Números 9

ARC · Chapter 9/36

1E fallou o Senhor a Moysés no deserto de Sinai, no anno segundo da sua saida da terra do Egypto, no mez primeiro, dizendo:

2Que os filhos de Israel celebrem a paschoa a seu tempo determinado.

3No dia quatorze d'este mez, pela tarde, a seu tempo determinado a celebrareis: segundo todos os seus estatutos, e segundo todos os seus ritos, a celebrareis.

4Disse pois Moysés aos filhos de Israel que celebrassem a paschoa.

5Então celebraram a paschoa no dia quatorze do mez primeiro, pela tarde, no deserto de Sinai; conforme a tudo o que o Senhor ordenara a Moysés, assim fizeram os filhos de Israel.

6E houve alguns que estavam immundos pelo corpo de um homem morto; e no mesmo dia não podiam celebrar a paschoa: pelo que se chegaram perante Moysés e perante Aarão aquelle mesmo dia.

7E aquelles homens disseram-lhe: Immundos estamos nós pelo corpo de um homem morto; porque seriamos privados de offerecer a offerta do Senhor a seu tempo determinado no meio dos filhos de Israel?

8E disse-lhes Moysés: Esperae, e ouvirei o que o Senhor vos ordenará.

9Então fallou o Senhor a Moysés, dizendo:

10Falla aos filhos de Israel, dizendo: Quando alguem entre vós, ou entre as vossas gerações, fôr immundo por corpo morto, ou se achar em jornada longe de vós, comtudo ainda celebrará a paschoa ao Senhor.

11No mez segundo, no dia quatorze, de tarde, a celebrarão: com pães asmos e hervas amargas a comerão.

12D'ella nada deixarão até á manhã, e d'ella não quebrarão osso algum: segundo todo o estatuto da paschoa a celebrarão.

13Porém, quando um homem fôr limpo, e não estiver de caminho, e deixar de celebrar a paschoa, tal alma dos seus povos será extirpada: porquanto não offereceu a offerta do Senhor a seu tempo determinado; tal homem levará o seu peccado.

14E, quando um estrangeiro peregrinar entre vós, e tambem celebrar a paschoa ao Senhor, segundo o estatuto da paschoa e segundo o seu rito assim a celebrará: um mesmo estatuto haverá para vós, assim para o estrangeiro como para o natural da terra.

15E no dia de levantar o tabernaculo, a nuvem cobriu o tabernaculo sobre a tenda do testemunho: e á tarde estava sobre o tabernaculo como uma apparencia de fogo até á manhã.

16Assim era de continuo: a nuvem o cobria, e de noite havia apparencia de fogo.

17Mas sempre que a nuvem se alçava sobre a tenda, os filhos de Israel após d'ella partiam: e no logar onde a nuvem parava, ali os filhos de Israel assentavam o seu arraial.

18Segundo o dito do Senhor, os filhos de Israel partiam, e segundo o dito do Senhor assentavam o arraial: todos os dias em que a nuvem parava sobre o tabernaculo assentavam o arraial.

19E, quando a nuvem se detinha muitos dias sobre o tabernaculo, então os filhos de Israel tinham cuidado da guarda do Senhor, e não partiam.

20E era que, quando a nuvem poucos dias estava sobre o tabernaculo, segundo o dito do Senhor se alojavam, e segundo o dito do Senhor partiam.

21Porém era que, quando a nuvem desde a tarde até a manhã ficava ali, e a nuvem se alçava pela manhã, então partiam: quer de dia quer de noite, alçando-se a nuvem, partiam.

22Ou, quando a nuvem sobre o tabernaculo se detinha dois dias, ou um mez, ou um anno, ficando sobre elle, então os filhos d'Israel se alojavam, e não partiam; e alçando-se ella partiam.

23Segundo o dito do Senhor se alojavam, e segundo o dito do Senhor partiam: da guarda do Senhor tinham cuidado segundo o dito do Senhor pela mão de Moysés.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Israel celebrates the second Passover since leaving Egypt. A case arises of people who were unclean and could not take part on the set date, and God institutes a 'second chance' a month later. The chapter ends by describing how the cloud over the tabernacle guided the camp's departures and stops.

