Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)

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N U M B E R S

CHAP. XVII.

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Enough had been done in the chapter before to quash all pretensions of

the families of the tribe of Levi that would set up in competition with

Aaron, and to make it appear that Aaron was the head of the tribe; but

it seems, when that matter was settled, the princes of the rest of the

tribes began to murmur. If the head of a tribe must be a priest, why

not the head of some other tribe than that of Levi? He that searches

the heart knew this thought to be in the breast of some of them, and

before it broke out into any overt act graciously anticipated it, to

prevent bloodshed; and it is done by miracle in this chapter, not a

miracle of wrath, as before, but of grace.

I. The matter is put upon trial by the bringing of twelve rods, one for

each prince, before the Lord,

ver. 1-7.

II. Upon trial, the matter is determined by the miraculous blossoming

of Aaron’s rod,

ver. 8, 9.

III. The decision of the controversy is registered by the preservation

of the rod,

ver. 10, 11.

IV. The people acquiesce in it with some reluctance,

ver. 12, 13.

The Blossoming of Aaron’s Rod.	B. C. 1490.

     

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

  2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of

them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all

their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve

rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.

  3 And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for

one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.

  4 And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the

congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.

  5 And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall

choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the

murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against

you.

  6 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of

their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one,

according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the

rod of Aaron was among their rods.

  7 And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle

of witness.

     

Here we have,

I. Orders given for the bringing in of a rod for every tribe (which was

peculiarly significant, for the word here used for a rod sometimes

signifies a tribe, as particularly

ch. xxxiv. 13),

that God by a miracle, wrought on purpose, might make it known on whom

he had conferred the honour of the priesthood.

1. It seems then the priesthood was a preferment worth seeking and

striving for, even by the princes of the tribes. It is an honour to the

greatest of men to be employed in the service of God. Yet perhaps these

contended for it rather for the sake of the profit and power that

attended the office than for the sake of that in it which was divine

and sacred.

2. It seems likewise, after all that had been done to settle this

matter, there were those who would be ready upon any occasion to

contest it. They would not acquiesce in the divine appointment, but

would make an interest in opposition to it. They strive with God for

the dominion; and the question is whose will shall stand. God will

rule, but Israel will not be ruled; and this is the quarrel.

3. It is an instance of the grace of God that, having wrought divers

miracles to punish sin, he would work one more on purpose to prevent

it. God has effectually provided that the obstinate shall be left

inexcusable, and every mouth shall be stopped. Israel were very prone

to murmur both against God and against their governors. “Now,” said

God, “I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of

Israel,
v. 5.

If any thing will convince them, they shall be convinced; and, if this

will not convince them, nothing will.” This was to be to them, as

Christ said the sign of the prophet Jonas (that is, his own

resurrection) should be to the men of that generation, the highest

proof of his mission that should be given them. The directions are,

(1.) That twelve rods or staves should be brought in. It is probable

that they were not now fresh cut out of a tree, for then the miracle

would not have been so great; but that they were the staves which the

princes ordinarily used as ensigns of their authority (of which we read

ch. xxi. 18),

old dry staves, that had no sap in them, and it is probable that they

were all made of the almond-tree. It should seem they were but twelve

in all, with Aaron’s, for, when Levi comes into the account, Ephraim

and Manasseh make but one, under the name of Joseph.

(2.) That the name of each prince should be written upon his rod, that

every man might know his own, and to prevent contests. Writing is often

a good preservative against strife, for what is written may be appealed

to.

(3.) That they should be laid up in the tabernacle, for one night,

before the testimony, that is, before the ark, which, with its mercy

seat, was a symbol, token, or testimony, of God’s presence with them.

(4.) They were to expect, being told it before, that the rod of the

tribe, or prince, whom God chose to the priesthood, should bud and

blossom,

v. 5.

It was requisite that they should be told of it, that it might appear

not to be casual, but according to the counsel and will of God.

     

II. The preparing of the rods accordingly. The princes brought them in,

some of them perhaps fondly expecting that the choice would fall upon

them, and all of them thinking it honour enough to be competitors with

Aaron, and to stand candidates, even for the priesthood

(v. 7);

and Moses laid them up before the Lord. He did not object that

the matter was sufficiently settled already, and enough done to

convince those that were not invincibly hardened in their prejudices.

He did not undertake to determine the controversy himself, though it

might easily have been done; nor did he suggest that it would be to no

purpose to offer satisfaction to a people that were willingly blind.

But, since God will have it so, he did his part, and lodged the case

before the Lord, to whom the appeal was made by consent, and left it

with him.

     

8 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.

  9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto

all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man

his rod.

  10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before

the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and

thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they

die not.

  11 And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.

  12 And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold,

we die, we perish, we all perish.

  13 Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the

LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?

     

Here is,

I. The final determination of the controversy concerning the priesthood

by a miracle,

v. 8, 9.

