Catholic Commentary on Numbers 10

"Rise up, LORD! May your enemies be scattered; may your foes flee before you." (Numbers 10:35)

The Silver Trumpets and the Departure

God instructs Moses to make two silver trumpets to be used for summoning the community and for signalling the movement of the camps. Different trumpet calls have different meanings: a long blast summons the whole assembly; short blasts signal the camps to set out; alarms signal war or times of rejoicing and festivals. The trumpets are to be blown by Aaron's sons the priests. In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day, the cloud lifts from over the tabernacle and Israel sets out from the wilderness of Sinai on their journey. The standard of the camp of Judah moves first, then Gershon and Merari carrying the tabernacle, then Reuben, then Kohath carrying the holy things, then Ephraim, then Dan, the rear guard. The march is precisely ordered, tribe by tribe, clan by clan.

Moses asks his father-in-law Hobab to come with them as their eyes in the desert. The narrative gives us the words spoken when the Ark sets out and when it comes to rest. When it advances Moses says: Rise up, LORD! May your enemies be scattered; may your foes flee before you. When it rests he says: return, LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel. The Ark goes before the people as their vanguard. The Catechism identifies this prayer of Moses as the model of all liturgical procession: the people of God follow the divine presence that goes before them into every new territory (CCC 2594).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, Rise up, LORD! May your enemies be scattered. This is the ancient war cry of the covenant people at the beginning of every advance. Before any significant undertaking in your life, name the enemies you face, invite God to rise, and trust that the Ark goes before you. The battle belongs to the LORD who leads the march.

Prayer

Rise up, LORD! May your enemies be scattered and your foes flee before you. Go before us as the Ark went before Israel. Lead us through the wilderness to the land you have prepared. And when we come to rest, return to us, to the countless thousands who are yours. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

10
The Two Silver Trumpets
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Make two trumpets of hammered silver to be used for calling the congregation and for having the camps set out. 3 When both are sounded, the whole congregation is to assemble before you at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 4 But if only one is sounded, then the leaders, the heads of the clans of Israel, are to gather before you.
 
5 When you sound short blasts, the camps that lie on the east side are to set out. 6 When you sound the short blasts a second time, the camps that lie on the south side are to set out. The blasts are to signal them to set out. 7 To convene the assembly, you are to sound long blasts, not short ones. 8 The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to sound the trumpets. This shall be a permanent statute for you and the generations to come.
 
9 When you enter into battle in your land against an adversary who attacks you, sound short blasts on the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God and saved from your enemies. 10 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 to serve as a reminder for you before your God. I am the LORD your God.”
From Sinai to Paran
 
11 On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud was lifted from above the tabernacle of the Testimony, 12 and the Israelites set out from the Wilderness of Sinai, traveling from place to place until the cloud settled in the Wilderness of Paran. 13 They set out this first time according to the LORD’s command through Moses.
 
14 First, the divisions of the camp of Judah set out under their standard, with Nahshon son of Amminadab in command. 15 Nethanel son of Zuar was over the division of the tribe of Issachar, 16 and Eliab son of Helon was over the division of the tribe of Zebulun. 17 Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites set out, transporting it.
 
18 Then the divisions of the camp of Reuben set out under their standard, with Elizur son of Shedeur in command. 19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the division of the tribe of Simeon, 20 and Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the division of the tribe of Gad. 21 Then the Kohathites set out, transporting the holy objects; the tabernacle was to be set up before their arrival.
 
22 Next, the divisions of the camp of Ephraim set out under their standard, with Elishama son of Ammihud in command. 23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of Manasseh, 24 and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of Benjamin.
 
25 Finally, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out under their standard, serving as the rear guard for all units, with Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai in command. 26 Pagiel son of Ocran was over the division of the tribe of Asher, 27 and Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of Naphtali.
 
28 This was the order of march for the Israelite divisions as they set out.
 
29 Then Moses said to Hobab, the son of Moses’ father-in-law Reuel * 10:29 Reuel was also called Jethro; see Exodus 3:1. 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.”
 
30 “I will not go,” Hobab replied. “Instead, I am going back to my own land and my own people.”
 
31 “Please do not leave us,” Moses said, “since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our eyes. 32 If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the LORD gives us.”
 
33 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. 34 And the cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp.
 
35 Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say,
 
“Rise up, O LORD!
May Your enemies be scattered;
may those who hate You flee before You.”
 
36 And when it came to rest, he would say:
 
“Return, O LORD,
to the countless thousands of Israel.”

*10:29 10:29 Reuel was also called Jethro; see Exodus 3:1.

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