Chapter 17

1And the LORD spake unto {a} Moses, saying,
(a) While he was in the door of the tabernacle.

5And it shall come to pass, [that] the man's rod, whom I shall {b} choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.
(b) To be the chief priest.

6And 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 {c} of Aaron [was] among their rods.
(c) Though Joseph's tribe was divided into two in the distribution of the land, yet here it is but one and Levi makes a tribe.

8And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron {d} for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
(d) To declare that God chose the house of Levi to serve him in the tabernacle.

10And 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 {e} murmurings from me, that they die not.
(e) Grudging that Aaron should be high priest.

12And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, {f} we die, we perish, we all perish.
(f) The Chaldea text describes their complaining in this way; "We die by the sword, the earth swallows us up, the pestilence consumes us."

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