Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
Borctei-t of the Land of Canaan. NUMBERS XXXIV, XXXV. The Blood Avcnyer.
CHAPTER XXXir.
the other tribes on I be concjuest of Canaan, they were to be distributed throughout the land in certain cities ap-
Ver. 1-29, The J!oiti>KKs oy thic I.an!) of Canaax.
projiriiittd to their use; and those cities were to be surrounded by e-ttensive sulmrbs. There is an apparent discrepancy betweeen ui. 4 and .5, with regard to the extent of these suburbs ; but the statements in the two x'crses refer to totally diflerent things—the one to the extent of the suburbs from the walls of the city, the other to the space of aUK) cubits from 'their e.xtremity. In point of
8. THis is tlie . . . laud of Canaan—Till' (Ic'liiils given in this chapter mark tlic f{<''if'i"'il linumliiry cil vlie liihcritauce of Isri»«l west m' ion\\\\\. Tlic [srielitcs never actually possessed nil tlie territory com prised within these boundaries, evn when it was most ext<'nded by the conquest.s .of David and Solomon. 3-5. Yoiiriiouth qnarter—The line wliU-h lifiunded it on the soutli is tlie most dif Hcult to tnicp. Accordins; to the hest liildical geographers, the leading points liorc defined are as follows: The south-west angle of the southern honndaiy should be where the wilderness of Zin touches the border of Edom, so that tlie southern Ijoumlary slfould extend eastward froni the extremity of the Dead Sea, wind around the precipitous ridf;e of Akrab.hini 'scorpions , tliought to fact, there w;\;i an extent of ground, amounting to 8l;t)U cu '>its, measured from the wall of the city. One thou.sand were most probably occupied with out-houses for the accommodation of shepherds and other .servants, with gardens, vineyards, oroliveyards. .Vnd these which were portioaed out to different families (I Chronicles 6. 00) might be sold by one Levite to another, but not to any individual of another tribe (Jeremiah .32.7.) The bther two thousand cubits remained a common for the pasturing of cattle (Leviticus 2'). .il) and, ccmsidering their numl>e the high and difiicnU. Pass of Safeh, which crosses the stream that flows from the soutli into the Jordan— i. ^>., the great valley of ; he Araliah, reachiud from tlie Dead to the Red Sea. river of Bgj-pt-the ancient brook Silior, the Rhlnocolura of the (Trcelvs,.a little to tlu' south of KlArish, where this waciy <iently descends Inwards the Mediterranean f.Iosluiu IS. o. ) 6. Ttwwestern bor Oer— There is no uncerlaiiily aliout this liouiidary. ;is if is universally allowed to l>e the Mediterranean, wliich is called "the great sea" in comparison with the small inland seas or lakes known to tlie Hebrews. 1-i>. N<>i-«!i border— The principal difficulty in understanding the description here arises from what oui*lrans Iators liavc called mount Hor. The Hebrew words, however, IIor-ha-Hor. pro(>erly signify "the mountain of the mountain ' — " the hi;;h double mountain,'" wliich, from the situation, can mean nothing else than the mountain Amana (Song 4. 8), a member of the great fj Cbanon range (.Joshua 18. .5.) Entrance of Ilamatit—The northern plain between those mountain ranges, now the valley of Kalbeck (see on ch.
ber, that space would be fully required.
Cjties ok REli'UOE. Tliere sitall be six cities for refuge ^vhlcli ye shall appoint for tlie manslaj er—The establishment of those privileged sanctuaries amongst ^the cities of the Levites is probably trsvceable to the idea, that they would be the most suitable and impartial ju;lf::es—that their presence and counsels might calm or restrain the stormy passions of the blood avenger—and that, from their being invested with the sacred character, they might be tj'pes of Christ, in whom sinners find a refuge from the destroyer (see Deuteronomy 4. 4.'!; Joshua 20.
S). Tlie cities whicli ye sha ll giTe .sliall be of the po8« ses-sioii of the children of Israel—The burden of furnishing those places for the residence and support of the Levitical order was to fall in equitable proportions upon the dill'erent tribes (.see ch. 88. .51; Joshua 20. 7).
