Verse 3. The Spirit of God came upon hitn.] This Divine afflatus he had not expected on the present occasion, but God had not yet declared the whole of his will.
Verse 3. He took up his parable^ His prophetic declaration couched in highly poetic terms, and in regular metre, as the preceding were.
The man whose eyes are opeJi] I believe the original OTVO shethum, should be translated shut, not open; for in the next verse, where the opening of his eyes is mentioned, a widely different word is used, Tni galah, which signifies to open or reveal. At first the eyes of Balaam were shut, and so closely too that he could not see the angel who withstood him, till God opened his eyes; nor could he see the gracious intentions of God towards Israel, till the ej/es of his understanding were opened by the power of the Divine Spirit. This therefore he mentions, we may suppose, with humility and gratitude, and to the credit of the prophecy which he is now about to deliver, that the Moabites may receive it as the word of God, which must be fulfilled in due season. His words, in their meaning, are similar to those of the blind man in the Gospel: " Once I was blind, but now I see."
Verse 4. Falling into a trancel There is no indication in the Hebrew that he fell into a trance; these words are added by our translators, but they are not in the original. I2i nophel is the only word used, and simply signifies falling, or falling down, perhaps in this instance by way of religious prostration.
Verse 6. Lign aloes which the Lord hath planted] Or, as the tents which the Lord hath pitched; for it it llie same word, D'SriN ohalim, which is u.sed in the 5th verse. But from other parts of Scripture we find that the word also signifies a species of tree, called by some the sandal tree, and by others the lignum or wood aloes. This tree is described as being eight or ten feet high, with very large leayes growing at the top; and it is supposed that a forest of those at some distance must bear some resemblance to a numerous en-
6 As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, >> as the trees of lign aloes ' which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.
campment. As the word comes from the root SriN ahal, which signifies to spread or branch out, and therefore is applied to tents, because of their being extended or spread out on the ground; so when it is applied to trees it must necessarily mean such as were remarkable for their widely-extended branches; but what the particular species is, cannot be satisfactorily ascertained. By the Lord''s planting are probably meant such trees as grow independently of the cultivation of man. — -Nullis hominum cogcntibus; or, as Virgil expresses it, —
As cedar trees'] Gabriel Sionita, a very learned Syrian Maronite, who assisted in editing the Paris Polyglot, a man worthy of all credit, thus describes the cedars of Mount Lebanon, which he had examined on the spot: —
" The cedar grows on the most elevated part of the mountain, is taller than the pine, and so thick that five men together could scarcely fathom one. It shoots out its branches at ten or twelve feet from the ground; they are large, and distant from each other, and are perpetually green. The cedar distils a kind of gum, to which different effects are attributed. The wood of it is of a brown colour, very solid, and incorruptible if preserved from wet. It bears a small apple, like to that of the pine.''^
De la Rogue relates some curious particulars concerning this tree, which he learned from the Maron ites of Mount Libanus: " Tlie branches grow in parallel rows round the tree, but lessen gradually from the bottom to the top, shooting out parallel to the horizon, so that the tree is, in appearance, similar to a cone. As the snows, which fall in vast quantities on this mountain, must necessarily, by their weight on such a vast surface, break down these branches, nature, or rather the God of nature, has so ordered it. that at the approach of winter, and during the snowy season, the branches erect themselves, and cling close to the body of the tree, and thus prevent any quantity of snow from lodging on them.
Mr. Maundrell, who visited Mount Libanus in 1697, gives the following description of the cedars still growing there: —
A. M. 2553. 7 He shall pour the water out An. Kxod.lsr. of liis buckets, and his seed shall ■"*■ be •' in many waters, and his king
shall be higher than ' Agag, and his "" kingdom shall be exalted.
8 " God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a unicorn; he shall ° eat up the nations his enemies, and shall '' break their bones, and i pierce them through with his arrows.
9 ' He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? ^ Blessed is lie that blesseth thee, and ciused is he that curseth thee.
10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and lie ' smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, " I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogctlier blessed them these three times.
