thereafter make individual presentation for inauguration of altar (7:1-89)

F. Various divine instructions (8:1–10:10)

1. Aaron’s duties in connection with lampstand (8:1-4)

2. Cleansing of Levites and age qualification for service (8:5-26)

3. Celebration of Passover, including arrangement for those ceremonially unclean or away on journey to observe Passover a month later (9:1-14)

4. Making and breaking camp as indicated by cloud (9:15-23)

5. Trumpet calls (10:1-10)

II. Events after Israel’s leaving Sinai until their encamping on desert plains of Moab (10:11–21:35)

A. Israel’s departure from wilderness of Sinai (10:11-36)

B. Cases of unjustified complaint (11:1–12:16)

1. Evil complaint at Taberah (11:1-3)

2. Complaint about manna and cry for meat; greediness in connection with Jehovah’s provision of quail (11:4-35)

3. Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses; Miriam temporarily afflicted with leprosy (12:1-16)

C. Twelve spies sent out; all except Joshua and Caleb bring back bad report resulting in rebellion among Israelites (13:1–14:10)

D. Moses intercedes in behalf of Israelites; Jehovah sentences that generation to wander in wilderness (14:11-39)

E. Israelites attempt to go into Promised Land without Jehovah’s backing and suffer defeat (14:40-45)

F. Various laws involving grain and drink offerings, firstfruits, sin offerings, sabbath violation and fringes on garments (15:1-41)

G. Rebellion against Moses and Aaron (16:1–17:13)

1. Korah, Dathan, Abiram, On and 250 chieftains of Israel speak against Moses and Aaron (16:1-40)

2. Execution of Jehovah’s judgment upon rebels prompts Israelites to speak against Moses and Aaron (16:41-50)

3. Jehovah causes Aaron’s rod to bud, to end Israel’s murmuring (17:1-13)

H. Various regulations involving duties of priests and Levites, priestly allowances, Levites’ receiving tenth and giving tenth of their tenth to priests, preparation of red-cow ashes, and uses for water of cleansing (18:1–19:22)

I. Cry for water at Kadesh; Moses and Aaron lose privilege of entering Promised Land for failing to sanctify Jehovah in connection with miraculous provision of water (20:1-13)

J. Moses’ request for permission to pass through Edom denied (20:14-21)

K. Departure from Kadesh; Aaron’s death on Mount Hor (20:22-29)

L. Israelites defeat king of Arad; later speak against God and Moses and, therefore, are plagued by poisonous serpents; continue trek through wilderness (21:1-20)

M. Israelites defeat Amorite King Sihon and Og the king of Bashan, taking their land (21:21-35)

III. Events relating to Israel’s encampment on the desert plains of Moab (22:1–36:13)

A. Moabites become frightened on seeing Israelites; their king Balak sends for Balaam to curse Israel (22:1-41)

B. Instead of cursing, Balaam blesses Israel (23:1–24:25)

C. Israelites induced into idolatry and immorality with Moabite and Midianite women; as a result 24,000 Israelite males die (25:1-18)

D. Census taken of Israelites; Levites also registered (26:1-65)

E. Zelophehad’s daughters receive inheritance; their case sets a legal precedent (27:1-11)

F. Moses granted privilege of seeing Promised Land from mountain of Abarim; follows through on command to commission Joshua as his successor (27:12-23)

G. Commands regarding required offerings; daily, on sabbath day, at start of months and in connection with festivals; also regarding vow regulations (28:1–30:16)

H. Vengeance taken on Midianites; procedure involving war purification, spoils and tax; as there were no war casualties, contribution given to sanctuary at army chiefs’ suggestion (31:1-54)

I. Reubenites and Gadites request land E of Jordan; they and half tribe of Manasseh granted inheritance there on condition of their sharing in conquest of land W of Jordan (32:1-42)

J. Listing of Israel’s encampments from their leaving Egypt until their coming to desert plains of Moab (33:1-49)

K. Various commands directly related to Israel’s taking up residence in Promised Land (33:50–36:13)

1. Commanded to destroy appendages of idolatry and to drive out inhabitants of land (33:50-56)

2. Boundaries of Promised Land defined; chieftains designated to assist Joshua and Eleazar in dividing land (34:1-29)

3. Forty-eight cities, with pasture grounds, to be given to Levites (35:1-8)

4. Six cities of refuge to be set aside; guidelines for handling cases involving accidental manslaughter or murder (35:9-34)

5. Law concerning marriage of heiresses (36:1-13)

See the book “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial,” pp. 30-35.

NUN, I

[fish].

Father of Moses’ successor Joshua; son of Elishama of the tribe of Ephraim.—Ex. 33:11; Josh. 1:1; 1 Chron. 7:20, 27.

NUN, II

[נ; final, ן].

The fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, also later when used outside the Hebrew Scriptures, as a number to denote fifty. It is one of the five Hebrew letters that have a different form when used as the final letter of a word. The name assigned to the letter means “fish.”

Nun corresponds to the English “n.” In the Hebrew, it is the initial letter in each of the eight verses in Psalm 119:105-112.—See ALPHABET.

NURSE

Two kinds of nurses were employed in ancient times. The “nursing woman” (Heb., meh·neʹqeth; Gen. 24:59; 35:8; Ex. 2:7; 2 Ki. 11:2; 2 Chron. 22:11; Isa. 49:23) served as a mother’s substitute for breastfeeding an infant. Deborah was such a nurse to Rebekah but later served as her maid or caretaker, continuing as a family servant even after her mistress’ death. (Gen. 24:59, 67; 35:8) The other type nurse could be a male (Heb., ʼo·menʹ; Num. 11:12; Isa. 49:23 [“caretakers”]) or a female (Heb., ʼo·meʹneth; 2 Sam. 4:4). A person of either sex might care for children, the sick or older persons. The role of a nurse or caretaker was filled by aged Naomi toward her grandson Obed and by the beautiful virgin Abishag in connection with King David.—Ruth 4:13, 16, 17; 1 Ki. 1:1-4.

NUT TREES

1. [Heb., bot·nimʹ]. Among the “finest products of the land” that Jacob sent as a gift to Joseph in Egypt was what is generally considered to be the fruit of the Pistacia vera, that is, “pistachio nuts.” (Gen. 43:11) These nuts are still considered a delicacy in Syria and Egypt. The fruit has a thin, dry outer shell, which varies in color from light red to yellow, and contains two pale-green kernels inside. These nutmeats are eaten fresh or roasted and have a sweet, somewhat oily taste. The trees are abundant in Syria but are much less common in Palestine today.