Numbers 17:4 kjv
And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.
Numbers 17:4 nkjv
Then you shall place them in the tabernacle of meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with you.
Numbers 17:4 niv
Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the ark of the covenant law, where I meet with you.
Numbers 17:4 esv
Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.
Numbers 17:4 nlt
Place these staffs in the Tabernacle in front of the Ark containing the tablets of the Covenant, where I meet with you.
Numbers 17 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 17:5 | And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout... | God's choice affirmed |
| Exod 25:16 | And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you. | Ark holds the covenant |
| Exod 25:21-22 | ...you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I will meet with you... | Ark as meeting place |
| Exod 29:42 | ...at the entrance of the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you to speak with you there. | Tent of Meeting as divine encounter |
| Exod 30:6 | ...before the curtain that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you. | God's presence at the Testimony |
| Exod 40:20-21 | He took the testimony and put it into the ark... Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle... | Placement of Ark in Tabernacle |
| Lev 16:2 | ...for I appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. | God's manifestation over the Ark |
| Deut 10:2 | And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets... and you shall put them in the ark. | Tablets as the "Testimony" |
| Deut 31:26 | Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God... | Law kept near the Ark |
| Josh 3:3 | When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it... | Levites entrusted with Ark |
| 1 Kgs 8:9-11 | There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone... For the glory of the Lord filled the house. | Ark in the Temple; God's presence |
| Heb 9:4 | ...the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. | Aaron's staff remembered in NT |
| Num 3:10 | And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood... | God appoints priests |
| Num 16:40 | It was a reminder to the people of Israel that no outsider, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should come near to burn incense... | Warning against unlawful priesthood |
| Ps 78:67-68 | He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim... He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved. | God's sovereign choice of location/people |
| Prov 16:33 | The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. | Divine determination |
| Jon 1:7 | Then they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us." | Casting lots for divine revelation |
| Acts 1:24 | And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen." | Seeking divine choice in apostleship |
| John 15:16 | You did not choose me, but I chose you... | Christ chooses His followers |
| Eph 4:11-12 | And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints... | God gifts chosen leaders to the church |
| Rom 13:1 | Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. | God establishes all authority |
| Jude 1:11 | Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion. | Korah's rebellion as an example of ungodly opposition |
Numbers 17 verses
Numbers 17 4 Meaning
This verse instructs Moses to place the twelve staffs representing the tribes of Israel, including Aaron's staff, inside the Tent of Meeting before the Ark of the Covenant. This act was designed to resolve the rebellion against Aaron's priestly authority by a definitive divine sign. The location before the "Testimony" signifies that God Himself would authenticate His chosen leader, providing an irrefutable sign where He communicated directly with His people.
Numbers 17 4 Context
Numbers 17 occurs immediately after the intense narrative of Korah's rebellion (Numbers 16), where Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and 250 princes challenged Moses' leadership and Aaron's priesthood. God demonstrated His wrath through divine judgment, swallowing the rebels and consuming the incense-burning challengers with fire. However, the murmuring among the Israelites against Moses and Aaron persisted, prompting another plague. To definitively settle the matter of who God truly chose as priest, this chapter describes a new test. Each tribal leader was to present a staff, and Aaron was to present his staff representing Levi. The staffs were to be placed before the Testimony, the Ark of the Covenant, within the Tent of Meeting, where God had promised to meet with Moses. The verse itself sets the specific stage for this divinely appointed test to determine and affirm the legitimacy of Aaron's priestly line once and for all.
Numbers 17 4 Word analysis
- And you shall place them (וְהִנַּחְתָּם, vəhinnakhtam): From the Hebrew verb נָתַן, natan, meaning "to give, to set, to place." The imperative form indicates a direct divine command to Moses. It implies careful and deliberate placement, signifying an important, intentional act of depositing the staffs for divine observation and decision.
- in the tent of meeting (בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, bə'ohel mo'ed): Refers to the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary where God manifested His presence among the Israelites. Ohel means "tent," and mo'ed means "appointed place" or "meeting." It was the central point of Israel's worship, divine communication, and sacred rituals. This emphasizes that the test was conducted in the holy, designated space of divine encounter, lending ultimate authority to the outcome.
- before the testimony (לִפְנֵי הָעֵדוּת, lifne ha'edut): Lifne means "in front of" or "before." Ha'edut refers to "the Testimony," which is the tablets of the Law (the Ten Commandments) kept inside the Ark of the Covenant (Exod 25:16, 21). The Ark, with its tablets, represented God's covenant with Israel and was the most sacred object in the Tabernacle. Placing the staffs before it signifies an appeal directly to God's revealed will and His covenant fidelity. It asserts that the divine decision would be directly tied to God's Law and His promises.
- where I meet with you (אֲשֶׁר אִוָּעֵד לָכֶם, 'asher 'ivva'ed lakem): From the Hebrew verb יָעַד, ya'ad, meaning "to appoint, to meet at an appointed place." This phrase emphasizes the purpose and function of the location. It's not just a physical space, but God's chosen locus for direct communication with His chosen leader, Moses. This ensures that the forthcoming sign would be directly from God, unmediated by human intervention or opinion, making its outcome unquestionably divine and authoritative for the entire assembly. This underscores God's personal involvement in confirming the priesthood.
- "in the tent of meeting before the testimony": This phrase precisely defines the most sacred area of the Tabernacle where the staffs were to be placed. This location was reserved for divine-human interface, specifically Moses communicating with God regarding the affairs of Israel. It elevates the subsequent sign to a direct divine revelation rather than a human experiment, dispelling any notion of trickery or mere human design.
- "where I meet with you": This key phrase provides the divine reason for the specific placement. It establishes God's direct personal involvement in the impending miracle. The God who brought them out of Egypt, who gave them His Law, and who had spoken with Moses "face to face," would Himself speak through this sign, silencing all murmuring and establishing undeniable legitimacy. It transforms a physical location into a profound spiritual space of divine confirmation.
Numbers 17 4 Bonus section
- The phrase "where I meet with you" (אֲשֶׁר אִוָּעֵד לָכֶם) uses a specific Hebrew verb ya'ad, which relates to "appointed time" or "appointed place." This not only signifies divine presence but an intentional, scheduled divine interaction, reinforcing that the Tabernacle was not merely a house of worship but a fixed rendezvous point between God and His people, particularly through His chosen mediator, Moses.
- This precise placement also carries polemical significance against any claims of popular appointment or democratic selection for religious leadership. By stipulating that the sign would occur at the "testimony" where God Himself met with Moses, the passage unequivocally rejects any human pretense to divine office or authority not sanctioned by God. The divine judgment was paramount, not human consensus or popular clamor.
- The act of laying the staffs before the "testimony" (the tablets of the covenant) underscores the unchangeable nature of God's law and covenant. God's choice of Aaron was consistent with the law already given regarding the priesthood, thus connecting divine selection to divine statute.
Numbers 17 4 Commentary
Numbers 17:4 serves as the command setting the stage for God's conclusive intervention in the rebellion against Aaron's priesthood. By requiring the staffs to be laid "in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you," God dictated an exact sacred procedure and location for His self-authentication. This ensured that the subsequent miracle of Aaron's staff budding was not a random occurrence or a human manipulation but a direct, verifiable act of God's will, communicated from the most holy space where He encountered Moses. It underscored the inviolability of God's choice for leadership, firmly shutting the door on any further challenges to Aaron's divinely appointed role as high priest. This act ultimately re-established the divine order amidst human rebellion and demonstrated God's absolute sovereignty in choosing those who minister before Him.