The stations of the children

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51 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

38 And Aaron the priest | jesimoth even unto m Abel-shitwent up into Mount Hor at tim "in the plains of Moab. the commandment of the LORD, 50 And the LORD spake unto and died there, in the fortieth year after the Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near children of Israel were come out of the land Jericho, saying, of Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month. 39 And Aaron was an hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in Mount Hor. 40 And king Arad, the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel. 41 And they departed from Mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah.

42 And they departed from Zalmonah, and pitched in Punon.

43 And they departed from Punon, and d pitched in Oboth.

44 And they departed from Oboth, and pitched in Ije-abarim, in the border of Moab. 45 And they departed from Iim, and pitched 1in Dibon-gad.

46 And they removed from Dibon-gad, and encamped in Almon-diblathaim.

k

47 And they removed from Almon-diblathaim, and pitched in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo.

48 And they departed from the mountains of Abarim, and pitched in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.

52 Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images,and quite pluck down alltheirhighplaces. 53 And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given the land to possess it.

you

S

54 And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.

55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

t

56 Moreover it shall come to pass, that I

49 And they pitched by Jordan, from Beth- shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.

Ch. xx. 25, 28. Deut. x. 6. xxxii. 50.- b Ch. xxi. 1, &c. Ch. xxi. 4.- d Ch. xxi. 10. e Ch. xxi. 11. f Or, heaps of Abarim. 8 Ch. xxi. 11. Ch. xxxii. 34. 'Jer. xlviii. 22. Ezek. vi. 14.- Ch. xxi. 20. Deut. xxxii. Or, the plains of Shittim. Ch. o Deut. vii. 1, 2. ix. 1. Josh. iii, 17.

49.1 Ch. xxii. 1. XXV. 1. Josh. ii. 1.

m

gold to Ophir, 1 Kings ix. 26. He supposes it to be about sixty miles distant from Mount Sinai.—Travels, p. 322, 4to. edition.

STAT. XXXII. 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. XXXIII. Verse 37. HOR] Famous for the death of Aaron. See on chap xx. Perhaps Moseroth or Mosera, ver. 30, was a village near this mountain. See the note on ver. 30.

STAT. XXXIV. Verse 41. ZALMONAH.] Probably in the neighbourhood of the land of Edom. As tselem signifies an image, this place probably had its name from the brazen serpent set up by Moses. See chap. xxi. 5, &c. From the same root the word telesm, corruptly called talisman, which signifies a consecrated image, is derived.

P Exod. xxiii. 24, 33. xxxiv. 13. Deut. vii. 2, 5. xii. 3. Josh.
xi. 12. Judg. ii. 2.9 Ch. xxvi. 53, 54, 55-
multiply his inheritance.

Josh. xxiii. 13. Judg. ii. 3. xxiii. 33. Ezek. xxviii. 24.

r Heb. Heb. diminish his inheritance. Ps. cvi. 34, 36. See Exod.

STAT. XXXVI. Verse 43. OBOTH.] Mentioned before, chap. xxi. 10.

STAT. XXXVII. Verse 44. IJE-ABARIM] The heaps of Abarim. See chap. xxi. 11. Situation uncertain. As the word It is called Iim in the following verse. signifies heaps or protuberances, it probably means tumuli or small hills near some of the fords of Jordan.

STAT. XXXVIII. Verse 45. DIBON-GAD.] Supposed to be the same as Dibon, chap. xxxii. 34, and to be situated on the brook Arnon.

STAT. XXXIX. Verse 46. ALMON-DIBLATHAIM.] Situation not known. It belonged to the Moabites Jer. xlviii. 22. in the time of the prophet Jeremiah.

STAT. XL. Verse 47. Mountains of ABARIM, before NEBO.] The mountain on which Moses died. They came to this place after the overthrow of the Amorites. See chap. xxi.

STAT. XLI. Verse 48. The PLAINS of MOAB.] This was the scene of the transactions between Balaam and Balak; see chapters xxiii., xxiv., xxv.

3 B

Observations on

NUMBERS.

the preceding chapter. STAT. XLII. Verse 49. From BETH-JESIMOTH even | 17, 18, 19, and iv. 1, 2. By the names of their unto ABEL-SHITTIM] The former of these places fell encamping places, and histories adjoined, it apto the Reubenites, Josh. xiii. 15-20. The Israelites were now come to the edge of Jordan, over against Jericho, where they afterwards passed.

For further information on the subject of these different encampments, the reader is requested to refer to the extract from Dr. Shaw at the end of the book of Exodus.

Verse 52. Ye shall-destroy all their pictures] Drown maskiyotham, from ɔw sachah, to be like, or resemble, either pictures, carved work, or embroidery, as far as these things were employed to exhibit the abominations of idolatry. tsalmey massechotham, metallic talismanical figures, made under certain constellations, and supposed in consequence to be possessed of some extraordinary influences and virtues.

