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Numbers Chapter
Thirty-three
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 33
This
chapter gives an account of the journeys of the people of Israel, from their
first coming out of Egypt, to their arrival in the plains of Moab by Jordan,
and the names of the various stations where they rested are given, Numbers 33:1 and
they are ordered, when they passed over Jordan, to drive out the Canaanites,
destroy their idols, and divide the land among their families in their several
tribes, Numbers 33:50 or
otherwise it is threatened the Canaanites should be troublesome and vexatious
to them, even those that remained; and it might be expected God would do to the
Israelites as he thought to do to those nations, Numbers 33:55.
Numbers 33:1 These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who went
out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron.
YLT
1These [are] journeys of the
sons of Israel who have come out of the land of Egypt, by their hosts, by the
hand of Moses and Aaron;
These are the journeys of the children of Israel,.... Which are
related in this chapter following:
which went forth out of the land of Egypt: whither their
fathers went and stayed, and were kept in hard bondage, but in due time were
delivered from it, and came out from thence:
with their armies; in great numbers, and in an orderly manner,
in rank and file, and like so many squadrons, see Exodus 7:4, under
the hand of Moses and Aaron: who were sent to the king of Egypt to require
their dismission, and who were the instruments under God of their deliverance,
and were the leaders of them; as of them out of Egypt, so through the
wilderness, in their, several journeys here recorded.
Numbers 33:2 2 Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their
journeys at the command of the Lord. And these
are their journeys according to their starting points:
YLT
2and Moses writeth their
outgoings, by their journeys, by the command of Jehovah; and these [are] their
journeys, by their outgoings:
And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys, by
the commandment of the Lord,.... Which may be understood, either that
their journeys were by the commandment of the Lord; so Aben Ezra takes the
connection to be, and which is undoubtedly true, and which is expressed plainly
elsewhere; for so it was, that when the cloud abode on the tabernacle they
rested, and had their stations, and continued as long as the cloud tarried on it,
and when that was taken up, then they marched; and thus at the commandment of
the Lord they rested, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed, see Numbers 9:17 or
that Moses wrote the account of their journeys, and several stations, at the
commandment of the Lord, that it might be on record, and be read in future
ages, and appear to be a fact, that they were led about in a wilderness, in
places which were unknown to others, and had no names but what they gave them:
and these are their journeys according to their goings out; from place to
place; some of the ancients, as JeromF26"De 42
mansionibus", Fabiolae, "inter opera ejus", T. 3. fol. 13.
particularly, and some modern writers, have allegorized these journeys of the
children of Israel, and have fancied that there is something in the
signification of the names of the places they came to, and abode in, suitable
to the cases and circumstances of the people of God in their passage through
this world; but though the travels of the children of Israel in the wilderness
may in general be an emblem of the case and condition of the people of God in
this world, and there are many things in them, and which they met with, and
befell them, that may be accommodated to them; yet the particulars will never
hold good of individual saints, since they are not all led exactly in the same
path of difficulties and troubles, but each have something peculiar to
themselves; and it will be difficult to apply these things to the church of God
in general, in the several stages and periods of time, and which I do not know
that any have attempted; and yet, if there is anything pointed out by the
travels, one would think it should be that.
Numbers 33:3 3 They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the
fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the children of
Israel went out with boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians.
YLT
3And they journey from Rameses
in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month, on the morrow of
the passover have the sons of Israel gone out with a high hand, before the eyes
of all the Egyptians –
And they departed from Rameses,.... A city in Egypt,
where the children of Israel, a little before their departure, seem to have
been gathered together in a body, in order to march out all together, as they
did. This place the Targum of Jonathan calls Pelusium. Dr. ShawF1Travels,
p. 307. Ed. 2. thinks it might be Cairo, from whence they set forward; see Exodus 12:37 and it
was
in the first month; in the month Nisan, as the same Targum, or
Abib, which was appointed the first month on this account, and answers to part
of our March and April:
on the fifteenth of the first month, on the morrow after the
passover; that was kept on the fourteenth, when the Lord passed over the
houses of the Israelites, and slew all the firstborn in Egypt, which made way
for their departure the next morning; the Egyptians being urgent upon them to
be gone:
the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of
all the Egyptians; openly and publicly, with great courage and boldness, without
any fear of their enemies; who seeing them march out, had no power to stop
them, or to move their lips at them, nay, were willing to be rid of them; see Exodus 11:7.