9-84. The Bi.ooD Avenger. That the slayer may flee, whicli killeth any person at unawares—The practice of Goelism— (. e., of the nearest relation of an individual who was killed being bound to demand satisfaction from the author of his death, existed from a very remote antiquity (Genesis 4. 14 ; '27. 4.5). It seems to have been an established usage in the age of Moses; and although in a rude and imperfect state of society, it is a natural and intelligible principle of criminal jurisprudence, it is liable to many great abuses ; the chief of the evils inseparable from it are, that the kinsman, who is bound in duty and honour to execute Justice, will often be precipitate-
13. 21-21.) Zedatl—identified as the present Sudu<l (E/.ekiel
17. 15.) Ziphron (sweet odour); Hazar-enan (village of foimtains); but the places are unknown. "An imaginary line from mount Cassius, on the coast along the northern base of li Cbanon to the entering into the Dekaa (Valley of Ijtjbanon) at the Kamosa Ilermel," niusi be regarded as the frontier that is meant. [Vax be Vej.de. | 10-ia. East border-This is very clearly defined. Shepliam and Riblah, which were in the valley of Lebanon, are mentioned as the boundary line, which commenced a little higher than the sources of the .Jordan. Ain is supposed to be the source of that river ; and thence the eastern boundary extended along the .Ionian, the sea of Chinnereth (Lake of Tiberias}—the Jordan ; and again terminated at the Dead Sea. The line being drawn on tlie east of the river anil the seas, included those waters within the territory of the western tribes. The two tribes and tlie half «ril>e have received their inlieritanee on tbis side .Tordan— The conquered territories of Sihon and Og, lying between the Arnon and mount Herinon, were allotted la them— that of Reuben in the most southerly part. Gad north of little disposed, in the heat of passion, or under the im-
of revenge, to examine into the circumstances of the case, to di.scriminate between the premeditated purpose of the assassin and the misfortune of the unintentional homicide. Moreover, it had a tendency, not only to foster a vindictive spirit, but In case of the Goel being unsuccessful in finding his victim, to transmit animosities and feuds against his descendants from one generation to another. This is exemplified among the Arabs in the present day. Should an Arab of one tribe happen to kill one of another tribe, there is " blood" between the it, and the half Manasseh in the nortliermiiost portion. 16-29. names of llic men ivlio shall div ide lite land— This appointment by the Lord before the passage of the Jordan tended not only to animate the Israelites' faith in the certainty of the ctmquest, but to prevent all subsequent dispute and discontent, which might have been dangerous in presence of the natives. The nominees were ten princes for the nine and a half tribes, one of tliem beiilg selected from the western section of Manasseh, and all subordinate to the great military and ecclesiastical chiefs, Joshua and Eleazar. The nairies are mentioned in the exact order in which the tribes obtained i)o.s.session of the land, and according to brotherly connection.
tribes, and the stain can only be wiped off by the death of some individual of the tribe with which the offence originated. Sometimes the penalty is commuted by the p.ayment of a stipulated number of sheep or camels. But such an equivalent, though offered, is as often refused, and blood has to be repaid only by blood. This practice of Goelism obtained among the Hebrews to such an extent that it was not perhaps expedient to abolish it; and Moses, while sanctioning its continuance, was directed, by Divine authority, to make some special regulations, which tended both to prevent the unhappy consequences of sudden and personal vengeance, and, at the same time, to atiord an accused person time and means of proving his innocence. This was the humane and equitable end contemplated in the institution of cities of refuge. There were to be six of these legalized a.syla, three on the east of Jordan, both because the territory there was equal in length, though not in breadth, to Canaan, and because It might be more convenient for some to take refuge across the border. They were appointed for the benefit, not of
CHAPTER XXXV.
Ver. 1-5. Eight akd Forty CrTiF..s Oiven to the LtcV1TE.S. a. Give onto the Invites of tl»c inlieritane« of their possessions . . . cities to dwell in—As the Levites were to have no territorial domain allocated to them like
Moses' Speech at the End DEUTERONOMY I. of the Fortieth Tear.
of Gilead—Being the tribal governors In Manasseh, they consulted Moses on a case that afl'ected the public honour and interests of their tribe. It related once more to the daughters of Zelophehad. formerly they had applied, at their own instance, to oe recognized, for want of heirs male in their family, as entitled to inherit their father's property ; now the application was made on behalf of the tribe to which they belonged—that steps might be taken to prevent the alienation of their patrimony by their alliance with husbands of another tribe. The unrestricted marriages of daughters in such circumstances threatened seriously to aflect the tenure of land in Israel, as their inheritance would go to their children, who, by the father's side, would belong to another tribe, and thus lead, through a compiicawCn interests and the confusion of families, to an "vU for wnica even the jubilee could not aflord a remedy. (See on Leviticus 2.5. 13.) 5-12. Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the liord—The plea appeared just and reasonable; and, aceordinslv an enactment was made by which the daughters of Zelophehad, while left to the free choice of their husbands, were restricted to marry not only within their own tribe, but within thefamily of their father's tribe —i. e.,one of their cousins. This restriction, however, was imposed only on those who were heiresses. The law was not applicable to daughters iu difi'orenl civoumslances (1 Chronicles 23.22) — for they might marry into another tribe ; but if they did so, they were liable to forfeit their patrimonial inheritance, whieli, on the death of their father or brothers, went to the nearest of the family kinsmen. Here was an instance of piogreiisive legislation (see also Exodus ch. 18. 27) in Israel, the enactments made being suggested by circumstances ; but it is deserving of special notice that those additions to, or modifications of, the law were confined to civil allairs ; while the slightest change was inadmissible In the laws relating to worship or tlie maintenance of religion. 13. Tlicse coumtandments are . . . and the juilgments whieli tlie Lord commanded by tlie hand of DIoses unto tlie children of Israel in the plains of Moab—The Israelitisli encampment was on an extensive plateau, north of the Arnon, and which, though wrested from the Moaliites by Sihon and Og, still retained the name of its original possessors. The particular site, as indicated by tlie words "Jordan near Jericho," is now called Kl-Koura—a large plain lying not far from Nebo, between the Arnon and a small tributary stream, the Wale. [Buuckhardt.] It was a desert plain on the eastern bank, and marked only by groves of the wild, thorny acacia tree.
