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Numbers 33:2-56 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

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2 and Moses writeth their outgoings, by their journeys, by the command of Jehovah; and these `are' their journeys, by their outgoings:

3 And 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 --

4 and the Egyptians are burying those whom Jehovah hath smitten among them, every first-born, and on their gods hath Jehovah done judgments --

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;

16 and they journey from the wilderness of Sinai, and encamp in Kibroth-Hattaavah.

17 And they journey from Kibroth-Hattaavah, and encamp in Hazeroth;

18 and they journey from Hazeroth, and encamp in Rithmah.

19 And they journey from Rithmah, and encamp in Rimmon-Parez;

20 and they journey from Rimmon-Parez, and encamp in Libnah.

21 And they journey from Libnah, and encamp in Rissah;

22 and they journey from Rissah, and encamp in Kehelathah.

23 And they journey from Kehelathah, and encamp in mount Shapher;

24 and they journey from mount Shapher, and encamp in Haradah.

25 And they journey from Haradah, and encamp in Makheloth;

26 and they journey from Makheloth, and encamp in Tahath.

27 And they journey from Tahath, and encamp in Tarah;

28 and they journey from Tarah, and encamp in Mithcah.

29 And they journey from Mithcah, and encamp in Hashmonah;

30 and they journey from Hashmonah, and encamp in Moseroth.

31 And they journey from Moseroth, and encamp in Bene-Jaakan;

32 and they journey from Bene-Jaakan, and encamp at Hor-Hagidgad.

33 And they journey from Hor-Hagidgad, and encamp in Jotbathah;

34 and they journey from Jotbathah, and encamp in Ebronah.

35 And they journey from Ebronah, and encamp in Ezion-Gaber;

36 and they journey from Ezion-Gaber, and encamp in the wilderness of Zin, which `is' Kadesh.

37 And they journey from Kadesh, and encamp in mount Hor, in the extremity of the land of Edom.

38 And 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;

39 and Aaron `is' a son of a hundred and twenty and three years in his dying in mount Hor.

40 And the Canaanite -- king Arad -- who is dwelling in the south, in the land of Canaan, heareth of the coming of the sons of Israel.

41 And they journey from mount Hor, and encamp in Zalmonah;

42 and they journey from Zalmonah, and encamp in Punon.

43 And they journey from Punon, and encamp in Oboth;

44 and they journey from Oboth, and encamp in Ije-Abarim, in the border of Moab.

45 And they journey from Iim, and encamp in Dibon-Gad;

46 and they journey from Dibon-Gad, and encamp in Almon-Diblathaim.

47 And they journey from Almon-Diblathaim, and encamp in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo;

48 and they journey from the mountains of Abarim, and encamp in the plains of Moab, by Jordan, `near' Jericho.

49 And they encamp by the Jordan from Beth-Jeshimoth, unto Abel-Shittim, in the plains of Moab.

50 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, in the plains of Moab, by Jordan, `near' Jericho, saying,

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,

52 then 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,

53 and ye have possessed the land, and dwelt in it, for to you I have given the land -- to possess it.

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.

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,

56 and it hath come to pass, as I thought to do to them -- I do to you.'

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Numbers 33

Commentary on Numbers 33 Matthew Henry Commentary

John Gill   Keil & Delitzsch   Robert Jamieson: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible  

Chapter 33

In this chapter we have,

  • I. A particular account of the removals and encampments of the children of Israel, from their escape out of Egypt to their entrance into Canaan, forty-two in all, with some remarkable events that happened at some of those places (v. 1-49).
  • II. A strict command given them to drive out all the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, which they were not going to conquer and take possession of (v. 50-56). So that the former part of the chapter looks back upon their march through the wilderness, the latter looks forward to their settlement in Canaan.

Num 33:1-49

This is a review and brief rehearsal of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It was a memorable history and well worthy to be thus abridged, and the abridgment thus preserved, to the honour of God that led them and for the encouragement of the generations that followed. Observe here,