1 1 Therefore now flee thou to thy place:
" These noble trees grow among the snow, near the highest part of Lebanon, and are remarkable, as well for their own age and largeness as for those frequent allusions to them in the word of God. Some of them are very old, and of a prodigious bulk; others younger, and of a smaller size. Of the former I could reckon only sixteen, but t!ie Latter are very numerous. I measured one of the largest, and found it twelve yards and six inches in girt, and yet sound, and thirty-seven yards in the spread of its branches. At about five or six yards from the ground it was divided into five limbs, each of which was equal to a great tree." — Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, p. 142.
Verse 7. He shall pour the water out of his buckets, dfc.^ Here is a very plain allusion to their method of raising water in different parts of the East. By the well a tall pole is erected, which serves as a fulcrum to a very long lever, to the smaller end of which a bucket is appended. On the opposite end, which is much larger, are many notches cut in the wood, which serve as steps for a man, whose business it is to climb up to the fulcrum, in order to lower the bucket into the well, which, wlien filled, he raises by walking back on the opposite arm, till his weight brings the bucket above the well's mouth: a person standing by the well empties the bucket into a trench, which communicates with the ground intended to be watered.
His seed shall be in many waters] Another simple allusion to the sowing of rice. The ground must not only be well watered, h\M flooded, in order to serve for the proper growth of this grain. The rice that was sown in many teaters must be the most fruitful. 13v an elegant and chaste metaphor all this is applied to ihe procreation of a numerous posterity.
^ I tliought to promote thee unto A. M. 2553. great honour; but, lo, the Lord Aii.'Ex<i'u'r. hath kept thee back from honour. '*"•
12 And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake 1 not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,
13 ""If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak?
1 4 And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and '^ I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people ^ in the latter days.
15 ^ And he took up his parable, and said, Baalam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
1 6 He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most
is supposed to have been as common to all the Amalekitish kings as Pharaoh was to those of Egypt. But several critics, with the Septuagint, suppose that a small change has taken place here in the original word, and that instead of JJS^D meagag, than Agag, we should read JUO miggog, than Gog. As Gog in Scripture seems to mean the enemies of God's people, then the promise here may imply that the true worshippers of the Most High shall ultimately have dominion over all their enemies.
Verse 8. God brought him forth out of Egypt] They were neither expelled thence, nor came voluntarily away. God alone, with a high hand and uplifted arm, brought them forth. Concerning the unicorn, see on chap, xxiii. 22.
Verse 9. He couched, he lay down as a lion, t^c.] See the original terms explained chap, xxiii. 24.
These oracles, delivered by Balaam, are evident prophecies of the victories which the Israelites should gain over their enemies, and of their firm possession of the promised land. They may also refer to the great victories to be obtained by the Lord Jesus Christ, that Lion of the tribe of Judah, over sin, death, and.Satan, the grand enemies of the human race; and to that most numerous posterity of spiritual children which should be begotten by the preaching of the Gospel.
Verse l\. Lo, ihe Lord halh kept thee hack from honour.] A bitter and impious sarcasm. " Hadst thou cursed this people, I would have promoled thee to great honour; but thou hast chosen to follow the directions of Jehovah rather than mine, and what will he do for thee?"
Verse 15. The man whose eyes are open] See on ver. 3. It seems strange that our version should have fallen into such a mistake as to render Dni7 shelhum,
17 'I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come '' a Star out of Jacob, and "= a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall ^ smite the cor-
open, which it does not signify, 'when the very sound of the word expresses the sense. The Vulgate has very properly preserved the true meaning, by rendering the clause cujus obturatus est oculus, he whose eyes are shut. The Targum first paraphrased the passage falsely, and most of the versions followed it.
