Numbers 21

Chap. XXII. ver. 1. — on this side Jordan by Jericho.] That is, over against Jericho, Jordan being between it and the camp of Israel. Bp. Patrick.

— Pethor.] A city in Aram, or Mesopotamia. The name was afterwards changed by the Syrians to Bosor. See 2 Peter ii. 15. Bp. Patrick.

— the river] The Euphrates.

Numbers 21:2

2. — I will utterly destroy their cities.] The Israelites implored the Divine assistance by this solemn vow; pledging themselves to reserve none of this idolatrous nation to their own use, but to devote it all to destruction. Bp. Patrick.

Numbers 21:3

3. — delivered up the Canaanites;] The Canaanites by their wickedness had grievously offended the Lord of the whole earth; and He here appoints the Israelites to execute His just wrath and vengeance upon them. Dr. Waterland. This was effected in the days of Joshua, Josh. xii. 14, or a little after his death, Judges i. 17. Shuckford.

4. And Moab was sore afraid] The Israelites had entirely routed and ruined Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, taking possession of their lands: and they had done it with such despatch, and in so surprising a manner, that the neighbouring nations had reason to suspect there was something supernatural in it. It seems to have been owing to some such apprehension as this, that none of them durst oppose the Hebrews, without endeavouring first to engage heaven on their side, which they hoped to do by the help of enchantments. The Midianites and Moabites were both of them full of this persuasion, as we learn from this chapter: and we find from other places of Scripture, that the Ammonites joined with them in the design of sending to Balaam, Deut. xxiii. 3, 4. Dr. Waterland.

Numbers 21:4

4. — Midian.] It is manifest from Scripture, that there were two regions called Midian. The inhabitants of the one were at first of the Cuthite race, and their situation was upon the Red sea, towards the most southern parts of Edom and Amalek: they were the people, to whom Moses betook himself when he fled from Egypt, and married a Cuthite woman, and among whom he resided forty years, Exod. ii. 21. The other Midian was to the north, on the river Arnon, and in the vicinity of Moab: The natives were of the family of Abraham, by Keturah, and bordered on the upper part of Edom; being allied to the Edomites, as well as to the children of Moab, by the ties of consanguinity. Their situation may be known from the correspondence which they kept up with the Israelites, when the latter were encamped in the plains of Moab, near the rivers Jordan and Arnon. Bryant.

Numbers 21:5

5. — the people spake against God, and against Moses,] Aaron and Miriam were now passed the reach of their mutinies: they therefore join God with Moses in their murmurings, fearless of the danger of rendering their Maker their enemy. Impatience is akin to frenzy: it causes men to care not whom they assault, so they may give vent to their fury. How often do we hear men, that are displeased with others, disparage and dishonour their Creator? But if to strive with a mighty man is unwise and unsafe, what must it be to strive with the mighty God? Bp. Hall. Compare Ps. lxxviii. 56; 1 Cor. x. 9.

Z 2 Before CHRIST 1453. & 33. 50.

The people plagued with fiery serpents. NUMBERS. They are healed by a brasen serpent.

Before CHRIST 1453. b Chap. 11. 6. c Wisdom 16. 1. 3.

5. — Balaam] Though Balaam was a heathen, and an immoral man, he appears to have been a true prophet. He was a worshipper of the true God, as appears by his applying to God, verse 8, and by his calling the Lord his God, verse 18; though his worship was debased by superstition, chap. xxiii. 1, 2; xxiv. 1. He seems also to have had some pious thoughts and resolutions, verse 18; chap. xxiii. 10; but his heart was unsound. mercenary,