the native Israelites only, t)ut of all resident strangers. 16-21. If he smite klm witli an ^istmment of Iron so that Ue die, &e.—Various cases are bere enumerated, in vhich the Goel or a\fcnger was at liberty to take tne life or ine murderer, ana every one ol tnem proves a premeoitated purpose. il'i-^S. But if lie tbrust him suddenly, witliout enmity, or Uave cast upon liim any tiling witliout laying of wait, &c.--'Under the excitement of a sudden provocation, or violent passion, an injury might be inflicted issuing in death ; and for a person who had thus undesignedly committed slaughter, the Levitical cities ofl"ered the benefit ol fun protection. Once having reached the nearest, :cr on'^ or other of tHem was Within a day's journey aii narts of the iaua. h'^ was secure. But he had to ' obide iu it." His oonfinement within its walls was a w)«e and salutary rule, designed to show the sanctity of human blood m God's siahl, as weil as to protect the manslayer himself, whose presence and intercourse in society might have provoked the nassions of deceased's relatives. But the period of his release from this confinement was not until the death of the high priest. " That was a season of public affliction, when private sorrows were sunk or overlooked under a sense of the national calamity, and when the death of so eminent) a servant of God naturally led all to serious consideration about their own mortality. The moment, however, that the refugee broke through the restraints of his confinement, and ventured beyond the precincts of the asylum, he forfeited the privilege, and, if he was discovered by his pursuer, might be slain with impunity. 39-34. These things shall he for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations—The law of the blood avenger, as thus established by Divine authority, was a vast improvement on the ancient practice of Goelism. By the appointment of cities of refuge, the manslayer was saved, in the mean time, from the blind and impetuous fury of vindictive relatives; but he might be tried by the local court, and, if proved guilty on suflftcient evidence, condemned and punished as a murderer, without the possibility of deliverance by any pecuniary satisfaction. The enactment of Moses, which was an adaptation to the character and usages of the Hebrew people, secured the douljle a<lvantage of promoting the ends both of humanity and of justice. *
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Ver. 1-13. The Inconvenience of the Inheritance OF Daughters. 1. Tlie chief fathers of the families
THE FIFTH BOOK OF MOSES, CALLED
DEUTERONOMY. CHAPTER I.
