Numbers 10:13 kjv
And they first took their journey according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
Numbers 10:13 nkjv
So they started out for the first time according to the command of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
Numbers 10:13 niv
They set out, this first time, at the LORD's command through Moses.
Numbers 10:13 esv
They set out for the first time at the command of the LORD by Moses.
Numbers 10:13 nlt
When the people set out for the first time, following the instructions the LORD had given through Moses,
Numbers 10 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:1 | "Go from your country... to the land that I will show you." | Abraham's call to set out by divine command. |
| Ex 13:21 | "The LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud... by night in a pillar of fire." | God's direct visible guidance for their journey. |
| Ex 17:1 | "All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the command of the LORD." | Earlier journey stage initiated by God's command. |
| Ex 40:36-37 | "Whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out..." | Cloud signal as direct divine command to journey. |
| Lev 8:36 | "Aaron and his sons did all the things that the LORD commanded by Moses." | Obedience to commands given through Moses. |
| Num 9:18 | "At the command of the LORD the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the LORD they encamped." | Reinforces repeated pattern of divine direction. |
| Num 9:23 | "At the command of the LORD they encamped, and at the command of the LORD they set out..." | Directly parallels and elaborates on God's control. |
| Dt 1:6-8 | "The LORD our God said to us in Horeb, 'You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey...'" | Divine imperative for the Israelites to move. |
| Dt 2:3 | "You have encircled this mountain long enough. Turn northward." | God dictates specific directions and timing. |
| Dt 8:2 | "And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness..." | Retrospective on God's comprehensive leading. |
| Dt 34:10 | "There has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face." | Highlights Moses' unique relationship and authority. |
| Josh 1:7 | "Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you." | Command to obey what was given through Moses. |
| Ps 77:20 | "You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron." | God's guidance using Moses as His instrument. |
| Ps 78:14 | "In the daytime he led them with a cloud, and all night with a fiery light." | Divine visual guidance in their wilderness journey. |
| Ps 105:39 | "He spread a cloud for a covering and fire to give light by night." | God's provision for direction and protection. |
| Prov 3:5-6 | "Trust in the LORD with all your heart... and he will make straight your paths." | General principle of divine guidance and trust. |
| Is 30:21 | "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left." | God's ongoing spiritual direction for His people. |
| Rom 15:4 | "Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures..." | Old Testament narratives, including this, teach us. |
| 1 Cor 10:1 | "For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea..." | Examples from Israel's journey serving as lessons. |
| Heb 3:5 | "Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later." | Moses' faithfulness as a divinely appointed servant. |
| Heb 11:8 | "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going." | Principle of faith-filled obedience to God's command to journey. |
Numbers 10 verses
Numbers 10 13 Meaning
Numbers 10:13 signifies a pivotal moment for the Israelites, marking their inaugural departure from Mount Sinai. It states that their setting out was not by their own initiative but was entirely "according to the command of the LORD" given "by Moses." This highlights divine sovereignty, explicit obedience, and the divinely appointed leadership of Moses, establishing a foundational principle for their entire wilderness journey towards the Promised Land.
Numbers 10 13 Context
Numbers 10:13 marks a crucial turning point within the book of Numbers and the history of Israel. Having spent nearly a year encamped at Mount Sinai—receiving the Law, instructions for the Tabernacle, conducting censuses, and organizing their camp (as detailed in Numbers chapters 1-9)—the moment finally arrives for them to depart. Chapter 10 begins by describing the use of two silver trumpets for summoning the congregation and signaling the breaking of camp and the movement of the various divisions. Verse 11 indicates the specific timing, "on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year," the cloud lifted, which was the signal for them to journey. Thus, verse 13 follows immediately, confirming that this long-awaited first move from Sinai was an act of direct obedience to the divine signal and command mediated through Moses. It sets the stage for the narrative of their wilderness wanderings, testing their organization, discipline, and reliance on God's minute-by-minute guidance.
