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Numbers

Numbers Num"bers, prop. n. pl. of Number. The fourth book of the Pentateuch, containing the census of the Hebrews. [1913 Webster]

to deutch

numbers [n?mb?z] Nummern, Zahlen
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Bible Dictionary

Numbers
the fourth book of the law or Pentateuch. It takes its name inthe LXX. and Vulgate (whence our "numbers") from the doublenumbering or census of the people, the first of which is givenin chs. 1-4, and the second in ch. 28. Contents

The book maybe said to contain generally the history of the Israelites fromthe time of their leaving Sinai, in the second year after theexodus till their arrival at the borders of the Promised landin the fortieth year of their journeyings It consists of thefollowing principal divisions: 1, The Preparations for thedeparture from Sinai. (numbers 1:1; numbers 10:10)

The journey from Sinai to the borders of Canaan. ch. (numbers10:11; numbers 14:45)

A brief notice of laws and events which transpired during thethirty-seven years wandering in the wilderness. ch. (numbers15:1; numbers 19:22)

The history of the last year, from the second arrival of theIsraelites in Kadesh till they reached "the plains of Moab byJordan near Jericho." ch, (numbers 20:1; numbers 36:13)Integrity

This, like the other books of the Pentateuch, issupposed by many critics to consist of a compilation from twoor three or more earlier documents; but the grounds on whichthis distinction of documents rests are in every respect mostunsatisfactory, and it may, in common with the precedingbooks and Deuteronomy, be regarded as the work of Moses. Thebook of Numbers is rich in fragments of ancient poetry, someof them of great beauty and all throwing an interesting lighton the character of the times in which they were composed.Such, for instance, is the blessing of the high priest. ch.(numbers 6:24-26) Such too are chants which were the signalfor the ark to move when the people journeyed, and for it torest when they were about to encamp. In ch. 21 we have apassage cited from a book called the "Book of the Wars ofJehovah." This was probably a collection of ballads and songscomposed on different occasions by the watch-fires of thecamp, and for the most part, though not perhaps exclusively,in commemoration of the victories of the Israelites overtheir enemies.