mountains where Israel was encamped, was a part of th« great de.sci t plain, little more Inviting than the desert of Arabia. 'I'he locale is indicated by the names of the most prominent r.laces around it. .Some of these places are unknown to us. The llebr(?w word.Suph, red (for.tcw, which our translators have inserted, is not In the original, and
Ver. 1-16. Moses' Speech at the End of the Fortieth Year. 1. These be the words whldi Moses pake unto all Israel—The mental condition of the people generally In that infantine age of the church, and the greater number of them being of young or lender years, rendered it expedient to repeat the laws and coun-
Moses was now farther from the Ucd Sea than ever), probably meant a i;lace noted lor its reikis (Numbers 21. 11). Tophel— '.,':. ul iiied as Talyle or Tal'eilah, lying between sels which God had given ; and, accordingly to luniisli a recapitulation of the leading branches of their luith and duty was amongst the last public services wliicli Moses rendered to Israel. The scene of their delivery was on the plains of Moab, where the encainpment was pitched "on this side Jordan," or, as the Hebrew word may be rendered, " on the bank of the Jordan." In tlie wilderness. In the plain—the Arabah, a desert plain, or steppe, extended the whole way from the Ued Sea north to the 8ea of Tiberias. While the high table lands of Moab were "cultivated fields," the Jordan valley, at the foot of the 120 l!o7,rah and Kciak. lla/.erotli is a diliercnt place from that at which the Israelites (!ncunipcd alter leaving "the desert of Sinai." !4. There are eleven days' Jnurnry from Iloreb—Distances are computed in the East still by the hours or days occupied by the journey. A day's Journey on fool is about t wenty miles—on camels, at Hie rale of three miles an hour, thirty miles—and by caravans, about twt'iity-fivo miles. But the Israelttes, with children and llocks, would move at a slow rate Tho length of the Ohor from Ezion-geber to Kadush is lOU
Speech at the End DEUTEROJsOMY II. of the Fortieth Year the Arabs El Tih, " the wandering." It is a dreary waste of rock and of calcareous soil covered with black sharp miles. The days here mentioned were not necessarily successive days [Robinson], for the journey can be made flints; all travellers, from a feeling of its complete isolation ffom the world, describe it as a great and terrible wilderness. /J!J-33. ye came and said, we will send men before us and search out the land—The proposal to despatch spies emanated from the people through unbelief; but Moses, believing them sincere, gave his cordia. assent to this measure, and God on being consulted permitted them to follow the suggestion (see on Numbeis
In a mucli shorter period. Cut tliis mention of the time was made to show that the great number of years spent
In travelliiig from Horeb to the plain of Moab was not owing to the length of the way, but to a very different eause, viz., banishment for their apostasy and frequent rebellions. Mount Seir—the mountainous country of Edom. 3-8. In tUe fortieth year . . . Moses spake unto the children of Israel, &c.—This Impressive discourse, In which Moses reviewed all that God had done for His people, was delivered about a month before his death, and after peace and tranquillity had been restored by the complete conquest of Sihon and Og. Ashtaroth— tlie royal residence of Og, so called from Astarte (tlie moon)- the tutelary goddess of the Syrians, and he was slain at Edrei—now Edhra, the ruins of which are fourteen miles In circumference [Burckhardt]; its general breadth is about two leagues. 5. on this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law—declare, t. e., explain this law. He follows the same metliod here tliat he elsewhere observes, viz., that of first enumerating the marvellous doings of God in behalf of His people, and reminding them what an unworthy requital they had made for all His kindness—then he rehearses the law and its various precepts. 6. the Lord our God spake unto us In Iloreb, saying, \~e have dwelt long enougli in this mount—Horeb was the general name of a mountainous district lit., "the parched or burnt region," whereas
13. 1, 2). Tlie issue proved disastrous to them', only through their own sin and folly, tlie cities are great, and walled up to heaven—an Oriental metaphor, meaning very high. The Arab marauders roam about on horseback, and hence the walls of St. (latherine's monastery on Sinai are so lofty that travellers are drawn up by a pulley in a basket. Anakims—(see on Numbers 13. 33). The honest and uncompromising language of Moses in reminding the Israelites of their perverse conduct and outrageous rebellion at the report of tlie treacherous and faint-hearted scouts, affords a strong evidence of the truth of this history as well as of the Uiviue authority of his mission. There was great rca.son for his dwelling on this dark passage in their history, as i t was their unbelief that excluded them from the privilege of entering the promised land (Hel)rews 3.19); and that unbelief was a marvellous exliibition of human perversity, considering the miracles which God had wrought in their favour, especially in the daily manil'estalions they had of His presence among them as their leader and protector. 34-36. The Lord heard tl»e voice of your %vor«ls and was wroth—In consequence of this aggravated olJ'ence—unbelief followed by open rebellion, the Israelites were doomed, in" the rigliteous judgment of God, to a life of wandering in that dreary wilderness, till the whole adult generation had disappeared by death. The only exceptions mentioned are Caleb, and Joshua who was to be Moses' successor. 37. Also the Lord was angry with me for your sakes—This statement 4ee»uto indicate that it was on this occasion Moses was condemned to sliare the fate of the people. But we know that it was several years afterwards that Moses betrayed an unhappy spirit of distrust at the waters of strife (Psalm 106. 32, 33). This verse must be considered therefore as a parenthesis. 39. Your cliildren
Sin.Ti was the name appropriated to a particular peak.