Numbers 10 13 Word analysis
So they set out (ויסעו - Vayis'u):
- From the Hebrew root נ-ס-ע (n-s-a), meaning "to pull up stakes," "to break camp," or "to journey." The verb form indicates an active, completed movement by the Israelites.
- Significance: This verb is used repeatedly throughout the Pentateuch to describe Israel's movements, emphasizing their nomadic nature under divine direction. The immediate setting out highlights readiness and obedience following a year of preparation.
for the first time (לראשונה - La'rishonah):
- From ראש (rosh), meaning "head" or "beginning," with the preposition and feminine ending making it "at the beginning" or "for the first."
- Significance: This phrase is crucial as it emphasizes the inauguration of their actual journey to the Promised Land. Prior movements (e.g., from Egypt to Sinai) were initial stages, but this specific departure from Sinai, where the covenant was ratified and they became a divinely structured nation, signifies the commencement of their ultimate pilgrimage. It marks the transition from static encampment to dynamic progression.
according to the command of (על פי - Al Pi):
- Literally, "upon the mouth of" or "by the mouth of." This is a common Hebrew idiom for "according to the direction," "by the order," or "by the command of."
- Significance: This phrase is paramount. It explicitly states the source of their action: it was not a human decision based on strategic assessment but a direct divine imperative. This underscores the total reliance of Israel on God's guidance for their existence and movement.
the LORD (יהוה - YHWH):
- The sacred, covenantal name of God, revealing Him as the personal, faithful, and unchangeable God who acts in history.
- Significance: It is YHWH, their covenant God, who is leading them, not some generic deity or impersonal force. This highlights the intimate, relational aspect of God's leadership and His faithfulness to His promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
by Moses (ביד משה - Biyad Mosheh):
- Literally, "in the hand of Moses," an idiom meaning "by means of Moses" or "through Moses."
- Significance: This clarifies the channel of divine communication and leadership. Moses was the chosen mediator between God and Israel, conveying God's will and leading the people as God's instrument. This re-establishes Moses' divine authority in the eyes of the people and reinforces that obeying Moses was synonymous with obeying God.
Numbers 10 13 Bonus section
- Theocratic Order: This verse powerfully illustrates the theocratic nature of Israel. Their civil and religious life, down to their movements, was under the direct governance of God, communicated through His chosen leader. There was no room for human will or strategic planning outside of divine instruction for their journey.
- The Cloud's Role: While not explicitly in verse 13, the prior verses (Num 9:15-23, 10:11) detail the lifting of the cloud from over the Tabernacle as the immediate sign for departure. This ties the verbal command given "by Moses" with the visible manifestation of God's presence, indicating a multi-sensory confirmation of God's will for their movement. The physical signal from the cloud was the public, undeniable proof of the command that Moses mediated.
- Significance for Wilderness Narratives: This specific departure marks the beginning of the "journeys" narrative that permeates much of Numbers. It's the point from which many of their future tests, rebellions, and God's interventions are recorded, all set within the overarching context of being led "according to the command of the LORD."
Numbers 10 13 Commentary
Numbers 10:13 succinctly captures the essence of Israel's journey through the wilderness: every step was consecrated by divine direction and executed through faithful human mediation. After a long season of intense instruction and meticulous organization at Mount Sinai, this verse marks the active commencement of the pilgrimage towards Canaan. The phrase "for the first time" underscores the significance of this inaugural movement, indicating a transition from static learning to dynamic application of God's revealed will. The repeated emphasis "according to the command of the LORD by Moses" reinforces a non-negotiable principle: Israel's very existence and progress were utterly dependent on God's spoken word. Their identity as God's people was inextricably linked to their obedient response to His leading, manifested through His chosen servant, Moses. This set the pattern for their subsequent travels, illustrating that true advancement in God's will comes from diligent attentiveness to His commands and willingness to move when He signals, even into unknown territory. This principle resonates for believers today, for the Christian walk is similarly a pilgrimage guided by God's word and the Spirit, requiring consistent obedience and trust in God's chosen means.