Explanation

The institution of an alternate Passover for those who were unclean or traveling shows God's sensitivity to legitimate circumstances that kept someone from fulfilling a command — the law was not so rigid as to permanently exclude someone with a genuine hindrance, but it also did not allow negligence without valid reason. The detailed description of the cloud guiding Israel — stopping for a day, a month, or even a year — teaches a profound lesson about trust: the people had to be ready to move or to wait, without controlling the timing, simply responding to God's visible direction. The application today: following God often requires flexibility and patience in the face of timing we do not control, trusting that he guides with wisdom even when the wait is long.

Fun facts

  • This 'second Passover' (Pesach Sheni), celebrated a month later for those who were unclean or traveling, is still observed by some practicing Jews today, on the fourteenth day of the second month of the Jewish calendar.
  • The image of the cloud by day and fire by night covering the tabernacle (vv. 15-16) directly echoes the cloud and pillar of fire that guided Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 13:21), showing continuity in how God visibly guided his people.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Números 9:1This chapter goes back in time: the date here is the first month of the second year, one month before the census in chapter 1, showing that Numbers does not follow a strictly chronological order.
  2. Números 9:2The command is simple: the people of Israel are to keep the Passover at its appointed time, marking one year since leaving Egypt.
  3. Números 9:3The date is set: the fourteenth day of that month, at twilight, following all the statutes and rites already established for the feast.
  4. Números 9:4Moses passes the command on to the people, and the Passover is officially kept there in the wilderness.
  5. Números 9:5The people obey and keep the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai, exactly as the Lord had commanded.
  6. Números 9:6Some men had become unclean by touching a dead body, probably while burying someone, and so could not take part in the Passover on the appointed day. They refused to simply be left out and went to Moses to ask if there was a solution, which led to the rule in the next verse.
  7. Números 9:7The unclean men explain their situation to Moses and ask why they should be kept from offering to the Lord just because of an impurity they never chose to have.
  8. Números 9:8Moses does not improvise an answer: he asks them to wait while he consults the Lord about what to do.
  9. Números 9:9The Lord answers Moses, providing the solution to the case raised by the unclean men.
  10. Números 9:10The rule applies to anyone, now or in future generations, who was unclean because of a dead body or away on a long journey: even so, that person could still keep the Passover.
  11. Números 9:11Because of that case, God establishes a second date, one month later, so that anyone unclean or on a long journey at the appointed time could still keep the Passover. It is an exception designed so no one would be left out for a reason beyond their control.
  12. Números 9:12When keeping the Passover on that second date, the same rules from the first applied: nothing was to be left over until morning, and none of the animal’s bones were to be broken.
  13. Números 9:13But whoever was clean and not on a journey, yet simply failed to keep the Passover, would be cut off from among the people, because he did not bring the offering at the appointed time without a valid excuse.
  14. Números 9:14The same law of the Passover also applied to the stranger living among the people: one single rule, the same for everyone, whether born in Israel or not.
  15. Números 9:15A cloud covered the tabernacle by day, and at night it had the appearance of fire. This visible sign showed God’s presence guiding the people, and it determined when the camp should stay still or move on, as the next verses explain.
  16. Números 9:16This pattern repeated continually: by day the cloud covered the tabernacle, and by night it looked like fire.
  17. Números 9:17Whenever the cloud rose from the tent, the people knew it was time to set out; wherever it stopped, there they pitched camp.
  18. Números 9:18Setting out or staying put depended entirely on the movement of the cloud: as long as it remained over the tabernacle, the people stayed camped in the same place.
  19. Números 9:19When the cloud stayed still for many days in a row, the people simply waited, without trying to move on their own initiative.
  20. Números 9:20Sometimes the cloud stayed only a few days over the tabernacle, and the people set out again soon after, always following its rhythm.
  21. Números 9:21There were times when the cloud stayed only from night until morning; as soon as it rose, whether by day or at dawn, the people set out without delay.
  22. Números 9:22Whether the cloud stayed two days, a month, or even a year, the people remained camped for however long was needed, moving only when it moved.
  23. Números 9:23The chapter closes by reinforcing the central idea: the entire rhythm of stopping and setting out came from the Lord’s command, passed on through Moses, and the people followed that direction without question.

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