.4 bout a year had been spent among the recesses of that wild solitude, in laying the foundation, under the immediate direction of God, of a new and peculiar community, as to its social, political, and, above all, religious character; and when Ihis purpose had been accomplished, they were ordered to break up their encampment in Horelj. The command given them was to march straight to Canaan, and possess it. 8. tlie land is before you lit., Defore your faces—it is accessible—there is no impediment to your occupation. Theorderof thejourneyas indicated by the places mentioned would have led to a course of invasion, the opposite of what was eventually followed, viz., from the sea-coast eastward—instead of from the Jordan westward (see on Numbers 20. 1). tlie mount of the Amorites—the hilly tract lying next to Kadesh-barnea, in the iutli of Canaan, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon—!, e., Phcenicia, the country of Sidon, and the coast of the Mediterranean—from the Philistines to Lebanon. The name Canaanite is often used synonymously with tliat of Phoenician. 9-18. I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone—a little before their arrival in Horeb. Moses addresses that new generation as the representatives of their fathers, in whose sight and hearing all the transactions he recounts took place. A reference is here made to the suggestion of Jethro (Exodus 18. 18), and in noticing his practical adoption of a plan by which the administration of justice was committed to a select number of subordinate officers, Moses, by a beautiful allusion to the patriarchal blessing, ascribed the necessity of that memorable change in the government to the vast increase of the population, ye are this day as the stars . . . for multitude—This was neither an Oriental hyperbole, nor a mere empty boast, for Abraham was told (G(Miesis 15. 5, 6) to look to the stars, and though they oppear innumerable, yet those seen by the naked eye amount, in reality, to no more than 8010 in both hemispheres-sothat the Israelites already far exceeded that number, l)eingat the last census above 000,000. It was a seasonable memento, calculated to animate their faith in the accomplishment of other parts of the Divine promise. 19-ai. we went titrougli all that great and terrible wilderness—of I'aiiui, which Included the desert and mountainous space lying between the wilderness of Shur westward, or towards Egypt and mount .Seir, or the land of Edom eastwards; between the land of Canaan northwards, and the Red Sea southwards; and thus it appears to have comprehended really Ibe wilderness of Sin and Sinai [Fisi;.] It is called by. . . who in that day Iiad no knowledge between good and evil—all ancient versions read "to-day" instead of "that day;" and tlie sense is—"your children who now know," or "who know not as yet good or evil;" as the children had not been partakers of the sinful outbreak, they were spared to obtain the privilege which their unbelieving parents had forfeited. God's ways are not aa man's ways. 40-45. Turn you and take your journey into the wildei-ness by the Red Sea—This command they disregarded, and, determined in spite of the earnest remonstrances of Moses to force an onward passage, they attempted to cross the heights then occupied by the combined forces of the Ainori tes and Anialekites (cf. Numbers
14.43), but were repulsed witli great loss.. People often experience distress even while in the w.ay of duty. But how different their condition who suffer in situations where God is with them from the feelings of those who are conscious that they are in a position directly opposed to the Divine will ! The Israelites were grieved when they found themselves involved in difficulties and perils; but their sorrow arose not from a sense of the guilt, so much as the sad effects of their perverse conduct; and as, "though they wept," they were not true penitents, the Lord would not hearken to their voice, nor give ear unto them. 40. So ye abode at Kadesli many days—That place h.'id been the site of their encampmi nt during the absence of the spies, which lasted forty days, and it is supposed from this verse that they prolonged their stay there after their defeat for a similar period.
CirAPTER 11.
Ver. 1-37. TiiK Stohy is Continued. I. Then we turned and took our journey Into the wilderness by
The Slory is Continued. DEUTERONOMY III. Sihon (he Amoi-ite to be Subdued, the way of tlic Red Sea. After their unsuccessful attack upon the Canaanites, the Israelities broke up their encampment at Kadesli, and journeying soutliwanl over the west desert of Tih, as well as through the greati valley of the Ghor and Arabah, they extended their removals as for as the gulf of Akaba. we compassed moiiiit Selr many days—lu these few words Moses comprised the whole of that wandering nomadic life which they passed during 38 years, shifting from place to place, and regulating their stations by the prospect of pasturage and water. Within the interval they went northward a second time to Kadesh, but being refused a passage through Edom, and opposed by the Canaanites and Amalekites, and Moses alluded to these circumstances to encourage his countrymen to believe that God would much more enable them toexpel the wicked and accursed Canaanites. At that time, however, the Moabites, having lost the greater part of their possessions through the usurpations of Sihon, were reduced to the small but fertile regi(m between the Zered and the Arnon. 13. Now rise «ip and get yon over the brook Zered—The southerji border of Moab, .^ercrf. (woody), now W.ady Ahsy, sep.arates the modern district of Kerak from Jebal, and, indeed, forms a natural division of the country between the north and south. Ar, called in later times Rabbah, was the capital of Moab, and situated 25 miles south of the Arnon on the banks of a small but shady stream, the Beni-IIiimed. It thej' again had no alternative but to traverse once more the great Arabah southwards to the Red Sea, where turning to the left, and crossing the long, lofty mountain chain to the eastward of Ezion-geber (Numbers 21. 