Numbers 27:19
in Numbers 27Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and commission him in their sight.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.
KJV
And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.
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This verse in Numbers 27
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Take Joshua son of Nun
on Numbers 27:18-19
The one qualification named is that Joshua is "a man with the Spirit in him", and the camp had watched him at Exodus 17:9, Exodus 33:11 and Numbers 14:6-9. Deuteronomy 34:9 says he "was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him". The charge is given "in their sight", so the congregation watches the transfer.
This site's exposition
commission him in their sight
John Wesley takes the commission as counsel and instruction for the trust Joshua was receiving. Matthew Henry says the people were given into his hand as sheep to a shepherd, and he would answer for them. Joshua would command Israel. Henry adds that he stayed under command himself, since the highest must know there is one higher.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation,....
He must be charged with the people of Israel, who were delivered into his hand as sheep into the hand of a shepherd, and for whom he must be accountable. He must be strictly charged to do his duty to them; though they were under his command, he was under God's command, and from him must receive charge. The highest must know that there is a higher than they.
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהַֽעֲמַדְתָּ֣ | vehaamadta | and you will make stand | H5975 → | 521 times |
| אֹת֗וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לִפְנֵי֙ | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אֶלְעָזָ֣ר | ʾelazar | Eleazar | H499 → | 72 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֔ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| וְלִפְנֵ֖י | velifnei | and <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעֵדָ֑ה | haedah | the congregation | H5712 → | 149 times |
| וְצִוִּיתָ֥ה | vetzivitah | and you will commission | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אֹת֖וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃ | leeineihem | to eyes their | H5869 → | 887 times |
וְהַֽעֲמַדְתָּ֣and you will make stand
vehaamadtaH5975 →521 times
אֹת֗וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
לִפְנֵי֙<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
אֶלְעָזָ֣רEleazar
ʾelazarH499 →72 times
הַכֹּהֵ֔ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
וְלִפְנֵ֖יand <to> before
velifneiH6440 →2123 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָעֵדָ֑הthe congregation
haedahH5712 →149 times
וְצִוִּיתָ֥הand you will commission
vetzivitahH6680 →494 times
אֹת֖וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃to eyes their
leeineihemH5869 →887 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 3:28But commission Joshua, encourage him, and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit the land that you will see.”
it leads to
- Acts 7:45
And our fathers who received it brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 31:3
The LORD your God Himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will dispossess them. Joshua will cross ahead of you, as the LORD has said.
- Acts 7:45
Through
1 Timothy 5:21I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality.
it leads to
- 2 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
- 2 Timothy 4:1
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom:
- 1 Timothy 6:13
I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who made the good confession in His testimony before Pontius Pilate:
- 2 Timothy 2:14
Remind the believers of these things, charging them before God to avoid quarreling over words, which succeeds only in leading the listeners to ruin.
- 2 Peter 2:4
Through
Deuteronomy 31:23Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land that I swore to give them, and I will be with…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 31:7–8
Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to…
- Deuteronomy 31:14
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the time of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, so that I may commission him.” So Moses and Joshua…
- Deuteronomy 31:7–8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Numbers

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary.
