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The Use of the Silver Trumpets
v. 1. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
v. 2. Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them; they were apparently straight trumpets, made of wrought silver, in chased work; that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly and for the journeying of the camps. These trumpets were intended to give all the official signals to the army of God, but their chief purpose was to sound the signal for departure. Those pictured on the triumphal arch of Titus at Rome may not have been the original ones, but they were undoubtedly exact copies of those used for so many centuries by the Jewish people.
v. 3. And when they shall blow with them, that is, with both at the same time, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, for a meeting of all the people.
v. 4. And if they, the priests, blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, Num_1:5-16; Exo_18:21, shall gather themselves unto thee. This distinction could easily be remembered.
v. 5. When ye blow an alarm, in a protracted peal or blast, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward, the tribes under the leadership of Judah, which formed the vanguard of the entire army.
v. 6. When ye blow an alarm, a protracted peal, the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey, the tribes under the leadership of Reuben; they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.
v. 7. But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, in single, interrupted blasts, on both trumpets, but ye shall not sound an alarm.
v. 8. And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets, it was a function which could be discharged by them only; and they shall be to you for an ordinance forever throughout your generations, the trumpets should be used by all their descendants, so long as their church would endure.
v. 9. And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets, long-drawn blasts intended to call the people together and to inspire them with courage in shaking off the yoke of tyranny; and ye shall be remembered before the Lord, your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies; the peals of the trumpets, assisted by the prayers of the faithful, would bring the people into the gracious remembrance of the Lord, who would help them against their oppressors.
v. 10. Also in the day of your gladness, upon occasions of great joy, and in your solemn days, at the times when they were directed to have solemn assemblies, and in the beginnings of your months, on the new moon, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings, this being the distinguishing mark of the festival sacrifices on the occasions noted; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God, to bring the people and their offerings into remembrance before Jehovah. I am the Lord, your God. As the silver trumpets were subsequently used by the children of Israel, not only in sounding for the attack in battle, but on all festival occasions, so the bells of the Christian churches proclaim and celebrate the sacred days and seasons, the times set aside for the public proclamation and learning of the Gospel.