And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month: A new and distinct section of the discourse begins here and should be marked appropriately in the target language. Good News Translation, for example, places the phrase “In the first month” at the beginning of this verse. The phrase the whole congregation may be included here with the phrase the people of Israel to emphasize that a whole new generation of Israelites was now getting ready to enter the land of Canaan. Good News Translation combines the two phrases, saying “the whole community of Israel.” For the Hebrew word rendered congregation (ʿedah), which is better translated “community,” see the comments on 1.2. For the wilderness of Zin, see 13.21. The chronological signal in the first month is incomplete; it is not followed by the year. It is probably the fortieth year that is meant, which was the last year of the Israelites’ journey through the desert (so Ashley, page 380). The Jewish medieval commentator Rashbam expressed this view. In 33.38 it is mentioned that Aaron died on Mount Hor forty years after Israel’s exodus from Egypt. According to 33.36, Mount Hor was the first stop after Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin, which is the same location as here in 20.1. It is also clear from 20.28 that Aaron died shortly after Miriam. So it seems most likely that from chapter 20 onward the narrative takes place in the fortieth and last year of the Israelites’ journey through the desert. Since this is such an important point in time (the end of the old generation of Israel), it may be helpful to translate in the first month as “in the first month of the fortieth year of their journey.” If this is not done, then the following footnote should be added on this phrase: “Probably the fortieth and last year of the Israelites’ journey through the desert. Aaron died in that same year (33.38), probably shortly after Miriam (20.28).”

Stayed in Kadesh: Stayed renders the Hebrew verb yashab, which often refers to a short period of residence. Here it may be translated “stayed some time” (Revised English Bible) or “camped” (Good News Translation). For Kadesh see 13.26 and the introductory comments on 20.1–21.35.

And Miriam died there, and was buried there: The repetition of the adverb there, which refers to Kadesh, emphasizes the site of Miriam’s death (as is the location of Aaron’s death at Mount Hor in verse 28), in contrast to the unknown place where Moses died and was buried by the LORD (see Deut 34.6).

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .