Numbers 17:9

“And Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord, unto all the children of Israel, etc.] He brought them out of the holy place, and showed them to the princes of the several tribes: and they looked, and took every man his rod; which they knew by their names upon them; by their own handwriting, as Aben Ezra; for though Moses is bid to write their names on them, (<041702>Numbers 17:2,3); yet no more may be meant by that than that he should order them to be written, and take care that they were.”

“17:9-11 After each tribal leader claimed his own staff, it was clear that Aaron’s deserved special treatment. It was placed permanently before the Ark to warn potential rebels and to deter Israelites who complained about the Lord and his appointed leaders. The Ark eventually contained this staff, a jar of manna, and the stone tablets of the law (cp. Heb 9:4) to remind the Israelites of their wilderness wanderings.”