How do the trumpet signals distinguish gathering Israel from moving its camps?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

A plain, unbroken sound gathers the people. A longer sound with interruptions starts the eastern camps, and the second like sounding starts the southern camps; the rest follow this manner when the trumpets sound for a march.

Chapter breakdown

Numbers 10 gives the silver trumpets’ uses and Israel’s march from Sinai. The Lord tells Moses to make two trumpets of beaten silver to call the multitude together when the camp is to move. When he sounds the trumpets, everyone must gather to him at the tabernacle of the covenant’s door. If he sounds but once, the princes and heads of Israel’s multitude come to him. A longer sound with interruptions starts those on the east first. At the second sounding with the same kind of noise, those on the south take up their tents. The rest must do likewise when the trumpets sound for a march. For gathering the people, the sound must be plain and unbroken. Aaron the priest’s sons must sound the trumpets; this is an ordinance forever through their generations.

If Israel goes forth to war out of its land against enemies who fight against it, the trumpets must sound aloud. There will be remembrance of Israel before the Lord its God so it may be delivered from its enemies’ hands. At banquets, on festival days and on the first days of their months, they must sound the trumpets over whole burnt offerings and peace sacrifices for a remembrance of their God. The Lord declares that he is their God.

In the second year, on the twentieth day of the second month, the cloud rises from the tabernacle of the covenant. Israel marches by its troops from the desert of Sinai, and the cloud rests in the wilderness of Pharan. The first go forward at the Lord’s command through Moses: Juda’s sons by their troops, under Nahasson son of Aminadab; Issachar under Nathanael son of Suar; and Zabulon under Eliab son of Helon.

The tabernacle is taken down, and Gerson’s and Merari’s sons move forward carrying it. Ruben’s sons march by troops and ranks under Helisur son of Sedeur. Simeon’s prince is Salamiel son of Surisaddai, and Gad’s is Eliasaph son of Duel. Then the Caathites march carrying the sanctuary. The tabernacle is carried until they reach the place for setting it up.

Ephraim’s sons move their camp by troops under Elisama son of Ammiud. Manasses’ prince is Gamaliel son of Phadassur, and Benjamin’s is Abidan son of Gedeon. Last of all, Dan’s sons march by troops under Ahiezer son of Ammisaddai. Aser’s prince is Phegiel son of Ochran, and Nephtali’s is Ahira son of Enan. This is the order of Israel’s camps and marches by troops when they move forward.

Moses tells his kinsman Hobab son of Raguel the Madianite that they are going toward the place the Lord will give them. He invites Hobab to come so they may do him good, because the Lord has promised good things to Israel. Hobab refuses, saying he will return to the country where he was born. Moses asks him not to leave: Hobab knows where they should camp in the wilderness and is to be their guide. Moses promises that, if Hobab comes, they will give him the best of the riches the Lord delivers to them. The chapter records no reply to this renewed appeal.

They march from the mount of the Lord for three days. The ark of the Lord’s covenant goes before them for three days, providing a place for the camp. The Lord’s cloud is over them by day as they march. When the ark is lifted up, Moses says: “Arise, O Lord, and let thy enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee, flee from before thy face.” When it is set down, he says: “Return, O Lord, to the multitude of the host of Israel.”

The story inside

Moses’ appeal to Hobab shows the difference between an invitation and its result. Moses first offers good to his kinsman because the Lord has promised good things to Israel. Hobab replies that he will return to his birth country. Moses renews the request with a specific reason: Hobab knows the places where they should camp. He adds a conditional promise of the best riches if Hobab comes. The next verses describe Israel’s three-day march, the ark going before it and the cloud above it. They do not state that Hobab accepted. The guide request is documented; its success cannot be supplied from the march or from another book.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The signals have different uses. Plain sound gathers the people, while longer interrupted sound begins the march in the stated sequence; one signal must not be described as doing every task.
2
The named leaders and carriers keep the march order clear. Gerson and Merari carry the tabernacle before the later Caathite entry, but the text does not say it was fully erected before the Caathites arrived.
3
A renewed appeal is not an accepted offer. Moses gives his reason and promise to Hobab, yet no reply is recorded, so the chapter’s limit must remain visible in any account of the decision.

