Commentary on Numbers, Book · Chapter 34
CHAP. XXXIV.
Chapter XXXIV Verſe 1 Ver. 1. AND the LORD ſpake unto Moſes, ſaying.] In the ſame place, where they were when he laſt ſpake to him; for they made no other Removals till they marched for Canaan.
Verſe 2 Ver. 2. Command the Children of Iſrael.] Charge them to take notice of this.
And ſay unto them, when ye come into the Land of Canaan, this is the Land that ſhall fall unto you, for your Inheritance.] Having ſpoken to them concerning their diſpoſſeſſing the Canaanites, and dividing their Land among their Tribes; it was fit to deſcribe the Bounds of their Country, that they might know whom they were to deſtroy, and into whoſe Poſſeſſions they were to enter.
Even the Land of Canaan, and the Coaſts thereof.] The Land beyond Jordan; and the Limits or Bounds thereof.
Verſe 3 Ver. 3. Then your South quarter ſhall be from the Wilderneſs of Zin.] Mentioned in the foregoing Chapter, v. 36.
Along by the Coaſt of Edom.] Which bordered upon this Wilderneſs.] XX. 1, 14.
And your South border ſhall be the utmost Coast of the Salt Sea.] From the very tongue of it, as it is expreſſed XV Joſh. 2. where it appears, this was the Portion of the Tribe of Judah. The Salt-Sea is that which is called ſometimes the Dead-Sea, and in other Authors, Lacus Aſphaltites. See XIV Gen. 3. The Hebrews call all great Lakes by the Name of Seas; and this is called the Salt-Sea, becauſe the Water of it is very Salt, or, as ſome expreſs it, bitter: and the Dead-Sea, propter aquae immobilitatem, as Juſtin ſpeaks, Lib. XXXVI. becauſe of the immoveableneſs of the Water, which is never ſtirred by the greateſt Winds. See Voſſius de Orig. & Progr. Idolal. Lib. II. cap. 68.
Eaſtward.] Where the Eaſtern and the Southern Border meet.
Ver. 4. And your Border.] That is, this South Verſe 4 Border.
Shall turn.] Not go on in a ſtrait Line; but bending toward the Weſt.
From the South to the aſcent of Akrabbim.] Or to Maale-Akrabbim; a Mountain on the South-end of the Dead-Sea, XV Joſh. 3. I Judg. 36. So called, as Bochartus conjectures, from the vaſt multitude of Scorpions found here. From which Mountain alſo, it is probable, the Region called Acrabatena, near to Idumaea, had its name 1 Maccab. V. 3. See Hierozoicon, P. II. Lib. IV. cap. 29.
And paſs on to Zin.] Either to a place called Zin; or part of the Wilderneſs of Zin: which lay on the South of the Land of Canaan, XIII. 21.
And the going forth thereof ſhall be from the South.] That is, ſtill on towards the South; as appears from what goes before, and follows after.
To Kadeſh-barnea.] From whence the Spies were ſent to ſearch out the Land; and are ſaid expreſly to have gone up by the South, XIII. 22, 26.
And ſhall go on to Hazar-Addar.] Or, to the Village of Addar, as the Vulgar Latin renders it: which ſeems to be juſtified by XV Joſh. 3. where it is ſimply called Addar. There is indeed a place called Hezron joyned with it, which may be thought to be the ſame with Hazar. But ſo is another place alſo called Karkaa: both which may as well be thought to be here omitted, for brevities ſake.
And paſs on to Azmon.] A place lying on the Weſtend of the Mount of Edom.
Verſe 5 Ver. 5. And the border ſhall fetch a compaſs.] There ſhall be a greater turn than that mentioned v. 4. bending ſtill more Weſtward.
From Azmon unto the River of Egypt.] By the River of Egypt is properly underſtood Nile: and ſo Jonathan here renders the Hebrew word Nahal (River) by Nilus. Which may ſeem to have taken its name from the word Nahal; which the Ancients did not pronounce as we now do, but called it Neel, as we find in Epiphanius. From whence Nilus was very eaſily made, as Bochartus obſerves, Hierozoic. P. II. Lib. V. cap. 15. But if Nile be here meant, it muſt be the more Northerly mouth of it, where Peluſium ſtood. See XV Gen. 18.
