Números 10

ARC · Chapter 10/36

1Fallou mais o Senhor a Moysés, dizendo:

2Faze-te duas trombetas de prata: d'obra batida as farás: e te serão para a convocação da congregação, e para a partida dos arraiaes.

3E, quando as tocarem ambas, então toda a congregação se congregará a ti á porta da tenda da congregação.

4Mas, quando tocar uma só, então a ti se congregarão os principes, os Cabeças dos milhares de Israel.

5Quando, retinindo, as tocardes, então partirão os arraiaes que alojados estão da banda do oriente.

6Mas, quando a segunda vez, retinindo, as tocardes, então partirão os arraiaes que se alojam da banda do sul: retinindo, as tocarão para as suas partidas.

7Porém, ajuntando a congregação, as tocareis; mas sem retinir.

8E os filhos d'Aarão, sacerdotes, tocarão as trombetas: e a vós serão por estatuto perpetuo nas vossas gerações.

9E, quando na vossa terra sairdes a pelejar contra o inimigo, que vos aperta, tambem tocareis as trombetas retinindo, e perante o Senhor vosso Deus haverá lembrança de vós, e sereis salvos de vossos inimigos.

10Similhantemente, no dia da vossa alegria, e nas vossas solemnidades, e nos principios dos vossos mezes, tambem tocareis as trombetas sobre os vossos holocaustos, sobre os vossos sacrificios pacificos, e vos serão por memorial perante vosso Deus: Eu sou o Senhor vosso Deus.

11E aconteceu, no anno segundo, no segundo mez, aos vinte do mez, que a nuvem se alçou de sobre o tabernaculo da congregação.

12E os filhos d'Israel se partiram segundo as suas partidas do deserto de Sinai: e a nuvem parou no deserto de Paran.

13Assim partiram pela primeira vez segundo o dito do Senhor, pela mão de Moysés.

14Porque primeiramente partiu a bandeira do arraial dos filhos de Judah segundo os seus exercitos: e sobre o seu exercito estava Naasson, filho d'Amminadab.

15E sobre o exercito da tribu dos filhos d'Issacar, Nathanael, filho de Suhar.

16E sobre o exercito da tribu dos filhos de Zebulon, Eliab, filho de Helon.

17Então desarmaram o tabernaculo, e os filhos de Gerson e os filhos de Merari partiram, levando o tabernaculo.

18Depois partiu a bandeira do arraial de Ruben segundo os seus exercitos: e sobre o seu exercito estava Elizur, filho de Sedeur.

19E sobre o exercito da tribu dos filhos de Simeão, Selumiel, filho de Surisaddai.

20E sobre o exercito da tribu dos filhos de Gad, Eliasaph, filho de Dehuel.

21Então partiram os kohathitas, levando o sanctuario; e os outros levantaram o tabernaculo, entretanto que estes vinham.

22Depois partiu a bandeira do arraial dos filhos d'Ephraim segundo os seus exercitos: e sobre o seu exercito estava Elisama, filho d'Ammihud.

23E sobre o exercito da tribu dos filhos de Manasseh, Gamaliel, filho de Pedazur.

24E sobre o exercito da tribu dos filhos de Benjamin, Abidan, filho de Gideoni.

25Então partiu a bandeira do arraial dos filhos de Dan, fechando todos os arraiaes segundo os seus exercitos: e sobre o seu exercito estava Ahiezer, filho de Ammisaddai.

26E sobre o exercito da tribu dos filhos d'Aser, Pagiel, filho de Ochran.

27E sobre o exercito da tribu dos filhos de Naphtali, Ahira, filho d'Enan.

28Estas eram as partidas dos filhos d'Israel segundo os seus exercitos, quando partiam.

29Disse então Moysés a Hobab, filho de Reguel o midianita, sogro de Moysés: Nós caminhamos para aquelle logar, de que o Senhor disse: Vol-o darei: vae comnosco, e te faremos bem; porque o Senhor fallou bem sobre Israel.

30Porém elle lhe disse: Não irei; antes irei á minha terra e á minha parentela.

31E elle disse: Ora não nos deixes: porque tu sabes que nós nos alojamos no deserto; nos servirás d'olhos.

32E será que, vindo tu comnosco, e succedendo o bem, com que o Senhor nos fará bem, tambem nós te faremos bem.

33Assim partiram do monte do Senhor caminho de tres dias: e a arca do concerto do Senhor caminhou diante d'elles caminho de tres dias, para lhes buscar logar de descanço.

34E a nuvem do Senhor ia sobre elles de dia, quando partiam do arraial.

35Era pois que, partindo a arca, Moysés dizia: Levanta-te, Senhor, e dissipados sejam os teus inimigos, e fujam diante de ti os aborrecedores.

36E, pousando ella, dizia: Torna-te, ó Senhor, para os muitos milhares d'Israel.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

God institutes the use of two silver trumpets to summon the people and signal departures. Israel finally leaves Mount Sinai, marching in tribal order, with Moses inviting his brother-in-law Hobab to accompany them as a guide.

Explanation

The silver trumpets functioned as an essential sound-communication system for coordinating more than 600,000 people on the move — one blast to gather the leaders, two blasts to gather everyone, alarm blasts for war. This chapter marks a crucial turning point in the narrative: after nearly a year camped at Sinai receiving the Law and organizing the nation, Israel finally resumes the journey toward the promised land. The invitation to Hobab, a local expert on the wilderness, shows that trusting God did not rule out using practical wisdom and available human knowledge. Moses' prayer at each departure and stop of the ark ('Rise up, LORD... Return, O LORD') became one of the most repeated prayers in Jewish liturgy.

