“O Lord, you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new man as leader for the community.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Let Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation,
- KJV Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,
- BSB “May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation
- NKJV “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,
- NASB “May the Lord, the God of the spirits of humanity, appoint a man over the congregation,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Moses asks Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, to appoint a leader over the congregation.
Overview
Addressing God as the One who gives life and breath to all, Moses entrusts the choice of his successor to the Lord rather than presuming to name one himself. He acknowledges that true leadership is God's gift, teaching that the church's shepherds are appointed by the Lord of all life.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Num 16:22They fell on their faces, and said, “God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?”
- Heb 12:9Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live?
- Jer 3:15I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.
- Deut 31:14Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, your days approach that you must die. Call Joshua, and present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting, that I may commission him.” Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the Tent of Meeting.
- 1 Pet 5:2–4Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, not for dishonest gain, but willingly;
- 1 Sam 12:13Now therefore see the king whom you have chosen, and whom you have asked for. Behold, Yahweh has set a king over you.
- Acts 20:28Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood.
- Matt 9:38Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest.”
- John 10:11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
- Ezek 37:24My servant David shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my ordinances, and observe my statutes, and do them.
- Ezek 34:23I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
- Jer 23:4–5I will set up shepherds over them, who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking,” says Yahweh.
- 1 Kgs 5:5Behold, I intend to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, as Yahweh spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place shall build the house for my name.’
- Ezek 34:11–16For thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 27:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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