Verse 17. / shall see him, hut not noio] Or, I shall see him, but he is not now. I shall behold him, but not nigh — / shall have a full vieio of him, but the time is yet distant. That is, The person of whom I am now prophesying does not at present exist among these Israelites, nor shall he appear in this generation. There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel — a person eminent for wisdom, and formidable for strength and power, shall arise as hng among this people. He shall smile the corners of Moab — he shall bring the Moabites perfectly under subjection; (See 2 Sam. viii. 2;) and destroy all the children of Sheth. The original word "'p^p karkar, from mp karah, to meet, associate, join, blend, and the like, is variously translated: vastabit, he shall loastc, Vulgate. — Trpovofituaei, shall prey on, Sept. —!3l7l^' yishlot, shall rule oi;er,TARGUM. — Shall shake, Ar.'lBIc, — J^*-!/? barbend, shall put a yoke on. Pees. — Shall unwall, AiNswoRTH, &c., &c.
The Targum of Onkelos translates the whole passage thus: " I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but he is not near. When a king shall arise from the house of Jacob, and the Messiah be anointed from the house of Israel, he shall slay the princes of Moab, and rule over all the chddren of men."
The Jerusalem Targum is a little different: " A king shall arise from the house of Jacob, a redeemer and governor from the house of Israel, who shall slay the chiefs of the Moabites, and empty out and destroy all the children of the East."
Rabbi Moses ben Maimon has, in my opinion, perfectly hit the meaning of the prophecy in the following paraphrase of the text: " / shall see him, but not now. This is David. — / shall behold him, but not nigh. This is the king Messiah. — A Star shall come out of Jacob. This is David. — And a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel. This is the king Messiah. — And shall smite the comers of Moab. This is David, (as it is written, 2 Sam. viii. 2: And he smote Moab, casting them down to the ground.) — And shall destroy all the children of Sheth. This is the king Messiah, of whom it is written, (Psa. Ixii. 8,) He shall have dominionfrom tea to sea."
Verse 1 8. And Edom shall be a possession] That is, to David; as it is said: " And all they of Edom became David's servants;" 2 Sam. viii. 14.
session, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
1 9 ^ Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.
Seir also shall be a possession] That is, unto the king Messiah; as it is said: " And saviours shall come upon Mount Zion to judge the Mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord's;" Obad., ver. 21. See Ainsworth.
Verse 19. Out of Jacob shall come, cfc] This is supposed to refer to Christ, because of what is said Gen. xlix. 10.
It is exceedingly difficult to fix the true sense of this prophecy in all its particulars. Probably the star^ ver. 17, is only an emblem of kingly power. Among the Egyptians a star is said to have been the symbol of the Divine Being. The sceptre refers to the kingly power in exercise. The corners or outskirts may mean the petty Moabitish governments, as the Chaldee has understood the term. If karkar, which we translate utterly destroy, be not the name of a place here, as it is in Judg. viii. 10, (which is not very likely,) it may be taken in one of those senses assigned to it, (see on ver. 17,) and signify the Molding together the children of Sheth, that is, all the inhabitants of the earth; for so the children of Sheth must necessarily be understood, unless we consider it here as meaning some king of the Moabites, according to Grotius, or a city on the borders of Moab, according to Rabbi Nathan. As neither Israel nor the Messiah ever destroyed all the children of men, we must (in order to leave the children of Sheth what they are generally understood to be, all the inhabitants of the world) understand the whole as a prophecy of the final universal sway of the sceptre of Christ, when the middle wall of partition shall be broken down, and the Jews and Gentiles become one united, blended fold, under one shepherd and bishop of their souls.
I cannot think that the meteoric star which guided the wise men of the east to Bethlehem can be intended here; nor do I think that Peter refers to this prophecy when he calls Christ the day star, 2 Epist. i. 19; nor that Rev. ii. 28, where Christ is called the morning star, nor Rev. xxii. 16, where he is called the bright and morning star, refers at all to this prophecy of Balaam. Nor do I think that the false Christ who rose in the time of Adrian, and who called himself Barcochab, which literally signifies the son of a star, did refer to this prophecy. If he had, he must have defeated his own intention, because the son of the star is not the star that should arise, but at the utmost a descendant; and then, to vindicate his right to the Jewish throne, he must show that the person who was called the star, and of whom he pretended to be the son or descendant, had actually reigned before him. As the sun, moon, stars, planets, light, splendour, efflU-
of the nations; but his latter end "^ shall be that he perish for ever.