Numbers 33:4 4 For the Egyptians were burying all their
firstborn, whom the Lord had killed among them. Also on
their gods the Lord had executed judgments.
YLT
4and the Egyptians are
burying those whom Jehovah hath smitten among them, every first-born, and on
their gods hath Jehovah done judgments –
For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the Lord had
smitten among them,.... Which contributed much to the more easy and safe deliverance
of the children of Israel; for their hearts were heavy with sorrow, and their
hands were full, and they had other work to do, namely, to bury their dead,
than to molest Israel; and besides, they knew it was for detaining them this
stroke came upon them:
upon their gods also the Lord executed judgments; they were
moved at the presence, and by the power of God, and fell and were dashed to
pieces, as the idols of the same land were in later times, see Isaiah 19:1 and this
still the more intimidated and frightened the Egyptians, that they dared not
attempt to hinder the departure of the Israelites from them. The Targum of
Jonathan says, the Word of the Lord did this; and adds, their molten idols
became soft, their strong idols were mutilated, their earthen idols were
diminished, their wooden idols became ashes, and those of beasts died.
Numbers 33:5 5 Then the children of Israel moved from Rameses and
camped at Succoth.
YLT
5and the sons of Israel
journey from Rameses, and encamp in Succoth.
And the children of Israel removed from Rameses,.... Or
Pelusium, as the same Targum again:
and pitched in Succoth: where, as the same
paraphrase says, they were covered with the clouds of glory, suggesting that to
be the reason of its name; but that was rather because of the booths or tents
the Israelites erected, pitched, and dwelt in, during their abode there: this,
according to BuntingF2Travels of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 81. ,
was eight miles from Rameses; according to whose computation, for want of a
better guide, the distances of the several stations from each other will be
given.
Numbers 33:6 6 They departed from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is
on the edge of the wilderness.
YLT
6And they journey from
Succoth, and encamp in Etham, which [is] in the extremity of the wilderness;
And they departed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham,.... Which was
eight miles from Succoth:
which is in the edge of the wilderness; of the name,
see Exodus 13:20 but
Dr. ShawF3Travels, p. 308. makes this particular portion of the
wilderness to be fifty miles from Cairo or Rameses.
Numbers 33:7 7 They moved from Etham and turned back to Pi Hahiroth,
which is east of Baal Zephon; and they camped near Migdol.
YLT
7and they journey from
Etham, and turn back on Pi-Hahiroth, which [is] on the front of Baal-Zephon,
and they encamp before Migdol.
And they removed from Etham, and turned again to Pihahiroth,.... Which was
sixteen miles from Etham. This turning, Aben Ezra says, respects the cloud, or
Israel; and indeed it may respect both, for, as the cloud turned, Israel
turned, being directed by it; and this does not mean that they had been at
Pihahiroth before, and now returned to it again; but that they by direction
turned out of the straight way in which they were to go to Pihahiroth; for the
word "again" may as well, or better, be left out; see Gill on Exodus 14:2,
which is before Baalzephon; the name of an idol, as
the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, supposed to be placed here, to watch and
guard the passage, as Zephon signifies:
and they pitched before Migdol: which was either the
name of a city, the same with Migdol, Jeremiah 44:1 or it
was a tower, as the word signifies, placed here on the borders of the land, for
the defence of it.
Numbers 33:8 8 They departed from before Hahiroth[a] and passed
through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, went three days’ journey in
the Wilderness of Etham, and camped at Marah.
YLT
8And they journey from
Pi-Hahiroth, and pass over through the midst of the sea, into the wilderness,
and go a journey of three days in the wilderness of Etham, and encamp in Marah.
