Numbers 17: Aaron's rod buds
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Yahweh tells Moses to take a rod from the leader of each tribe, twelve rods, with Aaron's name on the rod of Levi, and to lay them in the Tent of Meeting. The next day Aaron's rod has sprouted, blossomed and produced ripe almonds. Yahweh has it kept before the Testimony as a sign against the rebels, and the people cry out that anyone who comes near Yahweh's tabernacle dies.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God's own words are in 5 of the 13 verses: his instructions to Moses about the rods in verses 2 to 5, and about keeping Aaron's rod in verse 10. The people speak to Moses in verses 12 and 13. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
In plain English: Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Good to know: In the Hebrew Bible, verses 1 to 13 of this chapter are verses 16 to 28. This page follows the numbering of most English Bibles.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
2“Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each fathers’ house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod.God speaks
In plain English: "Speak to the Israelites and take rods (or: staffs) from them, one for each fathers' house (family line), from all their leaders by their fathers' houses, twelve rods. Write each man's name on his rod.
The Hebrew word: "Rod" is matteh, which the dictionary gives as "a branch (as extending); figuratively, a tribe; also a rod" or a staff.
How it is translated: In Numbers the word is in 89 verses. This Bible says "tribe" in 78 of them and "rod" in 11, most of them in this chapter. In "the tribe of Levi" uses the same word.
What changes: Because one word means both "rod" and "tribe", each leader's rod stands for his whole tribe. The test is about which tribe Yahweh chooses, as well as which man.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
3You shall write Aaron’s name on Levi’s rod. There shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses.God speaks
In plain English: Write Aaron's name on the rod of Levi, for there is to be one rod for the head of each fathers' house.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
4You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the covenant, where I meet with you.God speaks
In plain English: Lay them in the Tent of Meeting in front of the Testimony (this Bible: the covenant), where I meet with you.
The Hebrew word: "The covenant" here is edut, which the dictionary gives as "testimony". It is the name for the tablets kept in the ark (, where this Bible also says "covenant").
How it is translated: In Numbers this Bible says "testimony" in 8 of the 11 verses that use edut, as in "the Tent of the Testimony" in , and "covenant" in 3, two of them in this chapter.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
5It shall happen that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud. I will make the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you, cease from me.”God speaks
In plain English: The rod of the man I choose will sprout. So I will make the complaints of the Israelites, which they keep making against you, stop (literally: cease from on me)."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
6Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, a total of twelve rods. Aaron’s rod was among their rods.
In plain English: Moses spoke to the Israelites, and all their leaders gave him rods, one for each leader, by their fathers' houses, twelve rods. Aaron's rod was among their rods.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
7Moses laid up the rods before Yahweh in the Tent of the Testimony.
In plain English: Moses laid the rods before Yahweh in the Tent of the Testimony.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
8On the next day, Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony; and behold, Aaron’s rod for the house of Levi had sprouted, budded, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.
In plain English: The next day Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony, and there was Aaron's rod for the house of Levi: it had sprouted, put out buds, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds.
The Hebrew word: "Almonds" is shaqed, which the dictionary gives as "the almond (tree or nut; as being the earliest in bloom)". In and it sounds like shaqad, "to watch": Jeremiah sees an almond branch, and Yahweh says he watches over his word.
Good to know: The verse names four stages: it sprouted, put out buds, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds, by the next day.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
9Moses brought out all the rods from before Yahweh to all the children of Israel. They looked, and each man took his rod.
In plain English: Moses brought all the rods out from before Yahweh to all the Israelites. They looked, and each man took his own rod.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
10Yahweh said to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the covenant, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their complaining against me, that they not die.”God speaks
In plain English: Yahweh said to Moses, "Put Aaron's rod back in front of the Testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels (literally: the sons of rebellion), so that you put an end to their complaints against me, and they do not die."
Good to know: Like the jar of manna (), the rod is kept before Yahweh. lists "Aaron's rod that budded" with the manna and the tablets in the ark.
Church tradition: Jewish and Christian readers have often drawn lessons from the dead rod that came to life. Many church writers read it as a picture of new life or of Christ. The text says only that it is a sign against the rebels, so that the complaining stops and they do not die.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
11Moses did so. As Yahweh commanded him, so he did.
In plain English: Moses did so. He did just as Yahweh had commanded him.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
12The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish! We are undone! We are all undone!
In plain English: The Israelites said to Moses, "Look, we are dying! We are lost! We are all lost!
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
13Everyone who keeps approaching Yahweh’s tabernacle, dies! Will we all perish?”
In plain English: Anyone who comes near, anyone who comes near Yahweh's tabernacle, dies! Are we all going to die (or: will we ever finish dying)?"
The Hebrew word: "Perish" at the end is tamam, which the dictionary gives as "to complete".
What changes: Read as "Will we all perish?", the people fear that every one of them will die. Read as "Will we ever finish dying?", they fear the dying will never end. The next chapter gives Yahweh's rules for who may come near ( to and ).
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.