5 And the children of Israel removed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth.
6 And they departed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness.
7 And they removed from Etham, and turned again unto Pihahiroth, which is before Baalzephon: and they pitched before Migdol.
8 And they departed from before Pihahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah.
9 And they removed from Marah, and came unto Elim: and in Elim were twelve fountains of water, and threescore and ten palm trees; and they pitched there.
10 And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea.
11 And they removed from the Red sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.
12 And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah.
13 And they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.
14 And they removed from Alush, and encamped at Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink.
15 And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai.
5 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 removed H5265 from Rameses, H7486 and pitched H2583 in Succoth. H5523
6 And they departed H5265 from Succoth, H5523 and pitched H2583 in Etham, H864 which is in the edge H7097 of the wilderness. H4057
7 And they removed H5265 from Etham, H864 and turned again H7725 unto Pihahiroth, H6367 which is before Baalzephon: H1189 and they pitched H2583 before H6440 Migdol. H4024
8 And they departed H5265 from before H6440 Pihahiroth, H6367 and passed through H5674 the midst H8432 of the sea H3220 into the wilderness, H4057 and went H3212 three H7969 days' H3117 journey H1870 in the wilderness H4057 of Etham, H864 and pitched H2583 in Marah. H4785
9 And they removed H5265 from Marah, H4785 and came H935 unto Elim: H362 and in Elim H362 were twelve H8147 H6240 fountains H5869 of water, H4325 and threescore and ten H7657 palm trees; H8558 and they pitched H2583 there.
10 And they removed H5265 from Elim, H362 and encamped H2583 by the Red H5488 sea. H3220
11 And they removed H5265 from the Red H5488 sea, H3220 and encamped H2583 in the wilderness H4057 of Sin. H5512
12 And they took their journey H5265 out of the wilderness H4057 of Sin, H5512 and encamped H2583 in Dophkah. H1850
13 And they departed H5265 from Dophkah, H1850 and encamped H2583 in Alush. H442
14 And they removed H5265 from Alush, H442 and encamped H2583 at Rephidim, H7508 where was no water H4325 for the people H5971 to drink. H8354
15 And they departed H5265 from Rephidim, H7508 and pitched H2583 in the wilderness H4057 of Sinai. H5514
5 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses, and encamped in Succoth.
6 And they journeyed from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness.
7 And they journeyed from Etham, and turned back unto Pihahiroth, which is before Baal-zephon: and they encamped before Migdol.
8 And they journeyed from before Hahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness: and they went three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham, and encamped in Marah.
9 And they journeyed from Marah, and came unto Elim: and in Elim were twelve springs of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees; and they encamped there.
10 And they journeyed from Elim, and encamped by the Red Sea.
11 And they journeyed from the Red Sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.
12 And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah.
13 And they journeyed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.
14 And they journeyed from Alush, and encamped in Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink.
15 And they journeyed from Rephidim, and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai.
5 and the sons of Israel journey from Rameses, and encamp in Succoth.
6 And they journey from Succoth, and encamp in Etham, which `is' in the extremity of the wilderness;
7 and they journey from Etham, and turn back on Pi-Hahiroth, which `is' on the front of Baal-Zephon, and they encamp before Migdol.
8 And 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.
9 And 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;
10 and they journey from Elim, and encamp by the Red Sea.
11 And they journey from the Red Sea, and encamp in the wilderness of Sin;
12 and they journey from the wilderness of Sin, and encamp in Dophkah.
13 And they journey from Dophkah, and encamp in Alush;
14 and they journey from Alush, and encamp in Rephidim; and there was there no water for the people to drink.
15 And they journey from Rephidim, and encamp in the wilderness of Sinai;
5 And the children of Israel removed from Rameses, and encamped in Succoth.
6 And they removed from Succoth and encamped in Etham, which is at the end of the wilderness.
7 And they removed from Etham, and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which is opposite Baal-Zephon, and encamped before Migdol.
8 And they removed from before Hahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham, and encamped in Marah.
9 And they removed from Marah, and came to Elim; and in Elim were twelve springs of water, and seventy palm-trees, and they encamped there.
