Bible studies with Don Isaac Abravanel’s commentary (also spelled Abarbanel) has withstood the test of
time. For over five centuries, Abravanel has delighted – and enlightened – clergy and layman alike,
offering enduring interpretations of the Bible.
Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) was a probing and penetrating Jewish thinker, as well as a prolific
Biblical commentator. Following is Abravanel’s shortened introduction to the Book of Numbers, the
fourth book in the Five Books of Moses (Bmidbar).
“And God spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of
Meeting, on the first day of the second month after they were come out
of the land of Egypt saying. Take you the sum of all the congregation of
Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number
of names, every male, by their polls.”
The Book of Genesis relates to the making or forging of the Hebrew nation, delineating the twelve tribes
and their offspring. It commences with the creation of the world and concludes with the young nation’s
decent into Egypt – and bitter exile.
The Book of Exodus describes the Hebrews’ enslavement in Egypt, and ensuing physical redemption
from bondage. The second book also provides Bible students with a glimpse into the Jews’ spiritual level,
a sorry one at that. To be fair, that dismal state of religiosity dogged the encampment until it reached
Mount Sinai. At that juncture, attitudes changes. Subsequently, they were collectively catapulted into a
nation of prophets. Moreover, a fundamental boon transpired when the Hebrews constructed the
Tabernacle; it enabled the mystical Shechinah to dwell in the people’s midst.
Next comes the Book of Leviticus. It provides the Chosen People guidelines into holiness and pure
conduct. Priests learned their esteemed roles as the exclusive Tabernacle officials, gatekeepers. Divine
commandments focus on achieving holiness, so that God’s presence would fill the Tabernacle – and
remain there. To be sure, this was a joint effort. Priests and layman alike needed to fulfill their roles, and
destinies, as a nation set apart. We speak of a nation that would be faithful to Heaven’s ethos, which
meant distancing themselves from the wanton and evil behavior of the Gentiles.
This brings us to the Book of Numbers. We track the nation during their forty-year desert trek – learning
how they camped and how they decamped. We read about their adventures, and misadventures. Those
provocations caused God to tack on all those long, dreary years in the wilderness. A stiff-necked people
would die out in the wastelands, before the Maker deemed a young generation worthy to enter the land
of Canaan, in fulfillment of a divine promise made centuries earlier to the illustrious patriarchs.
The Book of Numbers, Abravanel tells us, consists of ten sections. Primarily, they focus on Moses’
leadership in the desert. By and large, it is the story of Jewish heroism and military prowess, scoring a
string of impressive victories. We find, as well, a chronology of how the nation traveled and camped,
orderly marching according to tribal formations.
Likewise, the Book of Numbers introduces Bible students to the Hebrew camp’s darker side. Thus, we
read about how the Jews lapsed with Moab, Midian, Balak, and Bilam. In turn, this fourth book of the
Torah records remarkable wins over Sihon and Og, two formidable Emorite kings. Their respective
territories were deeded to the tribes of Ruben and Gad. Some of the tribe of Manasseh shared in the
Emorite war spoils.
This concludes our summation of Abravanel’s introduction to the Book of Numbers.