Test your recall

How does the trumpet sound for gathering the people differ from the sound that starts a march?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 15218–15244
Numbers Chapter 10 The silver trumpets and their use. They march from Sinai. 10:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 10:2. Make thee two trumpets of beaten silver, wherewith thou mayest call together the multitude when the camp is to be removed. 10:3. And when thou shalt sound the trumpets, all the multitude shall gather unto thee to the door of the tabernacle of the covenant. 10:4. If thou sound but once, the princes and the heads of the multitude of Israel shall come to thee. 10:5. But if the sound of the trumpets be longer, and with interruptions, they that are on the east side, shall first go forward. 10:6. And at the second sounding and like noise of the trumpet, they who lie on the south side shall take up their tents. And after this manner shall the rest do, when the trumpets shall sound for a march. 10:7. But when the people is to be gathered together, the sound of the trumpets shall be plain, and they shall not make a broken sound. 10:8. And the sons of Aaron the priest shall sound the trumpets: and this shall be an ordinance for ever in your generations.
Lines 15246–15255
10:9. If you go forth to war out of your land against the enemies that fight against you, you shall sound aloud with the trumpets, and there shall be a remembrance of you before the Lord your God, that you may be delivered out of the hands of your enemies. 10:10. If at any time you shall have a banquet, and on your festival days, and on the first days of your months, you shall sound the trumpets over the holocausts, and the sacrifices of peace offerings, that they may be to you for a remembrance of your God. I am the Lord your God.
Lines 15257–15272
10:11. The second year, in the second month, the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle of the covenant. 10:12. And the children of Israel marched by their troops from the desert of Sinai, and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Pharan. 10:13. And the first went forward according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses. 10:14. The sons of Juda by their troops: whose prince was Nahasson the son of Aminadab. 10:15. In the tribe of the sons of Issachar, the prince was Nathanael the son of Suar. 10:16. In the tribe of Zabulon, the prince was Eliab the son of Helon.
Lines 15274–15288
10:17. And the tabernacle was taken down, and the sons of Gerson and Merari set forward, bearing it. 10:18. And the sons of Ruben also marched, by their troops and ranks, whose prince was Helisur the son of Sedeur. 10:19. And in the tribe of Simeon, the prince was Salamiel the son of Surisaddai. 10:20. And in the tribe of Gad, the prince was Eliasaph the son of Duel. 10:21. Then the Caathites also marched carrying the sanctuary. So long was the tabernacle carried, till they came to the place of setting it up.
Lines 15290–15309
10:22. The sons of Ephraim also moved their camp by their troops, in whose army the prince was Elisama the son of Ammiud. 10:23. And in the tribe of the sons of Manasses, the prince was Gamaliel the son of Phadassur. 10:24. And in the tribe of Benjamin, the prince was Abidan the son of Gedeon. 10:25. The last of all the camp marched the sons of Dan by their troops, in whose army the prince was Ahiezer the son of Ammisaddai. 10:26. And in the tribe of the sons of Aser, the prince was Phegiel the son of Ochran. 10:27. And in the tribe of the sons of Nephtali, the prince was Ahira the son of Enan. 10:28. This was the order of the camps, and marches of the children of Israel by their troops, when they set forward.
Lines 15311–15323
10:29. And Moses said to Hobab the son of Raguel the Madianite, his kinsman: We are going towards the place which the Lord will give us: come with us, that we may do thee good: for the Lord hath promised good things to Israel. 10:30. But he answered him: I will not go with thee, but I will return to my country, wherein I was born. 10:31. And he said: Do not leave us: for thou knowest in what places we should encamp in the wilderness, and thou shalt be our guide. 10:32. And if thou comest with us, we will give thee what is the best of the riches which the Lord shall deliver to us.
Lines 15325–15339
10:33. So they marched from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them, for three days providing a place for the camp. 10:34. The cloud also of the Lord was over them by day when they marched. 10:35. And when the ark was lifted up, Moses said: Arise, O Lord, and let thy enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee, flee from before thy face. 10:36. And when it was set down, he said: Return, O Lord, to the multitude of the host of Israel.