The Book of Numbers describes the events right before the Israelites entered the Promised Land.

Similar to the tension-filled days before a great battle or Election Day, these events reveal the
Israelites’ restlessness and impatience, but also the anticipation of what God would do. The
Israelites made grave mistakes during this crucial period, and God disciplined them. But through
His discipline and instruction God trained the Israelites not only to worship Him, but to trust in
Him for the ultimate victory. The long lists of numbers and names in Numbers discourage many
readers. However, these must be viewed as the ancient Israelites viewed them. The lists were the
final roll call before the battle. They prompted praise to God for His faithfulness to the Israelites.
He had protected them and multiplied their numbers even in the middle of a barren wilderness.

Authorship
The Book of Numbers is the fourth of the first five books of the Old Testament, the
Pentateuch. The English name Numbers comes from the title that the translators of the
Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Old Testament completed around 150 .B.C.) gave the
book, a name that refers to the two prominent census lists contained within. Until the nineteenth
century, Jewish and Christian scholars had unanimously agreed that Moses wrote the entire
Pentateuch. Educated by the Egyptians, he certainly had the credentials to compose the five
books, and he was a primary character in Exodus through Deuteronomy. However, many
nineteenth-and twentieth-century scholars have doubted that the historical Moses composed the
first five books of the Old Testament. Instead, they have suggested that these books, including
Genesis, was compiled at a later date. According to this analysis, anonymous editors used at least
four documents to piece together the Pentateuch. These four documents were identified by
tracing the divine names, such as Elohim and Yahweh, through the Pentateuch, and by tracing
certain variations in subject matter, phrasing, and word choice. The four documents are the
called J document, which uses the name Yahweh for God; the E document, which uses the name
Elohim for God; the P or Priestly document; and the D or Deuteronomic document. More
recently, this dissection of the Pentateuch has been challenged, and no real consensus has
emerged from the ensuing scholarly debate. On the other hand, most evangelical writers have
insisted on Moses’ authorship and compilation of the Pentateuch. Given the long sojourn of the
Israelites in the wilderness, Moses would certainly have had the time to compile the materials
and write most of the books. However, he may have overseen some additions to the books, and
certain later editors under the leading of the Spirit may have added other materials. For example,
the remarkable story of Balaam (chs. 22–24) may have been written by someone other than
Moses, for Moses was neither a participant in nor an observer of these events. At the same time,
there are many positive indications in Numbers that Moses did write the principal narrative. For
example, Num. 33:2 speaks specifically of Moses writing the itinerary. Also, Num. 3:40
certainly implies that Moses wrote down the number and names of Israel’s firstborn. Moreover,
the constant refrain “then the Lord spoke to Moses,” found at the beginning of nearly every
major section of the book, testifies not only to its divine origin but also to Moses’ significant role
in communicating these divine instructions to the Israelites.
Historical Setting
The account covers the period between Israel’s departure from Egypt and her arrival in
Canaan. Exactly one year after they fled from Egypt, the Israelites were gathered at Mount Sinai
to receive instructions concerning the law and the Tabernacle (as recorded in the book of
Leviticus). Numbers continues the historical narrative one month after the close of the last
chapter of Exodus (cf. Ex. 40:2 and Num. 1:1). The book covers the winding 39 years’ journey
from Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, through various places in the wilderness, and finally to the plains
of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho.

