Elders Appointed to Aid Moses

Numbers 11

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Gather for me o seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and p officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 17 q And I will come down and talk with you there. And r I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and s they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone. 18 And say to the people, t 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, "Who will give us meat to eat? u For it was better for us in Egypt." Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. 19 You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20 but a whole month, v until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, w "Why did we come out of Egypt?"'" 21 But Moses said, x "The people among whom I am number six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said, 'I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month!' 22 y Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, and be enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, and be enough for them?" 23 And the Lord said to Moses, z "Is the Lord's hand shortened? Now you shall see whether a my word will come true for you or not."

24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. b And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25 Then c the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.

26 Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they d had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." 28 And e Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, "My lord Moses, f stop them." 29 But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? g Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!" 30 And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

  1. Cross References
    Exodus 24:1
    Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar.
    Exodus 24:9
    Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up.
  2. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 1:15
    So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and experienced men, and set them as heads over you, commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, commanders of tens, and officers, throughout your tribes.
    Deuteronomy 16:18
    You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
  3. Cross References
    Numbers 11:25
    Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.
    Numbers 12:5
    And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward.
    Genesis 11:5
    And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built.
    Genesis 18:21
    I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.
    Exodus 19:20
    The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
  4. Cross References
    2 Kings 2:9
    When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you." And Elisha said, "Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.
    2 Kings 2:15
    Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.
    Nehemiah 9:20
    You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst.
  5. Cross References
    Exodus 18:22
    And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.
  6. Cross References
    Exodus 19:10
    The Lord said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments
  7. Cross References
    Numbers 11:5
    We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.
  8. Cross References
    Psalms 78:29
    And they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they craved.
    Psalms 106:15
    He gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them.
  9. Cross References
    Numbers 21:5
    And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.
  10. Cross References
    Exodus 12:37
    And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children.
    Numbers 1:46
    All those listed were 603,550.
    Exodus 38:26
    A beka a head (that is, half a shekel, by the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone who was listed in the records, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men.
  11. Cross References
    Numbers 11:13
    Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, 'Give us meat, that we may eat.
  12. Cross References
    Isaiah 50:2
    Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert; their fish stink for lack of water and die of thirst.
    Isaiah 59:1
    Behold, the Lord 's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear.
  13. Cross References
    Numbers 23:19
    God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
    Ezekiel 12:25
    For I am the Lord ; I will speak the word that I will speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, but in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it, declares the Lord God.
    Ezekiel 24:14
    I am the Lord. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord God.
  14. Cross References
    Numbers 11:16
    Then the Lord said to Moses, "Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you.
  15. Cross References
    Numbers 11:17
    And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone.
  16. Cross References
    1 Samuel 20:26
    Yet Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, "Something has happened to him. He is not clean; surely he is not clean.
    Jeremiah 36:5
    And Jeremiah ordered Baruch, saying, "I am banned from going to the house of the Lord.
  17. Cross References
    Numbers 26:65
    For the Lord had said of them, "They shall die in the wilderness." Not one of them was left, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
    Exodus 24:13
    So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God.
    Numbers 13:8
    From the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun.
    Numbers 13:16
    These were the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua.
  18. Cross References
    Mark 9:38
    John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.
    Luke 9:49
    John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.
  19. Cross References
    1 Corinthians 14:5
    Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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