Numbers 33

Introduction

The journeyings of the Israelites written out by Moses, according to the commandment of the Lord, Num 33:1, Num 33:2. They depart from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, on the day after the passover, the first-born of the Egyptians having been slain, Num 33:3, Num 33:4. Their forty-two stations enumerated, vv. 5-49. They are authorized to expel all the former inhabitants, and destroy all remnants of idolatry, Num 33:50-53. The land is to be divided by lot, Num 33:54. Should they not drive out the former inhabitants, they shall be to them as pricks in their eyes and thorns in their sides, Num 33:55. And if not obedient, God will deal with them as he has purposed to do with the Canaanites, Num 33:56.

Verse 2

And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys - We may consider the whole book of Numbers as a diary, and indeed the first book of travels ever published. Dr. Shaw, Dr. Pococke, and several others, have endeavored to mark out the route of the Israelites, through this great, dreary, and trackless desert, and have ascertained many of the stages here described. Indeed there are sufficient evidences of this important journey still remaining, for the descriptions of many are so particular that the places are readily ascertained by them; but this is not the case with all. Israel was the Church of God in the wilderness, and its unsettled, wandering state under Moses may point out the unsettled state of religion under the law. Their being brought, after the death of Moses, into the promised rest by Joshua, may point out the establishment, fixedness, and certainty of that salvation provided by Jesus Christ, of whom Joshua, in name and conduct, was a remarkable type. Mr. Ainsworth imagines that the forty-two stations here enumerated, through which the Israelites were brought to the verge of the promised land, and afterwards taken over Jordan into the rest which God had promised, point out the forty-two generations from Abraham unto Christ, through whom the Savior of the world came, by whose blood we have an entrance into the holiest, and enjoy the inheritance among the saints in light. And Mr. Bromley, in his Way to the Sabbath of Rest, considers each name and place as descriptive of the spiritual state through which a soul passes in its way to the kingdom of God. But in cases of this kind fancy has much more to do than judgment.

Verse 3

From Rameses - This appears to have been the metropolis of the land of Goshen, and the place of rendezvous whence the whole Israelitish nation set out on their journey to the promised land; and is supposed to be the same as Cairo. See the notes on Exo 12:37.

Here Follow the Forty-Two Stations

Station 1.

Verse 5

And pitched in Succoth - This name signifies booths or tents, and probably refers to no town or village, but simply designates the place where they pitched their tents for the first time after their departure from Rameses.

Stat. 2.

Verse 6

Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness - This place is not well known; Dr. Shaw supposes it to have been one mile from Cairo. Calmet thinks it is the city of Buthum mentioned by Herodotus, which he places in Arabia, on the frontiers of Egypt.

Stat. 3.

Verse 7

Pi-hahiroth - See on Exo 14:1 (note), and Exo 14:2 (note). Baal-zephon Calmet supposes to be the Clysma of the Greeks, and the Kolzum of the Arabians.

Stat. 4.

Verse 8

And went three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham - Called the wilderness of Shur, Exo 15:22.

And pitched in Marah - Dr. Shaw supposes this place to be at Sedur, over against the valley of Baideah, on the opposite side of the Red Sea.

Stat. 5.

Verse 9

And came unto Elim - A place on the skirts of the deserts of Sin, two leagues from Tor, and nearly thirty from Corondel, a large bay on the east side of the Red Sea. Dr. Shaw, when he visited this place, found but nine of the twelve wells mentioned in the text, and instead of 70 palm trees, he found upwards of 2,000. See on Exo 15:27 (note).

Stat. 6.

Verse 10

Encamped by the Red Sea - It is difficult to assign the place of this encampment, as the Israelites were now on their way to Mount Sinai, which lay considerably to the east of Elim, and consequently farther from the sea than the former station. It might be called by the Red Sea, as the Israelites had it, as the principal object, still in view. This station however is mentioned nowhere else. By the Red Sea we are not to understand a sea, the waters of which are red, or the sand red, or any thing else about or in it red; for nothing of this kind appears. It is called in Hebrew ים סוף yam suph, which signifies the weedy sea. The Septuagint rendered the original by θαλασσα εραθρα, and the Vulgate after it by mare rubrum, and the European versions followed these, and, in opposition to etymology and reason, translated it the Red Sea. See the note on Exo 10:19.

Stat. 7.

Verse 11

The wilderness of Sin - This lies between Elim and Mount Sinai. Dr. Shaw and his companions traversed these plains in nine hours.

Stat. 8.

Verse 12

Dophkah - This place is not mentioned in Exodus and its situation is not known.

Stat. 9.

Verse 13

Alush - Neither is this mentioned in Exodus and its situation is equally unknown.

Stat. 10.

Verse 14

Rephidim - Remarkable for the rebellion of the Israelites against Moses, because of the want of water, Exodus 17.

Stat. 11.