4, o), they issued into the great and elevated plains, which are is here mentioned as representative of the country dependent on it,—a rich and well-cultivated country, as appears from the numerous ruins of cities, as well as from the traces of tillage still visible on the iields. IG. all the men of war are consnmed and dead from among the people—The outbreak at Kadesh on tlie false report of the spies had been the occasion of the fatal decree by which Go<l doomed the whole grown-up population to die in the wilderness; but that outbreak only fille<l up the measure of their iniquities. For that generation, though not universally abandoned to heathenish and idolatrous practices, yet had all along displayed a fearflil amount of ungodliness in the desert, which this history only hints at obscurely , but which is expressly asserted elsewhere. (Ezekiel 20. 25, 26 ; Amos 5. 2.), 27 ; Acts 7. 42, 43.) 19-37. when thon comest nigh unto the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor medille with them—The Ammonites, being kindred to the Moabites, were, from regard to the memory of their common ancestor, to remain undisturbed by the Israelites. The territory of this people had been directly north of that of Moab, and extended as far as the Jabhok, having been taken by them from a number of small Canaanitish tribes, viz., the Zamzummins, a bullying, presumjituous band of giants, as their mime indicates; and the Avims, the aborigines of the district extending from Hazerim or Il.azeroth (El Hudhera)even u7ito Azzah (Gaza), but of which they had been dispossessed by the Caphtorlm (Philistines), who came out of Cajjhtor (li Ower Egypt), and settled in the western coast of Palestine. The limits of the Ammonites were now compressed; but they still possessed the mountainous region bey<md the Jabbok. (Joshua 11. 2.) What a strange insight does this parenthesis of four verses give'lnto the early history of Palestine 1 How many successive wars of conquest had swept over Its early state—what changes of dynasty amongst the Canaanitish tribes had taken place long prior to the tran.sactions recorded In this history ! 34. Rise ye up and pass over the river Arnon At its mouth, this stream is 82 feet wide and 4-deep—it Hows In a channel banked by perpendicular cliHs of sandstone. At the date of the Israelitlsh migration to the east of the .Jordan, the whole of the line ('ountry lying between the Atnon and the Jabbok, Including the mountainous tract of Ciilead, had lieen seized by the Amorites, wlio, being one of the nations doomed to deslnu'lion (see eh. 7.2; '20. 16), weie utterly exterminated, and their country fell by right of conquest Into the hamls of the Israelites. Moses, however, considering this doom as referring solely to the Amorlte possessions west of Jorlan, still traversed by the Syrian pilgrims in their way to Mecca, and appear to have followed northward nearly the same route, which is now taken by the Syrian ha<lji, along the western skirts of this great desert, near the mountains of Edom. [Robinson.] It was on entering these plains they received the command, " Ye have compassed this mountain (this hilly tract, now Jel>el Shera) long enough, turn ye northward." 4:. TUe cUildrtn of Esau wlilcit dwell 111 Seir sliall be afraid of yoii—The same people who had haughtily repelled the approach of the Israelites from the western frontier, were alarmed now that they had come round upon the weak side of their country. 5.. Sleddle not wHU tliem—!. e., " which dwell n Seir" (i: i.)—for there was another branch of Esau's posterity, viz., the Amalekites, who were to be fought against and destroyed (Genesis 36. 12; Exodus 17. 11; Deuteronomy 2o. 17). But the people of Edom were not to be injured, either In their persons or property. .-Vnd although the approach of so vast a nomadic horde as the Israelites naturally created apprehension, they were to take no advantage of the prevailing terror to compel the Edomites to accept whatever terms they imposed. They were merely to pass "through" or along their border, and to buy meat and water of them for money (v. 6). The people, kinder than their king, did sell them bread, meat, fruits, nnd water in their passage along their border (r. 2!)), in the satne manner as the Syrian caravan of Mecca is now Bupplied t)j' the people of the same mountains, who meet the pilgrims as at a fair or market on the hadji route. [RoniN.soN.] Although the Israelites still enjoyed a daily supply of the manna, there was no prohibition against their eating other lood when opportunity allbnled, but only they were not to cherisli an inordinate desire for it. Water is a scarce commoility, and is often paid for by travellers in those parts. It was the more incumbent on the Israelites to do so, as, liy the blessing of God, tliey possessed plenty of means to purchase, and tlie long-continued' experience of llie extraordinary goodness of God to them, should Inspire siich confidence in Jlim as would suppress the smallest thouglit of resorting to fraud or violence in supplyingtheir wants. 8-lS. we passed (liioiij;U the way of tlie plain—The Arabah orgri'at valley. From Elath (trees), (the Ailah of the Greeks and Uomaus); the site of it Is marked by extensive mounds of ruttlnsli. Ezion-geber, now Alcaba, both were within the territory of Edom; and after making a circuit of its .southeastern boundary, the Israelites reached the border of Moat) on the south-east of the Salt Sea. Tliey had been forliidden by Divine command to molest t)ie .Moabitcs in any way; .and this special honour wius conferred on tliat people not on their own account, for they were very wicked, but In virtue of their descent fl'oin Lot. (.See on.sent a pacific message to Sihon, requesting permission to go thiough his territories, wliich lay on tlie east of that river. It is always customary to send nu'sseiigers before to prepare the way; but the rejection of Moses' request by .Sihon, and his opjiosition to the ad\.\nce of the Israelites (Numbers 21. 2.'!; Judges 11. 26) drcnv down on himself, and Ills Amorlte subjects, the predicted doom in the first iiilched battlelleld with the Canaanites, and secured to Israel not only the possession of a line and pastoral count ly, l)ut, what was of more Importance to them, a free access to the Jordan on the east.