And they departed from before Pihahiroth,.... Being
forced by Pharaoh's army pressing upon them:
and passed through the midst of the sea; from shore to
shore, as on dry laud:
into the wilderness: that part of it which
lay on the other side, for still it was the wilderness of Etham they went into,
as follows:
and went three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham, and
pitched in Marah; so called from the bitterness of the waters there, and which is
computed to be forty miles from Pihahiroth.
Numbers 33:9 9 They moved from Marah and came to Elim. At Elim were
twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there.
YLT
9And they journey from
Marah, and come in to Elim, and in Elim [are] twelve fountains of waters, and
seventy palm trees, and they encamp there;
And they removed from Marah, and came unto Elim,.... Which was
eight miles from Marah:
and in Elim were twelve fountains of water, and three score and
ten palm trees, and they pitched there; being a convenient place
of water for them,
Numbers 33:10 10 They moved from Elim and camped by the Red Sea.
YLT
10and they journey from Elim,
and encamp by the Red Sea.
And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea. This
encampment, is omitted in the book of Exodus, see Exodus 16:1 this
part or arm of the Red sea, whither they came, was six miles from Elim.
Numbers 33:11 11 They moved from the Red Sea and camped in the
Wilderness of Sin.
YLT
11And they journey from the
Red Sea, and encamp in the wilderness of Sin;
And they removed from the Red sea, and encamped in the wilderness
of Sin. Sixteen miles from the Red sea, where they were last; see Exodus 16:1.
Numbers 33:12 12 They journeyed from the Wilderness of Sin and camped
at Dophkah.
YLT
12and they journey from the
wilderness of Sin, and encamp in Dophkah.
And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin,.... According
to the account in Exodus, this was after they had the manna given them, see Exodus 17:1.
and encamped at Dophkah; twelve miles from the
wilderness of Sin; and of this, and the next encampment, no mention is made in
Exodus.
Numbers 33:13 13 They departed from Dophkah and camped at Alush.
YLT
13And they journey from
Dophkah, and encamp in Alush;
And they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush. The strong
fort, as the Targum of Jonathan calls it; this was twelve miles from Dophkah:
according to the Jewish chronologyF4Seder Olam Rabba, c. 5. p. 17. ,
this Alush is the wilderness of Sin, where the Israelites came on the fifteenth
day of the seventh month from their going out of Egypt; and they say, that in
Alush the sabbath was given them, and that there they kept the first sabbath,
as it is said:
and the people rested on the seventh day, Exodus 16:30.
Numbers 33:14 14 They moved from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where
there was no water for the people to drink.
YLT
14and they journey from
Alush, and encamp in Rephidim; and there was there no water for the people to
drink.
And they removed from Alush, and encamped at Rephidim,.... Eight
miles from Alush:
where was no water for the people to drink; and they
murmured, and a rock here was smitten by Moses at the command of God, and
waters gushed out sufficient for them and their flocks, Exodus 17:1.
Numbers 33:15 15 They departed from Rephidim and camped in the
Wilderness of Sinai.
YLT
15And they journey from
Rephidim, and encamp in the wilderness of Sinai;
And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of
Sinai. Eight miles from Rephidim; and from a mount of this name here
were given the decalogue, with all other statutes and ordinances, judicial and
ceremonial, and orders and directions for building the tabernacle, and making
all the vessels appertaining to it, and which were all made during their stay
here.
Numbers 33:16 16 They moved from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at
Kibroth Hattaavah.
YLT
16and they journey from the
wilderness of Sinai, and encamp in Kibroth-Hattaavah.
And they removed from the desert of Sinai, and pitched at
Kibrothhattaavah. Eight miles from the desert of Sinai; here the people lusted
after flesh, and murmured, which, though given them, a pestilence came and
destroyed many of them, and here they were buried, whence the place was so
called, which signifies the "graves of lust", i.e. of those that
lusted: no mention is made of Taberah, either because it was the same with
Kibroth, or near it; or, as Aben Ezra on Deuteronomy 9:22
says, they encamped there but one day, and so is not mentioned in the journeys,
though it was one of the three they journeyed from Mount Sinai to
Kibrothhattaavah, see Numbers 11:1.
