1 Aaron,s rod, among all the rods of the tribes, only flourishes
10 It is left for a monument against the rebels

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 man's name upon his rod.

A rod. The word matteh signifies a staff, or sceptre, which the prience or chief of each tribe bore, and which was the sign of office or royalty among almost all the people of the earth. All their princes. Nu 1:5-16 2:3-30 10:14-27

twelve rods Ge 49:10 Ex 4:2,17 Ps 110:2 125:3 Eze 19:14 21:10,13 Eze 37:16-20 Mic 7:14

3 And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.

Nu 3:2,3 18:1,7 Ex 6:16,20

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

Ex 25:16-22 29:42,43 30:6,36

5 And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.

Whom I. Nu 16:5

blossom
nu 17:8 is 5:24 11:1 27:6 35:1,2 ho 14:5
I will Nu 17:10 Isa 13:11 Eze 16:41 23:27

they murmur Nu 16:11

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

A rod a-piece, for each prince one.Heb. A rod for one prince, a rod for one prince. Nu 17:2

7 And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.

Nu 18:2 Ex 38:21 Ac 7:44

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.

The rod of Aaron. This fact was so unquestionably miraculous, that no doubt could remain on the minds of the people, or the envious chiefs, of the divine appointment of Aaron: and as there were buds, blossoms, and fruit on the rod at the same time, which was never the case with branches in the natural and ordinary course, this evidently proved the miracle, and took away all suspicion of the fraud which has been impiously suggested, that Moses had taken away Aaron's rod in the night time, and put a living branch of an almond tree in the room of it. A sceptre or staff of office resuming its vegetative life, was considered an absolute impossibility among the ancients; and as they were accustomed to swear by their sceptres, this circumstance was added to confirm the oath. budded. Nu 17:5 Ge 40:10 Ps 110:2 132:17,18 So 2:3 Isa 4:2 Eze 17:24 Eze 19:12,14 Joh 15:1-6

9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.

10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's 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.

bring Aaron,s Heb 9:4

for a token Nu 16:38,40 Ex 16:32 De 31:19-26

rebels heb. children of rebellion. 1Sa 2:12 30:22 Ps 57:4 Isa 1:2 Ho 10:9 Eph 2:2,3 5:6

and thou Nu 17:5

11 And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.

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

behold Nu 26:11 Ps 90:7 Pr 19:3 Isa 57:16 Heb 12:5

we die. Gawanoo, `we expire:' it signifies not so much to die simply, as to feel an extreme difficulty in breathing, which producing suffocation, ends at last in death. see the folly and extravagance of this sinful people, in thus rebelling against the authority of those whom Jehovah had appointed to be their rulers.

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

Whosoever Nu 1:51-53 18:4-7

any thing Ge 3:3 1Sa 6:19-21 2Sa 6:6-12 1Ch 13:11-13 15:13 Ps 130:3,4 Ac 5:5,11-14 Eph 2:13 Heb 10:19-22

consumed Nu 16:26 32:13 De 2:16 Job 34:14,15 Ps 90:7 Isa 28:22