Matthew Poole's Commentary And 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, The passover kept in the wilderness on the fourteenth day of the first month, Numbers 9:1-5. By those who were then unclean or journeying, the fourteenth day of the second month, Numbers 9:6-12. They who otherwise neglect it to be put to death, Numbers 9:13. Proselytes are to observe the same, Numbers 9:14. God manifests himself to Israel in a cloud by day, and fire by night, by which they knew when and where to camp, Numbers 9:15-23. In the first month; and therefore before the numbering of the people, which was not till the second month, Numbers 1:1,2. But it is placed after it, because of a special case relating to the passover, which happened after it, and which is here related, upon occasion whereof he mentions the command of God for the keeping of the passover in the wilderness, which was done but once, and without this command they had not been obliged to keep it at all till they came to the land of Canaan. See Exodus 12:25. Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season. No text from Poole on this verse. In 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. So far as concerned the lamb and the unleavened bread, &c., for there were some things peculiar to the first passover in Egypt, as that they were to eat it in haste, with their loins girded, their shoes on their feet, and their staff in their hand, which were not properly rites or ceremonies of the passover, but circumstances of their present condition being the travellers and ready to depart, &c. Quest. Whence had they meal to make unleavened bread Answ. They were not now in haste, and so had time enough to procure it out of the land of Midian by the help of Moses’s father-in-law, who lived there, which land was not far from Horeb or Sinai, as appears from Exodus 3:1. And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover. No text from Poole on this verse. And 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. No text from Poole on this verse. And 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: By the dead body of a man; by the touch of a dead body, or something belonging to it; {see Numbers 19:11} because unclean persons were prohibited to eat of holy things. See Leviticus 8:20 22:3. They came before Moses, for resolution of their difficulty. And 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? Which if we neglect, we must be cut off; and if we keep it in these circumstances, we must also be cut off. What shall we do? The passover is called an offering of the Lord, because it was both killed and eaten in obedience to God’s command, and to God’s honour, and as a thank-offering to God for his great mercies. And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you. God having promised to answer and direct him upon his address to him in difficult cases. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, No text from Poole on this verse. Speak 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. Under these two instances the Hebrews think that other hinderances of like nature are comprehended; as if one be hindered by a disease, or by any other such kind of uncleanness; which may seem probable both from the nature of the thing, and the reason of the law, which is the same in other cases, and from the application of this rule to other cases, 2Ch 30. Afar off; in some remote country, whence he can not return sooner. The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. No text from Poole on this verse. They 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. Leave none of it unto the morning, but either eat or burn it before that time. But 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. The man that forbeareth to keep the passover, through contempt or neglect, without these or any other just impediments, as before. And 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. A stranger, to wit, a proselyte. And 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. 1490 Of the cloud, see Exodus 13:21. The tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony, or, the tabernacle towards or above the tent of the testimony, i.e. that part of the tabernacle in which was the testimony, or the ark of the testimony; for there the cloudy pillar stood, Leviticus 16:2. This was an evident token of God’s special presence with and providence over them. See Exodus 14:20,24 Psa 105:39. And this cloud was easily distinguished from other clouds, both by its peculiar figure and by its constant residence in that place. The appearance of fire; that they might better discern it, and direct themselves and their journeys or stations by it. So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. No text from Poole on this verse. And 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. Was taken up, or, ascended on high, above its ordinary place, by which it became more visible to all the camp. At 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. The motion or stay of the cloud is fitly called the command of God, because it was a signification of God’s will and their duty, which a command properly is. And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not. The charge of the Lord, i.e. the command of God mentioned before, that they should stay as long as the cloud staid, as the same phrase is manifestly taken below, Numbers 9:23. And this, saith he, they did, though it were long in one place, which was tedious to them, who desired to change places, and to make haste to Canaan, yet they obeyed God herein against their own inclinations; which because it was remarkable in so obstinate a people, it is so largely and particularly mentioned here, as an instance of their obedience, and as an aggravation of the many following instances of their apostacy and disobedience. And 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. No text from Poole on this verse. And 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. No text from Poole on this verse. Or 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. No text from Poole on this verse. At 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. No text from Poole on this verse. |
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