2 1 And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling place, and tliou puttest thy nest in a rock.
22 Nevertheless ' the Kenite shall be wasted, ■^ until Asshur shall carrj' thee away captive.
gence, day, &c., were always considered among the Asiatics as emblems of royalty, government, &c., therefore many, both men and women, had these names given to them as titles, surnames, &c. So the queen of Alexander the Great, called Ro.xana by the Greeks, was a Persian princess, and in her native tongue her name was m*»1) Roushen, splendour. Hadassah, who became queen to Ahasuerus, in place of the repudiated Vashli, and is called Esther by Europeans in general, was called in the language of Persia <XjlXi« Sitareh; from whence by corruption came both Esther, the Persian queen, and our word star. And to waive all farther examples, a Mohammedan prince, at first named
Eesouf or Joseph, was called j^^' L-I^4J Roushen Akhter when he was raised to the throne, which signifies a splendid or luminous star. This prince, by a joyful reverse of fortune, was brought from a gloomy prison and exalted to the throne of Hindostan; on which account the following couplet was made, in which there is a paronomasia or play on the name Roushen Akhter; and the last line alludes to the history of the patriarch Joseph, who was brought out of prison and exalted to the highest honours in Egypt.
Roushen Akhter hood, aknoon mah shud: Yousef az zendan her amd shah shud. " He was a bright star, but is now become a moon. Joseph is brought out oi prison, and is become a glorious king."
Verse 20. Amalek was the first of the nations] The most ancient and most powerful of all the nations or states then within the view of Balaam; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever, or his posterity 1n'^^N acharUho, shall be destroyed, or shall utterly fail. This oracle began to be fulfilled by Saul, I Sam. XV. 7, 8, who overthrew the Amalekites, and took their king, Agag, prisoner. Afterwards they were nearly destroyed by David, 1 Sam..xxvii. 8, and they were finally exterminated by the sons of Simeon in the days of Hezekiah, 1 Chron. iv. -11-43; since that time they have ceased to exist as a people, and now no vestige of them remains on the face of the earth; so completely is their posterity cut off, according to this prophecy. The marginal reading does not appear to give the proper sense.
24 And ships shall come from the coast of 1 Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict " Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.
25 And Baalam rose up, and went and " re turned to his place: and Balak also went his way.
Verse 21. He looked on the Kenites] Commentators are not well agreed who the Kenites were. Dr. Dodd's opinion is, I think, nearest to the truth. Jethro, the father-in-law of IMoses, is called a priest or prince of Midian, E.xod. iii. 1, and in.Tudg. i. 16 he is called a Kenite; we may infer, therefore, says he, that the Kenites and the Midianites were the same, or at least that the Kenites and the Midianites werp confederate tribes. Some of these we learn from.Tudg. i. followed the Israelites, others abode still among the Midianites and Amalekites. When Saul destroyed the latter, we find he had no commission against the Kenites, 1 Sam. xv. 6, for it appears that they were then a small and inconsiderable people; they had doubtless been wasted, as the text says, though by what means does not appear from history. On the other hand, it may be observed that the Midianites mentioned here lived close to the Dead Sea, at a great distance from the Midian where Jethro lived, which was near Horeb. Perhaps they were a colony or tribe that had migrated from the vicinity of Mount Sinai. It seems that at this time the Kenites occupied a very strong position: Strong is thy dwelling place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock; where there is a play on the original word ["p, which signifies both a Kenite and a nest. High rocks in these countries were generally used as their strong places.
Verse 22. Until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.] The Assyrians and Babylonians who carried away captive the ten tribes, 2 Kings xvii. 6, and the Jews into Babylon, 2 Kings xxv., probably carried away the Kenites also. Indeed this seems pretty evident, as we find some Kenites mentioned among the Jews after their return from the Babylonish captivity, 1 Chron. ii. 55.
