13.
3. It was a type and figure of Christ and his priesthood: for he is the man, the branch, that is to be a priest upon his throne, as it follows (Zech. vi. 12); and he was to grow up before God, as this before the ark, like a tender plant, and a root out of a dry ground, Isa. liii. 2.
II. The record of this determination, by the preserving of the rod before the testimony, in perpetuam rei memoriam–that it might be had in perpetual remembrance,Num 17:10; Num 17:11. It is probable that the buds, and blossoms, and fruit, continued fresh; the same divine power that produced them in a night preserved them for ages, at least so long as it was necessary for a token against the rebels. So it was a standing miracle, and the continuance of it was an undeniable proof of the truth of it. Even the leaf of God’s trees shall not wither, Ps. i. 3. This rod was preserved, as the censers were, to take away their murmurings, that they die not. Note, 1. The design of God in all his providences, both mercies and judgments, and in the memorials of them, is to take away sin, and to prevent it. These things are done, these things written, that we sin not, 1 John ii. 1. Christ was manifested to take away sin. 2. What God does for the taking away of sin is done in real kindness to us, that we die not. All the bitter potions he gives, and all the sharp methods he uses with us, are for the cure of a disease which otherwise would certainly be fatal. Bishop Hall observes here that the tables of the law, the pot of manna, and Aaron’s rod, were preserved together in or about the ark (the apostle takes notice of them all three together, Heb. ix. 4), to show to after-ages how the ancient church was taught, and fed, and ruled; and he infers how precious the doctrine, sacraments, and government, of the church are to God and should be to us. The rod of Moses was used in working many miracles, yet we do not find that this was preserved, for the keeping of it would serve only to gratify men’s curiosity; but the rod of Aaron, which carried its miracle along with it, was carefully preserved, because that would be of standing use to convince men’s consciences, to silence all disputes about the priesthood, and to confirm the faith of God’s Israel in his institutions. Such is the difference between the sacraments which Christ has appointed for edification and the relics which men have devised for superstition.
III. The outcry of the people hereupon (Num 17:12; Num 17:13): Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. Shall we be consumed with dying? This may be considered as the language either, 1. Of a repining people quarrelling with the judgments of God, which, by their own pride and obstinacy, they had brought upon themselves. They seem to speak despairingly, as if God was a hard Master, that sought advantage against them, and took all occasions to pick quarrels with them, so that if they trod every so little awry, if they stepped ever so little beyond their bounds, they must die, they must perish, they must all perish, basely insinuating that God would never be satisfied with their blood and ruin, till he had made an end of them all and they were consumed with dying. Thus they seem to be like a wild bull in a net, full of the fury of the Lord (Isa. li. 20), fretting that God was too hard for them and that they were forced to submit, which they did only because they could not help it. Note, It is a very wicked thing to fret against God when we are in affliction, and in our distress thus to trespass yet more. If we die, if we perish, it is owing to ourselves, and the blame will lie upon our own heads. Or, 2. Of a repenting people. Many interpreters take it as expressing their submission: “Now we see that it is the will of God we should keep our distance, and that it is at our peril if we draw nearer than is appointed. We submit to the divine will in this appointment; we will not contend any more, lest we all perish:” and they engage Moses to intercede for them, that they may not be all consumed with dying. Thus the point was gained, and in this matter God quite took away their murmurings, and henceforward they acquiesced. Note, When God judges he will over come, and, one way or other, will oblige the most obstinate gainsayers to confess their folly sooner or later, and that wherein they dealt proudly he was above them. Vicisti Galile–O Galilan, thou hast conquered!
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
8. And thou shalt say unto them. The law is now extended to strangers, not those who were heathens, but those who, springing originally from other nations, had devoted themselves to pure religion. For, if more had been allowed to them than to the genuine children of Abraham, the corruption would, according to their wont, have soon spread more widely. God, then, would not have His sanctuary defiled by foreigners, lest their liberty might make its way amongst the whole people. From this latter portion we may gather that the word “kill” (205) which is elsewhere taken in a sense, is here confined to the sacrifices; since permission is elsewhere given to the people to eat (meat) in all their cities and villages, provided they abstain from blood. We must remember, therefore, that the question is not here as to their ordinary food, but only as to the victims, which were never to be offered except at the tabernacle.
