Numbers 17:8

_AND IT CAME TO PASS, THAT ON THE MORROW MOSES WENT INTO THE TABERNACLE OF WITNESS; AND, BEHOLD, THE ROD OF AARON FOR THE HOUSE OF LEVI WAS BUDDED, AND BROUGHT FORTH BUDS, AND BLOOMED BLOSSOMS, AND YIELDED ALMONDS._ Moses went into the tabernacle - being privileged to do so on this occasion by the special command of God; and he there beheld the remarkable spectacle of Aaron's rod-which, according to Josephus, was a stick of an almond tree-bearing fruit in three different stages at once-buds, blossoms, and fruit....

8._And it came to pass, that on the morrow. _It is not without cause that, the time is notified, for by no skill could it be brought about that a rod should blossom in the lapse of a single night. Again, all suspicion of fraud was removed by the fact that Moses departed when he had placed the rods in the sanctuary, and, returning on the next day, brought out the bundle of rods before them all. But in this respect was the power of God principally shown forth, that in so short a space of time not only flowers, but fruits also, were formed upon a dry bough, which could not have occurred but by the reversal of the order of nature. And further, the time of year is to be taken into account, which was by no means in accordance with such maturity, Now, by this miracle the dignity of the typical priesthood was undoubtedly ratified to the ancient people under the Law; but, in so much as the truth...

8-13 While all the other rods remained as they were. Aaron's rod became a living branch. In some places there were buds, in others blossoms, in others fruit, at the same time; all this was miraculous. Thus Aaron was manifested to be under the special blessing of Heaven. Fruitfulness is the best evidence of a Divine call; and the plants of God's setting, and the boughs cut off them, will flourish. This rod was preserved, to take away the murmurings of the people, that they might not die. The design of God, in all his providences, and in the memorials of them, is to take away sin. Christ was manifested to take away sin. Christ is expressly called a rod out of the stem of Jesse: little prospect was there, according to human views, that he should ever flourish. But the dry rod revived and blossomed to the confusion of his adversaries. The people cry, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish...

Verse Numbers 17:8. _THE ROD OF AARON - WAS BUDDED, C._] That is, on the same rod or staff were found _buds, blossoms_, and _ripe fruit_. This fact was so unquestionably miraculous, as to decide the business for ever and probably this was intended to show that in the _priesthood_, represented by that of Aaron, the _beginning, middle_, and _end_ of every good work must be found. The buds of good desires, the blossoms of holy resolutions and promising professions, and the ripe fruit of faith, love, and obedience, all spring from the priesthood of the Lord Jesus. It has been thought by some that Aaron's _staff_ (and perhaps the _staves_ of all the tribes) was made out of the _amygdala communis_, or common _almond_ _tree_. In a favourable soil and climate it grows to twenty feet in height; is one of the most noble, flourishing trees in nat...

YIELDED ALMONDS - “Ripened almonds,” i. e. “brought forth ripe almonds.” The name almond in Hebrew denotes the “waking-tree,” the “waking-fruit;” and is applied to this tree, because it blossoms early in the season. It serves here, as in Jeremiah 1:11, to set forth the speed and certainty with which, at God’s will, His purposes are accomplished. So again the blossoming and bearing of Aaron’s rod, naturally impotent when severed from the parent tree, may signify the profitableness, because of God’s appointment and blessing, of the various means of grace (e. g. the priesthood, the sacraments), which of themselves and apart from Him could have no such efficacy. Compare Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 11:1;...

EXPOSITION AARON'S ROD THAT BUDDED (Numbers 17:1). NUMBERS 17:1 AND THE LORD SPAKE. Presumably upon the same day, since the design was to prevent any recurrence of the sin and punishment described above. NUMBERS 17:2 TAKE OF EVERY ONE OF THEM A ROD. Literally, "take of them a rod, a rod," _i.e; _a rod apiece, in the way immediately particularized. hsilgnE:egaugnaL\מַטֶּה} _ _is used for the staff of Judah (Genesis 38:18) and for the rod of Moses ...

AND IT CAME TO PASS, THAT ON THE MORROW MOSES WENT INTO THE TABERNACLE OF WITNESS,.... Where none but he could go at any time; this was the day after the rods had been placed there: AND, BEHOLD, THE ROD OF AARON, FOR THE HOUSE OF LEVI; the rod that had Aaron's name upon it, which was to represent the tribe of Levi, of which he was: WAS BUDDED, AND BROUGHT FORTH BUDS; knobs of blossom, such that are seen on trees before they open; for the almond tree puts forth its blossoms before its leaves; though the Targum of Jonathan renders it "branches", as do some versions; and some think this is to be understood of its putting out its leaves first, contrary to the nature of the almond tree, and so makes the miracle the greater; thus Ben Melech: AND BLOSSOMED BLOSSOMS; open flowers or blossoms, such as appear on the almond tree in the spring, and look very beautiful: AND YIELDED ALMONDS; ripe...

ROD OF AARON Aaron's rod that budded: Type of Christ in resurrection, owned of God as High Priest. Aaron's priesthood had been questioned in the rebellion of Korah, so God Himself will confirm it (Numbers 17:5). Each of the tribe-heads brought a perfectly dead rod; God put life into Aaron's only. So all the authors of religions have died, Christ among them, but only Christ was raised from the dead, and exalted to be a high priest. (Hebrews 4:14); (Hebrews 5:4)....

7. THE PRIESTHOOD OF AARON CONFIRMED CHAPTER 17 _ 1. The divine command (Numbers 17:1)_ 2. The rods before Jehovah (Numbers 17:6) 3. The blossoming rod of Aaron (Numbers 17:8) Little comment is needed on this chapter. The blossoming and fruit bearing rod of Aaron is another confirmation of the priesthood. Standing among the dying, “making an atonement,” he is a type of Christ in His atoning work. The blossoming rod is the beautiful figure of resurrection. The rods were absolutely dead, not a sign of life was there. And Aaron's rod received life during that night and life was there in its abundance, buds, blossoms and almonds. Christ risen from the dead, the firstfruits of them that sle

THE BUDDING OF AARON'S ROD (from P). The superiority of Levi over the other tribes is finally vindicated through the budding of the rod of Aaron (the representative of that tribe) when a rod for each tribe is laid up before the Ark. Rods (or staves) were usually carried by persons of distinction among the Hebrews (Numbers 21:18; Genesis 38:18; 1 Samuel 14:43) as among the Babylonians (Herodotus, i. 195). Fanciful stories, which are in some degree parallel to this story, and describe the sprouting of sapless staves or shafts, occur in the classical tales of Hercules-' club and Romulus'spear (which took root and grew) Numbers 17:2