Numbers 33:17 17 They departed from Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at
Hazeroth.
YLT
17And they journey from
Kibroth-Hattaavah, and encamp in Hazeroth;
And they departed from Kibrothhattaavah, and encamped at Hazeroth. Eight miles
from Kibrothhattaavah, where Miriam was smote with leprosy, Numbers 12:1.
Numbers 33:18 18 They departed from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.
YLT
18and they journey from Hazeroth,
and encamp in Rithmah.
And they departed from Hazeroth, and pitched at Rithmah. Eight miles
from Hazeroth: Rethem, from whence this place seems to have had its name, is
generally rendered by "juniper", 1 Kings 19:4 and
the Targum of Jonathan here adds, where the juniper trees grew; and, perhaps,
it is the same with the valley of Retheme, of which some travellersF5Egmont
and Heyman's Travels, vol. 2. p. 154. thus write, "this valley",
called in the Hebrew Retheme, and commonly Ritma, derives its name from a
yellow flower, with which the valley is covered; we found here, on the left
hand, two cisterns of excellent water; and water being to be had here, might be
the reason of the Israelites pitching in this place. Some learned menF6Dr.
Lightfoot, vol. 1. p. 35. Dr. Clayton's Chronology of the Hebrew Bible, p. 382,
383. think it is the same with Kadeshbarnea, from whence the spies were sent,
that being the next remove from Hazeroth, as this was; see Numbers 12:16, with
which agrees the remark of Jarchi, that this place was so called, because of
the evil tongue of the spies, as it is said, Psalm 120:3
"what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? sharp arrows of the
mighty, with coals of juniper"; alluding to the signification of Rithmah;
perhaps this is the same place, which by JosephusF7Antiqu. l. 12. c.
8. sect. 4. is called Dathema, and so in the Apocrypha:"Then the heathen
that were at Galaad assembled themselves together against the Israelites that
were in their quarters, to destroy them; but they fled to the fortress of
Dathema.' (1 Maccabees 5:9)
Numbers 33:19 19 They departed from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez.
YLT
19And they journey from
Rithmah, and encamp in Rimmon-Parez;
Verses 19-29
And they departed from Rithmah, and pitched at Rimmonparez. Six miles from
Rithmah, and then from Rimmon to Libnah, which was six miles also; and from
thence to Rissah, which was six miles more; and from Rissah to, Kehelathah,
which was the same number of miles; and from thence to Shapher, which was six
miles also; and then they came to Haradah, which was four miles from thence;
the next remove was to Makheloth, which was four miles and a half from the last
place; then they went to Tahath, which was four miles more; and from thence to
Tarah, which also was four miles; the next place they came to was Mithcah, four
miles from Tarah; and then to Hashmonah, which was eight miles more.
Numbers 33:20 20 They departed from Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah.
YLT
20and they journey from
Rimmon-Parez, and encamp in Libnah.
Numbers 33:21 21 They moved from Libnah and camped at Rissah.
YLT
21And they journey from
Libnah, and encamp in Rissah;
Numbers 33:22 22 They journeyed from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.
YLT
22and they journey from
Rissah, and encamp in Kehelathah.
Numbers 33:23 23 They went from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.
YLT
23And they journey from
Kehelathah, and encamp in mount Shapher;
Numbers 33:24 24 They moved from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.
YLT
24and they journey from mount
Shapher, and encamp in Haradah.
Numbers 33:25 25 They moved from Haradah and camped at Makheloth.
YLT
25And they journey from
Haradah, and encamp in Makheloth;
Numbers 33:26 26 They moved from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.
YLT
26and they journey from
Makheloth, and encamp in Tahath.
Numbers 33:27 27 They departed from Tahath and camped at Terah.
YLT
27And they journey from
Tahath, and encamp in Tarah;
Numbers 33:28 28 They moved from Terah and camped at Mithkah.
YLT
28and they journey from
Tarah, and encamp in Mithcah.
Numbers 33:29 29 They went from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.
YLT
29And they journey from
Mithcah, and encamp in Hashmonah;
Numbers 33:30 30 They departed from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.