And the goings out of it ſhall be at the Sea.] This Border ended at the Sea, called the Great Sea in the next verſe.
Verſe 6 Ver. 6. And as for the Weſtern border, ye ſhall have even the great Sea.] That is, the Mediterranean, or midland Sea, which lay on the Weſt of Judaea. And is called by the Hebrews the Great Sea, in compariſon with the Lake of Geneſaret, and Aſpaltites, which they alſo called Seas.
For your border.] On the Weſt, as it here follows.
This ſhall be your Weſtern border.] From the River of Egypt as far as Zidon; which was a part of the promiſed Land, as appears from XIII Joſh. 6. I Judg. 31. All the Cities indeed on the ſhore of this Sea, were held by the Philiſtines and others, till the time of David: but the Iſraelites had a right to them. And the famous Rabbi Juda underſtands theſe words, as if they ſhould have the Weſtern Ocean it ſelf for their Portion, as well as the Land adjacent to it. For ſo he expounds theſe words, as if Moſes had ſaid, this ſhall be your Weſtern Border, viz. The Border of the Sea, and the Iſles near unto it. And the Hieruſalem Targum more plainly, And let the great Sea be your Border; i. e. the Ocean, and the Iſles thereof, and the Cities, and the Ships with the ancient Waters, that are in the midſt of it. See Selden in his Mare Clauſum, Lib. I. cap. 6. where he alledges this as a proof, that Men anciently thought they might have a Dominion over the Sea, as well as the Land.
Ver. 7. And this ſhall be your Northern border from Verſe 7 the great Sea.] From the Mediterranean, which lay on the Weſt.
Ye ſhall point out for you.] Mark out for your Direction.
Mount Hor.] Not that Mount where Aaron died; for that was on the South of the Land of Canaan, towards Edom: but this was diametrically oppoſite, on the North of it. And therefore muſt in all likelyhood be ſome part of Mount Libanus, which with Antilibanus (more towards the great Sea) bounded the promiſed Land on the North. But there were ſeveral parts of Mount Libanus, which were called by ſeveral Names; and probably one of them was called Hor; becauſe of its eminency or height above the reſt. So the Vulgar tranſlates it; reading, I ſuppoſe, the Hebrew, not Hor hahar, i. e. Hor the Mountain, but Har hahar, the Mountain of Mountain, i. e. the higheſt Mountain. The Jews generally by this Mount Hor underſtand Amanus, which is a part of Taurus, (as Mr. Selden obſerves in the place before-named) which the Hieruſalem Targum calls more briefly Manus.
Verſe 8 Ver. 8. From Mount Hor ye ſhall point out your border to the entrance of Hamath.] There were two Hamaths: one called by the Greeks Antiochia; the other Epiphania. The former called Hamath the Great, VI Amos 2. to diſtinguiſh it from the latter; which is the City that is always meant, when we read the Bounds of Judaea, were to the entrance of Hamath Northward, as here and XIII. 21. For it is certain, as Bochartus obſerves, they did not reach to Antiochia, but came near to Epiphania, Lib. IV. Phaleg. cap. 36. And this makes it probable that Hor, as I ſaid before, may be a Promontory of Libanus; becauſe in XIII Joſh. 5. Hermon is joyned with the entrance of Hamath, as Hor is here. Now Hermon was certainly a part of Libanus; by ſome called Sirion; by others Senir, III Deut. 9. and by others Sion, IV Deut. 48.
And the goings forth of the border ſhall be to Zedad.] Which in Ezekiel's time was reckoned the Northern Border (together with Hamath) from the great Sea; juſt as it is here, XLVII Ezek. 15, 16.
Ver. 9. And the border ſhall go on to Ziphron.] Another Town in thoſe parts; of which I find no mention any where elſe.
And the goings out of it ſhall be at Hazar-Enam.] Verſe 9 Here it ended: which was a place that retained its name till Ezekiel's time, XLVII. 17. David Chytraeus ſeems to have given a full account of this Northern Border, in a few words. It extended, ſaith he, from the Mediterranean, by the Mountains of Libanus, to the Fountain of Jordan. In which Tract are the Towns of Hamath, Zadad (in the Tribe of Naphthali) Ziphron (in the ſame Tribe at the foot of Libanus) and Hazar-Enan, which he takes to ſignifie a Village at the Fountain, viz. of Jordan.
