en_tn_condensed/num/17/04.md

the covenant decrees

"the ark of the covenant" or "the box that holds the covenant decrees". The phrase "the covenant decrees" refers to the box that held the tablets that the covenant decrees were written on. God told Moses that each tribe should bring one wooden staff and leave it overnight at the temple. The next day Aaron's staff representing the tribe of Levi bloomed and produced ripe almond nuts. This showed that the tribe of Levi was still the tribe chosen to be Yahweh's priests.