cli.2.'i. 3.) Their territory comprised the fine country on the south, and partly on the north of the Arnon. They had won it by their arms from tlie original Inhabitants, the Emims, a nice, terrible, as their luunc; imports, for physical power and stature ((ii nesis II. rj). In like manner as the Edomites haif obtained their settlement by the overthrow of the original occupiiu's of .Seir, the Ilorlms (Oenesls 11.6), who were lrogIo(lyti:s, or dwellers In caves;
CHAPTER III.
Ver. 1-21). CoNQUKST of On, Kinoop Basiian. 1. turned, and went up the way to UnHhnu—Bashan
Conquat of Og DEUTERONOMY IV, An Exhortation to Oledienet pastoral tribes of Reuben and Gad. It extended from the nortli l)ank of tlie Anion to the south half of mount Gilead—a small mountain ridge, now called Djelaad, about six or seven miles soutliof the Jabbok, and eight miles in length. The nortliern portion of Gilead, and the rich pasture lands of liashan—a large province, ccmsisting, with tlie exception of a few bleak and rocky spots, of strong and fertile soil—was assigned to tlie half trilieof Manasseli. Jair the sou of Mauasselt toolk all the country of Argob—The original inhabitants of the province north of Bashan, comprising sixty cities it-. 4j, not having been extirpated along witii Og, this people were afterwards brought into subjection by tlie enei'gy of Jair. This chief, of tlie tribe of Manasseli, in accordance with the pastoral habits of his people, called these ncvly-acquired towns by a name wliich signilles "Jair's Bedouin Villages of Tents." unto tiiis day—This remark must evidently have been introduced by E/.ra, or some of the pious men who arranged and collected the books of Moses. 15. I gave Gilead unto Macliir—It was only tlie half of Gilead (vs. 12. 18) which was given to tlie <U scend-
(fruitful or flat), now El-Rottein, lr\y situated to the noi tli i»f CJilcad, and extended us far aS Ilernioii. It. was a rugged mountainous country, valuable however for its rich and luxuriant pastures. Og, kliii; of Basliau, came ontagniiistus—Witliout provocation, lie rushed to r.ttaek the Israelites; eitlitr disliking the presence of such dangerouK neighbours, or burning to avenge the overthrow of his friends and allies. 3. The Loril said, Fear not ; for I avIU deliver Iiiiu, ninl all Ills people, his land, into thy hand— His gigantic appearance, and the formidable array of forces he will bring to the field, need not discourage you ; for, belonging to a doomed race, he is destined to shave the fate of Sihon. 3-8, Argob was the capital of a district in Bashan of the same name, which, together with other 59 cities in the same i)rovince, were con.^plcuous for their lofty and fortified walls. It was a war of extermination—houses and cities were razed to the ground, all classes of people were put to the sword, and nothing was saved but the cattle, of which an immense amount fell as spoil into the hands of the conquerors. Thus, the two Amorite kings and the entire population of their dominions were extirpated, and the whole country east of the .Ionian—fiist upland downs from the torn-nt of the Anion on the south to that of tiie Jabbok on the nort'li ; next the high moi-.ntain tract of Gilead and liashan from the deep ravine of Jal)bok—became the possession of the Israelites. 9. Herimon—now Jebel-Ks-Shelck—the majestic hill on which the long and elevated range of Anti-Lebanon terminates; its summit and the ridges on its sides are almost constantly covered with snow. It is not so much one high mountain as a whole cluster of mountain peaks, the highest in Palestine. According to the survey taken by the English Government Engineers in ISJO, they were about iloTW leet al)ove the sea. Being a mountain chain, it is no wonder tliat it should have received dilt'erent names at dlli'erent points from the different tribes which lay along the base—all of them designating extraordinary height; Hermon, the aiits of Machir, who was now dead. 16. from Gilead— i. c, not the mountainous region, but tlie town Kamothgilead—even unto the river Arnon, half tike valley The word "valley" signifies a wady, either tilled witli water or dry, as the Anion is in summer, and thus tlie proper rendering of the passage will be—" even to the half or middle of the river Anion" (cf. Joshua 12. 2). This prudent arrangement of the boundaries was evidently made to prevent all disputes between tlie adjacent tribes about the exclusive riglit to the water. ',15. 1 jtray thee, let me go over and see the good land tliat is iieyoud
tliat goodly mountain, and Lebanon—The natural and very earnest wish of Moses to lie allowed to cross the Jordan was founded on the idea tliul the Divine threatening might be conditional and revertilile. "Tliat goodly mountain" is supposed by Jewisti writers to have pointed to the hill on which the temple was to be built (chapter 12.5; Exodus 15.2). But biblical scholars now, generally, render tlie words— "that goodly ii Kjuntain, even Lebanon," and consider it to be mentioned as typifying the beauty of Palestine, of whicli liillfc and mouu tains were so i)romineiit a feature, as. spealt sio more unto me of this matter i. c, my decree is unalierable. CHAPTER IV.