Ver. 10. And ye ſhall point out your East border from Verſe 10 Hazar-Enan.] From the Fountain of Jordan, as was ſaid before.
To Shepham.] A place, not far from thence: for the River Jordan was certainly the Eaſtern Limits.
Ver. 11. And the Coast.] The Limits, or Bounds. Verſe 11
Shall go down from Shepham to Riblah.] A place no doubt near to Jordan; with which River the Eaſtern Limits go along. St. Hierom takes Riblah to be Antiochia: but that was in Syria; to which the promiſed Land did not reach.
On the Eaſt ſide of Ain.] The Vulgar reads it, the Fountain of Daphne. And indeed Ain ſignifies a Fountain: and both Jonathan and the Hieruſalem Targum take Riblah for Daphne; as they do Shepham before-mentioned for Apamia. But this is only a vain Conceit of the Jews, who would extend their Bounds beyond what God gave them. For it is certain the Land of Canaan never extended to theſe places, as Bochartus obſerves, Lib. I. Canaan, cap. 16. And therefore Daphne (which was in the Suburbs of Antiochia) cannot be here meant, unleſs we underſtand another place mentioned by Joſephus, Lib. IV. de Bello Judaico, cap. 1. which lay near the Lake of Semechonites, through the middle of which Jordan ran. And then Ain muſt ſignifie another Fountain of Jordan; for it had more than one. And thus David Chytraeus explains this part of the verſe, and the fore-going: The Eaſtern Bounds were the River Jordan, near to which were theſe places; Enan, which had its name from the Fountain of the River; and Shepham, not far from thence; and Riblah, which was alſo near to Jordan, lying between the Lake of Semechonites and Geneſaret.
And the border ſhall deſcend, and ſhall reach unto the ſide of the Sea of Cinnereth Eaſtward.] To the Eaſt ſide of this Sea or Lake, which had its name from a City ſo called, XIX Joſh. 35. and a Country, 1 Kings XV. 20. or elſe it gave them their names: For David Chytraeus will have it called Cinnereth, from the Hebrew word Cinnor, which ſignifies an Harp or Lute, the Lake being of that ſhape and figure; about four German Miles long, and two and a half broad. It is called the Sea of Galilee, or Tiberias, in the Goſpel.
Verſe 12 Ver. 12. And the border.] i. e. this Eaſtern Border.
Shall go down to Jordan.] That is, to the River which was eminently ſo called, (and was on the Eaſt part of Canaan, XIII Gen. 11.) for it was very ſmall till it came to the Lake of Geneſaret before-mentioned. From whence, being augmented by ſeveral Torrents and Rivulets, it ran in a wider Stream, till it fell into the Salt or Dead-Sea. See Bonfrerius out of Joſephus, Lib. IV. de Bello Judaico, cap. 1.
And its goings out ſhall be at the Salt-Sea.] There was the end of this Border; where it met with the Southern, as was obſerved above, v. 3.
This ſhall be your Land with the Coaſts thereof, round about.] As was ſaid before v. 2. therefore they were not to extend their Right any farther; this being the Country he promiſed Abraham, when he bad him lift up his Eyes, and look from the place where he was, Northward, and Southward, and Eaſtward, and Weſtward, and walk through the length of the Land and breadth of it, which he aſſures to his Poſterity, XIII Gen. 14, 15, 16, 17. which now he lays out for them, with the exact Limits of it, in all thoſe four quarters.
Ver. 13. And Moſes commanded the Children of Iſrael, Verſe 13 ſaying, This is the Land which ye ſhall inherit by lot.] He repeats it ſo often, that they might know what People they were to diſpoſſeſs, and with whom they might make Friendſhip; and not extend their Deſires beyond the bounds of Gods gracious Grant to them. By which they were placed in a very fertile and pleaſant Country, bounded, as appears by the foregoing deſcription, on the South (v. 4, 5.) by great Mountains, which ſheltred them from the burning Air of the Deſarts of Arabia; on the Weſt by the Midland Sea, which ſent to them refreſhing Breezes; and on the North by Mount Libanus, which kept off the colder Blaſts from that quarter; and on the Eaſt, the delightful Plains of Jordan, abounding with Palm-trees, eſpecially about Jericho, which yielded them a great Revenue.