Verse 23. Who shall live when God doeth this!] There are two senses in which these words may be taken: — 1. That the event is so distant that none theo alive could possibly live to see it. 2. That the times would be so distressing and desolating that scarcely any should be able to escape. The words are very similar to those of our Lord, and probably are to be taken in the same sense: " Wo to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days."
Verse 24. Ships shall come from the coast of Chittim] Some tliink by Chittim the Romans, others the Macedonians under Alexander the Great, are meant. It is certain that the Romans did conquer the Assyrians, including all the people of Syria, Mesopotamia, &c.; but Calmet strongly contends that by Chittim Macedonia is meant, and that the prophecy refers to the conquests of Alexander. Chittim was one of the sons of Javan, the son of Japheth, the son of Noah, Gen. X. 4; and his posterity, according to Josephus, Antiq., 1. iii., c. 22, settled in Cilicia, Macedonia, Cyprus, and Italy also; and therefore, says Mr. Ainsworth, the prophecy may imply both the troubles that befell the Assyrians and Jews by the Greeks and Seleucida;, in the troublous days of Antiochus.
And shall afflict Eber] Probably not the Hebrews, as some think, but the people on the other side the Euphrates, from 13i' abar, to pass over, go beyond; all which people were discomfited, and their empire destroyed by Alexander the Great.
Verse 25. And Balaam — returned to his place] Intended to have gone to Mesopotamia, his native country, (see Deut. xxiii. 4,) but seems to have settled among the Midianites, where he was slain by the Israelites; see chap. xxxi. 8.
Though the notes in the preceding chapters have been extended to a considerable length, yet a few additional remarks may be necessary: the reader's attention is earnestly requested to the following propositions: —
1. It appears sufficiently evident from the preceding account that Balaam knew and worshipped the true God.
2. That he had been a true prophet, and appears to have been in the habit of receiving oracles from God.
3. That he practised some illicit branches of knowledge, or was reputed by the Moabites as a sorcerer, probably because of the high reputation he had for wisdom; and we know that even in our own country, in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, persons who excelled their contemporaries in wisdom were reputed as magicians.
4. That though he was a believer in the true God, yet he was covetous; he loved the wages of unrighteousness.
5. That it does not appear that' in the case before us he tcished to curse Israel when he found they were the servants of the true God.
6. That it is possible he did not know this at first. Balak told him that there was a numerous people come out of Egypt; and as marauders, wandering hordes, freebooters, &c., were frequent in those days, he might take them at first for such spoilers, and the more readily go at Balak's request to consult God concerning them.
7. That so conscientiously did he act in the whole business, that as soon as he found it displeased God he cheerfully offered to return; and did not advance till he had not only the permission, but the authority of God to proceed.
8. That when he came in view of tlie Israelitish camp he did not attempt to make use of any means of sorcery, evocation of spirits, necromantic spells, &c., to accomplish the wish of Balak.
9. That he did seek to find out the will of the true God, by using those means which God himself had prescribed, viz., supplication and prayer, and the sacrifice of clean beasts.
10. That though he knew it would greatly displease Balak, yet he most faithfully and firmly told him all that God said on every occasion.
11. That notwithstanding his allowed covetous disposition, yet he refused all promised honours and proffered rewards, even of the most extensive kind, to induce him to act in any respect contrary to the declared will of God.
12. That God on this occasion communicated to him some of the most extraordinary prophetic influences ever conferred on man.
13. That his prophecies are, upon the whole, clear and pointed, and have been fulfilled in the most remarkable manner, and furnish a very strong argument in proof of Divine revelation.
14. That notwithstanding the wicked counsel given to the INIidianites, the effects of which are mentioned in the following chapter, on which account he p'obably lost his life, (chap. xxxi. 8,) the badness of this man's character has been very far overrated; and that it does not appear that he was either a hypocrite, false prophet, or a sorcerer in the common acceptation of the teim, and that he risked even life itself in following and fulfilling the will of the Lord!
