Numbers 10 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

1. Preparing to leave Sinai (1:1–10:10) * The silver trumpets (10:1–10)2. In the wilderness (10:11–19:22) * The Israelites set out, the Israelites rebel about the manna, Miriam and Aaron rebel against Moses, the leaders explore Canaan, and the Israelites refuse to enter Canaan and are punished (10:11–14:45)This chapter provides the commands Yahweh gave to Moses about silver trumpets to be used for signaling the people. It also describes the order in which the Israelites set out, Moses’ request to Hobab, and the blessings Moses spoke when the sacred chest was picked at the beginning of each day and set down at the end of each day.

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

Trumpets

The trumpets mentioned in this chapter are metal instruments that make a loud sound when people blow into them. This chapter refers to “blowing” the trumpets as well as “blowing an alarm.” These are two different ways of making sounds with the trumpets. It is not clear exactly what sound the “alarm” was. Some scholars think that the sound was very loud. Others think the sound was repeated. Use a general expression in your language, but be sure to distinguish “blowing” and “blowing an alarm.” (See: trumpet)

Israel sets out

In [10:11–28](../10/11.md), the author describes the order in which the Israelite tribes set out from their camp at Sinai. While the author is explicitly describing the first time they left, he implies that this is also how they normally traveled. The four camps that Yahweh outlined in Numbers 2 set out in the same order in this chapter: east, south, west, north. It is also important to note that the Levites set out in two different groups: first the Gershonites and Merarites, who carried the pieces of the sacred tent, and later the Kohathites, who carried the things that belonged inside the sacred tent.

“According to their armies”

As in Numbers 2, the phrase “according to their armies” indicates that each tribe and camp was organized and arranged into military units or divisions. The people in each military unit would camp together, and their names were listed together when the census was recorded. The UST expresses this idea with the phrase “by their army divisions.”

Translation Issues in This Chapter

Order of events

The events in this chapter occur after the events in Numbers 1–9. The events in Numbers 7–9 happened first, followed by the events in Numbers 1–6. Then, the events in this chapter happened. This chapter repeatedly refers to the same event: the Israelites setting out from Mount Sinai. The author mentions this event directly in [10:12–13](../10/12.md), [10:28](../10/28.md), and [10:33](../10/33.md). Be sure that your readers know that these verses all refer to the same event. (See: figs-events)

Repetition

The list in [10:14–27](../10/14.md) includes many repeated structures. Each of the camps, made up of three tribes, is described with almost the same words, except for the names. After you have translated [10:14–16](../10/14.md), use the same forms for the following sections. Remember to pay attention to differences in names and details, as illustrated in the ULT and by the notes.

Names from earlier in Numbers

In this chapter, the author includes the name of each tribe’s leader and the name of each leader’s father. These names already appeared in Numbers 1 in identical form. Be sure that you translate them in exactly the same way in this chapter. (See: translate-names)

Moses’ father-in-law

In [10:29](../10/29.md), the author refers to Hobab and Reuel, identifying one of them as Moses’ father-in-law, but it is not clear which one. In [Judges 4:11](../../jdg/04/11.md), Hobab is called Moses’ father-in-law. However, in [Exodus 2:18](../../exo/02/18.md), Reuel is named as the father of Moses’ (future) wife. Finally, elsewhere in Exodus (for example, see [Exodus 3:1](../../exo/03/01.md) and [4:18](../../exo/04/18.md)), Jethro is the name of Moses’ father-in-law. In this time period, people often had multiple names. Also, some scholars think that the word for “father-in-law” can refer to any male relative by marriage. So, it may be that Hobab is Moses’ brother-in-law and that Reuel was also named Jethro and was Moses’ father-in-law. It may be that Hobab was also named Jethro and was Moses’ father-in-law and that Reuel was Hobab’s father and Moses’ wife’s grandfather. It may be that one man had all three names (Hobab, Reuel, and Jethro) and had a father whose name was also Reuel. Here, the Hebrew most naturally identifies Hobab as Moses’ father-in-law, and the UST follows that interpretation. Consider how translations that your readers might be familiar with treat this verse. (See: translate-kinship)