“Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers’ house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs. Write each man’s name on his staff,
2. Speak unto the children of Israel. They are mistaken who suppose that to the twelve rods there was another added for the tribe of Levi; So, amongst others, Corn. a Lapide. C’s view is that of the Jewish Commentators.
Here we have, I. Orders given for the bringing in of a rod for every tribe (which was peculiarly significant, for the word here used for a rod sometimes signifies a tribe, as particularly Num 34:13), that God by a miracle, wrought on purpose, might make it known on whom he had conferred the honour of the priesthood. 1.
Commenting on Numbers 17:1-7
Speak unto the children of Israel,.... The principal men among them of the several tribes: and take of everyone of them; not of every individual of the people of Israel, but of their princes, as afterwards explained: a rod, according to the house of their fathers; or "father", of whom their house or tribe was called, as Reuben, Simeon, &c.