Numbers 10:36 - Exposition

Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands (literally, myriad thousands; see Numbers 1:16 ) of Israel. שׁוּבָה being construed with the accusative is of somewhat doubtful interpretation. It may be as in the beautiful and familiar rendering of the A.V than which nothing could be more obviously in harmony with the circumstances, and the feelings which gave rise to the prayer. Or it may be necessary to translate it by a transitive verb, and then it will be either, with many moderns, "Restore, O Lord, the myriad thousands of Israel," i.e; to their promised home; or, with the Septuagint, "Convert, O Lord ( ἐπίστρεφε, κύριε ), the thousand myriads of Israel." If the ordinary reading be (as it appears) grammatically defensible, it is unquestionably to be preferred. Only Moses, as he looked upon that huge multitude covering the earth far and wide, could rightly feel how unutterably awful their position would be if on any day the cloud were to rise and melt into the evening sky instead of poising itself above the sanctuary of Israel. The Septuagint transposes Numbers 10:34 from its proper place to the end of the chapter, apparently in order to keep together the verses which speak of the movements of the ark. Many Hebrew MSS . mark Numbers 10:35 , Numbers 10:36 with inverted nuns, , נ but the explanations given are fanciful, and the meaning uncertain.