צלמי מסכתם,Molten images

pears how Israel came sometimes into straits and troublesome ways, as at Pi-hahiroth, Exod. xiv. 2, 3, 10, &c.; and at Zalmonah, Numb. ii. 1, 4, &c.; sometimes into large and ample room, as at the plains of Moab: sometimes to places of hunger and thirst, as at Rephidim and Kadesh, Exod. xvi., xvii., Numb. xx.; sometimes to places of refreshing, as at Elim and Beer, Exod. xv. 27, Numb. xxi. 16; sometimes where they had wars, as at Rephidim, Kadesh, Edrei, Exod. xvii. 8, Numb. xxi. 1, 33; sometimes where they had rest, as at Mount Sinai: sometimes they went right forward, as from Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea; sometimes they turned backward, as from KadeshBarnea to the Red Sea: sometimes they came to mountains, as Sinai, Shapher, Hor-Gidgad; sometimes to valleys, as Tahath, &c.: sometimes to places of bitterness, as Marah; sometimes, of sweetness, as Mithcah.

3. "The SINS which they committed in the wilderVerse 55. Shall be pricks in your eyes] Underness were many and great; as open IDOLATRY by the these metaphors, the continual mischief that should Numb. XXV. UNBELIEF, at Kadesh, Numb. xiv. ; and calf, at Horeb, Exod. xxxii., and with Baalpeor, be done to them, both in soul and body, by these afterwards presumptuous BOLDNESS in the same place; idolaters, is set forth in a very expressive manner. MURMURING against God sundry times, with tempting What can be more vexatious than a continual goad- of Christ (as the apostle speaks, 1 Cor. x.). CONTENing of each side, so that the attempt to avoid the one TION and REBELLION against their governors often; throws the body more forcibly on the other? And lusting for flesh to fill their appetite, and loathing what can be more distressing than a continual prick-ters of Moab, and many other provocations; so that this the heavenly food; WHOREDOM With the daughing in the eye, harassing the mind, tormenting the complaint is after made of them, How oft did they body, and extinguishing the sight?

1. It has been usual among pious men to consider these Canaanites remaining in the land, as emblems of indwelling sin; and it must be granted that what those remaining Canaanites were to the people of Israel, who were disobedient to God, such is indwelling sin to all those who will not have the blood of the Covenant to cleanse them from all unrighteousness. For a time, while conscience is tender, such persons feel themselves straitened in all their goings, hindered in all their religious services, and distressed beyond measure because of the law-the authority and power, of sin, which they find warring in their members by and by the eye of their mind becomes obscured by the constant piercings of sin, till at last, fatally persuaded that sin must dwell in them as long as they live, they accommodate their minds to their situation, their consciences cease to be tender, and they content themselves with expecting redemption where and when it has never been promised, viz., beyond the grave! On the subject of the journeyings of the Israelites, the following observations from old Mr. Ainsworth cannot fail to interest the reader.

manna,

provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Ps. lxxviii. 40. All sorts of persons sinned against God; the multitude of people very often; the mixed multitude of strangers among them, Numb. xi. The princes, as the ten spies, Dathan, Abiram, &c. The Levites, as Korah and his company; Miriam the prophetess, Numb. xii.; Aaron the priest with her, besides his sin at Horeb, Exod. xxxii.; and at the water of Meribah, Numb. xx. MOSES also himself at the same place, for which he was excluded from the land of Canaan.

5. "

4. "The PUNISHMENTS laid on them by the Lord for their disobedience were many. They died by the sword of the enemy, as of the Amalekites, Exod. XVIL and of the Canaanites, Numb. xiv. 45; and some by the sword of their brethren, Exod. xxxii. Some were burned with fire, Numb. xi., xvi. ; some died with surfeit Numb. xi.; some were swallowed up alive in the earth. Numb. xvi.; some were killed with serpents, Numb xxi.; many died of the pestilence, Numb. xvi. 46, and chap. v. 25; and generally all that generation which were first mustered, after their coming out of Egypt, perished, Numb. xxvi. 64, 65. God consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror, Ps. lxxviii. 3 2. "The TRAVELS of Israel through that great and Nevertheless, for his name's sake, he magterrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and nified his MERCIES unto them and their posterity. scorpions, and drought, where there was no water, He had divided the sea, and led them through on Deut. viii. 15, which was a land of deserts, and of dry land, drowning their enemies, Exod. xiv. He pits, a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, a led them with a cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by land that no man passed through, and where no man night, continually. He gave them manna from headwelt, Jer. ii. 6, signified the many troubles and afflic-ven daily. He clave the rock, and gave them water tions through which we must enter into the kingdom for their thirst. He fed them with quails, when they of God, Acts xiv. 22. The helps, comforts, and de- longed for flesh. He sweetened the bitter waters. He liverances which God gave unto his people in their saved them from the sword of their enemies. He de distresses, are examples of his love and mercy to- livered them from the fiery serpents and scorpions wards his followers; for he comforts them in all their Their raiment waxed not old upon them, neither did tribulation, that as the sufferings of Christ abound in their foot swell for forty years, Deut. viii. 4. He de them, so their consolation also abounds in Christ, livered them from the intended curse of Balaam, and 2 Cor. i. 45. The punishments which God inflicted turned it into a blessing, because he loved them, upon the disobedient, who perished in the wilderness Numb. xxii., Deut. xxiii. 5. He came down from for their sins, happened unto them for ensamples, and Mount Sinai, and spake with them from heaven, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the gave them right judgments and true laws, good staends of the world are come, 1 Cor. x. 1, 11, Heb. iii.tutes and commandments, and gave also his good