15. That though it is expressly asserted, chap xxxi. 16, and Rev. ii. 14, that Israel's committing whoredom with the daughters of Moab was brought about by the evil counsel given by Balaam to cast this stumbling-block in their way, yet it does not appear from the text that he had those most criminal intentions which are generally attributed to him; for as we have already seen so much good in this man's character, and that this, and his love of money (and who thinks this a sin?) are almost the only blots in it, it must certainly be consistent with candour and charity to suggest a method of removing at least some part of this blame.
16. I would therefore simply say that the counsel given by Balaam to Balak might have been " to form alliances with this people, especially through the medium of matrimonial connections; and seeing they could not conquer them, to endeavour to make them their friends."' Now, though this might not be designed by Balaam to bring them into a snare, yet it was a bad doctrine, as it led to the corruption of the holy seed, and to an unequal yoking with unbelievers; which, though even in a matrimonial way, is as contrary to sound policy as to the word of God. See the notes on chap. xxv. 3, 6.
17. That it was the Moabitish women, not Balaam, that called tlie people to the sacrifice of their gods; and it argued great degeneracy and iniquity in the hearts of the people on so slight an invitation to join so suddenly so impure a worship, and so speedily to cast off the whole form of godliness, with every portion of the fear of the Almighty; therefore the high blame rests ultimately with themselves.
IVhtle Israel abode in Shitlim the people commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab, 1. Theu become idolaters. 2. The anger of the Lord is kindled against them, and he commands the ringleaders to be hanged, 3, i. Moses causes the judges to slay the transgressors, 5. Zimri, one of the Israelitish princes of the tribe of.Simeon, brings a Midianitish princess, named Cozbi, into his tent, while the people are deploring their iniijuity before the tabernacle, 6. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, incensed by this insult to the laws and worship of God, runs after them and pierces them both with a javelin, 7, 8. Twenty-four thousand die of the plague, sent as a punishment for their iniquity, 9. The Lord grants to Phinehas a covenant of peace and an everlasting priesthood, 10-13. The name and quality of the Israelitish man and Midianitish woman, 14, 15. God commands the Israelites to vex and smite the Midianites, who had seduced them to the worship of Baal-peor, 16—18.
2 And " they called the people unto ^ the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and ^ bowed down to their gods.
3 And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and <■ tlie anger of tiie Lord was kindled against
4 And the Lord said unto Moses, e Take all the lieads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, ''that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.
Verse 3. Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor] The same as the Priapus of the Romans, and worshipped with the same obscene rites as we have frequently had occasion to remark.
The joining to Baal-peor, mentioned here, was probably what St. Paul had in view when he said, 2 Cor. vi. 1-1; Be ye not unequally yoked together zcith unbelievers. And this joining, though done even in a matrimonial way, was nevertheless fornication, (see Rev. ii. II,) as no marriage between an Israelite and a Midianite could be legitimate, according to the law of God. See the propositions at the close of the preceding chapter.
Verse 4. Take all the heads of the people, cj-c] Meaning the chiefs of those who had transgressed; as if he had said, " Assemble the chiefs and judges, institute:m inquiry concerning the tran.sgressors, and hang them who shall be found guilty before the Lord, as a matter required by his justice." Against the sun — in the most public manner, and in daylight.
Dr. Kennicott has remarked that the Samaritan and Hebrew te.\ts must be both taken together, to make the sense here complete: And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto all the heads of the people;.\Nn
PEOR; and hang them up before the Lord against the tun, &c.
5 And Moses said unto ' the judges of Israel, '' Slay ye ever}' one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor.
6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sigiit of all the congregation of the children ot Israel, ' who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
7 And " when Phinehas " the son of Eleazar, the sou of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a jave lin in his hand;
8 And he went after the man of Israel int«
Verse 5. Slay ye every one his men] In the different departments where you preside over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tcTis, slay all the culprits that shall be found.
