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The Memorial

10 The Lord said to Moses, “Bring Aaron’s staff back before the testimony to be preserved for a sign to the rebels, so that you may bring their murmurings to an end[a] before me, that they will not die.”[b] 11 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him—this is what he did.

12 The Israelites said to Moses, “We are bound to die![c] We perish, we all perish!

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 17:10 tn The verb means “to finish; to complete” and here “to bring to an end.” It is the imperfect following the imperative, and so introduces a purpose clause (as a final imperfect).
  2. Numbers 17:10 tn This is another final imperfect in a purpose clause.
  3. Numbers 17:12 tn The use of הֵן (hen) and the perfect tense in the nuance of a prophetic perfect expresses their conviction that they were bound to die—it was certain (see GKC 312-13 §106.n).

10 The Lord said to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s staff(A) in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious.(B) This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.” 11 Moses did just as the Lord commanded him.

12 The Israelites said to Moses, “We will die! We are lost, we are all lost!(C)

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