Numbers: Summary & Overview

Overview

Numbers chronicles Israel's 40-year wilderness journey from Sinai to the border of the Promised Land. Named for the two censuses taken, the book records the people's repeated complaints, rebellion, and God's patient faithfulness. Despite Israel's failures, God remains committed to His promises. Numbers teaches us about the consequences of unbelief and the power of trusting God.

Key Themes

  • Consequences of disobedience
  • God's patience and faithfulness
  • Wandering and testing
  • God's provision in the wilderness
  • Preparing for the Promised Land

Famous Verses

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent.

Numbers 23:19

The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression.

Numbers 14:18

And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord's hand waxed short?

Numbers 11:23

And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

Numbers 21:8-9

Key Facts

Testament
Old Testament
Genre
Law / Narrative
Author
Moses
Date Written
~1450–1410 BC
Chapters
36

Related Books

Read Numbers in Context

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