Charles Ellicott Commentary Numbers 9

In the first month of the second year. —The celebration of the Passover, as recorded in this chapter, preceded in order of time the numbering of the people recorded in Numbers 1 and the other events connected with it. No provision had previously been made for the celebration of the Passover in the wilderness. A special injunction was, therefore, required for this purpose. Had it not been for the rebellion of the people, the next Passover after the original Egyptian Passover would have been celebrated in the land of Canaan, and it was for that Passover alone that provision had been made (Exodus 12:25).

At evening. —Hebrew, between the two evenings. (See Note on Exodus 12:6).

According to all its rites, and according to all its ceremonies. —Better, according to all its statutes and ordinances. It is obvious that some of the directions concerning the Egyptian Passover could not be observed in the wilderness. The reference must, therefore, be to those statutes and ordinances regarding the Passover which were of permanent obligation. (Compare Numbers 9:12, where the ordinance regarding the time of observance is necessarily excluded.) Some of these are found in Exodus 12, while others of a later date are recorded in Leviticus 17 and Deuteronomy 16.

It has been objected that three priests (since Nadab and Abihu were dead) could not sprinkle the blood of the large number of lambs that must have been slain. However, it must be remembered:

1. that there is no express injunction regarding the sprinkling of the blood on this occasion;

2. that the priests were probably assisted at this time in performing some of their duties—as we are expressly informed they were during the Passovers celebrated by Hezekiah and Josiah (2 Chronicles 30:16; 2 Chronicles 35:11)—by the Levites.

And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day ... — There is no mention here of the observance of the feast of unleavened bread for seven days, as it was commanded in Exodus 12:18. It might not have been practicable to obtain a sufficient quantity of flour to last so large a number of people for seven days, though it may have been easy to procure from Midian or elsewhere a sufficient quantity for one meal.

And there were certain men ... — It has been supposed that the reference is to Mishael and Elzaphan, who appear to have buried their cousins, Nadab and Abihu, about this time (Blunt’s “Script. Coincidences,” pp. 66, 67, 1850). If the consecration of Aaron and his sons began on the first day of the first month (Exodus 40:2; Exodus 40:12), and the death of Nadab and Abihu could not have taken place until the eighth day (Leviticus 9:1; Leviticus 9:12; Leviticus 10:19), since the defilement caused by contact with the dead lasted for seven days (Numbers 19:11), it follows, if this law was already in force, that those who buried Nadab and Abihu must have been unclean on the fourteenth day of the first month.

Professor Blunt also draws a doubtful inference from the identical numbers of the other tribes at the two numberings (one before and the other after this time), from which he concludes that the deaths must have occurred among those belonging to the tribe of Levi, which was not included in the census. Independently of that particular argument, however, the circumstance previously mentioned may fairly be cited as one of the numerous undesigned coincidences with which Holy Scripture abounds.

It may be observed further that, while Moses would naturally be consulted on all doubtful occasions, none would be as likely to approach him with the inquiry contained in Numbers 9:7 as those who had been employed by his direction (Leviticus 10:4) in the burial of Nadab and Abihu. The law contained in Leviticus 7:21 appears to have been understood to refer to all sacrificial meals. The legal uncleanness which disqualified the Israelites for participation in the Passover may be regarded as typical of the moral and spiritual disqualifications which render men unfit for participation in the Lord’s Supper.

An offering. —Better, the offering, or oblation.