A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Numbers · Chapter 33
CHAP. XXXIII.
Verſ. 1. THeſe are the journeys of the children of Iſrael which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies, &c.]
Which were about ſix hundred thouſand men, beſide women and children, and much mixed people with them, Exod. 12. 37, 38. and they journey…d in ſeverall troops and armies.
Verſ. 2. And Moſes wrote their goings out, according to their journeys, by the commandment of the Lord.]
That is, Moſes by the commandment of the Lord wrote this following journall of the Iſraelites travels from Egypt to the land of Canaan, wherein are ſet down not all the ſeverall places the Iſraelites came to, or all their ſeverall removes from one place to another, but all the ſeverall ſtations of their journeys, that is, the ſeverall places where they pitched their tents and abode for ſome time. And this was done, firſt, the better thereby to aſſure poſterity of this miraculous deliverance of their fathers out of Egypt▪ and of the Lords leading them through the wilderneſſe to the land of promiſe▪ this expreſſe deſcription of the names of their ſeverall ſtations being a ſtrong evidence of the certainty of this ſtory: and ſ…condly, that here in a ſhort compaſſe, as in a little map, by the mention of the ſeverall places where ſuch things were done, they might be put in mind of the rebellion of their fathers, of Gods ſeverity in chaſtiſing them for their rebellion, but eſpecially his goodneſſe and faithfulneſſe to the ſeed of Abraha…, notwithſtanding the many provocations wherewith they had provoked him to diſpleaſure againſ… them.
Verſ. 3. And they departed from Rameſes in the first monethmonth, &c.]
Whither they aſſembled by direction of Moſes from all parts of the land of Go…hen.
Verſ. 4. For the Egyptians buried all their firſt-born which the Lord had ſmitten amongst them.]
This intimates the cauſe why the Egyptians did not at preſent oppoſe their going thence, to wit, becauſe God had pulled down their pride by ſlaying their firſt-born.
Ʋpon their gods alſo the Lord executed judgement.]
See the note upon Exod. 12. 12.
Verſ. 6. And they departed from Succ…th, and pitched in Etham.]
Here the Lord began firſt to go before them by day in a pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire.
Verſ. 7. And they removed from Etham, and turned again unto Pi-hahiroth, &c.]
A narrow paſſage between two ledges of mountains, into which being entred, Pharaoh overtook them with a mighty army, and thought they could not now have eſcaped him; but God divided the red ſea, which the Iſraelites paſſing, the Egyptians aſſayed to follow them, and were drowned.
Verſ. 8. And pitched in Marah.]
Having travelled three dayes journey from the red ſea through the wilderneſſe without any water, and finding the waters here very bitter, they began to mutiny againſt Moſes; but God ſweetned the water with a tree, Exod. 15. 23.
Verſ. 11. And they removed from the red ſea, and encamped in the wilderneſſe of Sin.]
So called from Sin a city in Egypt, over againſt which this wilderneſſe lay. Hither they came a juſt monethmonth after their departure from Rameſes. In this wilderneſſe they murmured grievouſly for want of food, and God gave them quails, and rained manna from heaven, which was ſtill continued till they came into Canaan.
Verſ. 14. And they removed from Aluſh, and encamped at Rephidim, &c.]
A place famous, firſt, for the mutiny of the Iſraelites for want of water, wherein they had almoſt ſtoned Moſes; ſecondly, for the water fetched miraculouſly out of the rock in Horeb; thirdly, for the victory they had over the Amalekites, who there ſet upon them; fourthly, for Moſes his meeting with Jethro, his wife and ſonues, and the counſel he had of Jethro for the government of the people.
Verſ. 15. And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderneſſe of Sinai.]
Hither they came the beginning of the third monethmonth, Exod. 19. 1. and ſtayed there till the twentieth day of the ſecond monethmonth of the ſecond year, Numb. 10. 11, 12. Here was the Law given, and the tabernacle built, and the people puniſhed for making and worſhipping a golden calf, and Nadab and Abihu take… ſuddenly away for offering ſtrange fire, and the people firſt numbred, and then ordered in their ſeverall camps, both for their encamping about the tabernacle, and their journeying with it to the land of Canaan.
Verſ. 16. And they removed from the deſert of Sinai, and pitched at Kibrothhattaavah.]
Here the people fell a luſting for …leſh; God again ſent them quails, yea for a monethmonth together, in great abundance, whereon they ſurfeted and dyed miſerably with the fleſh between their teeth.
Verſ. 17. And they departed from Kibroth-hattaavah, and encamped at Hazeroth.]
Here Miriam and Aaron murmured againſt Moſes, and ſhe was ſmitten with leproſie, Numb. 12.
Verſ. 18. And they departed from Hazeroth, and pitched in Rithmah.]
Which was i… the wilderneſſe of Paran, Numb. 13. 1. near Kadeſh-barnea, whence ſpies were ſent to ſearch the land; upon whoſe report the people murmuring, God was wroth, and appointed Moſes to return again to the red ſea, as having vowed that not one of that generation ſhould enter Canaan ſave Joſhua and Caleb.
Verſ. 20. And they departed from Rimmon-parez, and pitched in Libnah.]
This ſome think is the ſame which is called Laban, Deut. 1. 1.
Verſ. 25. And they removed from Haradah, and pitched in Makheloth.]
It is interpreted aſſemblies, ſo called as ſome think of the mutinous aſſemblies of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram there.
Verſ. 31. And they departed from Moſeroth and pitched in Bene-jaakan, &c.]
Thir Moſeroth is called Moſerah, and Bene-jaakan, Beroth-bene-jaakan, as likewiſe in the next verſes Hor-hagidgad is called Gudgodah, and Jotbathah Jotbath, Deut. 10. 6, 7. See the note there.
Verſ. 35. And they departed from Ebronah, and encamped at Ezion-gaber.]
A place by the red ſea, where was a hatbour for ſhipping in Edoms land, 1. Kings 9. 26. See alſo 1. Kings 22. 48.
Verſ. 36. And they removed from Ezion-gaber and pitched in the wilderneſſe of Zin, which is Kadeſh.]
That is, at Kadeſh in the wilderneſſe of Zin. Here Miriam dyed, the people again murmured for water, and had water out of a rock; but God was diſpleaſed with Moſes and Aaron for their unbelief. Hither they came in the beginning of the fourtieth year, and hence they ſent to crave a paſſage through Edoms land, but it was denied them.
Verſ. 41. And they departed from mount Her and pitched in Zalmonah.]
Which may be ſo called of Zelem, an image: it is thought to be the place where the Iſraelites for their murmuring were …tung with fiery ſerpents, and the brazen ſerpent was by Gods appointment erected for their help.
Verſ. 45. And they departed from Iim and pitched in Dibon-gad.]
So called, becauſe it was repaired and poſſeſſed by the tribe of Gad, chap. 32. 34. and to diſtinguiſh it from another Dibon, which was given to the Reubenites. See Joſh. 13. 15, 17.
Verſ. 52. Then ye ſhall drive out all the inhabitants of the land.]
To wit, by deſtroying them, Deut. 7. 12.
Verſ. 54. And ye ſhall divide the land by lot, &c.]
See the note upon chap. 26. 55.
Verſ. 55. Thoſe which ye let remain of them ſhall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your ſides, &c.]
That is, they ſhall be continuall ſnares, ſeducing you out of the right way, and withall will be vexing and troubling you, and ſo will miſchief you both in ſoul and body.
Verſ. 56. Moreover, it ſhall come to paſſe that I ſhall do unto you as I thought to do unto them.]
That is, deſtroy you, and root you out of the land.