Click
here to show/hide instructions.
Instructions on how to use the page:
The commentary for the selected verse is is displayed below.
All commentary was produced against the King James, so the same verse from that translation may appear as well. Hovering your mouse over a commentary's scripture reference attempts to show those verses.
Use the browser's back button to return to the previous page.
Or you can also select a feature from the Just Verses menu appearing at the top of the page.
Selected Verse: Numbers 17:8 - Strong Concordance
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
Nu 17:8 |
Strong Concordance |
And it came to pass, that on the morrow [04283] Moses [04872] went [0935] into the tabernacle [0168] of witness [05715]; and, behold, the rod [04294] of Aaron [0175] for the house [01004] of Levi [03878] was budded [06524], and brought forth [03318] buds [06525], and bloomed [06692] blossoms [06731], and yielded [01580] almonds [08247]. |
|
King James |
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. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
Moses went into the tabernacle--being privileged to do so on this occasion by the special command of God. And he there beheld the remarkable spectacle of Aaron's rod--which, according to JOSEPHUS, was a stick of an almond tree, bearing fruit in three different stages at once--buds, blossoms, and fruit. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Yielded almonds - "Ripened almonds," i. e. "brought forth ripe almonds." The name almond in Hebrew denotes the "waking-tree," the "waking-fruit;" and is applied to this tree, because it blossoms early in the season. It serves here, as in Jer 1:11-12, to set forth the speed and certainty with which, at God's will, His purposes are accomplished. So again the blossoming and bearing of Aaron's rod, naturally impotent when severed from the parent tree, may signify the profitableness, because of God's appointment and blessing, of the various means of grace (e. g. the priesthood, the sacraments), which of themselves and apart from Him could have no such efficacy. Compare Isa 4:2; Isa 11:1; Isa 53:2; Jer 33:5; Zac 6:12. |
The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917] |
rod of Aaron
Aaron's rod that budded: Type of Christ in resurrection, owned of God as High Priest. Aaron's priesthood had been questioned in the rebellion of Korah, so God Himself will confirm it (Num 17:5). Each of the tribe-heads brought a perfectly dead rod; God put life into Aaron's only. So all the authors of religions have died, Christ among them, but only Christ was raised from the dead, and exalted to be a high priest. (Heb 4:14); (Heb 5:4-10). |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
Into the tabernacle - Into the most holy place, which he might safely do under the protection of God's command, though otherwise none but the high - priest might enter there, and that once in a year. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
The rod of Aaron - was budded, etc. - That is, on the same rod or staff were found buds, blossoms, and ripe fruit. This fact was so unquestionably miraculous, as to decide the business for ever; and probably this was intended to show that in the priesthood, represented by that of Aaron, the beginning, middle, and end of every good work must be found. The buds of good desires, the blossoms of holy resolutions and promising professions, and the ripe fruit of faith, love, and obedience, all spring from the priesthood of the Lord Jesus. It has been thought by some that Aaron's staff (and perhaps the staves of all the tribes) was made out of the amygdala communis, or common almond tree. In a favorable soil and climate it grows to twenty feet in height; is one of the most noble, flourishing trees in nature: its flowers are of a delicate red, and it puts them forth early in March, having begun to bud in January. It has its name שקד shaked from shakad, to awake, because it buds and flowers sooner than most other trees. And it is very likely that the staves of office, borne by the chiefs of all the tribes, were made of this tree, merely to signify that watchfulness and assiduous care which the chiefs should take of the persons committed, in the course of the Divine providence, to their keeping.
Every thing in this miracle is so far beyond the power of nature, that no doubt could remain on the minds of the people, or the envious chiefs, of the Divine appointment of Aaron, and of the especial interference of God in this case. To see a piece of wood long cut off from the parent stock, without bark or moisture remaining, laid up in a dry place for a single night, with others in the same circumstances - to see such a piece of wood resume and evince the perfection of vegetative life, budding, blossoming, and bringing forth ripe fruit at the same time, must be such a demonstration of the peculiar interference of God, as to silence every doubt and satisfy every scruple. It is worthy of remark that a scepter, 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 establish and confirm the oath. A remarkable instance of this we have in Homer, Iliad, lib. i., ver. 233, etc., where Achilles, in his rage against Agamemnon, thus speaks: -
Αλλ' εκ τοι ερεω, και επι μεγαν ὁρκον ομουμαι·
Ναι μα τοδε σκηπτρον, το μεν ουποτε φυλλα και οζους
Φυσει, επειδη πρωτα τομην εν ορεσσι λελοιπεν,
Ουδ' αναθηλησει· περι γαρ ῥα ἑ χαλκος ελεψε
Φυλλα τε και φλοιον·
ὁ δε τοι μεγας εσσεται ὁρκος.
But hearken: I shall swear a solemn oath:
By this same scepter which shall never bud,
Nor boughs bring forth, as once; which, having left
Its parent on the mountain top, what time
The woodman's axe lopp'd off its foliage green,
And stripp'd its bark, shall never grow again.
Cowper.
Virgil represents King Latinus swearing in the same way, to confirm his covenant with Aeneas: -
Ut Sceptrum hoc (dextra sceptrum nam forte gerebat)
Nunquam fronde levi fundet virgulta neque umbras,
Cum semel in silvis imo de stirpe recisum.
Matre caret, posuitque comas et brachia ferro;
Olim arbos, nunc artificis manus aere decoro
Inclusit, patribusque dedit gestare Latinis,
Talibus inter se firmabant foedera dictis.
Aen., lib. xii., ver. 206-12.
Even as this royal Sceptre (for he bore
A scepter in his hand) shall never more
Shoot out in branches, or renew the birth;
An orphan now, cut from the mother earth
By the keen axe, dishonor'd of its hair,
And cased in brass, for Latian kings to bear.
And thus in public view the peace was tied
With solemn vows, and sworn on either side.
Dryden.
When the circumstance of the rod or scepter being used anciently in this way, and the absolute impossibility of its reviviscence so strongly appealed to, is considered, it appears to have been a very proper instrument for the present occasion, for the change that passed on it must be acknowledged as an immediate and incontestable miracle. |
12 And speak [0559] unto him, saying [0559], Thus speaketh [0559] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635], saying [0559], Behold the man [0376] whose name [08034] is The BRANCH [06780]; and he shall grow up [06779] out of his place, and he shall build [01129] the temple [01964] of the LORD [03068]:
5 They come [0935] to fight [03898] with the Chaldeans [03778], but it is to fill [04390] them with the dead bodies [06297] of men [0120], whom I have slain [05221] in mine anger [0639] and in my fury [02534], and for all whose wickedness [07451] I have hid [05641] my face [06440] from this city [05892].
2 For he shall grow up [05927] before [06440] him as a tender plant [03126], and as a root [08328] out of a dry [06723] ground [0776]: he hath no form [08389] nor comeliness [01926]; and when we shall see [07200] him, there is no beauty [04758] that we should desire [02530] him.
1 And there shall come forth [03318] a rod [02415] out of the stem [01503] of Jesse [03448], and a Branch [05342] shall grow [06509] out of his roots [08328]:
2 In that day [03117] shall the branch [06780] of the LORD [03068] be beautiful [06643] and glorious [03519], and the fruit [06529] of the earth [0776] shall be excellent [01347] and comely for [08597] them that are escaped [06413] of Israel [03478].
11 Moreover the word [01697] of the LORD [03068] came unto me, saying [0559], Jeremiah [03414], what seest [07200] thou? And I said [0559], I see [07200] a rod [04731] of an almond tree [08247].
12 Then said [0559] the LORD [03068] unto me, Thou hast well [03190] seen [07200]: for I will hasten [08245] my word [01697] to perform [06213] it.
4 And [2532] no [3756] man [5100] taketh [2983] this honour [5092] unto himself [1438], but [235] he that is called [2564] of [5259] God [2316], as [2509] [2532] was Aaron [2].
5 So [3779] also [2532] Christ [5547] glorified [1392] not [3756] himself [1438] to be made [1096] an high priest [749]; but [235] he that said [2980] unto [4314] him [846], Thou [4771] art [1488] my [3450] Son [5207], to day [4594] have [1080] I [1473] begotten [1080] thee [4571].
6 As [2531] he saith [3004] also [2532] in [1722] another [2087] place, Thou [4771] art a priest [2409] for [1519] ever [165] after [2596] the order [5010] of Melchisedec [3198].
7 Who [3739] in [1722] the days [2250] of his [846] flesh [4561], when he had offered up [4374] prayers [1162] and [5037] [2532] supplications [2428] with [3326] strong [2478] crying [2906] and [2532] tears [1144] unto [4314] him that was able [1410] to save [4982] him [846] from [1537] death [2288], and [2532] was heard [1522] in that [575] he feared [2124];
8 Though [2539] he were [5607] a Son [5207], yet learned he [3129] obedience [5218] by [575] the things which [3739] he suffered [3958];
9 And [2532] being made perfect [5048], he became [1096] the author [159] of eternal [166] salvation [4991] unto all [3956] them that obey [5219] him [846];
10 Called [4316] of [5259] God [2316] an high priest [749] after [2596] the order [5010] of Melchisedec [3198].
14 Seeing [2192] then [3767] that we have [2192] a great [3173] high priest [749], that is passed into [1330] the heavens [3772], Jesus [2424] the Son [5207] of God [2316], let us hold fast [2902] our profession [3671].
5 And it shall come to pass, that the man's [0376] rod [04294], whom I shall choose [0977], shall blossom [06524]: and I will make to cease [07918] from me the murmurings [08519] of the children [01121] of Israel [03478], whereby they murmur [03885] against you.