as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

Numbers 21:6

6. — fiery serpents] The seraph is a flying serpent, the only one that has wings. The word properly signifies to burn; and this name was probably given it, either because of its colour, or because of the heat and thirst which its bite occasions. Its wings are not feathers, like the wings of birds; but rather like those of bats. When the Arabians go to gather the aromatic reed, or cassia, of which the serpents are very fond, they cover all their heads, except their eyes, with skins, to secure themselves from the bite of the serpent, which is very dangerous. Calmet, Stackhouse. — and they bit the people;] The divers casualties, which befell the Israelites in the wilderness, happened unto them for types or ensamples, “and are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come,” 1 Cor. x. 6, 11; that end of all the Divine counsels towards man, which relate to his recovery by the promised Redeemer. Thus their murmurings were punished by the biting of fiery serpents, to remind them of the deceit of the old serpent, which brought sin into the world. And when the malady was healed by looking up to that brasen serpent, which was erected on a pole, this filly represented our looking by faith to that Redeemer, who was lifted up upon the cross, to draw all men unto Him. Dr. Berriman. — much people of Israel died.] As Moses represents these serpents to have caused a great mortality, so the heathen writers concur in testifying, that the deserts, wherein the Israelites journeyed, produced serpents of so venomous a kind, that their biting was deadly, beyond the power of any art then known to cure it. The ancients observed in general, that the most barren and sandy deserts had the greatest number and most venomous of serpents: Diodorus remarks this more particularly of the sands in Africa; but it was equally true of the wilderness, in which the Israelites journeyed. Serpents and scorpions were here, according to Moses, as natural as drought and want of water, Deut. viii. 15. Strabo’s observation agrees with Moses: and both Strabo and Diodorus concur, that the serpents, which were so numerous here, were of the most deadly kind, and that there was no cure for their biting. Hence we see reason to consider both the calamity inflicted on the Israelites, and the miraculous cure of it, in the proper light. The Israelites were unmindful of the obedience they owed God, unwilling to march where God directed them. Hereupon they were punished to bring them to a better mind; and their punishment was in a little time removed in a miraculous manner. They were commanded to come and look up to a brasen serpent, a thing evidently of itself of no importance, but by God’s power and good pleasure made so effectual to their recovery, as abundantly to remind them, that whatever God should think fit to command them, was importantly necessary for them to perform. Shuckford.

7. — curse me this people.] It was a superstitious ceremony in use among the heathens, to devote their enemies to destruction at the beginning of their wars; as if the gods would enter into their passions, and were as unjust and partial as themselves. The Romans had publick officers to perform the ceremony. Now Balaam being a Prophet of great note and eminence, it was believed that he was more intimate than others with the heavenly powers, and consequently that his imprecations would be more effectual. Bp. Newton.

Numbers 21:7

7. Therefore the people — said, We have sinned,] All the persuasions of Moses could not have done that, which the serpents did for him. It were pity men should be without affliction, since it sends them to their prayers and confessions. Bp. Hall.

Numbers 21:8

8. — Make thee a fiery serpent,] That is, a serpent like the kind mentioned ver. 6; and so Moses made it of brass, ver. 9. That it might be conspicuous, it was to be raised on high; “upon a pole,” or, as the word may be rendered, it was to be set up as a sign. And indeed it was a very illustrious type of Christ, and particularly of His death upon the cross: by whom we are redeemed from the sting of death, and the power of the devil, that old serpent, John iii. 14; and whom God sent “in the likeness of sinful flesh,” and did by this way condemn “sin in the flesh,” Rom. viii. 3. Bp. Kidder.

Numbers 21:9

9. — when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.] The author of the book of Wisdom, speaking to God of the Israelites, imputes the virtue of the serpent to its right cause: “He that turned himself toward it was not saved by the thing that he saw, but by Thee, that art the Saviour of all:” and therefore he calls it, “a sign” or symbol “of salvation, to put them in remembrance of the commandment of the law,” chap. xvi. 6, 7. Stackhouse. We see in this a lively figure of the Christian Sacraments; and how God has shewn, and can shew His power; and can sanctify water to the washing away of sin, and make bread and wine instruments of our salvation. Bp. Wilson.

Numbers 21:14

14. — in the book of the wars of the Lord,] Some ancient record of those countries, to which Moses refers: or, more probably, the following account of the wars of the Israelites, given in the sacred history, by Moses, and other inspired writers. Pyle, Dr. Wells. Sihon and Og are overcome and slain. Before CHRIST 1452. laemeth.

Numbers 21:18

18. — with their staves.] With no more labour but that of thrusting their staves into the ground, and turning up the earth. Bp. Patrick.

Numbers 21:23

23. — and fought against Israel.] Who had orders from God, not to decline the battle, as they did with the Edomites and Moabites. These Amorites were among the seven nations condemned by God to destruction. Bp. Patrick. 24. — for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.] This is not given as a reason, why the Israelites carried their victory no farther; for the country of Ammon was no part of the land promised to them; nay, they were forbidden to invade it, Deut. ii. 19; but as the reason, why Sihon had not gained upon the country of the children of Ammon, as he had upon that of the Moabites. Bp. Kidder.

Numbers 21:27

27. Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, &c.] The following words appear to have been a song of victory composed by the Amorites upon the victory gained by Sihon over the Moabites. Bp. Kidder.

Numbers 21:29

29. — O people of Chemosh:] Or people that servest Chemosh. Chemosh was the idol of the Moabites, Jer. xlviii. 46. Bp. Kidder. Servants are known by the name of their lord. As the Israelites were called by the name of the true God, 2 Chron. vii. 14, so the Moabites were called by the name of their god, the “people of Chemosh;” and the other idolatrous nations in like manner. See Mic. iv. 5. Abp. Secker. Balak’s first message for Balaam is refused. was none left him alive: and they possessed his land. # CHAP. XXII.