YLT
30and they journey from
Hashmonah, and encamp in Moseroth.
Verse 30-31
And they departed from Hashmonah, and encamped at Moseroth. Thirty two
miles from Hashmonah. In Deuteronomy 10:6 it
is called Mosera; and according to the account there, they came hither from the
following place, Benejaakan; probably they went first thither from Hashmonah,
and then from Mosera or Moserot, and so to Benejaakan again, going backwards
and forwards, so Jarchi; the distance of the two places was twenty four miles;
for the further reconciliation this; see Gill on Deuteronomy 10:6
and the Samaritan version there.
Numbers 33:31 31 They departed from Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan.
YLT
31And they journey from
Moseroth, and encamp in Bene-Jaakan;
Numbers 33:32 32 They moved from Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor
Hagidgad.
YLT
32and they journey from
Bene-Jaakan, and encamp at Hor-Hagidgad.
Verses 32-37
And they removed from Benejaakan, and encamped at Horhagidgad. In the Targum
Jonathan called Gudgod, as it is Gudgodah in Deuteronomy 10:7,
where the remove to this place is said to be from Mosera; it was twenty miles
from Benejaaken; from thence they went to Jotbathah, twenty four miles from
Horhagidgad; and from thence to Ebronah, twenty miles more; and so to
Eziongeber, of which see 1 Kings 9:26 which
was twenty eight miles from Ebrorah; and their next remove was to the
wilderness of Zin, which was Kadesh, forty eight miles from Eziongeber; and
from Kadesh they went to Mount Hor, forty eight miles more: which was
in the edge of the land of Edom; as Kadesh also was; see Numbers 20:16.
Numbers 33:33 33 They went from Hor Hagidgad and camped at Jotbathah.
YLT
33And they journey from
Hor-Hagidgad, and encamp in Jotbathah;
Numbers 33:34 34 They moved from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.
YLT
34and they journey from
Jotbathah, and encamp in Ebronah.
Numbers 33:35 35 They departed from Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber.
YLT
35And they journey from
Ebronah, and encamp in Ezion-Gaber;
Numbers 33:36 36 They moved from Ezion Geber and camped in the
Wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh.
YLT
36and they journey from
Ezion-Gaber, and encamp in the wilderness of Zin, which [is] Kadesh.
Numbers 33:37 37 They moved from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the
boundary of the land of Edom.
YLT
37And they journey from
Kadesh, and encamp in mount Hor, in the extremity of the land of Edom.
Numbers 33:38 38 Then Aaron the priest went up to Mount Hor at the
command of the Lord, and died there in the fortieth year after the children of Israel
had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month.
YLT
38And Aaron the priest goeth
up unto mount Hor, by the command of Jehovah, and dieth there, in the fortieth
year of the going out of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, in the
fifth month, on the first of the month;
And Aaron the priest went up into Mount Hor, at the commandment of
the Lord,.... Delivered to Moses:
and died there in the fortieth year after the children of Israel
were come out of Egypt; not being suffered to go with them into the land of Canaan,
because of his sin of unbelief at Kadesh, the last place from whence they came:
in Mount Hor he died:
on the first day of the fifth month; the month Ab, answering
to part of July and part of August; so that he lived but four months after his
sister Miriam; see Numbers 20:1.
Numbers 33:39 39 Aaron was one hundred and twenty-three years
old when he died on Mount Hor.
YLT
39and Aaron [is] a son of a
hundred and twenty and three years in his dying in mount Hor.
And Aaron was one hundred and twenty three years old when he died
in Mount Hor. He was eighty three when he stood before Pharaoh, Exodus 7:7, and
forty years he had been with Israel since, which make this number; he was three
years older than Moses.
Numbers 33:40 40 Now the king of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the
South in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.
YLT
40And the Canaanite -- king
Arad -- who is dwelling in the south, in the land of Canaan, heareth of the
coming of the sons of Israel.
