Numbers 10:23
Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of Manasseh,
Gamaliel son of Pedahzur
Gamaliel, whose name means "God is my reward," is a leader within the Israelite community during their wilderness journey. His father, Pedahzur, is mentioned as a leader of the tribe of Manasseh, indicating a lineage of leadership. This reflects the importance of family heritage and tribal leadership in ancient Israel. The name Gamaliel is also associated with a prominent teacher in the New Testament, suggesting a continuity of respected leadership within Jewish tradition.

was over the division
The term "division" refers to the organized military and social structure of the Israelite camp. Each tribe was divided into groups for orderly movement and encampment. This organization was crucial for maintaining order among the large number of Israelites during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. It reflects the military-like precision required for their travels and battles, as seen in other parts of the Pentateuch.

of the tribe of Manasseh
Manasseh was one of the two sons of Joseph, and his tribe was one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The tribe of Manasseh was known for its significant size and strength, receiving a large portion of land on both sides of the Jordan River. This allocation of land is detailed in the book of Joshua. The tribe's role in the wilderness journey and later settlement in Canaan highlights the fulfillment of God's promises to the patriarchs. Manasseh's position in the camp and their leadership under Gamaliel underscores their importance in the collective identity and mission of Israel.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The leader of the Israelites, chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt and through the wilderness.

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God, who are on their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.

3. Tabernacle
The portable dwelling place for the divine presence of God among the Israelites.

4. Wilderness of Sinai
The desert region where the Israelites camped and received the law from God.

5. Cloud
Represents the presence and guidance of God, which led the Israelites on their journey.
Teaching Points
God's Guidance
Just as God guided the Israelites with a cloud, He provides guidance to us today through His Word and the Holy Spirit. We should seek His direction in our daily lives.

Obedience to God's Timing
The Israelites moved only when the cloud lifted. We should learn to wait on God's timing and not rush ahead with our plans.

Community and Leadership
Moses' leadership and the unity of the Israelites in following God's guidance highlight the importance of community and godly leadership in our spiritual journey.

Faith in Uncertainty
The Israelites' journey through the wilderness required faith in God's provision and protection. We are called to trust God even when the path is unclear.

Symbol of God's Presence
The cloud symbolizes God's presence. We are reminded that God is always with us, providing comfort and assurance.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the presence of the cloud in Numbers 10:23 reflect God's guidance in your life today?

2. In what ways can we ensure that we are following God's timing rather than our own?

3. How can the example of Moses' leadership inspire us to lead or support others in our faith communities?

4. What are some practical ways to strengthen our faith when we face uncertainty or challenges?

5. How can we cultivate an awareness of God's presence in our daily lives, similar to the Israelites' experience with the cloud?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 13:21-22
This passage describes how the Lord went before the Israelites in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, providing guidance and protection.

Psalm 78:14
This verse recounts how God led His people with a cloud by day and with light from the fire all night, emphasizing His continual guidance.

1 Corinthians 10:1-2
Paul refers to the Israelites being under the cloud and passing through the sea, symbolizing baptism and God's guidance.
God Would have Order Observed Among His People At All TimesW. Attersoll.Numbers 10:14-28
The Divine Standard to be MaintainedC. H. Mackintosh.Numbers 10:14-28
People
Aaron, Abidan, Ahiezer, Ahira, Ammihud, Amminadab, Ammishaddai, Asher, Benjamin, Dan, Deuel, Eliab, Eliasaph, Elishama, Elizur, Enan, Gad, Gamaliel, Gershon, Gershonites, Gideoni, Helon, Hobab, Issachar, Kohathites, Manasseh, Merari, Merarites, Moses, Nahshon, Naphtali, Nethaneel, Ocran, Pagiel, Pedahzur, Raguel, Reuben, Reuel, Shedeur, Shelumiel, Simeon, Zebulun, Zuar, Zurishaddai
Places
Paran, Sinai
Topics
Army, Division, Gamalial, Gamaliel, Gama'liel, Host, Manasseh, Manas'seh, Pedahzur, Pedah'zur, Sons, Tribal, Tribe
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Numbers 10:14