The rods or staves were brought out from the most holy place where they

were laid up, and publicly produced before the people; and, while all

the rest of the rods remained as they were, Aaron’s rod only, of a dry

stick, became a living branch, budded, and blossomed, and yielded

almonds. In some places there were buds, in others blossoms, in others

fruit, at the same time. This was miraculous, and took away all

suspicion of a fraud, as if in the night Moses had taken away Aaron’s

rod, and put a living branch of an almond tree in the room of it; for

no ordinary branch would have buds, blossoms, and fruits upon it, all

at once. Now,

     

1. This was a plain indication to the people that Aaron was chosen to

the priesthood, and not any other of the princes of the tribes. Thus he

was distinguished from them and manifested to be under the special

blessing of heaven, which sometimes yields increase where there is

neither planting nor watering by the hand of man. Bishop Hall here

observes that fruitfulness is the best evidence of a divine call, and

that the plants of God’s setting, and the boughs cut off from them,

will flourish. See

Ps. xcii. 12-14.

The trees of the Lord, though they seem dry trees, are full of sap.

     

2. It was a very proper sign to represent the priesthood itself, which

was hereby confirmed to Aaron.

(1.) That it should be fruitful and serviceable to the church of God.

It produced not only blossoms, but almonds; for the priesthood was

designed, not only for an honour to Aaron, but for a blessing to

Israel. Thus Christ ordained his apostles and ministers that they

should go and bring forth fruit, and that their fruit should

remain,
John xv. 16.

(2.) That there should be a succession of priests. Here were not only

almonds for the present, but buds and blossoms promising more

hereafter. Thus has Christ provided in his church that a seed should

serve him from generation to generation.

(3.) That yet this priesthood should not be perpetual, but in process

of time, like the branches and blossoms of a tree, should fail and

wither. The flourishing of the almond-tree is mentioned as one of the

signs of old age,

Eccl. xii. 5.

This character was betimes put upon the Mosaic priesthood, which soon

became old and ready to vanish away,
Heb. viii. 13.

     

3. It was a type and figure of Christ and his priesthood: for he is

the man, the branch, that is to be a priest upon his

throne, as it follows

(Zech. vi. 12);

and he was to grow up before God, as this before the ark,

like a tender plant, and a root out of a dry ground,
Isa. liii. 2.

     

II. The record of this determination, by the preserving of the rod

before the testimony, in perpetuam rei memoriam–that it might be had

in perpetual remembrance,
v. 10, 11.

It is probable that the buds, and blossoms, and fruit, continued fresh;

the same divine power that produced them in a night preserved them for

ages, at least so long as it was necessary for a token against the

rebels. So it was a standing miracle, and the continuance of it was an

undeniable proof of the truth of it. Even the leaf of God’s trees shall

not wither,

Ps. i. 3.

This rod was preserved, as the censers were, to take away their

murmurings, that they die not. Note,

1. The design of God in all his providences, both mercies and

judgments, and in the memorials of them, is to take away sin, and to

prevent it. These things are done, these things written, that we sin

not,
1 John ii. 1.

Christ was manifested to take away sin.

2. What God does for the taking away of sin is done in real kindness to

us, that we die not. All the bitter potions he gives, and all

the sharp methods he uses with us, are for the cure of a disease which

otherwise would certainly be fatal. Bishop Hall observes here that the

tables of the law, the pot of manna, and Aaron’s rod, were preserved

together in or about the ark (the apostle takes notice of them all

three together,

Heb. ix. 4),

to show to after-ages how the ancient church was taught, and fed, and

ruled; and he infers how precious the doctrine, sacraments, and

government, of the church are to God and should be to us. The rod of

Moses was used in working many miracles, yet we do not find that this

was preserved, for the keeping of it would serve only to gratify men’s

curiosity; but the rod of Aaron, which carried its miracle along with

it, was carefully preserved, because that would be of standing use to

convince men’s consciences, to silence all disputes about the

priesthood, and to confirm the faith of God’s Israel in his

institutions. Such is the difference between the sacraments which

Christ has appointed for edification and the relics which men have

devised for superstition.

     

III. The outcry of the people hereupon

(v. 12, 13):

Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. Shall we be consumed with

dying? This may be considered as the language either,

1. Of a repining people quarrelling with the judgments of God, which,

by their own pride and obstinacy, they had brought upon themselves.

They seem to speak despairingly, as if God was a hard Master, that

sought advantage against them, and took all occasions to pick quarrels

with them, so that if they trod every so little awry, if they stepped

ever so little beyond their bounds, they must die, they must perish,

they must all perish, basely insinuating that God would never be

satisfied with their blood and ruin, till he had made an end of them

all and they were consumed with dying. Thus they seem to be like a

wild bull in a net, full of the fury of the Lord

(Isa. li. 20),

fretting that God was too hard for them and that they were forced to

submit, which they did only because they could not help it. Note, It

is a very wicked thing to fret against God when we are in affliction,

and in our distress thus to trespass yet more. If we die, if we perish,

it is owing to ourselves, and the blame will lie upon our own heads.

Or,

2. Of a repenting people. Many interpreters take it as expressing their

submission: “Now we see that it is the will of God we should keep our

distance, and that it is at our peril if we draw nearer than is

appointed. We submit to the divine will in this appointment; we will

not contend any more, lest we all perish:” and they engage Moses to

intercede for them, that they may not be all consumed with dying. Thus

the point was gained, and in this matter God quite took away their

murmurings, and henceforward they acquiesced. Note, When God judges he

will over come, and, one way or other, will oblige the most obstinate

gainsayers to confess their folly sooner or later, and that wherein

they dealt proudly he was above them. Vicisti Galilæe–O

Galilæan, thou hast conquered!

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)

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