Verse 6. One of the children of Israel] Zimri,t\\e son of Salu, a prince of a chief family in the tribe of Simeon, ver. 14, brought a Midianitish woman, Cozbi, daughter of Zur, head over a people of one of the chief families in Midian, ver. 15. The condition of these two persons plainly proves it to have been a matrimonial alliance, the one was a prince, the other a princess; therefore I must conclude that fornication or whoredom, in the common sense of the word, was not practised on this occasion. The matter was bad enough, as the marriage was in flat opposition to the law of God; and we need not make it worse by representing the woman as a common prostitute, as the Vulgate and several others have done. In such a case this is absolutely in.idmissible. Josephus positively says that Zimri had married Cozbi, Antiq., 1. iv., cap. 6; and if he had not said so, still the thing is nearly self-evident. See the conclusion of chap, x.^iv.
The children of Israel, toho were weeping] This aggravated the crime, because the people were then in a state of great humiliation, because of the late impure and illegal transactions.
Verse 8. Thrust both of them through] Inspired undoubtedly by the Spirit of the God of yiaixe to do
So ° the plague was stayed from the children
9 And p those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.
Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while ho was zealous ' for my sake among them, that I consumednot the children of Israel in ^myjcalousy.
12 Wherefore say, ' Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:
13 And he shall have it, and " his seed after him, even the covenant of ^ an everlasting priesthood; because he was "■" zealous for his
this act, which can never be a precedent on any common occasion. An act something similar occurs in our own history. In 1381, in the minority of Rich.ard II., a most formidable insurrection took place in Kent and Essex; about 100,000 men, chiefly under the direction of Wat Tyler, seized on London, massacred multitudes of innocent people, and were proceeding to the greatest enormities, when the king requiring a conference in.Smithfield with the rebel leader,.Sir William Wahrorth, then mayor of London, provoked at I the insolence with which Tyler behaved to his sovereign, knocked him off his horse with his mace, after which he was instantly despatched. While his partisans were bending their bows to revenge the death of their leader, Richard, then only sixteen years of age, rode up to them, and with great courage and presence of mind thus addre.ssed them: " What, my people, will you kill your king I be not concerned for the death of your leader; follow me, and I will be your general." They were suddenly appeased, and the rebellion terminated. The action of Sir William Walworth was that of a zealot, of essential benefit at the time, and justified only by the pressing exigencies of the case.
Verse 9. Those that died — were twenty and four thousand.] St. Paul, 1 Cor. x. 8, reckons only twentythree thousand; though some MS.S. and versions, particularly the latter Syriac and the Armenian, have twenty-four thousand, with the Hebrew text. Allowing the 24,000 to be the genuine reading, and none of the Hebrew MSS. exhibit any various reading here, the two places may be reconciled thus: 1000 men were slain in consequence of the examination instituted ver. 4. and 23,000 in consequence of the orders given ver. 5; making 24,000 in the whole. St. Paul probably refers only to the latter number.
Verses 12, 13. My covenant of pcaci — of an everlasting priesthood] As the word peace implied all kinds of blessings, both spiritual and temporal, it may mean
God, and ' made an atonement for a. m. 2553. the children of Israel. Au.Exod. Isr
14 Now the name of the Israel- '*"•
ite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman,?oas Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of '^ a chief houst, among the Simeonites.
1 5 And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain ivas Cozbi, the daughter of ^ Zur; he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian.
1 6 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saymg,
18 For they vex you with their ''wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Poor's sake.
no more here than the pr^.'.iise of God, to grant him and his family the utmost prosperity in reference to both worlds. The everlasting priesthood refers properly to the priesthood of Christ which was shadowed out by the priesthood under the law; no matter in what family it was continued. Therefore the D71;? nJHD kehunnalh olam, or eternal priesthood, does not merely refer to any sacerdotal ministrations which should be continued in the family of Phinehas, during the Mosaic dispensation, but to that priesthood of Christ typified by that of Aaron and his successors. The priesthood alone is everlasting, and a covenant or grant of that was made to Phinehas, and liis descendants. The Jews reckon twelve high priests of the race of Phine has, from this time to the days of Solomon, nine more from that time to the captivity, (see 1 Chron. vi. 4, 15,) and fifteen from their return to the time of Antiochus Eupator, the last of whom was Onias, slain by Lysias. Ezra, the great priest and scribe, was of this line, Ezra vii. 1,5. The family of Ithamar, uncle of Phinehas, had the priesthood for about 150 years; but it was restored to the famdy of Phinehas in the person of Zadok the priest, 1 Chron. vi. 50, in which it continued in the whole about 950 years. Probably the Maccabees were of the same family; but though this is not certain, there is no evidence against it. See Calmet. God therefore sufficiently fulfilled his promise; he gave to him and his descendants almost the utmost temporal I'^ngtb that could be given of that priesthood which is, in its own nature, eternal. Here then the word dSi;' olam means, not a limited time, but what is eternal in its duration. See the note on Gen. xxi. 33.