The land of Canaan is described, 1, 2. The south quarter, 3—5. The north border, 7-9. The east border, 10-12. This land to be divided by lot among the nine tribes and half, 13; two tribes and half, Reuben and Gad, and the half of Manasseh, having already got their inheritance on the east side of Jordan, 14, 15. Eleazar the priest, and Joshua, to assist in dividing the land, 16, 17; and with them a chief out of every tribe, 18. The names of the twelve chiefs, 19—29.

AND the LORD spake unto even have the great sea for a

2 Command the children of west border. Israel, and say unto them, When ye come

into the land of Canaan; (this is the land
that shall fall unto you for an inheritance," Mount Hor:
even the land of Canaan with the coasts thereof:)
3 Then your south quarter shall be from
the wilderness of Zin along by the coast of
Edom, and your south border shall be the
outmost coast of the salt sea eastward:

6 And as for the western border, ye shall and the goings out of it shall be at the salt

sea: this shall be your land
with the coasts thereof round
about.

a

13 And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the LORD commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half tribe :

14 For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance; and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance :

15 The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on this side Jordan near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising. 16 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 17 These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: © Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun.

C

18 And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land by inheritance.

were to assist in dividing the land.

e

the tribe of Judah, Caleb the
son of Jephunneh.

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20 And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud. 21 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon.

22 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli.

23 The prince of the children of Joseph, for the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod.

24 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. 25 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. 26 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan. 27 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. 28 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud. 29 These are they whom the LORD commanded to 'divide the inheritance unto the

19 And the names of the men are these: Of children of Israel in the land of Canaan.

a Ver. 1. Josh. xiv. 1, 2.- b Ch. xxxii. 33. Josh. xiv. 2, 3. e Josh. xiv. 1. xix. 51.- d Ch. i. 4, 16.

over on dry ground. Both Elijah and Elisha separated its waters in a miraculous way, 2 Kings ii. 8-14. Naaman, the Syrian general, by washing in it at the command of the prophet, was miraculously cured of his leprosy, 2 Kings v. 10-14. In this river John baptized great multitudes of Jews; and in it was CHRIST himself baptized, and the Spirit of God descended upon him, and the voice from heaven proclaimed him the great and only Teacher and Saviour of men, Matt. iii. 16, 17, Mark i. 5-11.

Verse 13. This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot] Much of what is said concerning this land is peculiarly emphatic. It is a land that contains a multitude of advantages in its climate, its soil, situation, &c. It is bounded on the south by a ridge of mountains, which separate it from Arabia, and screen it from the burning and often pestiferous winds which blow over the desert from that quarter. On the west it is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea; on the north, by Mount Libanus, which defends it from the cold northern blasts; and on the east by the river Jordan, and its fertile, well-watered plains. It is described by God himself as "a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains, and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig-trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; a land wherein there was no scarcity of bread, and where both iron and copper mines abounded," Deut. viii. 7-9; a land finely diversified with hills and valleys, and well watered by the rain of heaven, in this respect widely different from Egypt; a land which God cared for,

on which his eyes were continually placed from the beginning to the end of the year; watched over by a most merciful providence; in a word, a land which flowed with milk and honey, and was the most pleasant of all lands; Deut. xi. 11, 12, Ezek. xx. 6. Such was the land, and such were the advantages that this most favoured people were called to possess. Ther were called to possess it by lot that each might be satisfied with his possession, as considering it to be appointed to him by the especial providence of God; and its boundaries were ascertained on divine autho rity, to prevent all covetousness after the territories of others.

