Study Desk

The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them.

Even when the cloud lingered over the tabernacle for many days, the Israelites kept the LORD's charge and did not set out.

Sometimes the cloud remained over the tabernacle for only a few days, and they would camp at the LORD's command and set out at the LORD's command.

Whether the cloud lingered for two days, a month, or longer, the Israelites camped and did not set out as long as the cloud remained over the tabernacle; but when it was lifted, they would set out.

"Make two trumpets of hammered silver to be used for calling the congregation and for having the camps set out.

The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to sound the trumpets. This shall be a perpetual statute for you and the generations to come.

And on your joyous occasions, your appointed feasts, and the beginning of each month, you are to blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will serve as a reminder for you before your God. I am the LORD your God."

Finally, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out under their banner, serving as the rear guard for all units, with Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai in command.

This was the order of march for the Israelite divisions as they set out.

Then Moses said to Hobab, the son of Moses' father-in-law Reuel the Midianite, "We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said: 'I will give it to you.' Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel."

So they set out on a three-day journey from the mountain of the LORD, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD traveling ahead of them for those three days to seek a resting place for them.

Meanwhile, the rabble among them had a strong craving for other food, and again the Israelites wept and said, "Who will feed us meat?

Where can I get meat for all these people? For they keep crying out to me, 'Give us meat to eat!'

I cannot carry all these people by myself; it is too burdensome for me.

And say to the people: Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you will eat meat, because you have cried out in the hearing of the LORD, saying, 'Who will feed us meat? For we were better off in Egypt.' Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat.

You will eat it not for one or two days, nor for five or ten or twenty days,

but for a whole month-until it comes out of your nostrils and makes you nauseous-because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have cried out before Him saying, 'Why did we ever leave Egypt?'"

But Moses replied, "Here I am among 600,000 men on foot, yet You say, 'I will give them meat, and they will eat for a month.'

If flocks and herds were slaughtered for them, would they have enough? Or if all the fish in the sea were caught for them, would they have enough?"

Now a wind sent by the LORD came up, drove in quail from the sea, and dropped them near the camp, about two cubits deep for a day's journey in every direction around the camp.