(205) In these verses (Lev 27:8) the offering of a burnt-offering, or sacrifices, is only spoken of, from whence C. appears justly to conclude that the word “kill” in Lev 27:3, referred merely to animals killed in sacrifice.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
8. And it came to pass, that on the morrow. It is not without cause that, the time is notified, for by no skill could it be brought about that a rod should blossom in the lapse of a single night. Again, all suspicion of fraud was removed by the fact that Moses departed when he had placed the rods in the sanctuary, and, returning on the next day, brought out the bundle of rods before them all. But in this respect was the power of God principally shown forth, that in so short a space of time not only flowers, but fruits also, were formed upon a dry bough, which could not have occurred but by the reversal of the order of nature. And further, the time of year is to be taken into account, which was by no means in accordance with such maturity, Now, by this miracle the dignity of the typical priesthood was undoubtedly ratified to the ancient people under the Law; but, in so much as the truth itself is more excellent than its figure or image, the intention of God unquestionably was to assert the priesthood of His only-begotten Son rather than that of Aaron. Hence the profit to be derived from this miracle most especially pertains to us,(“Nous appartient plus qu’aux Juifs;” pertains to us more than to the Jews. — Fr.) in order that we may embrace the Priest presented to us by God with the veneration He deserves. I pass by the frivolous allegories (106) in which others take delight. And in fact it ought to be abundantly sufficient for us, that the power of God which might direct the people to the Mediator, appeared of old under a visible symbol; but when the Son of God came, whatever He then represented to their sight was spiritually revealed in Him: for not only was He a sprout (surculus) from the stem of Jesse, as He is called by Isaiah (Isa 11:1); and a stone hewn without the art or labor of man, under which form he was shown to Daniel (Dan 2:34); but by His resurrection tie was separated from the whole human race. For this, too, we must diligently observe, that it is not enough that He should obtain with us the prerogative and title of Priest, unless He is so only and indivisibly. Hence it is plain that His honor is in the Papacy torn in pieces by foul and intolerable sacrilege, when they invent innumerable mediators.
(106) Corn. a Lapide reports many of these, —
“
Symbolice et tropologice, (he says,) this rod signifies what sort of person a pontifex and pastor ought to be, viz., watchful, active, laborious, and austere, such as were St. Nicholas of Myra, St. Andrew the Carmelite, Pius II., and Cardinal Julian Cesarinus.
“
Allegorice, it is Christ; or the Virgin Mary, whose flower is Christ.
“
Anagogice, it is a symbol of’ the resurrection.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(8) Behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded . . . As the budding of Aarons rod was the divinely appointed proof of the establishment of the priesthood in his person and in his posterity, so our Lord proved Himself to be the true High Priest over the House of God by coming forth as a rod [or shoot] out of the stem of Jesse (Isa. 11:1), and as a root out of a dry ground (Isa. 53:2). The miraculous shooting forth of Aarons dry rod may be regarded as a type of the mode of the Spirits operation in the Church, and more especially in the work of the ministry; Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts (Zec. 4:6).
And yielded almonds.Better, and brought almonds to maturity, or yielded ripe almonds. The word shaked (almond-tree) is a cognate form of the verb shakadto keep watch. The name is supposed to have been given to the almond-tree because it blossoms at a time when vegetation is lying in the sleep of winter. (See Jer. 1:11-12; also, The Land and the Book, p. 319.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. Budded bloomed almonds The miracle consisted in the sudden vegetation of a dry rod in different stages of growth buds just appearing, full blossoms, and mature fruit, “ripe almonds,” R.V. That this effect should have been produced upon Aaron’s lifeless rod must have been deemed an indisputable designation of Aaron. “Sure he could not but think, Who am I, O God, that thou shouldest choose me out of all the tribes of Israel? My weakness has been more worthy of the rod of correction than my rod has been worthy of these blossoms. How able art thou to defend my imbecility with the rod of thy support! How able art thou to defend me with the rod of thy power, who hast thus brought fruit out of the rod of my profession!” Bishop Hall. Ewald feebly attempts to reduce this miracle to the effect of natural causes by suggesting that the rods had just been freshly cut, and that Moses laid them away during the night, to see which of them would flower the best during the night. To this we reply that there is no hint of a recent cutting of the rods; that if freshly cut they would not bud, blossom, and bear fruit in a dry place in a few hours; and that nature has no power to discriminate in favor of the rod of Aaron, and to pour into it extraordinary life and fruitfulness. The entire account strongly implies that the other rods were unchanged. In this fact lies the proof of Aaron’s election.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Aaron’s Rod Buds and Flowers in the Tent of Testimony, and The Budded and Unbudded Rods Are Revealed to All the People, Who Look on Them (so that murmuring will cease) ( Num 17:8-9 ).
Num 17:8
‘And it came about on the next day, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms (tsits), and bare ripe almonds.’
The next day Moses entered the Tent of testimony, and there he discovered that Aaron’s rod had budded. Indeed it had not only produced buds, but had also burst into flower and borne ripe almonds. The same word (tsits) which indicates ‘blossoms’ also signifies the golden ‘plate’ which was part of the High Priest’s headdress (Exo 28:36; Lev 8:9). Assuming them to be almond flowers they would have been pinky white. Jer 1:11-12 associates ‘almonds’ (shaked) with ‘vigilance’ and ‘watching’ (shoked). The almond was also the earliest tree to blossom. Thus the budding was evidence of new life, the flowers symbolised the High Priestly ‘holiness to Yahweh’ in the whiteness of purity and righteousness, and the almonds indicated that Yahweh watched over him with vigilance.
The lampstand in the Dwellinglace of Yahweh represented an almond tree (Exo 25:33-34). Thus the rod that produced almonds was seen as, as it were, an offshoot of the One represented by the lampstand.
The message was clear. The rod of Aaron lived in the presence of Yahweh, but the rods of the tribes remained dead. Only Aaron and his sons could be in the presence of Yahweh in the Holy Place and live. Only Aaron could ‘produce fruit’ in the Holy Place.
