Numbers 27:21
in Numbers 27He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will go out and come in.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before Jehovah: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.
KJV
And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.
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This verse in Numbers 27
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest ... - Joshua was thus to be inferior to what Moses had been. For Moses had enjoyed the privilege of unrestricted direct contact with God: Joshua, like all future rulers of Israel, was to ask counsel mediately, through the High Priest and those means of inquiring of God wherewith the high priest was entrusted. Such counsel Joshua seems to have omitted to seek when he concluded his hasty treaty with the Gibeonites (Jos 9:3 ff). Judgment of Urim - See Exo 28:30 note.
This site's exposition
thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him
on Numbers 27:20-21
Some of thine honour is what passes to Joshua, and verse 21 shows where the difference falls. Joshua stands before Eleazar, who asks counsel for him by the judgment of Urim, while Moses had been spoken with mouth to mouth at Numbers 12:8. Barnes reads this as setting Joshua below Moses and alongside every ruler after him, inquiring of God through the high priest, and he points to Joshua 9:14, where that counsel went unasked and the treaty with the Gibeonites followed. The honour is put on him so that the congregation will obey, which the verse gives as the stated purpose.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Who shall ask counsel for him - When he requires him to do so, and in important and difficult matters. Of Urim - Urim is put for both Urim and Thummim.
And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest,....
This was a direction to Joshua. Though he was full of the Spirit, and had all this honour put upon him, yet he must do nothing without asking counsel of God, not leaning to his own understanding. It was also a great encouragement to him.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Eleazar the priest - shall ask counsel for him - Here was a remarkable difference between him and Moses. God talked with Moses face to face; but to Joshua only through the medium of the high priest.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלִפְנֵ֨י | velifnei | and <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אֶלְעָזָ֤ר | ʾelazar | Eleazar | H499 → | 72 times |
| הַכֹּהֵן֙ | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| יַעֲמֹ֔ד | yaamod | he will stand | H5975 → | 521 times |
| וְשָׁ֥אַל | veshaal | and he will enquire | H7592 → | |
| ל֛וֹ | lo | for <the> him | ||
| בְּמִשְׁפַּ֥ט | bemishpat | by [the] judgment of | H4941 → | 422 times |
| הָאוּרִ֖ים | haurim | the Urim | H224 → | |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פִּ֨יו | piv | mouth his | H6310 → | 498 times |
| יֵצְא֜וּ | yetzeu | they will go out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פִּ֣יו | piv | mouth his | H6310 → | 498 times |
| יָבֹ֗אוּ | yavou | they will come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| ה֛וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בְּנֵי־ | benei- | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אִתּ֖וֹ | ʾito | with him | H854 → | 929 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעֵדָֽה׃ | haedah | the congregation | H5712 → | 149 times |
וְלִפְנֵ֨יand <to> before
velifneiH6440 →2123 times
אֶלְעָזָ֤רEleazar
ʾelazarH499 →72 times
הַכֹּהֵן֙the priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
יַעֲמֹ֔דhe will stand
yaamodH5975 →521 times
וְשָׁ֥אַלand he will enquire
veshaalH7592 →
ל֛וֹfor <the> him
lo
בְּמִשְׁפַּ֥טby [the] judgment of
bemishpatH4941 →422 times
הָאוּרִ֖יםthe Urim
haurimH224 →
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
פִּ֨יוmouth his
pivH6310 →498 times
יֵצְא֜וּthey will go out
yetzeuH3318 →1067 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
פִּ֣יוmouth his
pivH6310 →498 times
יָבֹ֗אוּthey will come
yavouH935 →2568 times
ה֛וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
בְּנֵי־[the] people of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֥לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אִתּ֖וֹwith him
ʾitoH854 →929 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
הָעֵדָֽה׃the congregation
haedahH5712 →149 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
Joshua 9:14Then the men of Israel sampled their provisions, but did not seek the counsel of the LORD.
it leads to
- Proverbs 3:5–6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
- Proverbs 3:5–6
Through
1 Samuel 28:6He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.
it leads to
- Numbers 12:6
He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream.
- 1 Samuel 14:37
So Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?” But God did not answer him that day.
- Lamentations 2:9
Her gates have sunk into the ground; He has destroyed and shattered their bars. Her king and her princes are exiled among the nations, the law is no more, and even her prophets find…
- Numbers 12:6
Through
Exodus 28:30And place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece of judgment, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the LORD. Aaron will continually carry the judgment of the…
it leads to
- Ezra 2:63
The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.
- Nehemiah 7:65
The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.
- Deuteronomy 33:8
Concerning Levi he said: “Give Your Thummim to Levi and Your Urim to Your godly one, whom You tested at Massah and contested at the waters of Meribah.
- Ezra 2:63
Through
Numbers 27:17who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
it leads to
- Ezekiel 34:5
They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild beasts.
- Ezekiel 34:5
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 Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.