John Gill Commentary Numbers 10

And the Lord spoke to Moses
When the following directions concerning the trumpets were given is not certain; it may he at the time when the order of the camps of Israel was fixed, and is here recorded before the journeying of them, which was one use they were to be put to, (Numbers 10:2);

saying ;
as follows.

Make you two trumpets of silver
A metal very valuable and precious, durable, and fit for sound; only two are ordered, Aaron having but two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, who were to blow with them, (Numbers 10:8); for though Moses's order is, "make you", or for you, yet not for his own use, but for the priests to use when he should order them: the Targum of Jonathan adds, of what is yours own, as if they were to be made at his own expense; but others say, and which is more probable, that they were to be made at the public expense: Josephus ^F9 gives a description of them, and says, that they were little less than a cubit long, the pipe of them narrow, but broader about the mouth to receive the breath, and ended like a bell; they seem to be much of the shape of our trumpets.

These trumpets were an emblem of the ministry of the Gospel, called the great trumpet, and in the ministration of which, the preachers of it are to lift up their voice like a trumpet, to show men their perishing condition through sin, and to encourage them, as such who are ready to perish, to come to Christ for salvation, (Isaiah 27:13) (58:1); the Gospel is comparable to silver, being fetched out of the mines of the sacred Scriptures, pure and free from the dross of errors and human inventions, will bear to be tried by the standard of the word, and is lasting and durable, yea, the everlasting Gospel; as well as valuable and precious, containing the unsearchable riches of Christ treasures of divine truths, comparable to gold, silver, and precious stones; yea, it is more valuable and precious than silver, not to be obtained by that, more profitable and useful, more satisfying and lasting.

The number two may be applicable to the two dispensations, under which the Gospel has been ministered, directing to the same Saviour, and to the same way of salvation, by his grace, his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice; and to the two Testaments, which agree in the same truths respecting his person, offices, obedience, sufferings, and death; and to the prophets and apostles of both dispensations and testaments, who have united in laying Christ as the foundation; and also to the two witnesses that are still to prophecy in sackcloth, that is, preach the Gospel and blow the trumpet of it: (Revelation 11:3)

of an whole piece shall you make them ;
of one solid mass of silver, beaten with an hammer, as Jarchi, such a piece as the candlestick was made of in (Exodus 25:31) , where the same word is used as here, and rendered "beaten work": this may denote the pure and unmixed Gospel of Christ, having no dross, nor bad nor base metal of human corruptions in it; no jar, discord, or contradiction in it, but all in perfect harmony and agreement; and the whole of it, no part of it dropped or concealed; and the ministry of it, laboured by those employed in it, who study to show themselves workmen that need not be ashamed:

that you may use them for the calling the assembly ;
the body of the people of Israel, either on civil or sacred accounts, see (Joel 1:15Joel 1:16) ; the ministry of the Gospel is for the calling and gathering of souls to Christ, and to his churches; even the remnant of Israel, all that are given to Christ and redeemed by his blood, whether Jews or Gentiles; these are gathered out of the world, which is an act of distinguishing grace; it is by means of the Gospel trumpet that they are awakened, and quickened, and directed to Christ:

and for the journeying of the camps ;
both of the four camps of the Israelites, and the camp of the Levites, to direct them when they should set forward on a journey: and of like use is the ministry of the Gospel; saints are pilgrims and travellers here; they are passing through a wilderness, their way is attended with many difficulties; Canaan is the place they are travelling to, and the Gospel is of singular use to them by the way, both to refresh them with its joyful sound, and to direct them in the path in which they should go.

FOOTNOTES:

• F9: Antiqu. l. 3. c. 12. sect. 6.

And when they shall blow with them
With both the trumpets, in an even and continued sound, that is, the sons of Aaron:

all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation ;
to hear what was to be said unto them: blowing both the trumpets together was a token that the whole congregation was called to meet together at the tabernacle, the door of which was the usual place of assembling, especially on religious counts, for there also the Lord met them, (Exodus 29:42Exodus 29:43) .

And if they blow [but] with one [trumpet]
With only one of them, or but once, with one sounding, and that an even one as before:

then the princes, [which are] the heads of the thousands of Israel ,
shall gather themselves unto thee :
and they only or alone, as Aben Ezra: by this token, or by this difference of blowing both trumpets, or only one, it was, easily known when the whole congregation or when the princes only were to meet Moses at the same place, the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; and all are to attend divine service, and the ministry of the word, even the whole church of God, and all the members of it, high and low, rich and poor, princes and people.

When you blow an alarm
Making a broken, uneven, and quavering sound, which is called a "tara-tan-tara":

then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward ;
the camps of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, which lay to the east of the tabernacle, at the front of it; see (Numbers 1:3Numbers 1:5Numbers 1:7) ; this was to be the token for their march, which was first of all; (Numbers 10:14) .