of forty-one thousand five hundred, and Naphtali fiftythree thousand four hundred, in all one hundred fiftyfeven thousand five hundred and fifty, and these were on the north fide of the tabernacle. Thus the Ifraelitish hoft amounted to fix hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty fighting men, exclufive of the Levites. To which if we add the old men above fixty, and the young men under twenty, their wives, daughters, fervants, flaves, and strangers, which, as we fhewed before, amounted in the whole to li tle less than three millions, their vaft number of cattle, waggons, and other lumber, the leaft space that can be allowed for fuch a prodigious camp must be above twenty miles, though we fuppofed the fpaces between each tribe to have been much lefs than the Jewish doctors affirm (N).

THESE four large bodies had each their general ftandard (O), to which their own and the other tribes were to repair; under these were twelve more, one to every tribe; and under these again were thofe of all the heads of families, amounting to fifty-feven, according to Mofes's own account k; and indeed lefs than that number cannot be fuppofed. What the colours, emblems, and devices of thofe enfigns were, neither Mofes nor any infpired writer has told us (P).

* Num. ii. & xxvi, pass.

THAT

enfign or ftandard, the former by upn, borrowed perhaps from the Greek Tas, y a

(N) This prodigious army is by the antient Jews called threefold, whereof the tabernacle, with its precinct, is called, and the latter by záthe camp of the Divine Majefty, Yu." AffaπSEXμnathe next the camp of Levi, or τα τάγμα αὐτό, every man little hoft of the LORD, and the to his own order, ftation, or largeft the camp of Ifrael, or rank; which phrafe the apoftle the great hoft; and may well feems to apply in a fenfe fomeenough be compared to a cathe- what different from this (51). dral in the heart of a city, round which are the bishop, dean, canons, and inferior clergy, and round them the laity.

(O) The Chaldee and Septuagint have indeed rendered the original word 1 gedel,

(P) The rabbies have fupplied all thofe defects very plentifully; but, though they are not always to be depended upon, yet fome particulars they have given us relating to thofe of the four main bodies, and thofe of the twelve tribes, feem

(51) 1 Cor. xv. 23. Vid. Goodwin Mofes and Aaron, 1. vi, c. 8.

R

no

THAT every tribe had, befides, their particular ftandard of a different colour, and with a different emblem and motto, if they ufed any fo early, can hardly be queftioned; and that these two laft might be taken from those allufions which Jacob or Mofes made ufe of in their last bleffing, is far from improbable: and thus, for inftance, Naphtali might have a large tree or a hind in his enfign, Ifachar an afs couching under his burden, Benjamin a wolf ", and fo on; beyond which we will not venture to affirm any thing, much lefs concerning the enfigns of the principal families, which other authors have thought

u Gen. xlix. 14, 21, 27, &c. Deut. xxxiii. 6, & feq. See alfo an ancient apocryphal book called the teftament of the twelve patriarchs.

ben Levi. Cabal. hiftor, ap. Cunæum, ub. fup.
xxxiii. 17. (6) Vid.
(8) Pf. xviii. 10,

Aben Er. & Fag.

(9) Revel. iv. 6, 7.

fit to give us w. One thing more, however, is certain, that they had likewise a separate camp for lepers, for those who had running fores, or any infirmities of that nature, or had defiled themselves by touching a dead body, and the like; all which were excluded from this grand

one x.

THE order of their decamping and marching, of their engaging in battle, and fuch-like, as they are more particularly defcribed by Mofes, we fhall content ourselves with mentioning the principal heads relating to each of them, and removing fome few difficulties that occur; and refer our readers for the more circumftantial parts to the text itself, and to thofe who have treated of them more at large.