10 And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea.
11 And they removed from the Red sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.
12 And they removed from the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah.
13 And they removed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.
14 And they removed from Alush, and encamped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.
15 And they removed from Rephidim, and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai.
5 The children of Israel traveled from Rameses, and encamped in Succoth.
6 They traveled from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness.
7 They traveled from Etham, and turned back to Pihahiroth, which is before Baal Zephon: and they encamped before Migdol.
8 They traveled from before Hahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness: and they went three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham, and encamped in Marah.
9 They traveled from Marah, and came to Elim: and in Elim were twelve springs of water, and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there.
10 They traveled from Elim, and encamped by the Red Sea.
11 They traveled from the Red Sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.
12 They traveled from the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah.
13 They traveled from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.
14 They traveled from Alush, and encamped in Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink.
15 They traveled from Rephidim, and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai.
5 So the children of Israel went from Rameses and put up their tents in Succoth.
6 And they went on from Succoth and put up their tents in Etham on the edge of the waste land.
7 And from Etham, turning back to Pi-hahiroth which is before Baal-zephon, they put up their tents before Migdol.
8 And journeying on from before Hahiroth, they went through the sea into the waste land: they went three days' journey through the waste land of Etham and put up their tents in Marah.
9 And from Marah they went on to Elim: and in Elim there were twelve water-springs and seventy palm-trees; and they put up their tents there.
10 And they went on from Elim and put up their tents by the Red Sea.
11 Then from the Red Sea they went on and put up their tents in the waste land of Sin.
12 And they went on from the waste land of Sin, and put up their tents in Dophkah.
13 And they went on from Dophkah, and put up their tents in Alush.
14 And they went on from Alush, and put up their tents in Rephidim, where there was no drinking-water for the people.
15 And they went on from Rephidim, and put up their tents in the waste land of Sinai.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 33
Commentary on Numbers 33 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 33
Nu 33:1-15. Two and Forty Journeys of the Israelites—from Egypt to Sinai.
1. These are the journeys of the children of Israel—This chapter may be said to form the winding up of the history of the travels of the Israelites through the wilderness; for the three following chapters relate to matters connected with the occupation and division of the promised land. As several apparent discrepancies will be discovered on comparing the records here given of the journeyings from Sinai with the detailed accounts of the events narrated in the Book of Exodus and the occasional notices of places that are found in that of Deuteronomy, it is probable that this itinerary comprises a list of only the most important stations in their journeys—those where they formed prolonged encampments, and whence they dispersed their flocks and herds to pasture on the adjacent plains till the surrounding herbage was exhausted. The catalogue extends from their departure out of Egypt to their arrival on the plains of Moab.
went forth … with their armies—that is, a vast multitude marshalled in separate companies, but regular order.
2. Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the Lord—The wisdom of this divine order is seen in the importance of the end to which it was subservient—namely, partly to establish the truth of the history, partly to preserve a memorial of God's marvellous interpositions on behalf of Israel, and partly to confirm their faith in the prospect of the difficult enterprise on which they were entering, the invasion of Canaan.
3. Rameses—generally identified with Heroopoils, now the modern Abu-Keisheid (see on Ex 12:37), which was probably the capital of Goshen, and, by direction of Moses, the place of general rendezvous previous to their departure.
4. upon their gods—used either according to Scripture phraseology to denote their rulers (the first-born of the king and his princes) or the idolatrous objects of Egyptian worship.
5. pitched in Succoth—that is, "booths"—a place of no note except as a temporary halting place, at Birketel-Hadji, the Pilgrim's Pool [Calmet].
6. Etham—edge, or border of all that part of Arabia-Petræa which lay contiguous to Egypt and was known by the general name of Shur.
7. Pi-hahiroth, Baal-zephon … Migdol—(See on Ex 14:2).
8. Marah—thought to be Ain Howarah, both from its position and the time (three days) it would take them with their children and flocks to march from the water of Ayun Musa to that spot.
9. Elim—supposed to be Wady Ghurundel (see on Ex 15:27).
10. encamped by the Red Sea—The road from Wady Ghurundel leads into the interior, in consequence of a high continuous ridge which excludes all view of the sea. At the mouth of Wady-et-Tayibeh, after about three days' march, it opens again on a plain along the margin of the Red Sea. The minute accuracy of the Scripture narrative, in corresponding so exactly with the geographical features of this region, is remarkably shown in describing the Israelites as proceeding by the only practicable route that could be taken. This plain, where they encamped, was the Desert of Sin (see on Ex 16:1).
