← Contents Outline of Numbers

Outline of Numbers

I. Preparations for Journey from Sinai Desert (1:1–10:10)

A. Military Census (1:1–46)

1. Instructions for Military Census (1:1–16)

2. Implementation of Military Census (1:17–46)

B. Exemption from Census and Introduction to Duties of Levites (1:47–54)

C. Arrangement of Military Camp and Marching Order of Tribes (2:1–34)

1. Judah Group (2:1–9)

2. Reuben Group (2:10–16)

3. Levites and Tabernacle (2:17)

4. Ephraim Group (2:18–24)

5. Dan Group (2:25–31)

6. Summary (2:32–34)

D. Census and Duties of Levites (3:1–4:49)

1. Levites to Assist Priests in Place of Firstborn (3:1–13)

2. Census, Camping Arrangement, and Responsibilities of Levites (3:14–39)

3. Census and Redemption of Firstborn (3:40–51)

4. Census and Specific Duties of Levite Subdivisions (4:1–49)

a. Instructions (4:1–33)

b. Fulfillment (4:34–49)

E. Laws of Community Purity and Holiness (5:1–6:27)

1. Exclusion of Seriously Impure Persons from the Camp (5:1–4)

2. Items Belonging to Priests (5:5–10)

3. Ritual for Suspected Adulteress (5:11–31)

4. Rules for Temporary Nazirites (6:1–21)

5. Priestly Blessing on the Community (6:22–27)

F. Final Preparations of the Sanctuary Infrastructure (7:1–8:26)

1. Gifts of Chieftains to Sanctuary at Initiation of Altar (7:1–88)

2. God Speaks to Moses from Above Ark of Covenant (7:89)

3. Reiteration of Instruction for Placement of Tabernacle Lamps (8:1–4)

4. Ritual Purification and Separation of Levite Work Force (8:5–22)

5. Instruction for Ages of Service to Sanctuary by Levites (8:23–26)

G. Exodus from Sinai (9:1–10:10)

1. Second Passover for Those Unable to Observe Regular Passover (9:1–14)

2. Guidance for the Israelites (9:15–10:10)

II. Journeying in the Desert (10:11–19:22)

A. Departure from Sinai (10:11–36)

1. Marching Order (10:11–28)

2. Moses’ Appeal to Hobab to Help Guide Israel (10:29–32)

3. Guidance by Ark of the Covenant (10:33–36)

B. Rebellions in the Desert (11:1–14:45)

1. Grumbling and Divine Fire at Taberah (11:1–3)

2. Grumbling, Aid for Moses, and Plague at Kibroth Hattaavah (11:4–34)

a. Grumbling for Meat Rather Than Manna (11:4–9)

b. Moses’ Prayer of Distress (11:10–15)

c. God’s Reply: Solution of Seventy Elders and Meat (11:16–23)

d. Appointment of Seventy Elders of Spirit to Assist Moses (11:24–30)

e. Quail and Graves of Craving (11:31–34)

3. Rebellion of Miriam and Aaron Against Moses at Hazeroth (11:35–12:16)

4. Major Community Rebellion at Kadesh (13:1–14:45)

a. Chieftains Chosen and Sent to Scout Canaan (13:1–24)

b. Return and Report of Scouts (13:25–33)

c. Rebellious Response of Community (14:1–10a)

d. God’s Wish to Destroy Israel (14:10b–12)

e. Moses’ Intercession (14:13–19)

f. God’s Qualified Forgiveness With Sentence on Rebels: Forty Years (14:20–35)

g. Death of Unfaithful Spies (14:36–38)

h. Presumptuous and Aborted Attempt to Enter Canaan (14:39–45)

C. Laws and Narrative Regarding Loyalty Versus Disloyalty (15:1–41)

1. Grain and Drink Accompaniments to Sacrifices (15:1–16)

2. Offering of First Dough (15:17–21)

3. Remediable Versus Irremediable Moral Faults (15:22–36)

4. Tassels to Remember God’s Commands (15:37–41)

D. Rebellion of Korah & Co. and Its Aftermath (16:1–18:32)

1. Rebellion of Korah & Co. and Moses’ Challenge to Them (16:1–17)

2. Rebels’ Presumption, God’s Threat, Intercession (16:18–22)

3. Divine Destruction of Rebels (16:23–35)

4. Censers of Rebels Become Plating on Altar (16:36–40 [Heb. 17:15])

5. Rebellious Response of Community, Plague, Intercession (16:41–50 [Heb. 17:6–15])

6. Budding of Aaron’s Rod Proves Divine Choice of High Priest (17:1–11 [Heb. 17:16–26])

7. Danger Borne by Priests and Levites (17:12 [Heb. 17:27]–18:32)

a. The People’s Fear to Come Near the Tabernacle (17:12–13 [Heb. 17:27–28])

b. Priests and Levites to Bear Community’s Responsibility (18:1–7)

c. Rewards for Priests and Levites (18:8–32)