  • I. How the account was kept: Moses wrote their goings out, v. 2. When they began this tedious march, God ordered him to keep a journal or diary, and to insert in it all the remarkable occurrences of their way, that it might be a satisfaction to himself in the review and an instruction to others when it should be published. It may be of good use to private Christians, but especially to those in public stations, to preserve in writing an account of the providences of God concerning them, the constant series of mercies they have experienced, especially those turns and changes which have made some days of their lives more remarkable. Our memories are deceitful and need this help, that we may remember all the way which the Lord our God has led us in this wilderness, Deu. 8:2.
  • II. What the account itself was. It began with their departure out of Egypt, continued with their march through the wilderness, and ended in the plains of Moab, where they now lay encamped.
    • 1. Some things are observed here concerning their departure out of Egypt, which they are reminded of upon all occasions, as a work of wonder never to be forgotten.
      • (1.) That they went forth with their armies (v. 1), rank and file, as an army with banners.
      • (2.) Under the hand of Moses and Aaron, their guides, overseers, and rulers, under God.
      • (3.) With a high hand, because God's hand was high that wrought for them, and in the sight of all the Egyptians, v. 3. They did not steal away clandestinely (Isa. 52:12), but in defiance of their enemies, to whom God had made them such a burdensome stone that they neither could, nor would, nor durst, oppose them.
      • (4.) They went forth while the Egyptians were burying, or at least preparing to bury, their first-born, v. 4. They had a mind good enough, or rather bad enough, still to have detained the Israelites their prisoners, but God found them other work to do. They would have God's first-born buried alive, but God set them a burying their own first-born.
      • (5.) To all the plagues of Egypt it is added here that on their gods also the Lord executed judgments. Their idols which they worshipped, it is probable, were broken down, as Dagon afterwards before the ark, so that they could not consult them about this great affair. To this perhaps there is reference, Isa. 19:1, The idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence.
    • 2. Concerning their travels towards Canaan. Observe,
      • (1.) They were continually upon the remove. When they had pitched a little while in one place they departed from that to another. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city.
      • (2.) Most of their way lay through a wilderness, uninhabited, untracked, unfurnished even with the necessaries of human life, which magnifies the wisdom and power of God, by whose wonderful conduct and bounty the thousands of Israel not only subsisted for forty years in that desolate place, but came out at least as numerous and vigorous as they went in. At first they pitched in the edge of the wilderness (v. 6), but afterwards in the heart of it; by less difficulties God prepares his people for greater. We find them in the wilderness of Etham (v. 8), of Sin (v. 11), of Sinai, v. 15. Our removals in this world are but from one wilderness to another.
      • (3.) They were led to and fro, forward and backward, as in a maze or labyrinth, and yet were all the while under the direction of the pillar of cloud and fire. He led them about (Deu. 32:10), and yet led them the right way, Ps. 107:7. The way which God takes in bringing his people to himself is always the best way, though it does not always seem to us the nearest way.
      • (4.) Some events are mentioned in this journal, as their want of water at Rephidim (v. 14), the death of Aaron (v. 38, 39), the insult of Arad (v. 40); and the very name of Kibroth-hattaavah-the graves of lusts (v. 16), has a story depending upon it. Thus we ought to keep in mind the providences of God concerning us and our families, us and our land, and the many instances of that divine care which has led us, and fed us, and kept us, all our days hitherto. Shittim, the place where the people sinned in the matter of Peor (ch. 25:1), is here called Abel-shittim. Abel signifies mourning (as Gen. 50:11), and probably this place was so called from the mourning of the good people of Israel on account of that sin and of God's wrath against them for it. It was so great a mourning that it gave a name to the place.

Num 33:50-56

While the children of Israel were in the wilderness their total separation from all other people kept them out of the way of temptation to idolatry, and perhaps this was one thing intended by their long confinement in the wilderness, that thereby the idols of Egypt might be forgotten, and the people aired (as it were) and purified from that infection, and the generation that entered Canaan might be such as never knew those depths of Satan. But now that they were to pass over Jordan they were entering again into that temptation, and therefore,

  • 1. They are here strictly charged utterly to destroy all remnants of idolatry. They must not only drive out the inhabitants of the land, that they may possess their country, but they must deface all their idolatrous pictures and images, and pull down all their high places, v. 52. They must not preserve any of them, no, not as monuments of antiquity to gratify the curious, nor as ornaments of their houses, nor toys for their children to play with, but they must destroy all, both in token of their abhorrence and detestation of idolatry and to prevent their being tempted to worship those images, and the false gods represented by them, or to worship the God of Israel by such images or representations.
  • 2. They were assured that, if they did so, God would by degrees put them in full possession of the land of promise, v. 53, 54. If they would keep themselves pure from the idols of Canaan, God would enrich them with the wealth of Canaan. Learn not their way, and then fear not their power.
  • 3. They were threatened that, if they spared either the idols or the idolaters, they should be beaten with their own rod and their sin would certainly be their punishment.
    • (1.) They would foster snakes in their own bosoms, v. 55. The remnant of the Canaanites, if they made any league with them, though it were but a cessation of arms, would be pricks in their eyes and thorns in their sides, that is, they would be upon all occasions vexatious to them, insulting them, robbing them, and, to the utmost of their power, making mischief among them. We must expect trouble and affliction from that, whatever it is, which we sinfully indulge; that which we are willing should tempt us we shall find will vex us.
    • (2.) The righteous God would turn that wheel upon the Israelites which was to have crushed the Canaanites: I shall do to you as I thought to do unto them, v. 56. It was intended that the Canaanites should be dispossessed; but if the Israelites fell in with them, and learned their way, they should be dispossessed, for God's displeasure would justly be greater against them than against the Canaanites themselves. Let us hear this, and fear. If we do not drive sin out, sin will drive us out; if we be not the death of our lusts, our lusts will be the death of our souls.