Numbers 33

It is our mercy, however, that we live under a milder dispensation, and have an advocate on high to intercede for us: “When Justice calls for sinner’s blood, The Saviour shows his own.” — Watts.

Chap. XXIII. Ver. 1—56. The journeys of the Israelites.— While the children of Israel journeyed through the wilderness, Moses was commanded to keep a diary of their proceedings, from which is here extracted a catalogue of their encampments, and of the places through which they passed. “In this catalogue, (remarks Dr. Wall,) Moses mentions several places which had not been mentioned in the former chapters, and omits some that had been mentioned. At some places they encamped and set up the tabernacle, and stayed a good while; others they only passed by, as Beer, Mattaneh, &c.

(Chap., xxi. 18—20.) which are not named here. Some places have different names; and, in some texts, he does not name [precisely] the same place that was named in the chapters before, but one that was nigh it; as Rithma, for Kadesh-barnea, which were near each other. The fact is, that their army was so numerous, and their camp of that extent, that while their van was at one place, their rear would be at another, and so of their right and left wings. It will also appear, by comparing this journal with a map of the land of Canaan, that their march was sometimes zigzag, and even retrograde. “God (says Henry) led the Israelites to and fro, forward and backward, as in a maze, or labyrinth: and yet they were all the while under the direction of the pillar of cloud: ‘He led them about,’ ((Deuteronomy 32:10).) and yet he led them by a right way.” (Psalm evii. 1.) God’s way in bringing his people home is always the best, though it may not be the nearest. The same pious commentator recommends the conduct of Moses, in keeping a diary, or journal of the Lord’s dealings towards Israel, as an example to ourselves. Such memorials may be useful; but the grand thing is to have them recorded on “the fleshy tables of our hearts,” that we may remember, “and gratefully acknowledge all the way which the Lord our God has led us.” ((Deuteronomy 8:2).) At the close of this diary, we have the command repeated, to drive out the Canaanites, in which we shall at present notice only one feature—“Thou shalt destroy all their pictures and their molten images;”

an injunction which, in this elegant and polite age, may be thought barbarous in the extreme: but we may derive from it a proposition of great practical importance; namely, that wherever there is danger of any monuments of antiquity being abused, to the revival of idolatry, it is far better to destroy them, however precious, than to preserve them with the risk of their contributing to so vile a purpose. (See (2 Kings 18:4).)

Notes on the verses

Ver. 23. Your sins will find you out.—Guilt pursues the conscience like a bloodhound, equally eager to pursue, and cruel to devour. See (Isaiah 59:11-12). —If the persons concerned prevaricated, and so imposed on men, or if they afterwards refused to fulfil these engagements, God would most certainly detect and expose their wickedness, and inflict condign punishment upon them. Of all the ways, says Dr. South, to be taken for the prevention of that great plague of mankind, Sin, there is none so rational and efficacious as to confute and battle those motives by which men are induced to embrace it; and among all such motives, the heart of man seems to be chiefly overpowered and prevailed upon by two, viz.

secrecy in committing sin, and impunity with respect to its consequences. Accordingly, Moses, in this chapter, having to deal with a company of men suspected of a base and fraudulent design, though couched under a very fair pretence, as most such designs are, endeavours to quash it in its very conception, by secretly applying himself to encounter those secret motives and arguments, which he knew were the most likely to encourage them in it. And this he does very briefly, but effectually, by assuring them, that how covertly and artificially soever they might carry on their dark project, yet their sin would infallibly find them out. Though the subject and occasion of these words are indeed particular, yet the design of them is manifestly of an universal import, as reaching the case of all transgressors, in their first entrance on any sinful act or course.—Bagster.

Ver. 34. Dibon.—[Eusebius says that Dibon was a large town, near the river Arnon. Burckhardt says, that when he was about an hour’s distance north of the Modjeb or Arnon, he was shown to the N. E. the ruins of Diban, the ancient Dibon, situated in the low ground of the Koura, or plains of Moab. —Aroer.—Aroer was situated, according to Eusebius, on a mountain on the north bank of the river Arnon. This is confirmed by Burckhardt, who says it is called Araayr, and is seated on the edge of the precipice, at the foot of which the river flows.]—Bagster.

Ver. 36. Beth-nimrah.—[Probably the same as Nimrim in (Jeremiah 48:34)., and the Beth-nimrah mentioned by Eusebius, five miles north from Livias. Burckhardt says, that “in the valley of the Jordan, south of Abou Obeida, are the ruins of Nemrin, probably the Beth-nimrah of the Scriptures.”]—B.

Ver. 37. Elealeh.—[Elealeh is placed, by Eusebius, a mile from Heshbon. It is now called El Aal, “the high,” and is situated on a hill.]—Bagster.

Ver. 38. Baal-meon.—(This town is placed, by Eusebius and Jerome, nine miles from Heshbon, at the foot of mount Abarim.)—Bagster.—Their names being changed.—Hebrew, ‘They called by (other) names, the names of the cities.” The idolaters generally called their cities after the names of their gods, which the Israelites were not allowed to name, and therefore were compelled to alter. (Exodus 23:13).