Date and place of writing

The last verse in the Book of Numbers states, “These are the commands and regulations the Lord
gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho”
(36:13). This implies that the journey through the wilderness had been completed and that Israel
was about to enter the land of Canaan. Crossing the Jordan occurred 40 years after the Exodus
(cf. Josh. 5:6), an event to be dated 1446 B.C. So the Book of Numbers must be dated about
1406, obviously before Moses’ death which also took place in that year. (The date 1446 for the
Exodus is based on 1 Kings 6:1 which says that Solomon commenced the construction of the
temple in his fourth year, 966 B.C., which was 480 years after the Exodus. See the comments on
that passage.)
Occasion
We may reasonably date the composition of the book to the period after the wilderness
wandering (which followed the Exodus) and before the death of Moses in about 1406 B.C. The
book begins with the preparations for the march across the wilderness, tells of experiences along
the way, describes the failure of faith that led the exodus generation of Israelites to refuse to
undertake the conquest of the Promised Land, tells of the forty years of waiting until a whole
generation would die, and ends with the preparation for entering Canaan. Given its content,
Numbers was evidently written as a warning to the generation of Israelites born in the
wilderness, that they should persevere in faith and obedience where their parents had not. For
future generations of God’s people, the book would speak a similar message.
In the Hebrew Bible it was customary to designate each of the five books of Moses by the word
with which it began. For Numbers, this practice was modified by using the fifth Hebrew word as
a title. This word, translated “in the wilderness,” is an apt description of the book’s content, since
it describes the nation’s experience during forty years in the wilderness.
When the Bible was translated into Greek, its books were given Greek names. In the case of
Numbers, the Greek translation abandoned the excellent Hebrew name, and used a Greek word
meaning “numbers” (arithmoi) that actually describes only a few of its chapters. This somewhat
inappropriate Greek title was carried over by translation into the English Bible tradition.
Recipients

Purpose
The Book of Numbers seems to be an instruction manual to post-Sinai Israel. The
“manual” deals with three areas: (a) how the nation was to order itself in its journeying’s, (b)
how the priests and Levites were to function in the condition of mobility which lay ahead, and
(c) how they were to prepare 3themselves for the conquest of Canaan and their settled lives
there. The narrative sections, of which there are many, demonstrate the successes and failures of
the Lord’s people as they conformed and did not conform to the requirements in the legislative,
cultic, and prescriptive parts of the book. The fact that the book covers the nearly 40-year period
from the giving of the Law at Sinai till the eve of the Conquest points to its character as history.
But it is more than a recording of history. It is history with the purpose of describing the Lord’s
expectations and Israel’s reactions in a unique period, an era when the nation had God’s promise
of the land but had not yet experienced its fulfillment.

Structure
Numbers has two basic sections. Each of them begins with a census. The first census
(chs. 1–4) numbered the men of war of the first generation of those who had left Egypt. This
census and the triumphal march into the Promised Land quickly turned into disaster. The first
generation of Israelites did not trust God and did not thank Him for His provision. Instead, they
doubted God, accused Him, and rebelled against His gracious instructions. This demanded
discipline: The first generation would not inherit the land because they had been faithless. But
while the Lord would not let them enter the land, He still had not abandoned His people. He
allowed these rebellious people to live out their lives in the wilderness. Further, He graciously
continued to instruct them in His ways and how they could prepare their sons and daughters to
enter the land. The faithless first generation had not altered God’s purposes or discourage d God
from fulfilling His promises. One day, the Israelites would obey God and would conquer the
Promised Land. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the second census (Ch. 26)
numbered the men of war of the second generation. Finally, they were prepared to do what their
parents had failed to do. But underlying the narrative of chapters 26 through 36 is the nagging
question: “Will the second generation be successful, or will they repeat the errors of their
fathers?” The book ends with a positive expectation. The second generation would succeed; the
people of God would inherit the promise of the land of Canaan—at last!
Message

The message of the Book of Numbers is controlled by the consequences of Israel’s

climactic rebellion against Yahweh in refusing to enter the Land. After realizing that they had
sinned greatly by defiantly refusing to enter and take possession of the Land of Promise, the sons
of Israel decided that they would now go up to “the place which Yahweh has promised” (14:40).
But it was too late; judgment had been passed. That generation—the Exodus generation which
had experienced Yahweh’s faithfulness and mighty power to redeem, provide and protect for the
past two years (14:22a) continually rebelled against Him (14:22b)—would not enter into the land
Yahweh promised to the Patriarchs (14:23). Rather the men of that generation would die in the
wilderness (14:29) and their sons would suffer for forty years (14:33a)—one year for each day
they had spied out the land (14:34)—until they all lay dead in the wilderness (14:33b).