Verses 40-44
And King Arad the Canaanite,.... Or the king of Arad
the Canaanite:
which dwelt in the land of Canaan, he heard of the coming of the
children of Israel; towards the land of Canaan, in order to possess it, and he came
out and fought with them, and was vanquished; see Numbers 21:1, this
was when Israel was at Mount Hor; from whence they departed to Zalmonah, twenty
eight miles from the mount; and from thence to Punon, which was twenty more;
and so to Oboth, which was twenty four miles from Punon: and thence
to Ijeabarim, in the border of Moab, which was sixteen miles,
see Numbers 21:9.
Numbers 33:41 41 So they departed from Mount Hor and camped at
Zalmonah.
YLT
41And they journey from mount
Hor, and encamp in Zalmonah;
Numbers 33:42 42 They departed from Zalmonah and camped at Punon.
YLT
42and they journey from
Zalmonah, and encamp in Punon.
Numbers 33:43 43 They departed from Punon and camped at Oboth.
YLT
43And they journey from Punon,
and encamp in Oboth;
Numbers 33:44 44 They departed from Oboth and camped at Ije Abarim, at
the border of Moab.
YLT
44and they journey from
Oboth, and encamp in Ije-Abarim, in the border of Moab.
Numbers 33:45 45 They departed from Ijim[b] and camped
at Dibon Gad.
YLT
45And they journey from Iim,
and encamp in Dibon-Gad;
And they departed from Ijim, and pitched in Dibongad. Sixteen miles
from Ijim; the remove from whence is said to be to the valley of Zared, Numbers 21:12 in
which Dibongad was, so called perhaps because rebuilt by Gad afterwards.
Numbers 33:46 46 They moved from Dibon Gad and camped at Almon
Diblathaim.
YLT
46and they journey from
Dibon-Gad, and encamp in Almon-Diblathaim.
And they removed from Dibongad, and encamped in Almondiblathaim. Sixteen miles from
Dibon, perhaps the same with Diblath, Ezekiel 6:14,
according to the account in Numbers 21:16,
&c. they went from hence to Beer, a place where they found a well, which
gave it this name; and several other removes are mentioned there, which are not
here, and which, perhaps, were small removes, and not properly stations.
Numbers 33:47 47 They moved from Almon Diblathaim and camped in the
mountains of Abarim, before Nebo.
YLT
47And they journey from
Almon-Diblathaim, and encamp in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo;
And they removed from Almondiblathaim, and pitched in the
mountains of Abarim,.... Sixteen miles from Almondiblathaim; these were so called
from passages near them over the river Jordan: and this station was pitched
before Nebo; one of those mountains, whither Moses went up and died.
Numbers 33:48 48 They departed from the mountains of Abarim and camped
in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho.
YLT
48and they journey from the
mountains of Abarim, and encamp in the plains of Moab, by Jordan, [near]
Jericho.
And they departed from the mountains of Abarim, and pitched in the
plains of Moab,.... Sixteen miles from Abarim, where all those things were
transacted, which make the history of Balak and Balaam, Numbers 22:1 and
where the Israelites now were by Jordan near Jericho; not on that side Jordan
where Jericho stood, but on the other; Jericho, according to Eusebius, was ten
miles from Bethjesimoth, where Israel now were, as follows.
Numbers 33:49 49 They camped by the Jordan, from Beth Jesimoth as far
as the Abel Acacia Grove[c] in the
plains of Moab.
YLT
49And they encamp by the
Jordan from Beth-Jeshimoth, unto Abel-Shittim, in the plains of Moab.
And they pitched by Jordan from Bethjesimoth, even unto
Abelshittim, in the plains of Moab. Their camp reached twelve
miles, as the Jews commonly say, which we may suppose was the distance of these
two places, which were both in the plains of Moab; and the Jerusalem Targum is
express for it, for mentioning Israel's encampment from Bethjesimoth to
Abelshittim, it asks, how far is that? twelve miles: the latter is sometimes
called Shittim, from the shittim wood which grew there, Numbers 25:1 and
here it has the addition of Abel to it, to signify mourning, from the mourning
of the children of Israel on account of the plague, in which 24,000 persons
died, Numbers 25:1.