     5223   banner

Numbers 10:11-14

     7266   tribes of Israel

Library
November 17. "The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord Went Before Them" (Num. x. 33).
"The ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them" (Num. x. 33). God does give us impressions but not that we should act on them as impressions. If the impression be from God, He will Himself give sufficient evidence to establish it beyond the possibility of a doubt. How beautifully we read, in the story of Jeremiah, of the impression that came to him respecting the purchase of the field of Anathoth, but Jeremiah did not act upon this impression until after the following day, when his uncle's
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Hobab
'And Moses said unto Hobab ... Come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel.'--NUM. x. 29. There is some doubt with regard to the identity of this Hobab. Probably he was a man of about the same age as Moses, his brother- in-law, and a son of Jethro, a wily Kenite, a Bedouin Arab. Moses begs him to join himself to his motley company, and to be to him in the wilderness 'instead of eyes.' What did Moses want a man for, when he had the cloud? What do we
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Hallowing of Work and of Rest
'And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let Thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate Thee flee before Thee. 36. And when it rested, he said, Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel.'--Num. x. 35, 36. The picture suggested by this text is a very striking and vivid one. We see the bustle of the morning's breaking up of the encampment of Israel. The pillar of cloud, which had lain diffused and motionless over the Tabernacle, gathers itself
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Publication of the Gospel
The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it [or of the preachers] P erhaps no one Psalm has given greater exercise to the skill and patience of commentators and critics, than the sixty-eighth. I suppose the difficulties do not properly belong to the Psalm, but arise from our ignorance of various circumstances to which the Psalmist alludes; which probably were, at that time, generally known and understood. The first verse is the same with the stated form of benediction
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Letter Lv. Replies to Questions of Januarius.
Or Book II. of Replies to Questions of Januarius. (a.d. 400.) Chap. I. 1. Having read the letter in which you have put me in mind of my obligation to give answers to the remainder of those questions which you submitted to me a long time ago, I cannot bear to defer any longer the gratification of that desire for instruction which it gives me so much pleasure and comfort to see in you; and although encompassed by an accumulation of engagements, I have given the first place to the work of supplying
St. Augustine—The Confessions and Letters of St

How the Humble and the Haughty are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 18.) Differently to be admonished are the humble and the haughty. To the former it is to be insinuated how true is that excellence which they hold in hoping for it; to the latter it is to be intimated how that temporal glory is as nothing which even when embracing it they hold not. Let the humble hear how eternal are the things that they long for, how transitory the things which they despise; let the haughty hear how transitory are the things they court, how eternal the things they
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

The Second Coming of Christ.
^A Matt. XXIV. 29-51; ^B Mark XIII. 24-37; ^C Luke XXI. 25-36. ^b 24 But in those days, ^a immediately after the { ^b that} ^a tribulation of those days. [Since the coming of Christ did not follow close upon the destruction of Jerusalem, the word "immediately" used by Matthew is somewhat puzzling. There are, however, three ways in which it may be explained: 1. That Jesus reckons the time after his own divine, and not after our human, fashion. Viewing the word in this light, the passage at II. Pet.
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Country of Jericho, and the Situation of the City.
Here we will borrow Josephus' pencil, "Jericho is seated in a plain, yet a certain barren mountain hangs over it, narrow, indeed, but long; for it runs out northward to the country of Scythopolis,--and southward, to the country of Sodom, and the utmost coast of the Asphaltites." Of this mountain mention is made, Joshua 2:22, where the two spies, sent by Joshua, and received by Rahab, are said to "conceal themselves." "Opposite against this, lies a mountain on the other side Jordan, beginning from
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah
"And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall come forth unto Me (one) [Pg 480] to be Ruler in Israel; and His goings forth are the times of old, the days of eternity." The close connection of this verse with what immediately precedes (Caspari is wrong in considering iv. 9-14 as an episode) is evident, not only from the [Hebrew: v] copulative, and from the analogy of the near relation of the announcement of salvation to the prophecy of disaster
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Numbers 10:23 NIV
Numbers 10:23 NLT
Numbers 10:23 ESV
Numbers 10:23 NASB
Numbers 10:23 KJV

Numbers 10:23 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Numbers 10:22
Top of Page
Top of Page