Numbers 9:4

2 “Let the children of Israel keep ^athe Passover at its appointed ^btime.

3 On the fourteenth day of this month,¹ at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time. According to all its³ rites and ceremonies you shall keep it.”

4 So Moses told the children of Israel that they should keep the Passover.

5 And ^athey kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight, in the Wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did.

6 Now there were certain men who were ^adefiled by a human corpse, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day; ^band they came before Moses and Aaron that day.

7 And those men said to him, “We became defiled by a human corpse. Why are we kept from presenting the offering of the Lord at its appointed time among the children of Israel?”

8 And Moses said to them, “Stand still, that ^aI may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.”

9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Commentaries:

Barnes' Notes

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Numbers 9:5 >>

Numbers 9:1-5

Passover at Sinai. This, as being kept in the first month, was prior in time to the numbering of Numbers 1:1 ff, and to the other events narrated in this book. It is, however, recorded here as introductory to the ordinance of Numbers 9:6-14 in this chapter respecting the supplementary Passover; the observance of which was one of the last occurrences during the halt at Sinai.

Numbers 9:5

In some details, the present Passover differed both from that kept at the Exodus itself and from all subsequent Passovers. For example, the direction of Exodus 12:22 could not be carried out in the letter while the people were dwelling in tents; and may be regarded as superseded by Leviticus 17:3-6 (compare Deuteronomy 16:5 ff).

In other points, such as how many lambs would be wanted, how the blood of the Paschal victims could be sprinkled upon the altar in the time specified, etc., the administrators of the Law of Moses would here, as elsewhere, have, from the nature of the case, power to order what might be requisite to carry the law into effect.

**Other Barnes' Notes entries containing Numbers 9:4:**

Deuteronomy 16:1-8
Joshua 5:4-7
Isaiah 31:5

<< Numbers 9:3

Numbers 9:5 >>

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