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Numbers 9

KJV · Chapter 9/36

1And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

2Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season.

3In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.

4And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover.

5And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.

6And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:

7And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the Lord in his appointed season among the children of Israel?

8And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you.

9And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

10Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the Lord.

11The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

12They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.

13But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the Lord in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.

14And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto the Lord; according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land.

15And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning.

16So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.

17And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.

18At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.

19And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord, and journeyed not.

20And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the Lord they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the Lord they journeyed.

21And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.

22Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.

23At the commandment of the Lord they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed: they kept the charge of the Lord, at the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

📖 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. Numbers 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. Numbers 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. Numbers 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. Numbers 9:4Moses passes the command on to the people, and the Passover is officially kept there in the wilderness.
  5. Numbers 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. Numbers 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. Numbers 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. Numbers 9:8Moses does not improvise an answer: he asks them to wait while he consults the Lord about what to do.
  9. Numbers 9:9The Lord answers Moses, providing the solution to the case raised by the unclean men.
  10. Numbers 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. Numbers 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. Numbers 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. Numbers 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. Numbers 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. Numbers 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. Numbers 9:16This pattern repeated continually: by day the cloud covered the tabernacle, and by night it looked like fire.
  17. Numbers 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. Numbers 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. Numbers 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. Numbers 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. Numbers 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. Numbers 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. Numbers 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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