Numbers 33:50 50 Now the Lord spoke to
Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho, saying,
YLT
50And Jehovah speaketh unto
Moses, in the plains of Moab, by Jordan, [near] Jericho, saying,
And the Lord spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan,
near Jericho,.... See Gill on Numbers 33:48; see
Gill on Numbers 22:1,
saying; as follows.
Numbers 33:51 51 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them:
‘When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
YLT
51`Speak unto the sons of
Israel, and thou hast said unto them, When ye are passing over the Jordan unto
the land of Canaan,
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,.... What was
to be said, being what concerned the whole body of the people:
when ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; near to which
they now were, and Moses was about to leave them; and therefore it was the more
necessary to give them some instructions and directions what they should do,
when they were come into it.
Numbers 33:52 52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the
land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their
molded images, and demolish all their high places;
YLT
52then ye have dispossessed
all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and have destroyed all their
imagery, yea, all their molten images ye destroy, and all their high places ye
lay waste,
Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from
before you,.... Not at once, but gradually; and the sense is, that they
should use their utmost endeavours wholly to extirpate them:
and destroy all their pictures; their idolatrous ones; the
pictures of their gods, or the statues and figured stones of them: the Targum
of Jonathan interprets it,"all the temples of their worship;'and the
Jerusalem Targum,"all their idols;'so called, as Jarchi notes, because
they covered the floor with a pavement of marble stones, to worship upon them
by the stretching out of their hands and feet, according to Leviticus 26:1,
and destroy all their molten images; of gold, silver, &c.
and quite pluck down all their high places; their
temples, groves, and altars built upon them.
Numbers 33:53 53 you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the
land and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to possess.
YLT
53and ye have possessed the
land, and dwelt in it, for to you I have given the land -- to possess it.
And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell
therein,.... Turn them out of their cities, towns, and houses, and
inhabit them:
for I have given you the land to possess it; who had a
right to dispose of it, and a better title they needed not desire than the Lord
could and did make them.
Numbers 33:54 54 And you shall divide the land by lot as an inheritance
among your families; to the larger you shall give a larger inheritance, and to
the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance; there everyone’s inheritance
shall be whatever falls to him by lot. You shall inherit according to the
tribes of your fathers.
YLT
54`And ye have inherited the
land by lot, by your families; to the many ye increase their inheritance, and
to the few ye diminish their inheritance; whither the lot goeth out to him, it
is his; by the tribes of your fathers ye inherit.
And ye shall divide the land by lot,.... What is said in this
verse is the same with Numbers 26:53,
where it has been explained; See Gill on Numbers 26:53; see
Gill on Numbers 26:54; see
Gill on Numbers 26:55; see
Gill on Numbers 26:56.
Numbers 33:55 55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the
land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall
be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass
you in the land where you dwell.
YLT
55`And if ye do not
dispossess the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it hath been,
those whom ye let remain of them, [are] for pricks in your eyes, and for thorns
in your sides, and they have distressed you on the land in which ye are
dwelling,
But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land before
you,.... Should be remiss and careless about it, and indifferent to
it, and not make use of the proper means to get rid of them, but, on the
contrary, make covenants with them, and intermarry among them; or, however,
become friendly to them, and suffer them to dwell among them:
then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them; sparing their
lives, and permitting them to dwell among them:
shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides; which
figurative expressions show that they should be very troublesome and
distressing to them, even in their most tender and nearest concerns, and
dearest relations, and which are explained and more properly expressed as
follows:
and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell; among other
things by their wicked conversation, and by drawing them into sin through their
ill examples, and so bring the displeasure of God upon them, and punishment for
their evil doings.
Numbers 33:56 56 Moreover it shall be that I will do to you as I
thought to do to them.’”
YLT
56and it hath come to pass,
as I thought to do to them -- I do to you.'
Moreover, it shall come to pass,.... This being the case,
they suffering the Canaanites to dwell among them, and they mingling with them,
learning their works, and serving their gods: that
I shall do unto you as I thought I should do unto them; deliver them
up into the hands of their enemies, who should carry them captive into other
lands.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)