IN their decamping, whilft in the wilderness, the first thing they were to obferve, was the fignal from the miraculous pillar, of which we have already fpoken; which Mofes immediately took care to have communicated throughout the camp, by two filver trumpets made by GOD's command a; and because these were used for other fignals, fuch as the calling the elders to the tabernacle, proclaiming of anniversary feftivals, and the like, they were differently blown, according to the fignal they were to give; that is, for inftance, fingly, when to call the elders; jointly, when to call the whole congregation; with a conftant and even found, when they proclaimed a march; and with a tremulous interrupted one, when they founded to battle. To these the apoftle feems to allude, when he fays, If the trumpet gives an uncertain found, who will prepare to battle? As foon, therefore, as the firft fignal was given for marching, every tribe fet about making ready for it; and this took up fome confiderable time, especially with refpect to the priests and Levites, who had the tabernacle, with all its utenfils, to take down, cover, and pack up, and fet part upon waggons for that purpose, and part to be carried upon mens thou!ders. By that time the Levites had got every thing ready for the march, the fecond fignal was given; for it is not to be doubted but the other tribes could be fooner in a readiness than they and then all that bore arms repaired to their ftandards, whilft the invalids, women, children,

and carriages, marched towards the rear. Upon the next fignal, the tribe of Judah, at the head of the other two that belonged to his camp, began to march; and these were followed, according to the most general opinion, by the Gershonites and Merarites, who guarded the waggons loaded with the boards, pillars, &c. belonging to the tabernacle. Upon the next fignal, Reuben and his two tribes began to move; after whom came the Kohathites, bearing the ark, altar, table, and other utenfils, upon their fhoulders; fo that by the time thefe were at their journey's end, the Gershonites and Merarites had fet up the tabernacle, and got all things ready for their reception. The ark and its bearers were guarded by the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manaffeh, as foon as the third fignal was given. To this alludes that of the pfalmift, Thou that fittest between the cherubim, fhine forth be fore Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manaffeh. Laft of all came the tribes of Dan, Afher, and Naphtali, efcorting the invalids, that none might be left behind. For which reafon this body is called the rear-ward, or, as our margins more properly word it, the gathering-hoft & (T).

CONCERNING their method of engaging with their enemies, order of battle, and the like, we have nothing certain but what has been occafionally mentioned before. Such as the having one prieft anointed to be

c Pfal. lxxx. 1, 2. a Jofhua vi. 9. Vide MUNST. in loc. GOODWIN'S Mof. & Aaron, lib. vi. c. 4. art. 3. fee alfo Num. x. 21, & feqq.

(T) However, it is plain, that this order was not always observed; for, first, with respect to the ark, there are fome places where it is faid to have gone before them (1)upon fome emergencies; and, with refpect to the whole body, tho' they kept this excellent order of marching in columns, as often as the lands, thro' which they paffed, would permit it; yet, when they were obliged to crofs whole ridges of mountains, they were then forced to make their way, fome over heights, others through the valleys, pre

ferving ftill the best order they
could for their own safety. All
that can be added upon this fub-
ject is, that, when the ark was
taking up for the march, Mo-
fes ufed to fay, Arife, O LORD,
and let thine enemies be fcatter-
ed, and let them that hate thee
flee before thee; and, when the
priefts fet it down, he faid,
Return, O LORD, unto the
many thousands of Ifrael (2).
Thefe words are fill used to
this day by the Jews, when
they fetch the roll of the law
out of its repofitory, and when
they carry it thither again.
(2) Numb. x. 35, 36.
Gg 3

(1) See Numb. x. 33. 7. iii. 6.

confulted

confulted by urim, inftead of the high-prieft, who never went to the wars; the amercol, or exhorting prieft, who is thought to be the fame with the former by fome authors 8, and whofe fpeech, at least the fubftance of it, has been preferved to us by the antient Jews (W): ali Their that we can fay farther on this head with any certainty is, manner of that as foon as the trumpets had given the fignal for the engaging. fignal for the engagement, the combatants gave a great fhout, and fell immediately upon their enemies h; an inftance of which we find fome time after, when they went to engage the Philiftines i (U),

& CALMET & BASNAG. ubi fup.
abi fup.
i Vide 1 Sam. iv. 5.

Goodw. Nof. Aar. lib. iv. c. 8. §. 14. (67) Vide 2 Chron. xxviii. 8, & feqq. (69) Joh. xi. 19, 20.