Verse 19, &c. And the names of the men are these] It is worthy of remark that Moses does not follow any order hitherto used of placing the tribes, neither that in chap. i., nor that in chap. vii., nor that in chap. xxvi., nor any other; but places them here exactly in that order in which they possessed the land. 1. Judah; 2. Simeon; 3. Benjamin; 4. Dan; 5. Manasseh; 6. Ephraim; 7. Zebulun; 8. Issachar; 9. Asher; 10. Naphtali. Judah is first, having the first lot; and he dwelt in the south part of the land, Josh. xv. 1, &c.; and next to him Simeon, because his inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah, Josh. xix. 1. Benjamin was third; he had his inheritance by Judah, between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph, Josh. xviii. 11. Dan was the fourth; his lot fell westward of that of Benjamin, in the country of the Philistines, as may be seen in Josh. xix. 40, 41, &c. Fifth, Manasseh; and sixth, by him, his brother Ephraim, whose inheritances

Forty-eight cities with their

were behind that of Benjamin, Josh. xvi. 7.

CHAP. XXXV. suburbs to be given to the Levites. Next sons of Joseph, son of Rachel, had the next place to these dwelt, seventh, Zebulun; and eighth, Issachar; abreast. Zebulun and Issachar, who dwelt next concerning whose lots see Josh. xix. 10-17. Ninth, together, were both sons of Leah; and the last pair Asher; and tenth, Naphtali; see Josh. xix. 24, 32, were Asher, of Leah's maid, and Naphtali, of Rachel's &c. And as in encamping about the tabernacle they maid. Thus God, in nominating the princes that were arranged according to their fraternal relation- should divide the land, signified beforehand the manship (see chap. ii.), so they were in the division and ner of their possession, and that they should be so inheriting of the promised land. Judah and Simeon, situated as to dwell together as brethren in unity, for both sons of Leah, dwelt abreast of each other. Ben- the mutual help and comfort of each other. See jamin, son of Rachel, and Dan, son of Rachel's maid, | Ainsworth. In this arrangement there is much skill, dwelt next abreast. Manasseh and Ephraim, both judgment, and kindness every where displayed.

CHAPTER XXXV.

The Israelites are commanded to give the Levites, out of their inheritances, cities and their suburbs for themselves and for their cattle, goods, &c., 1-3. The suburbs to be 3,000 cubits round about from the wall of the city, 4, 5. The cities to be forty-two, to which six cities of refuge should be added, in all forty-eight cities, 6, 7. Each tribe shall give of these cities in proportion to its possessions, 8. These cities to be appointed for the person who might slay his neighbour unawares, 9-12. Of these six cities there shall be three on each side Jordan, 13, 14. The cities to be places of refuge for all who kill a person unawares, whether they be Israelites, strangers, or sojourners, 15. which the benefit of the cities of refuge shall not extend, 16-21. to which the benefits of the cities of refuge shall extend, 22, 23. shall act between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, 24, 25. abide in the city of refuge till the death of the high-priest; he shall then return to the land of his possession, 26-28. Two witnesses must attest a murder before a murderer can be put to death, 29, 30. Every murderer to be put to death, 31. The manslayer is not to be permitted to come to the land of his inheritance till the death of the high-priest, 32. The land must not be polluted with blood, for the Lord dwells in it, 33, 34.

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saying,

a

AND the LORD spake unto
Moses in the plains of
Moab by Jordan near Jericho,

2 Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession, cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.

3 And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts. 4 And the suburbs of the cities, which ye

* Josh. xiv. 3, 4. xxi. 2. See Ezek. xlv. 1, &c. xlviii. 8, &c.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXXV. Verse 4. And the suburbs of the cities-shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.

Verse 5. And ye shall measure from without the city-two thousand cubits, &c.] Commentators have been much puzzled with the accounts in these two verses. In ver. 4 the measure is said to be 1,000 cubits from the wall; in ver. 5 the measure is said to be 2,000 from without the city. It is likely these two measures mean the same thing; at least so it was understood by the Septuagint and Coptic, who have dioxidovs anxes, 2,000 cubits, in the fourth as well as in the fifth verse; but this reading of the Septuagint and Coptic is not acknowledged by any other of

Cases of murder, to Cases of manslaughter How the congregation The manslayer shall

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shall give unto the Levites, shall
reach from the wall of the city An. Ex. Isr. 40.
and outward a thousand cubits
round about.

5 And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.

6 And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for

b Ver. 13. Deut. iv. 41. Josh. xx. 2, 7, 8. xxi. 3, 13, 21, 27, 32, 36, 38.

the ancient Versions, nor by any of the MSS. collated by Kennicott and De Rossi. We must seek therefore for some other method of reconciling this apparently contradictory account. Sundry modes have been proposed by commentators which appear to me, in general, to require full as much explanation as the text itself. Maimonides is the only one intelligible on the subject. "The suburbs," says he, "of the cities are expressed in the Law to be 3,000 cubits on every side from the wall of the city and outwards. The first thousand cubits are the suburbs, and the 2,000, which they measured without the suburbs, were for fields and vineyards." The whole, therefore, of the city, suburbs, fields, and vineyards, may be represented by the following diagram :—