translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: NUM

label: NET translator note

text: The temporal clause is formed with the infinitive construct of יָצָא ( yatsa ’, “to go out; to leave”). This verse indicates that a full year had passed since the exodus and the original Passover; now a second ruling on the Passover is included at the beginning of the second year. This would have occurred immediately after the consecration of the tabernacle, in the month before the census at Sinai.


text: The verb is simply “to do; to make” ( עָשָׂה [’ asah ] in the jussive). It must have the idea here of “to perform; to keep; to observe” the ritual of the Passover.


label: NET textual note

text: The Greek text uses a plural here but the singular in vv. 7 and 13 ; the Smr uses the plural in all three places.


text: The literal Hebrew expression is “between the evenings” (so also in vv. 5, 11 ). Sunset is certainly one evening; the other may refer to the change in the middle of the afternoon to the late afternoon, or the beginning of dusk. The idea is probably just at twilight, or dusk (see R. B. Allen, TWOT 2:694).


text: The two verbs in this verse are identical; they are imperfects of instruction. The English translation has been modified for stylistic variation.


text: The two words in this last section are standard “Torah” words. The word חֹק ( khoq ) is a binding statute, something engraved and monumental. The word מִשְׁפָּט ( mishpat ) means “judgment, decision,” but with a more general idea of “custom” at its core. The verse is making it very clear that the Passover had to follow the custom and form that was legislated in Egypt.


text: Heb “spoke to.”


text: The infinitive construct functions as the direct object of the preceding verb (a Hebrew complementary usage), answering the question of what he said.


text: The LXX omits this first clause; it also omits “at twilight.”


text: In the Hebrew text the noun has no definite article, and so it signifies “some” or “certain” men.


text: The meaning, of course, is to be ceremonially unclean, and therefore disqualified from entering the sanctuary.


text: Or “a human corpse” (so NAB, NKJV). So also in v.7; cf. v. 10 .


text: This clause begins with the vav ( ו ) conjunction and negative before the perfect tense. Here is the main verb of the sentence: They were not able to observe the Passover. The first part of the verse provides the explanation for their problem.


text: The verb is simply “stand,” but in the more general sense of waiting to hear the answer.


text: The cohortative may be subordinated to the imperative: “stand…[that I] may hear.”


text: This sense is conveyed by the repetition of “man” – “if a man, a man becomes unclean.”


text: The perfect tense with vav ( ו ) consecutive functions as the equivalent of an imperfect tense. In the apodosis of this conditional sentence, the permission nuance fits well.


text: The disjunctive vav ( ו ) signals a contrastive clause here: “but the man” on the other hand….


text: The verb חָדַל ( khadal ) means “to cease; to leave off; to fail.” The implication here is that it is a person who simply neglects to do it. It does not indicate that he forgot, but more likely that he made the decision to leave it undone.


text: The word for “sin” here should be interpreted to mean the consequences of his sin (so a metonymy of effect). Whoever willingly violates the Law will have to pay the consequences.


text: The words translated “resident foreigner” and “live” are from the same Hebrew root, גּוּר ( gur ), traditionally translated “to sojourn.” The “sojourner” who “sojourns” is a foreigner, a resident alien, who lives in the land as a temporary resident with rights of land ownership.


text: The verb is the simple perfect tense with vav ( ו ) consecutive. It is therefore the equivalent to the imperfect that comes before it. The desiderative imperfect fits this usage well, since the alien is not required to keep the feast, but may indeed desire to do so.


text: The Hebrew text has “there will be to you,” which is the way of expressing possession in Hebrew. Since this is legal instruction, the imperfect tense must be instruction or legislation.


text: Or “you must have one statute.”


text: The conjunction is used here to specify the application of the law: “and for the resident foreigner, and for the one…” indicates “both for the resident foreigner and the one who….”


text: Heb “and/now on the day.”


text: The construction uses the temporal expression with the Hiphil infinitive construct followed by the object, the tabernacle. “On the day of the setting up of the tabernacle” leaves the subject unstated, and so the entire clause may be expressed in the passive voice.


text: The imperfect tense in this and the next line should be classified as a customary imperfect, stressing incomplete action but in the past time – something that used to happen, or would happen.


text: Heb “like the appearance of fire.”


text: The MT lacks the words “by day,” but a number of ancient versions have this reading (e.g., Greek, Syriac, Tg. Ps.-J. , Latin Vulgate).


text: The verb in this initial temporal clause is the Niphal infinitive construct.


text: Heb “in the place where it settled there”; the relative clause modifies the noun “place,” and the resumptive adverb completes the related idea – “which it settled there” means “where it settled.”


text: Heb “at the mouth of” (so also in vv. 20, 23 ).


text: Heb “all the days of – that the cloud settled over the tabernacle.” “All” is the adverbial accusative of time telling how long they camped in one spot – all. The word is then qualified by the genitive of the thing measured – “all of the days” – and this in turn is qualified by a noun clause functioning as a genitive after “days of.”


text: This is the same Hebrew expression that was used earlier for the Levites “keeping their charge” or more clearly, “fulfilling their obligations” to take care of the needs of the people and the sanctuary. It is a general expression using שָׁמַר ( shamar ) followed by its cognate noun מִשְׁמֶרֶת ( mishmeret ).


text: The sentence uses וְיֵשׁ ( vÿyesh ) followed by a noun clause introduced with אֲשֶׁר (’ asher ) to express an existing situation; it is best translated as an adverbial clause of time: “and it was when the cloud was….”


text: The word “number” is in apposition to the word “days” to indicate that their stay was prolonged for quite a few days.


text: Heb “mouth of the Lord .”


text: The construction is the same in the preceding verse.


text: “Only” is supplied to reflect the contrast between the two verses.


text: The construction in this half of the verse uses two vav ( ו ) consecutive clauses. The first is subordinated to the second as a temporal clause: “when…then….”


text: The MT has אוֹ־יָמִים (’ o-yamim ). Most translators use “or a year” to interpret this expression in view of the sequence of words leading up to it, as well as in comparison with passages like Judg 17:10 and 1 Sam 1:3 and 27:7 . See also the uses in Gen 40:4 and 1 Kgs 17:15 . For the view that it means four months, see F. S. North, “Four Month Season of the Hebrew Bible,” VT 11 (1961): 446-48.


text: In the Hebrew text this sentence has a temporal clause using the preposition with the Hiphil infinitive construct of אָרַךְ (’ arakh ) followed by the subjective genitive, “the cloud.” But this infinitive is followed by the infinitive construct לִשְׁכֹּן ( lishkon ), the two of them forming a verbal hendiadys: “the cloud made long to stay” becomes “the cloud prolonged its stay.”


text: Heb “and they would not journey”; the clause can be taken adverbially, explaining the preceding verbal clause.


text: Heb “hand.”