E. Law of Purification from Corpse Impurity (19:1–22)

1. Procuring Supply of Ashes Through Red Cow Ritual (19:1–10a)

2. Application of Ash Water for Purification from Corpse Impurity (19:10b–22)

III. Up and Down Road to the Borders of the Promised Land (20:1–25:18)

A. Kadesh Again and More Bad News (20:1–29)

1. Death of Miriam (20:1)

2. Contention over Lack of Water and Divine Instructions (20:2–8)

3. Moses and Aaron’s Failure and Condemnation (20:9–13)

4. Edom Refuses Passage (20:14–21)

5. Death of Aaron at Mount Hor (20:22–29)

B. Initial Victories (21:1–35)

1. Victory over Arad (21:1–3)

2. Grumbling on Detour, Fiery Serpents, and Bronze Serpent Remedy (21:4–9)

3. On the March and Water from a Well (21:10–20)

4. Defeat of Amorite King Sihon (21:21–30)

5. Defeat of King Og of Bashan (21:31–35)

C. Attempt of King Balak to Destroy Israel Through Balaam (22:1–24:25)

1. Balak Calls Balaam to Curse Israel, but God Refuses Permission (22:1–14)

2. Balak Calls Balaam Again and God Grants Permission (22:15–20)

3. Angel Waylays Balaam and His Donkey, But Lets Him Continue (22:21–35)

4. Balaam Meets Balak (22:36–40)

5. Balaam’s Repeated Failure to Curse Israel (22:41–24:25)

a. Blessing on Israel from Bamoth Baal (22:41–23:12)

b. Blessing on Israel from the Top of Pisgah (23:13–26)

c. Blessing on Israel from the Top of Peor (23:27–24:13)

d. Parting Blessing on Israel and Prophecies Against Nations (24:14–25)

D. Apostasy by the Jordan at Shittim with the Baal of Peor (25:1–18)

1. Immorality and Idolatry of Israelite Men Enticed by Moabite Women (25:1–5)

2. Phinehas Stops Divine Plague by Slaying Zimri and Cozbi (25:6–9)

3. God’s Response (25:10–18)

IV. Preparation for Occupation of the Promised Land (26:1–36:13)

A. Déjà vu: Second Census of Surviving Younger Generation (26:1–65)

1. Divine Command for Military Census (26:1–4)

2. Military Census Carried Out (26:5–51)

3. Size of Tribal Land Inheritance Proportional to Its Population (26:52–56)

4. Census of Levites (26:57–62)

5. Summary: Only Caleb and Joshua Survive From First Census (26:63–65)

B. Transfers to Persons of Younger Generations (27:1–23)

1. Transfer of Inheritance from Zelophehad to His Daughters (27:1–11)

2. Transfer of Leadership from Moses to Joshua (27:12–23)

C. Calendar of Cyclical Sacrifices (28:1–29:40)

1. Daily Burnt Offering (28:1–8)

2. Additional Sabbath Sacrifices (28:9–10)

3. Additional New Moon Sacrifices (28:11–15)

4. Yearly Festivals (28:16–29:40)

a. Spring Festivals (28:16–31)

b. Autumn Festivals (29:1–38)

c. Summary (29:39–40)

D. Law of Vows (30:1–16)

1. Male Vows or Sworn Pledges (30:1–2)

2. Female Vows or Sworn Pledges (30:3–15)

3. Summary (30:16)

E. War of Vengeance Against Midianites (31:1–54)

1. Preparations for War (31:1–6)

2. The War Itself (31:7–12)

3. Aftermath (31:13–54)

a. Treatment of Women and Children (31:13–18)

b. Purification of Persons and Spoils from Corpse Contamination (31:19–24)

c. Distribution of Spoils (31:25–47)

d. Voluntary Contribution by Grateful Army Officers (31:48–54)

F. Allocation of Transjordanian Land to Reuben, Gad, and Half of Manasseh (32:1–42)

1. Request to Settle in Transjordan Rebuffed by Moses (32:1–15)

2. Clarification of Plan to Help Fight and Moses’ Approval (32:16–33)

3. Building Activities of Gadites and Reubenites (32:34–38)

4. Conquests by Manassites (32:39–42)

G. Summary: Stages of Travel from Egypt to the Steppes of Moab (33:1–49)

H. Instructions for Conquest and Settlement in Canaan (33:50–35:34)

1. Command to Drive Out People and Destroy Idolatry (33:50–56)

2. Boundaries of the Promised Land (34:1–15)

3. Leaders Assigned to Divide the Land (34:16–29)

4. Levite Towns (35:1–34)

I. Keeping Land in the Family When Inherited by Daughters (36:1–13)

1. Concern of Gileadites Regarding Marriage of Zelophehad’s Daughters (36:1–4)

2. Divine Solution (36:5–9)

3. Compliance by Daughters (36:10–12)

4. Summary (36:13)