Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
Two and Forty Journeys of tlie l.iradites Is'UMBERS XXXIII. //;o»> Egypt to Situiu capturp<l them, was a deseemlaut of Manasseh on the lliotber's side (1 Chroiiiclos 1. Lll, I'i). 41. IVobali—also a cUstinguished person counecteti with the eastern branch at Ain-IIadcra (ch. 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 [Burckhakdt, Robinson]. But as there are no less than
01' this iribe. CHAPTER XXXIII.
eUjiiteen stations inserted between Hazeroth and Kadesh, and only eleven days were spent in performing that journey (Deuteronomy 1. 2), it is evident that the intermediate stations here recorded belong to another and totally dif Terent visit to Kadesh. The first was when they left Sinai in the second month (ch. 1. 11; ch. 13. 20), and were in Kadesh in August (Deuteronomy 1. 45), and " abode ninny days" in it, and murmuring at the report of the spies, were commanded to return into the desert "by the way of tilt Red Sea." The arrival at Kadesh, mentioned in this catalogue, corresponds to liie scrond sojourn at that place, being ther.vi month, or April'ich. 20. 1). Between the two visits there intervened a period of thirty-eight years, during which they wandered hither and tWther through all the region of El-Tili (wanderings), often returning to the same spots as the pastoral necessities of their flocks required ; and there is the strongest reason lot believing that the stations named between Hazeroth (v. 8), and Kadesh {v. 30), belong to the long interval of wander* ing. No certainty has yet been attained in ascertaining the locale of many of these stations, and there must have been more than what 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
Ver. 1-15. Two and P'orty Journeys op the Israelites—FKOM Egypt to 8inai. 1. Tliese are tUe Jourueys of tSie cIiildrcM of Israel—This <liapter maybe said to form the winding-up of tlie liistory of the travels of the Israelites through the wilderness; for the three following chapters relate to matters connected with the cKciipatii/n and division of the pi'oniised land. As severe;! a|ip MroiildiscrepancifS will be discovered on comparing llie records here given of the journeyings from Sinai, wilh tlie detailed accounts of the events narrated in tlie 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 the mo.H important stations only in their journeys—those where they formed prolonged encampments, and whence they dispersed their Tlocks 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 Jloab. went fortU ivitli tlieir armies
!. e., a vast multitude marshalled in separate companies, but regular order. 3. Moses wrote tlicir goings oiit accortliiig to tlieir journeys by tUe commandment of tlie Lord—The wisdom of tills Divine order is seen in the Iraijortance of the end to which it was subservient—viz., partljto establish the truth of the history, partly to preserve a memorial of Goil'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 Herotipolis, now the modern Abu-Keisheid (see on Exodus 12. 37), which was probably the captjie elders encamped, the people being scattered for pasture in various directions. From Ezlon-geber, for in-.stance, 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
100 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 sufliciently explicit from the preceding chapters. Rltlima—the place of the broom, a st Atiou possibly in some wady extending westward of the Glior (ch. 10. 40). Rlmmon-Parez, or Rimmon—a city of Jnda and Simeon (Joshua 15. 32), Libnah; so called from its white poplars (Joshua 10. 29), or, as some think, a white hill between Kadesh and Gaza (Joshua 10. 29), Rissah (Elarish), mount Shapher (Cassius), Moseroth, adjacent to mount Hor, in Wady Mousa. Ezlon-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 ragged hills, north-west of the Aruot. —the part called Nebo was one of its highest peaks—oppoital 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 prirfces, or the idolatrous objects of Egyptian worship. 5. pilc Jitd in Siiccotlt— i. p., booths—a place of no note except as a temporary halting-place, at Birketol-tladji, the Pilgrim's Pool. [Calmet.] 0. Ctliam—edge, or border of all that part of Arabia I'etnea which lay contiguous to lSypt. J'l'"^ "'fis known by the general name of Shur. 7. Pi-hiUa-rotI», Raal-ZepUon, and MIgdol—(see on Kxodus IJ. 1-1.) 8. Marali—thought tobe Aiii Ilowarali, both from its position and the time (three days) it would take them with their children and flocks to march from tlie water of Ayun Musa to that spot. 9. £llm—supposed to be Wady Ghurundel (see on Exodus 15. 27.) 10. Ene.iniped by tlie 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 lied Sea. The minute accuracy of the Scripture narrative, In corresponding so exactly with the geographical filatures of this region, is remarkably shown in describing the Israelites as proceeding by the only practlcabio route that could be taken. This plain, where tliey encamped, was the Desert of Sin (see on K.xodus 10. 1.) 1^-14. DopltUali, Almsli, and Keplildlm—these three stations, in the great valleys of El Sheikh and Feirun, would be equivalent to four days' journey foisu(th a host. Ilephidim lE.xodus 17. 0), was In Horeb, tlie l)urnt region—a generic name for a hot, mountainous country. 15. IVilficrness of Slnal—The Wady Er-naheh.
site Jericho. (See on Deuteronomy 10. 6.) 50-53. A'c sliall drive out all tlte inhabitants of tlic land from before yon—not, however, by expulsion, but extermination (Deuteronomy 7. 1). destroy all titeir pictures—obelisks for idolatrous worship (see on IjCviticus 26. 1). nnd destroy all tlieir molten images—by metonymy for all their groves and altars, and materials of worship on the topa of hills. 54. ye shall divide the land by lot—tlie p.artlcular locality of each tribe was to be determined In this manner, while a Unii was to be used in measnring the proportion (Joshna 18. 10; Psalm 16. 5, 61. 55. bnt If ye will not drive ont the Inhabitants of the land from before you—No associations were to be formed with the inhabitants; otherwise, " if let remain, they will be pi icks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides" i. e., they would prove troublesome and dangerous neighbours, enticing to Idolatry, and consequently depriving j'ou of the Divine favour and blessing. The negle<'t of the counsel ngat'ist union with the idolatrous inhabitants became fatal to them. This earnest admonition given to the Israelites in their peculiar circumstances conveys a salutary lessoi 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 auU future salvation.
10-50. From Sinai to Kaoesii and Plains of Moah. lfi-37. Klbrotli-IIallanvah (the graves of lust, see on ch. 11. i-Hl)—The route, on breaking up the encampment at Sinai, led down Wady Sheikh, then crossing .lebel-et Tlh, which Intersected the peninsula, they descended into Wady Zaiaka, i)ilching successively at two brief, Ihongh memorable statio.is (Deuteronomy fl. 22), and encamjK'd at Ilazeroth (unwalled villages), supposed to bo 118