Fun facts

  • Moses' prayer as the ark set out and came to rest (vv. 35-36) is still recited in synagogues today when the Torah scroll is taken out and returned to the ark during worship.
  • Hobab, identified as the son of Reuel (another name for Jethro, Moses' father-in-law), represents a rare mention of close cooperation between Israel and a Midianite at this stage of the journey, before the conflict that would later occur with the Midianites in chapter 25.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Números 10:1The Lord speaks once more to Moses, now to explain how to use the two silver trumpets mentioned in the next verse.
  2. Números 10:2God commands two silver trumpets to be made to give practical signals to the whole people: to call everyone together, to summon only the leaders, or to signal that part of the camp should move out. It was essentially the mass-communication system of the time, used both in everyday camp life and later in battles and feasts.
  3. Números 10:3When both trumpets sounded together, that was the signal for the whole congregation to gather at the entrance of the tent.
  4. Números 10:4But if only one trumpet sounded, the call was more limited: only the leaders of the tribes were to come.
  5. Números 10:5A louder alarm blast told the tribes camped on the east side that it was time to set out.
  6. Números 10:6A second alarm blast told the tribes on the south side to set out as well — each side of the camp had its own signal.
  7. Números 10:7To simply gather the people, without signaling departure, the trumpets were sounded in a different way, without the alarm blast used for marching.
  8. Números 10:8Only the priests, the sons of Aaron, were authorized to sound these trumpets, and this rule was to remain permanent, generation after generation.
  9. Números 10:9The trumpets also served as a signal for war: sounding the alarm against an oppressing enemy meant the people could trust that God would remember them and bring victory.
  10. Números 10:10Besides war and travel, the trumpets also sounded on feast days, new moons, and celebrations, marking the offerings made at those times as a reminder before God.
  11. Números 10:11The text marks the exact date of departure: the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, when the cloud finally lifted from over the tabernacle.
  12. Números 10:12So the journey actually begins: the people set out from the wilderness of Sinai, following the cloud until it stops in the wilderness of Paran.
  13. Números 10:13This was the caravan’s first organized departure, carried out exactly according to the Lord’s command given through Moses.
  14. Números 10:14The standard of Judah is the first to move, with Nahshon in command of its army, repeating the marching order already set out in chapter 2.
  15. Números 10:15Alongside Judah’s army, the army of Issachar marches under the command of Nethaneel.
  16. Números 10:16Completing the first group, the army of Zebulun marches under the command of Eliab.
  17. Números 10:17Only after the first group had already set out was the tabernacle taken down, with the Gershonites and the Merarites following, carrying their assigned parts.
  18. Números 10:18Next the standard of Reuben sets out, with Elizur in command of its army.
  19. Números 10:19Alongside Reuben, the army of Simeon marches under the command of Shelumiel.
  20. Números 10:20Completing the second group, the army of Gad marches under the command of Eliasaph.
  21. Números 10:21Only then did the Kohathites set out, carrying the sacred objects; the idea was for the tabernacle to already be set back up at the new site before they arrived with the ark and its furnishings.
  22. Números 10:22Next the standard of Ephraim sets out, with Elishama in command of its army.
  23. Números 10:23Alongside Ephraim, the army of Manasseh marches under the command of Gamaliel.
  24. Números 10:24Completing the third group, the army of Benjamin marches under the command of Abidan.
  25. Números 10:25Last of all, the standard of Dan sets out, serving as the rear guard of the whole caravan, with Ahiezer in command of its army.
  26. Números 10:26Alongside Dan, the army of Asher marches under the command of Pagiel.
  27. Números 10:27Closing out the whole column, the army of Naphtali marches under the command of Ahira.
  28. Números 10:28This was, in practice, the marching order of the people of Israel whenever the caravan moved.
  29. Números 10:29Hobab was a relative of Moses’s father-in-law and knew that wilderness well. Moses asks him to travel on with the people, because his local knowledge would serve them “instead of eyes,” useful as a guide even though God’s cloud was already showing the way.
  30. Números 10:30Hobab replies that he will not go with the people: he prefers to return to his own land and his own family.
  31. Números 10:31Moses presses him, asking him not to leave, since his knowledge of the wilderness would be valuable in guiding the people, serving as a kind of local guide.
  32. Números 10:32Moses promises: if Hobab agrees to come along, he will share in whatever good the Lord grants Israel on the journey.
  33. Números 10:33The caravan sets out from the mountain of God on a three-day journey, with the ark of the covenant going ahead of the people, seeking a place to rest.
  34. Números 10:34During the day, the cloud of the Lord stayed over the people as they marched, making it clear that God Himself was guiding the journey.
  35. Números 10:35Every time the ark went out ahead for the people to set out, Moses would say this line asking that Israel’s enemies be scattered. And when the ark stopped, he said the opposite line, asking God to return to the midst of the people. They worked like fixed prayers tied to the movement of the ark.
  36. Números 10:36When the ark stopped moving, Moses said the companion line to the one in the previous verse: asking the Lord to return to the multitudes of Israel.

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