Ver. 4 And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir.—In consequence of his taking this territory from the Amorites, there being more land than was necessary for the tribes of Reuben and Gad, a portion on this side the river was also given to half the tribe of Manasseh, including the families of Machir, Jair, &c.

Jair was the descendant of Machir and Manasseh, in the female line; but from Judah in the male line. (1 Chronicles 2:21-23). Yet joining himself to the Manassites on this occasion, his posterity was ever after reckoned among them. Deut. iii, 14, 15.

Ver. 41 Havoth-jair.—That is, the villages of Jair.

Chap. XXXIII. Ver. 4. Upon their gods.—See (Exodus 12:12). and Expos.

Ver. 5. Rameses.—[This appears to have been the capital of the land of Goshen, and the rendezvous of the Israelites. It is placed by Jerome (Heb. Quest.) in the extremity of Egypt, in the Arsenoitic nome.]—Bagster.

Ver. 6. Succoth.—[Supposed to be the Suche, mentioned by Pliny, and the Scenas Mandrorum, in the Antonine Itinerary.

The Editor of Calmet places it at Birket el Hadji, or “the Pilgrims pool,” a few miles east of Cairo.—Etham.—This was evidently situated towards the north point of the Red sea. Calmet supposes it to be the same as Buthus or Butham, mentioned by Herodotus, who places it in Arabia, on the frontiers of Egypt.]—Bagster.

Ver. 7. Baal-zephon.—Calmet supposes this to be the Clysma of the Greeks, and the Kolzum of the Arabians. His learned Editor thinks the true situ-

ation of Baal-zephon was some miles more northerly than the present Swez.] —Bagster.

Ver. 8. Etham.—(Called Shur in Exodus; but Dr. Shaw says that Shur is a particular district of the wilderness of Etham.)—Bagster.

Ver. 16. Kibroth-hattaavah.—See Chap.

xi, 34. and Note.

Ver. 18. Rithmah.—[Rithmah was a place in the wilderness of Paran, near Kadesh Barnea; probably so called from the great number of Juniper-trees, as the name signifies, growing in that district.]—Bagster.

Ver. 19. Rimmon-parez.—(Probably the same as Rimmon, a city of Judah and Simeon. (Joshua 15:32).; xix. 7.)—Bagster.

Ver. 21. Rissah.—[This is supposed, apparently with good reason, by the Editor of Calmet, to be the same with the present El Arish, a village three quarters of a league from the Mediterranean, and the last stage in Syria, on the road to Egypt.]—Bagster.

Ver. 24. Shapher.—(The Editor of Calmet, who supposes the Israelites to be now in the regular track from Gaza to Egypt, is of opinion that mount Shapher is the ancient name of mount Cassius, Catjeh, or Catie, a huge mole of sand, almost surrounded by the Mediterranean, on which was built a temple to Jupiter Cassius.

Thevenot states that at the village of Catie there is a well of water unpleasant for drinking; but two miles off, another whose water is good after standing a little.)—Bagster.

Ver. 30. Moseroth.—[This is supposed, with a great degree of probability by C. Taylor, to be Ain el Mousa, (probably a corruption of Moseroth,) or fountains of Moses, at the head of the western gulf of the Red sea, about seven or eight miles east from Suez, seven or eight days journey from Gaza, and five or six from Sinai.]—Bagster.

Ver. 33. Jotbathah.—[Taylor, who imagines the Israelites to be now in the track of the Mecca pilgrims, supposes Jotbathah which is described as “a land of brooks of water,” to be Caliah Nahar, a torrent, said to be good water by Dr.

Shaw.]—Bagster.

Ver. 34. Ebronah.—[Probably at Abiar Ailana, or Sat el Acaba, stations nearer Accaba.]—Bagster.

Ver. 35. Ezion-gaber.—[Dr. Shaw (Trav. p. 322.) places this port on the western shore of the Elanitic gulf of the Red sea. He says it is now called Meenah el Dsahab, or the golden port, by the Arabs; because it was from this place that Solomon sent his ships to Ophir. He supposes it to be about sixty miles from Sinai; and it is probable that it was near the present Accaba, i.e. the end (of the Sea).]—Bagster.

Ver. 40. And king Arad.—The king of Arad. See Note on (Numbers 20:1).

Ver. 42. Punon.—[Called Phainon by Eusebius, who set it between Petra and Zoar. Perhaps it is the present Tafyle, mentioned by Burckhardt.]

Ver. 47. Abarim.—(These mountains were a ridge of rugged hills east of Jordan, and north and west of the Arnon. Nebo, Pisgah, and Peor, were but different names of the hills of which they were composed. Eusebius and Jerome inform us, that some part of them, as one went up to Heshbon, retained the old name of Abarim in their time; and that the part called Nebo was opposite Jericho, not far from the Jordan, six miles west from Heshbon, and seven east from Livias. Dr. Shaw describes them as ‘an exceeding high ridge of desolate mountains, no otherwise diversified than by a succession of naked rocks and precipices; rendered in some places the more frightful by a multiplicity of torrents, which fall on each side of them.

This ridge is continued all along the eastern coast of the Dead sea.” Mount Nebo is now called Dyebel Attarous; and is described as a barren mountain, the highest point in the neighbourhood, with an uneven plain on the top. Burckhardt’s Trav.]—B.