Moses, in response to their decision to now go up and take the land of Canaan, warns them that
they are going to transgress Yahweh’s revealed will for them and they therefore will not succeed
(14:41). And then comes the most devastating revelation as Moses further warns them not to go
up lest their enemies strike them down because Yahweh is not among you . . . and Yahweh will
not be with you (14:42-43). This declaration by Moses reveals that Israel’s walk in covenant-
relationship has been disrupted. The covenant, however, is still in effect, a fact that is
evidenced by the instructions Yahweh gave for the sons of Israel to follow “when you enter the
land where you are to live, which I am giving to you” (15:2). Whether these instructions were
given chronologically before or after Israel’s act of defiant disobedience is immaterial from the
perspective of the author’s development of his message. Coming on the heels of Israel’s fateful
act of disobedience and his declaration that Yahweh is not with them, these instructions
bring assurance that Yahweh has not abandoned Israel as a nation, but only that generation, and
that He will remain faithful to the promises He gave to the Patriarchs. Thus, while
Israel’s walk in covenant-relationship has been disrupted for the Exodus generation, it will be
renewed with the new, or next generation, for the covenant is still in effect.
The message of the Book of Numbers may be determined on the basis of the analyses and
previous consideration. From this comes the suggestion that a possible subject for Numbers is
“Israel’s walk in covenant-relationship.” When viewed from this perspective, the text of
Numbers may be understood as making the following theological judgment/evaluation about this
subject:
This understanding of Numbers, together with the considerations discussed above, leads to the
following synthetic structure and synthesis of its text as a unified and coherent whole.
Summary outline
Detailed Outline
I.    The first generation in the wilderness (1:1–25:18)
A.    The triumphal march (1:1–10:36)
1.    The setting a part of the people in preparation for the march (1:1–10:10)
a.    The census of the first generation (1:1–4:49)
b.    Rituals for purity (5:1–10:10)
2.    The beginning of the march (10:11–36)
B.    The rebellion and judgment of the people (11:1–25:18)
1.    The cycle of rebellion and atonement for the people (11:1–20:29)
2.    A climax of rebellion and hope (21:1–25:18)
II.    The second generation’s march to the Promised Land (26:1–36:13)
A.    The census of the second generation (26:1–65)
B.    The inheritance of women in the land (27:1–11)
C.    The successor to Moses (27:12–23)
D.    Offerings, festivals, and vows for the new generation (28:1–30:16)
E.    The war against the Midianites (31:1–54)
F.    The settlement of the Transjordan tribes (32:1–42)
G.    Words of warning and encouragement (33:1–56)
H.    An anticipation of the Promised Land (34:1–36:13)
Argument

Summary
Most of the events of the Book of Numbers take place in the wilderness, primarily
between the second and fortieth years of the wandering of the Israelites. The first 25 chapters of
the book chronicle the experiences of the first generation of Israel in the wilderness, while the
rest of the book describes the experiences of the second generation. The theme of obedience and
rebellion followed by repentance and blessing runs through the entire book, as well as the entire
Old Testament.
 The theme of the holiness of God is continued from the book of Leviticus into the book
of Numbers, which reveals God's instruction and preparation of His people to enter the Promised
Land of Canaan. The importance of the Book of Numbers is indicated by its being referred to in
the New Testament many times. The Holy Spirit called special attention to Numbers in 1
Corinthians 10:1-12. The words "all these things happened to them for examples" refers to the
sin of the Israelites and God’s displeasure with them.
In Romans 11:22, Paul speaks about the "goodness and severity of God." That, in a
nutshell, is the message of Numbers. The severity of God is seen in the death of the rebellious
generation in the wilderness, those who never entered the Promised Land. The goodness of God
is realized in the new generation. God protected, preserved, and provided for these people until
they possessed the land. This reminds us of the justice and love of God, which are always in
sovereign harmony.