Verse 15

The wilderness of Sinai - Somewhere northward of Mount Sinai, on the straight road to the promised land, to which they now directed their course.

Stat. 12.

Verse 16

Kibroth-hattaavah - No city, village, etc., but a place in the open desert, which had its name from the plague that fell upon the Israelites, through their murmuring against God, and their inordinate desire of flesh. See on Numbers 11 (note). But it appears that the Israelites had traveled three days' journey in order to reach this place, Num 10:33, and commentators suppose there must have been other stations which are not laid down here, probably because the places were not remarkable.

Stat. 13.

Verse 17

Hazeroth - This place Dr. Shaw computes to have been about thirty miles distant from Mount Sinai.

Stat. 14.

Verse 18

Rithmah - This place lay somewhere in the wilderness of Paran, through which the Israelites were now passing. See Num 13:1, Num 13:3. The name signifies the juniper tree; and the place probably had its name from the great number of those trees growing in that district.

Stat. 15.

Verse 19

Rimmon-parez - Unknown.

Stat. 16.

Verse 20

Libnah - The situation of this place is uncertain. A city of this name is mentioned Jos 10:29, as situated between Kadesh-barnea and Gaza.

Stat. 17.

Verse 21

Bissah - A place mentioned nowhere else in the sacred writings. Its situation utterly uncertain.

Stat. 18.

Verse 22

Kehelathah - Utterly unknown; though some conjecture that it might have been the place called Keilah, 1Sam 23:1, etc., but this is unlikely.

Stat. 19.

Verse 23

Shapher - Where this mountain lay cannot be determined.

Stat. 20.

Verse 24

Haradah - Unknown, Calmet supposes that it may be the place called Bered, Gen 16:14, which was in the vicinity of Kadesh.

Stat. 21.

Verse 25

Makheloth - A name found nowhere else in Scripture.

Stat. 22.

Verse 26

Tahath - Unknown.

Stat. 23.

Verse 27

Tarah - Also unknown.

Stat. 24.

Verse 28

Mithcah - Calmet conjectures that this may be Mocha, a city in Arabia Petraea.

Stat. 25.

Verse 29

Hashmonah - Supposed by some to be the same as Azmon, Num 34:4.

Stat. 26.

Verse 30

Moseroth - Situation unknown. In Deu 10:6 it is said that the Israelites took their journey from Beeroth, the wells of the children of Jaakan, to Mosera, and there Aaron died. If so, Mosera, Moseroth, and Hor, must be different names of the same place; or Moseroth, or Mosera, must have been some town or village near Mount Hor, for there Aaron died. See Num 33:38.

Stat. 27.

Verse 31

Bene-jaakan - Unknown. The sons of Jaakan. See the preceding verse, Num 33:30 (note).

Stat. 28.

Verse 32

Hor-hagidgad - The hole or pit of Gidgad. Unknown. It was a place perhaps remarkable for some vast pit or cavern, from which it took its name.

Stat. 29.

Verse 33

Jotrathah - Situation unknown. It is said in Deu 10:7 to be a land of rivers of waters.

Stat. 30.

Verse 34

Ebronah - Nowhere else mentioned. Stat. 31.

Verse 35

Ezion-gaber - Dr. Shaw places this port on the western coast of the Elantic gulf of the Red Sea. It is now called Meenah el Dsahab, or the golden port, by the Arabs; because it was from this place that Solomon sent his ships for gold to Ophir, 1Kgs 9:26. He supposes it to be about sixty miles distant from Mount Sinai - Travels, p. 322, 4th. edition.

Stat. 32.

Verse 36

Zin, which is Kadesh - A place remarkable for the death of Miriam the prophetess, and bringing water out of the rock. As this place was on the borders of Edom, the Israelites, being denied permission to pass through their land, which lay on the direct road to the promised land, were obliged to turn to the right to Mount Hor, now called Accaba by the Arabs.

Stat. 33.

Verse 37

Hor - Famous for the death of Aaron. See on Numbers 20 (note). Perhaps Moseroth or Mosera, Num 33:30 (note), was a village near this mountain.

Stat. 34.

Verse 41

Zalmonah - Probably in the neighborhood of the land of Edom. As צלם tselem signifies an image, this place probably had its name from the brazen serpent set up by Moses. See Num 21:9 (note), etc. From the same root the word telesm, corruptly called talisman, which signifies a consecrated image, is derived.

Stat. 35.

Verse 42

Punon - A place in Idumea. Nowhere else mentioned.

Stat. 36.

Verse 43

Oboth - Mentioned before, Num 21:10.

Stat. 37.

Verse 44

Ije-abarim - The heaps of Abarim. See Num 21:11. Situation uncertain. It is called Iim in the following verse. As the word signifies heaps or protuberances, it probably means tumuil or small hills near some of the fords of Jordan.

Stat. 38.