Numbers 10

Purpose of the Trumpets Numbers 10:3–8

³Verse 3. When they blow them, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the door of the Tent of Meeting. ⁴Verse 4. If they blow just one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. ⁵Verse 5. When you blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall go forward. ⁶Verse 6. When you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie on the south side shall go forward. They shall blow an alarm for their journeys. ⁷Verse 7. But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm.

⁸Verse 8. “The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. This shall be to you for a statute forever throughout your generations.

War and Worship Numbers 10:9–10

⁹Verse 9. When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets. Then you will be remembered before Yahweh your God, and you will be saved from your enemies. ¹⁰Verse 10. “Also in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God. I am Yahweh your God.”

Departure from Sinai Numbers 10:11–12

¹¹Verse 11. In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the testimony. ¹²Verse 12. The children of Israel went forward according to their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud stayed in the wilderness of Paran.

Order of the Tribes' March Numbers 10:13–28

¹³Verse 13. They first went forward according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses. ¹⁴Verse 14. First, the standard of the camp of the children of Judah went forward according to their armies. Nahshon the son of Amminadab was over his army. ¹⁵Verse 15. Nethanel the son of Zuar was over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar. ¹⁶Verse 16. Eliab the son of Helon was over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun. ¹⁷Verse 17. The tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, went forward. ¹⁸Verse 18. The standard of the camp of Reuben went forward according to their armies. Elizur the son of Shedeur was over his army.

¹⁹Verse 19. Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai was over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon. ²⁰Verse 20. Eliasaph the son of Deuel was over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad. ²¹Verse 21. The Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary. The others set up the tabernacle before they arrived. ²²Verse 22. The standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies. Elishama the son of Ammihud was over his army. ²³Verse 23. Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur was over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh. ²⁴Verse 24. Abidan the son of Gideoni was over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin.

²⁵Verse 25. The standard of the camp of the children of Dan, which was the rear guard of all the camps, set forward according to their armies. Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai was over his army. ²⁶Verse 26. Pagiel the son of Ochran was over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher. ²⁷Verse 27. Ahira the son of Enan was over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali. ²⁸Verse 28. Thus were the travels of the children of Israel according to their armies; and they went forward.

Moses and Hobab Numbers 10:29–32

²⁹Verse 29. Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are journeying to the place of which Yahweh said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well; for Yahweh has spoken good concerning Israel.” ³⁰Verse 30. He said to him, “I will not go; but I will depart to my own land, and to my relatives.” ³¹Verse 31. He said, “Don’t leave us, please; because you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. ³²Verse 32. It shall be, if you go with us, yes, it shall be, that whatever good Yahweh does to us, we will do the same to you.”

God's Guidance in Movement Numbers 10:33–36

³³Verse 33. They set forward from the Mount of Yahweh three days’ journey. The ark of Yahweh’s covenant went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them. ³⁴Verse 34. The cloud of Yahweh was over them by day, when they set forward from the camp. ³⁵Verse 35. When the ark went forward, Moses said, “Rise up, Yahweh, and let your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate you flee before you!” ³⁶Verse 36. When it rested, he said, “Return, Yahweh, to the ten thousands of the thousands of Israel.”