The Meaning of Numbers 17:5 Explained

Numbers 17:5

KJV: And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.

YLT: 'And it hath come to pass, the man's rod on whom I fix doth flourish, and I have caused to cease from off me the murmurings of the sons of Israel, which they are murmuring against you.'

Darby: And it shall come to pass, that the man whom I shall choose, his staff shall bud forth; and I will make to cease from before me the murmurings of the children of Israel, that they murmur against you.

ASV: And it shall come to pass, that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it shall come to pass, [that] the man's  rod,  whom I shall choose,  shall blossom:  and I will make to cease  from me the murmurings  of the children  of Israel,  whereby they murmur  against you. 

What does Numbers 17:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 17:1-13 - The Budding Of Aaron's Rod
The controversy about the priesthood needed authoritative settlement, and to remove all grounds of dissension a notable sign was wrought on Aaron's rod. "The man whom I shall choose, his rod shall bud." This is an eternal principle. There is an indissoluble connection between God's choice and our fruitfulness. "I have chosen you and ordained you," said our Lord, "that ye should go and bring forth fruit."
In the Epistle to the Hebrews we learn that Aaron's budding rod symbolized our Lord's unwithering priesthood. See Hebrews 7:24. He seemed as a root out of the dry ground; but in the grave the rod of Jesse began to bud and blossom and bear fruit. We may seem to be mere bare rods, but if we become united to Christ by a living faith we shall partake of His strength and beauty. "A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven." "From me is thy fruit found," Hosea 14:8. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 17

1  Aaron's rod, among all the rods of the tribes, only flourishes
10  It is left for a monument against the rebels

What do the individual words in Numbers 17:5 mean?

And it shall be the man whom I choose in [that] the rod of will blossom Thus I will rid Myself - of the complaints of the sons of Israel which they make against you
וְהָיָ֗ה הָאִ֛ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶבְחַר־ בּ֖וֹ מַטֵּ֣הוּ יִפְרָ֑ח וַהֲשִׁכֹּתִ֣י מֵֽעָלַ֗י אֶת־ תְּלֻנּוֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥ם מַלִּינִ֖ם עֲלֵיכֶֽם

וְהָיָ֗ה  And  it  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הָאִ֛ישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אֶבְחַר־  I  choose 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: to choose, elect, decide for.
מַטֵּ֣הוּ  [that]  the  rod 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מַטֶּה  
Sense: staff, branch, tribe.
יִפְרָ֑ח  of  will  blossom 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּרַח 
Sense: to bud, sprout, shoot, bloom.
וַהֲשִׁכֹּתִ֣י  Thus  I  will  rid 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁכַךְ  
Sense: to subside, abate, decrease.
מֵֽעָלַ֗י  Myself 
Parse: Preposition-m, first person common singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
תְּלֻנּוֹת֙  of  the  complaints 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: תְּלֻנּׄות  
Sense: murmuring.
בְּנֵ֣י  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
מַלִּינִ֖ם  make 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine plural
Root: לוּן 
Sense: to lodge, stop over, pass the night, abide.
עֲלֵיכֶֽם  against  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.