12-14. Dophkah … Alush … Rephidim—These three stations, in the great valleys of El Sheikh and Feiran, would be equivalent to four days' journey for such a host. Rephidim (Ex 17:6) was in Horeb, the burnt region—a generic name for a hot, mountainous country. [See on Ex 17:1.]
15. wilderness of Sinai—the Wady Er-Raheh.
Nu 33:16-56. From Sinai to Kadesh and Plains of Moab.
16-37. Kibroth-Hattaavah ("the graves of lust," see on Nu 11:34)—The route, on breaking up the encampment at Sinai, led down Wady Sheikh; then crossing Jebel-et-Tih, which intersected the peninsula, they descended into Wady Zalaka, pitching successively at two brief, though memorable, stations (De 9:22); then they encamped at Hazeroth ("unwalled villages"), supposed to be at Ain-Hadera (see on Nu 11:35). Kadesh, or Kadesh-barnea, is supposed to be the great valley of the Ghor, and the city Kadesh to have been situated on the border of this valley [Burckhardt; Robinson]. But as there are no less than eighteen stations inserted between Hazeroth and Kadesh, and only eleven days were spent in performing that journey (De 1:2), it is evident that the intermediate stations here recorded belong to another and totally different visit to Kadesh. The first was when they left Sinai in the second month (Nu 1:11; 13:20), and were in Kadesh in August (De 1:45), and "abode many days" in it. Then, murmuring at the report of the spies, they were commanded to return into the desert "by the way of the Red Sea." The arrival at Kadesh, mentioned in this catalogue, corresponds to the second sojourn at that place, being the first month, or April (Nu 20:1). Between the two visits there intervened a period of thirty-eight years, during which they wandered hither and thither through all the region of El-Tih ("wanderings"), often returning to the same spots as the pastoral necessities of their flocks required; and there is the strongest reason for believing that the stations named between Hazeroth (Nu 33:8) and Kadesh (Nu 33:36) belong to the long interval of wandering. No certainty has yet been attained in ascertaining the locale of many of these stations. There must have been more than are recorded; for it is probable that those only are noted where they remained some time, where the tabernacle was pitched, and where Moses and the elders encamped, the people being scattered for pasture in various directions. From Ezion-geber, for instance, which stood at the head of the gulf of Akaba, to Kadesh, could not be much less than the whole length of the great valley of the Ghor, a distance of not less than a hundred miles, whatever might be the exact situation of Kadesh; and, of course, there must have been several intervening stations, though none are mentioned. The incidents and stages of the rest of the journey to the plains of Moab are sufficiently explicit from the preceding chapters.
18. Rithmah ("the place of the broom")—a station possibly in some wady extending westward of the Ghor.
19. Rimmon-parez, or Rimmon—a city of Judah and Simeon (Jos 15:32); Libnah, so called from its white poplars (Jos 10:29), or, as some think, a white hill between Kadesh and Gaza (Jos 10:29); Rissah (El-arish); mount Shapher (Cassius); Moseroth, adjacent to mount Hor, in Wady Mousa. Ezion-geber, near Akaba, a seaport on the western shore of the Elanitic gulf; Wilderness of Zin, on the east side of the peninsula of Sinai; Punon, in the rocky ravines of mount Hor and famous for the mines and quarries in its vicinity as well as for its fruit trees, now Tafyle, on the border of Edom; Abarim, a ridge of rugged hills northwest of the Arnon—the part called Nebo was one of its highest peaks—opposite Jericho. (See on De 10:6).
50-53. ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you—not, however, by expulsion, but extermination (De 7:1).
and destroy all their pictures—obelisks for idolatrous worship (see on Le 26:1).
and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places—by metonymy for all their groves and altars, and materials of worship on the tops of hills.
54. ye shall divide the land by lot—The particular locality of each tribe was to be determined in this manner while a line was to be used in measuring the proportion (Jos 18:10; Ps 16:5, 6).
55. But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you—No associations were to be formed with the inhabitants; otherwise, "if ye let remain, they will be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides"—that is, they would prove troublesome and dangerous neighbors, enticing to idolatry, and consequently depriving you of the divine favor and blessing. The neglect of the counsel against union with the idolatrous inhabitants became fatal to them. This earnest admonition given to the Israelites in their peculiar circumstances conveys a salutary lesson to us to allow no lurking habits of sin to remain in us. That spiritual enemy must be eradicated from our nature; otherwise it will be ruinous to our present peace and future salvation.