Which the LORD commanded to give to the nino Tribes, and to the half Tribe.] This he had not ſaid plainly before, though it was neceſſarily inferred, from his granting to two Tribes and an half their Inheritance beyond Jordan.
Ver. 14. For the Tribe of the Children of Reuben, Verſe 14 according to the Houſe of their Fathers, and the Tribe of the Children of Gad, &c. have received their Inheritance.] Upon condition they performed their promiſe, to help the reſt of their Tribes to win their Inheritance in Canaan. So thoſe words are to be underſtood, I obſerved XXXII. 33. Moſes gave unto them the Kingdom of Sihon, &c.
Verſe 15 Ver. 15. The two Tribes and an half have received their Inheritance, on this ſide Jordan, &c.] By the Gift of God, as they themſelves underſtood it, XXXII. 31. The bounds of which the Hieruſalem Targum here undertakes to ſet down, and makes them extend Eaſtward, as far as the great River Euphrates; having reſpect, I ſuppoſe, to XV Geneſis 18. and XXIII Exod. 30. Where he ſets down the utmoſt Bounds of the Countries he intended to beſtow upon them in future times, (See there) but here only deſcribes the Limits of that Land, which they were to enjoy in preſent poſſeſſion; and was all that God granted to Abraham, when he brought him out of Chaldaea, and made his firſt Promiſe unto him, XII Gen. 1, 7. XIII. 14, 15, 17. XV. 7.
Verſe 16 Ver. 16. And the LORD ſpake unto Moſes, ſaying.] Having told them what they ſhould divide, it was proper to appoint ſome Perſons to take care to ſee the Diviſion made.
Verſe 17 Ver. 17. Theſe are the names of the Men which ſhall divide the Land.] Though the Land was to be divided by Lot, yet it was fit there ſhould be ſome Perſons to overſee the Buſineſs, and take care there ſhould be no Fraud in the drawing of them: And when they were drawn, to prevent all quarrels, by determining what Portion, thoſe who had too much, ſhould give to thoſe who had too little, XXVI. 54, 55.
Eleazar the Priest, and Joſhua the Son of Nun.] Theſe were the principal Perſons concerned in this great Affair: who were ſo conſcientious therein, that they did it in the preſence of God, at the Door of the Tabernacle, XVIII Joſh. 6, 8, 10. XIX. 51.
Ver. 18. And ye ſhall take one Prince of every Tribe, Verſe 18 to divide the Land by Inheritance.] They are called in the place laſt named, The Heads of the Fathers of the Tribes of the Children of Iſrael.
Ver. 19. The names of the Men are theſe, of the Tribe Verſe 19 of Judah, Caleb the Son of Jephunneh.] I have nothing to obſerve upon this, and the following verſes, to the end of the Chapter; but that the Tribes are not mentioned in ſuch order as they were at their firſt numbring, (I. 5, 6, &c.) or at their ſecond, XXVI. 5, &c. yet great exactneſs, and a particular direction of God may be noted in their placing here; for they are ſet down according to their ſituation which they had afterwards in the Land of Canaan: as if Moſes foreſaw who ſhould be next Neighbours one to another. For Judah having his Inheritance given him firſt, (XV Joſh.) Simeon, who is here next mentioned, was ſo near him in the Land of Canaan, that he had a Portion given him out of the Lot of Judah, which proved too large for that Tribe, XIX Joſh. 9. I Judg. 3, 17. Then Benjamin, who here follows, in the third place, was ſo near to Judah, that they never ſeparated when the ten Tribes were rent from them. Dan was not far from Judah; and the Children of Joſeph alſo were their Neighbours. And the reſt of the Tribes, Zebulun, Iſſachar, Aſher, Naphtali, are ſet down here, juſt in the order wherein their Lots fell to them in Canaan, XIX Joſh. 10, 17, 24, 32. An Evidence that Moſes was guided by a Divine Spirit, in all his Writings.