Numbers 9 2

Numbers 9:2 kjv

Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season.

Numbers 9:2 nkjv

"Let the children of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time.

Numbers 9:2 niv

"Have the Israelites celebrate the Passover at the appointed time.

Numbers 9:2 esv

"Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time.

Numbers 9:2 nlt

"Tell the Israelites to celebrate the Passover at the prescribed time,

Numbers 9 verses

Numbers 9 2 Meaning

Numbers 9:2 is a direct divine command delivered to Moses, instructing the entire nation of Israel to observe the Passover festival at its pre-ordained time. This re-emphasizes the enduring importance of the Passover as a foundational annual remembrance of God's redemptive act of delivering His people from bondage in Egypt. It underscores the necessity of precise and obedient adherence to God's stipulated commands regarding their worship and calendar.

Numbers 9 2 Context

Numbers 9:2 is set at a crucial juncture in Israel's wilderness journey. Immediately preceding this verse (Num 9:1), it is noted that this command was given by the LORD to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the "first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt." This precise dating places it exactly one year after the original Passover in Egypt and roughly one month before the Israelites broke camp from Sinai to continue their journey (Num 10:11). The chapter immediately prior, Numbers 8, concludes the organization and dedication of the Levites and the Tabernacle service. This precise timing, before a significant move, highlights the divine emphasis on maintaining proper worship and spiritual order. It underscores that God's covenant expectations, especially for remembering their foundational deliverance, remained central even as they transitioned from stationary camp to active travel in the wilderness. It serves as a reminder to the generation that perhaps only heard stories of the original Exodus event, solidifying its place in their corporate memory and practice.

Numbers 9 2 Word analysis

• "Let the Israelites" (Hebrew: בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, benei Yisrael – "sons of Israel"):
  • Signifies the entire community, emphasizing corporate responsibility. Not just individual households, but the collective nation.
  • Highlights their identity as God's chosen covenant people, recipients of His laws and blessings.
  • Reflects the generational continuation of God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (who was renamed Israel).
• "keep" (Hebrew: יַעֲשׂוּ, ya'asu – from the root עָשָׂה, ‘asah meaning "to do," "make," "perform," "observe," "celebrate"):
  • Denotes active, obedient performance rather than passive knowledge or mere intellectual assent.
  • Implies the performance of the ritual as prescribed by divine command, including all its statutes and rules (as reinforced in Num 9:3).
  • The term ‘asah is often used in the context of performing a divine commandment or covenant obligation, stressing adherence to the details of God's will.
• "the Passover" (Hebrew: הַפֶּסַח, haPesach):
  • The definite article "the" indicates a specific, universally known feast among the Israelites.
  • Pesach (פֶּסַח) refers to God's "passing over" or "sparing" the Israelite households marked by the blood of the lamb during the tenth plague in Egypt (Exod 12:13, 23).
  • It is the preeminent memorial of Israel's liberation from slavery and thus central to their national and spiritual identity, signifying redemption.
  • Biblically, it points to the ultimate redemption through Christ, "our Passover lamb" (1 Cor 5:7).
• "at its appointed time" (Hebrew: בְּמוֹעֲדוֹ, b'mo'ado – from מוֹעֵד, mo’ed meaning "appointed time," "fixed season," "sacred assembly," "tent of meeting"):
  • Emphasizes the critical importance of divine timing and precise adherence to the prescribed calendar. God's times are not negotiable.
  • Mo’ed highlights God's sovereignty over time and creation, where sacred times are divinely ordained.
  • Implies regularity and punctuality in worship, teaching that God's people worship not only what God commands but also when and how He commands.
  • This stands in contrast to arbitrary or humanly devised religious festivals and schedules common in surrounding pagan cultures, underscoring God's distinct requirements for His covenant people.

Numbers 9 2 Bonus section

• This particular observance of Passover, recorded in Numbers 9, marks the first time it was kept since the original Exodus event itself. It also appears to be the only time the full Passover ritual was carried out during the roughly 40 years of wilderness wandering, apart from the command to circumcision for those born in the wilderness upon entering Canaan before keeping Passover in Joshua 5:10. This highlights the practical challenges of maintaining such ordinances in the nomadic, impure wilderness environment, and underlines the unique importance of this particular re-affirmation.
• The immediate timing of this command, precisely one year after the Exodus, demonstrates God's desire to immediately embed key memorial practices into the new nation's calendar, reinforcing the lessons of deliverance even before the significant phase of wilderness journey began. This ensured that the next generation, though born in the desert, would be initiated into the memory and meaning of the Passover.

Numbers 9 2 Commentary

Numbers 9:2 is a profound reiteration of the Passover command, emphasizing its enduring significance and the unwavering divine expectation of obedience. It is more than just a historical recall; it's a foundational act of worship and covenant renewal. Coming just a year after the first Passover and before Israel's arduous journey into the wilderness, this command reinforces that remembrance and worship are paramount, irrespective of changing circumstances. The specificity of "at its appointed time" underscores that God’s instructions are precise and binding, shaping Israel’s communal life around His redemptive acts and sovereign schedule. This consistent emphasis on prescribed rituals teaches believers that genuine faith involves obedient action and that God Himself dictates the terms of proper worship and communion with Him. It's a call to actively embody one's identity as redeemed people by faithfully performing what God has instituted. Practically, this verse illustrates that our walk with God requires not just belief, but consistent, active obedience to His Word, remembering His mighty acts of salvation as the basis for our current faith.