Num 17:9
‘And Moses brought out all the rods from before Yahweh to all the children of Israel, and they looked, and took every man his rod.’
Then Moses brought all the rods out ‘from before Yahweh’ and brought them to the children of Israel, and they looked and saw, and each chieftain took his rod. Nothing further needed to be said. The rods spoke for themselves. They were taken back to the tribe with an account of what had happened and no doubt carefully examined.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Num 17:8. Was budded, and brought forth buds, &c. i.e. as Bishop Patrick ingeniously observes, in some places there was an appearance of buds coming forth: in some, those buds were fully thrust out; in others, they were opened into blossoms; in other parts, knotted and grown into almonds; and all this in the space of one night: a miracle so great and convincing, that we find it had its effect, the authority of Aaron’s priesthood never being afterwards (that we hear of) called in question. Grotius has a curious remark here respecting the propriety of producing almonds, in preference to any other fruit. It was intended, says he, to signify the vigilance immediately requisite in the high priest; for the word sheked, signifies both that fruit, and this virtue: fructum illum, et hanc virtutem. The almond-tree is so called in the Hebrew, says Parkhurst, because it first of the trees waketh, and riseth from its winter repose: it flowers in the month of January, and by March brings its fruit to maturity; that is, in the warm southern countries. The forwardness of this fruit-bearing tree is intimated to us by the vision of Jeremiah, ch. Num 1:11-12 and also Pliny’s Nat. Hist. lib. 16: cap. 25. It would be endless to recount here the fabulous stories respecting the rod of Aaron: those who are inclined to inquiries of this sort, may find their curiosity gratified by referring to Parkhurst and Saurin’s 61st Dissertation.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
What could have been more decisive! A dry unpromising rod to bring forth at one and the same time, and in one night, buds, and blossoms, and fruit. But who doth not, or who will not, behold in all this JESUS, who is called in relation to one of his offices the rod of the LORD’S strength? Psa 110:2 . He was indeed a root out of a dry ground. Isa 53:2 . In him and his complete salvation he doth indeed bud, and blossom, and give fruit in the several measures of his grace, and according to their seasons of need he grants suited blessings to all his people. If the Reader would see a string of the sweetest promises concerning these things, in reference to the Redeemer, he will find them, Psa 132:11-18 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Num 17:8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
Ver. 8. And bloomed blossoms. ] (1.) For a testimony of Aaron’s calling from God, to the honour of the priesthood; (2) For a type of Christ, the branch growing out of the stem of Jesse; Isa 11:1 (3) For a figure of the ministry of the gospel, which although to profane persons it seem a dry, barren, and vanishing voice, yet it bloometh and flourisheth in the hearts of God’s elect; – and surely fruitfulness is the best argument of our election, and that we are called of God, for not only all the plants of his setting, but the very boughs cut off from the body of them will flourish; (4.) For a lively representation of a glorious resurrection. At the French massacre, Aug. 25, 1572, in the churchyard of St Innocent at Paris, a certain bush suddenly bloomed about the middle time of that bloody day, at an unusual time of the year. a The Papists boasted, that God by that miracle showed his good liking of that massacre they had made. But the Protestants took it for a confirmation of their religion, and a testimony of their innocency.
a Epitome Hist. Gallicae, p. 149.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
rod of Aaron
Aaron’s rod that budded: Type of Christ in resurrection, owned of God as High Priest. Aaron’s priesthood had been questioned in the rebellion of Korah, so God Himself will confirm it Num 17:5. Each of the tribe-heads brought a perfectly dead rod; God put life into Aaron’s only. So all the authors of religions have died, Christ among them, but only Christ was raised from the dead, and exalted to be a high priest.; Heb 4:14; Heb 5:4-10.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
the rod of Aaron: This fact was so unquestionably miraculous, that no doubt could remain on the minds of the people, or the envious chiefs, of the divine appointment of Aaron, and as there were buds, blossoms, and fruit on the rod at the same time, which was never the case with branches in the natural and ordinary course, this evidently proved the miracle, and took away all suspicion of the fraud which has been impiously suggested, that Moses had taken away Aaron’s rod in the night time, and put a living branch of an almond tree in the room of it. A sceptre or staff of office resuming its vegetative life, was considered an absolute impossibility among the ancients; and as they were accustomed to swear by their sceptres, this circumstance was added to confirm the oath.
budded: Num 17:5, Gen 40:10, Psa 110:2, Psa 132:17, Psa 132:18, Son 2:3, Isa 4:2, Eze 17:24, Eze 19:12, Eze 19:14, Joh 15:1-6
Reciprocal: Exo 37:20 – almonds Exo 38:21 – tabernacle of testimony 2Ch 24:6 – tabernacle Jer 1:11 – I see a rod Eze 7:10 – the rod Act 7:44 – the tabernacle Heb 9:4 – and Aaron’s
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Num 17:8. Into the tabernacle Into the most holy place, which he might safely do under the protection of Gods command, though otherwise none but the high-priest might enter there, and that only once in a year.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
17:8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron {d} for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
(d) To declare that God chose the house of Levi to serve him in the tabernacle.