Komentaryo sa Mga Bilang 10:36: Rashi, Sforno, Siftei Chakhamim & Chizkuni

‘שובה ה [AND WHEN IT RESTED HE SAID] שובה O LORD — Menachem ben Seruk renders it (the word שובה) by an expression denoting “rest”. Similar is (Isaiah 30:15) “In rest (בשובה) and tranquility shall ye be saved” (cf. Ibn. Ezra).

שובה, may Your rest be here with us, as per Psalms 132,14 זאת מנוחתי עדי עד, “this is My resting-place for all times.” Even though You will display Your presence in front of Israel in order to chase out their enemies, may the resting place of the Shechinah be in our midst.

Twenty-two thousand. “Myriads” and “thousands” refer to two myriad and two thousand, for if not so, Scripture should say only “Come to rest Hashem, among the myriads of Yisroel,” because “a myriad” on its own always refers to ten thousand. And we do not find anywhere that Scripture mentions thousands in conjunction with myriads.

רבבות אלפי ישראל [GIVE REST O LORD UNTO] THE MYRIADS OF THOUSANDS OF ISRAEL — This teaches us that the Shechinah does not rest upon Israel if they are less in number than twenty-two thousand (Yevamot 64a; Sifrei Bamidbar 84:5).