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The Blowing of Trumpets

10 [a] The Lord spoke to Moses: “Make[b] two trumpets of silver; you are to make[c] them from a single hammered piece.[d] You will use them[e] for assembling the community and for directing the traveling of the camps. When[f] they blow[g] them both, all the community must come[h] to you to the entrance of the tent of meeting.

“But if they blow with one trumpet, then the leaders, the heads of the thousands of Israel, must come to you.[i] When you blow an alarm,[j] then the camps that are located[k] on the east side must begin to travel.[l] And when you blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that are located on the south side must begin to travel.[m] An alarm must be sounded[n] for their journeys. But when you assemble the community,[o] you must blow the trumpets,[p] but you must not sound an alarm.[q] The sons of Aaron, the priests, must blow the trumpets, and they will be to you for an eternal ordinance throughout your generations. If you go to war in your land against an adversary who opposes[r] you, then you must sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved[s] from your enemies.

10 “Also, in the time when you rejoice, such as[t] on your appointed festivals or[u] at the beginnings of your months, you must blow with your trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, so that they may[v] become[w] a memorial for you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 10:1 sn Here we have a short section (10:1-10) dealing with the regulations for blowing trumpets in times of war or in times of peace.
  2. Numbers 10:2 tn The Hebrew text uses what is called the “ethical dative”—“make [for] you two trumpets.” It need not be translated, but can simply be taken to underscore the direct imperative.
  3. Numbers 10:2 tn The imperfect tense is again instruction or legislation.
  4. Numbers 10:2 sn The instructions are not clearly spelled out here. But the trumpets were to be made of silver ingots beaten out into a sheet of silver and then bent to form a trumpet. There is archaeological evidence of silver smelting as early as 3000 b.c. Making silver trumpets would have been a fairly easy thing for the Israelites to do. The trumpet would have been straight, with a tapered form, very unlike the “ram’s horn” (שׁוֹפָר, shofar). The trumpets were used by the priests in Israel from the outset, but later were used more widely. The sound would be sharp and piercing, but limited in scope to a few notes. See further C. Sachs, The History of Musical Instruments.
  5. Numbers 10:2 tn Heb “and they shall be for you for assembling,” which is the way of expressing possession. Here the intent concerns how Moses was to use them.
  6. Numbers 10:3 tn The perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive is here subordinated as a temporal clause to the following similar verbal construction.
  7. Numbers 10:3 tn The verb תָקַע (taqaʿ) means “to strike, drive, blow a trumpet.”
  8. Numbers 10:3 tn Heb “the assembly shall assemble themselves.”
  9. Numbers 10:4 tn Heb “they shall assemble themselves.”
  10. Numbers 10:5 tn The word for an alarm is תְּרוּעָה (teruʿah). The root verb of this word means “to give a blast on the trumpet.” It may also on occasion mean “give a shout” in battle (Josh 6:10). In this passage it must refer to the sound of the trumpet.
  11. Numbers 10:5 tn Heb “the camps that are camping.”
  12. Numbers 10:5 tn The perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive functions as the equivalent of the imperfect tense. Here the emphasis is on the start of the journey.
  13. Numbers 10:6 tc The MT does not mention the departures of the northerly and westerly tribes. The Greek text completes the description by adding them, making a full schedule of the departure of the groups of tribes. The Greek is not likely to be original, however, since it carries all the signs of addition to complete the text, making a smooth, full reading. The MT is to be preferred; it apparently used two of the groups to give the idea.
  14. Numbers 10:6 tn The Hebrew text has “they shall blow an alarm”; the sentence without a formal subject should be taken as a passive idea.
  15. Numbers 10:7 tn There is no expressed subject in the initial temporal clause. It simply says, “and in the assembling the assembly.” But since the next verb is the second person of the verb, that may be taken as the intended subject here.
  16. Numbers 10:7 tn Heb “blow”; the direct object (“trumpets”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  17. Numbers 10:7 sn The signal for moving camp was apparently different in tone and may have been sharper notes or a different sequence. It was in some way distinguishable.
  18. Numbers 10:9 tn Both the “adversary” and “opposes” come from the same root: צָרַר (tsarar), “to hem in, oppress, harass,” or basically, “be an adversary.”
  19. Numbers 10:9 tn The Niphal perfect in this passage has the passive nuance and not a reflexive idea—the Israelites would be spared because God remembered them.
  20. Numbers 10:10 tn The conjunction may be taken as explicative or epexegetical, and so rendered “namely; even; that is,” or it may be taken as emphatic conjunction, and translated “especially.”
  21. Numbers 10:10 tn The vav (ו) is taken here in its alternative use and translated “or.”
  22. Numbers 10:10 tn The form is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive. After the instruction imperfects, this form could be given the same nuance, or more likely, subordinated as a purpose or result clause.
  23. Numbers 10:10 tn The verb הָיָה (hayah, “to be”) has the meaning “to become” when followed by the preposition ל (lamed).

The Silver Trumpets

10 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Make yourself two silver trumpets; make them of hammered-work. You will use them[a] for calling the community and for breaking the camp. You will blow them, and all the community will assemble to the doorway of the tent of assembly. But if they blow only one, the leaders, the heads of the thousands of Israel, will assemble to you. When you will blow a blast, the camps that are camping on the east will set out; when you blow a second blast, the camps that are camping on the south will set out; they will blow a blast for their journeys. But when summoning the assembly, you will blow, but you will not signal with a loud noise. The sons of Aaron, the priests, will blow on the trumpets; this will be an eternal decree for your generations. If you go to war in your land against the enemy who attacks you, you will signal with a loud noise on the trumpets. You will be remembered before[b] Yahweh your God, and you will be rescued from your enemies.

10 “And on the day of your joy and in your appointed times, at the beginning of your months, you will blow on the trumpets in addition to your burnt offerings and in addition to the sacrifices of your fellowship offerings. And they will be as a memorial for you before[c] your God; I am Yahweh your God.”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 10:2 Literally “They will be for you”
  2. Numbers 10:9 Literally “in the presence of”
  3. Numbers 10:10 Literally “in the presence of”