Matthew Poole and continuators on Numbers 17

2 Speak unto the children of Israel , and take of every one of them a rod , according to the house of their fathers of all their princes according to the house of their fathers, twelve rods: write thou every mans name upon his rod.

That I may fully and finally satisfie all their scruples and take away all pretence and cause of murmuring

Not of every person, but of every Tribe, as it follows.

Either an ordinary walking staff: or rather, that staff or rod, which the Princes carried in their hands as tokens of their dignity and authority, as may be gathered from Numb. 21. 18. compared with Psal. 110. 2. Ier. 48. 16, 17.

(i. e.) According to each family proceeding from the Patriarch or father of that tribe.

(i. e.) Every princes: for they being the first-born and the chief of their tribes might above all others pretend to the Priesthood, if it was communicable to any of their tribes, and besides each Prince represented and acted for all his tribe: so that this was a full decision of the whole question. And this place seems to confirm, what was before observed, that not onely Korah and the Levites, but also those of other Tribes contested with Moses and Aaron about the Priesthood, as that which belonged to all the congregation, they being all holy, as they said, Numb. 16. 3.

3 And thou shalt write Aarons name upon the rod of Levi, for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers .

Rather than Levi's name, for that would have left the controversie undecided between Aaron and the other Levites, whereas this would justifie the appropriation of the Priesthood to Aarons family.

(i. e.) There shall be in this, as there is in all the other Tribes, onely one rod, and that for the head of their Tribe, who is Aaron in this Tribe: whereas it might have been expected that there should have been two rods, one for Aaron, and another for his competitours of the same Tribe. But Aarons name was sufficient to determine both the Tribe, and that branch or family of the Tribe, to whom this dignity should be affixed.

4 And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation, before the testimony , where I will meet with you .

(i. e.) Before the Ark of the testimony, either mediately, close by the vail behind which the Ark stood: or rather immediately, within the vail in the most holy place, close by the Ark, as may be gathered by comparing this place with ver. 10. and with Heb. 9. 4.

And manifest my mind to you for the ending of this dispute.

Marginal references: Exod. [illegible: 1+ letters]. [illegible: 1+ letters]

6 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod a-piece, for each prince one, according to their fathers houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods .

(i. e.) Was laid up with the rest, being either one of the twelve, as the Hebrews affirm, or the thirteenth, as others think.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] one pri[illegible: 1+ letters], [illegible: 1 word] for one [illegible: 1 word]

8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness , and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds .

Into the most holy place, which he might safely do under the protection of Gods command, though otherwise none but the High-priest might enter there, and that once in a year.

This being, as Iosephus with great probability affirms, a staffe of an almond tree, as the rest also were.

10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aarons rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels, and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not .

For if after all these warnings and prohibitions, back[illegible: 1+ letters] with such miracles and judgments they shall usurp the Priesthood, they shall assuredly die for it.

Marginal references: Heb. 9. [illegible: 1+ letters].; Heb. [illegible: 1 word] of rebelies.

12 And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish .

Words of consternation arising partly from the remembrance of these severe and repeated judgments, partly from the threatning of death upon any succeeding murmurings, partly from the sence of their own guilt and weakness which made them fear least they should relapse into the same miscarriages, and thereby bring the vengeance of God upon themselves.

13 Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD, shall die: shall we be consumed with dying ?

(i. e.) Nearer than he should do, an errour which we may easily commit.

Will God proceed with us in these severe courses, according to his strict justice? will he shew us no mercy nor pity, till all the people be cut off and destroyed with dying one after another?