Numbers 10:9
in Numbers 10When you enter into battle in your land against an adversary who attacks you, sound short blasts on the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God and saved from your enemies.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when ye go to war in your land against the adversary that oppresseth you, then ye shall sound an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before Jehovah your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.
KJV
And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.
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This verse in Numbers 10
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
If ye go to war--In the land of Canaan, either when attacked by foreign invaders or when they went to take possession according to the divine promise, "ye [that is, the priests] shall blow an alarm." This advice was accordingly acted upon (Nu 31:6; 2Ch 13:12); and in the circumstances it was an act of devout confidence in God.
This site's exposition
The sons of Aaron, the priests
on Numbers 10:8-10
The trumpets belong to the priests alone as “a permanent statute”. Verse 9 gives them to war and verse 10 to “joyous occasions” and new months, and both uses bring Israel to remembrance before God.
This site's exposition
you will be remembered before the LORD your God
Calvin holds the priests acted as heralds of war so that God Himself would be the one who began it. Barnes reads the trumpet in battle as a sign that God's people depended on His aid, and Matthew Henry calls it an appeal to heaven. The sound was a prayer.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And when ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you,....
But where he intends mercy it is his will that we should solicit it; ministers must stir up the good soldiers of Jesus Christ to fight manfully against sin, the world, and the devil, by assuring them that Christ is the captain of their salvation, and will tread Satan under their feet.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
If ye go to war - These trumpets shall be sounded for the purpose of collecting the people together, to deliberate about the war, and to implore the protection of God against their enemies. Ye shall be remembered before the Lord - When ye decamp, encamp, make war, and hold religious festivals, according to his appointment, which appointment shall be signified to you by the priests, who at the command of God, for such purposes, shall blow the trumpets, then ye may expect both the presence and blessing of Jehovah in all that ye undertake.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For examples of the employment of trumpets in war compare marginal references and 2Ch 20:28. By employment of them was signified the dependence of God’s people on His aid.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
על עלתיכם [YE SHALL BLOW WITH THE TRUMPETS] OVER YOUR BURNT OFFERINGS — Scripture is speaking of a communal burnt offering (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar; Arakhin 11b).
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכִֽי־ | vekhi- | and if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תָבֹ֨אוּ | tavou | you will go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| מִלְחָמָ֜ה | milchamah | war | H4421 → | 320 times |
| בְּאַרְצְכֶ֗ם | beartzekhem | in land your | H776 → | 2504 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַצַּר֙ | hatzar | the foe | H6862 → | 109 times |
| הַצֹּרֵ֣ר | hatzorer | who opposes | H6887 → | 54 times |
| אֶתְכֶ֔ם | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וַהֲרֵעֹתֶ֖ם | vahareotem | and you will give an alarm | H7321 → | |
| בַּחֲצֹצְר֑וֹת | bachatzotzerot | on trumpets | H2689 → | 29 times |
| וֲנִזְכַּרְתֶּ֗ם | vanizkartem | and you will be remembered | H2142 → | 230 times |
| לִפְנֵי֙ | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם | ʾeloheikhem | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְנוֹשַׁעְתֶּ֖ם | venosha'tem | and you will be delivered | H3467 → | |
| מֵאֹיְבֵיכֶֽם׃ | meoyeveikhem | from enemies your | H341 → | 282 times |
וְכִֽי־and if
vekhi-H3588 →4482 times
תָבֹ֨אוּyou will go
tavouH935 →2568 times
מִלְחָמָ֜הwar
milchamahH4421 →320 times
בְּאַרְצְכֶ֗םin land your
beartzekhemH776 →2504 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַצַּר֙the foe
hatzarH6862 →109 times
הַצֹּרֵ֣רwho opposes
hatzorerH6887 →54 times
אֶתְכֶ֔ם<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
וַהֲרֵעֹתֶ֖םand you will give an alarm
vahareotemH7321 →
בַּחֲצֹצְר֑וֹתon trumpets
bachatzotzerotH2689 →29 times
וֲנִזְכַּרְתֶּ֗םand you will be remembered
vanizkartemH2142 →230 times
לִפְנֵי֙<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔םGod your
ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times
וְנוֹשַׁעְתֶּ֖םand you will be delivered
venosha'temH3467 →
מֵאֹיְבֵיכֶֽם׃from enemies your
meoyeveikhemH341 →282 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
Genesis 8:1But God remembered Noah and all the animals and livestock that were with him in the ark. And God sent a wind over the earth, and the waters began to subside.
it leads to
- Exodus 2:24
So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 30:22
Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb,
- Genesis 19:29
So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, He remembered Abraham, and He brought Lot out of the catastrophe that destroyed the cities where he had lived.
- Psalms 136:23
He remembered us in our low estate His loving devotion endures forever.
- 1 Samuel 1:19
The next morning Elkanah and Hannah got up early to bow in worship before the LORD, and then returned home to Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered…
- Exodus 2:24
Through
Psalms 106:4Remember me, O LORD, in Your favor to Your people; visit me with Your salvation,
it leads to
- Psalms 119:132
Turn to me and show me mercy, as You do to those who love Your name.
- Luke 23:42
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”
- Nehemiah 13:31
I also arranged for contributions of wood at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, with favor.
- Psalms 119:132
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.