lofty peak, "Sirion," or in an abbreviated form ".Sion"
(ch. -1. -IS), the upraised "Slienir," the glittering breastplate of ice. 11. only Og king of Baslian remained of the remnant of giants lit., of Kephaim. He was not tlie last giant, but the only living remnant in the transjordanic country (Josliua 15. 14), of a certain gigantic race, supposed to be the most ancient inhabitants of Palestine, behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron—Although beds in the East are with the common people nothing
Ver. 1-13. An Exhortation TO Obedience. 1. lienrken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto tiie judgments wlnicli I teacli you—By statutes were meant all ordinances respecting religion, and the rites of divine worship; and l3y judgments, all enactments relative to civil matters. The two embraced tiie whole law of God. 3. Ye siiall not add unto tlie word whicli I comitinnd youBy the introduction of any heathen superstition or forms of worship ditterent from those which I have appointed more than a simple mattrass, bedsteads are not unknown: they are in use amongst the great, who prefer them of. Iron or other metals, not only for strength and durability, but for the prevention of the troublesome insects which in warm climates commonly infest wood. Taking the cul)it at half a yard, tlie bedstead of Og would measure 13i feet, so that as beds are usually a little larger than the persons who occupy them, the stature of the Amorite king maybe estimated ataljout 11 or 12 feet; or he might have caused his bed to be made much larger than was necessary, as Alexander the Great did for each of his foot soldiers, to impress the Indians with an idea of the extraordinary strength and stature of his men. [Leclerc] But liow did Og's bedstead come to be in Rabbath, of the children of Ammon ? m answer to this question. It has been said, tliat Og had, on the eve of engagement, conveyed It to Ralibath for safety, or tliat Moses, after capturing it, may have sold it to the Ammonites, who had kept it as an antiquarian curiosity, till their capital was sacked in the time of David. This is a most unlikely supposition, and besides renders it necessary to consider the latter clause of this verso as an interpolation inserted long after the time of Moses. To avoid this, some eminent critics take the Hebrew word rendered "bedstead" to mean "coflfln." They think that the king of Bashan having been wounded In battle, fled to Rabbatti, where he died, and was burled ; hence the dimensions of his "coffin" are given. [Dathe, Ros.] lit. Thlg land which we po HseHM'd at that time, from A roer ... . gave I unto the Renbrnites and to the Gadlte»—The whole territory occupied by Sihon was parcelled out among the
(ch. 12. 32; Numbers 15. 39; Matthew 15. 9). ncitlier shall ye diminish auglit from it—by the neglect or omission of any of the observances, however trivial or irksome, wliicli I have prescribed. The character and provisions of the ancient dispensation were adapted with divine wisdom to the Instruction of that infant state of the church. But it was only a temporary economy ; and although God here authorizes Moses to command that all its institutions should be honoured with unfailing observance, this did not prevent Him from commissioning otiier prophets to alter or abrogate them when the end of that dispensation was attained. 3, 4. Your eyes have seen wliat the Lord did because of Baal-peor . , , tlie Liord thy God Iiath destroyed them from among you —It appears tha t the pestilence and the sword of justice overtook only the guilty in that affair (Numbers 25.), while the rest of the people were spared. The allusion to that recent and appalling judgment was seasonably made as a powerful dissuasive against Idolatry, and the fact mentioned was calculated to make a deep impression on people who knew and felt the truth of it. 5, 6. this ia your wisdom and your understanding in the sight