Verse 17. Vex the Midianites, <Si-c.] See this order fulfilled, chap. xxxi. 1-20. Twelve thousand Israelites attacked the Midianites, destroyed all their cities, slew their five kings, everj' male, and every grown up woman, and took all their spods.
Moses and Eleazar commanded
NUMBERS. to take the sum of the IsraeMte^
Moses and Eleazar are commanded to fake the sum of the Israelites, in the plains of Moab, 1-4. Reuben and his posterity, 43,730, I'cr. 5-11. Simeon and his posterity, 22,200, fcr. 12-14. Gad and his posterity, 40,500, i>er. 15-18. Judah and his posterity, 7G,500,ver. 19-22. Issa.ch3.r and his posterity, 64,300, ver. 23-25. Zebulun and his posterity, 60,500, ver. 20, 27. Manasseh and his posterity, 52,700, ver. 28-34. Ephraim and his posterity, 32,500, ver. 35-37. Benjamin and his posterity, 45,000, ver. 38-41. Dan and his posterity, 04,400, ver. 42, 43. Asher and his posterity, 53,400, rcr. 44-47. Naphtali ff)i(i /hs;;o,?/cnVy, 45, 400, 1'cr. 48-50. Total amount of the tu-clve tribes, G0l,T30, ver. 51. The land is to be divided by lot, and how, 52-56. The Lcviles and their families, 57, 58 Their genealogy, 59-01. Their number, 23,000, ver. 62. In this census or enumeration not one man wa.i found, save Josluia and Caleb, of all ivho hud been reckoned 38 years before, the rest having died in the wilderness, 63—05.
the son of Aaron tlie priest, saying,
2 " Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, '' from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers' liouse, all that are able to go to war in Israel.
3 And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them "= in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
4 Take, the sum of the people, from twenty years old and upward; as the Lord "* commanded Moses and the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt.
5 " Reuben, the eldest son of Israel: the children of Reuben; Hanocli, of whom cometh ihe family of the Hanochites: of Pallu, the family of the Palluites:
6 Of Hczron, the family of the Hezror.ites: of Carmi, the family of the Carmitcs.
7 These are the families of the Rcubcnites: and they that were numbered of them were forty and three thousand and seven hundred and thirty.
8 And the sons of Pallu; Eliab.
Verse 2. Take the sum of all the congregation] After thirty-eiiflit years God commands a second census of the Israelites to be made, to preserve the dislinctiiin in families, and to reuulate the tribes previously to their entry into the promised land, and to ascertain the proportion of Innd which should he allowed to each tribe. For though the whole was divided by lot, yet the portions were so disposed that a numerous tribe did not draw wliere the lots assigned small inheritances. See verses 53-56, and also the note on chap. i. 1.
Verse 10. Together with Korah] The Samaritan '.ext does not intimate that Korah was sivallowcd up,
9 And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Datlian, and Abiram. This IS (hat Dathan and Abiram which tverc ^ famous in the congrcg-ation who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the Lord:
1 0 » And the earth opened her mouth, and sv/allowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: '' and they became a sign.
1 2 The sons of Simeon after their families of ^ Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites: ot ' Jachin, the family of tlie Jachinites:
1 3 Of " Zerah, the family of the Zarhites. of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.
14 These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred.
15 The children of Gad after their families: of " Znphon, the family of ihe Zcphonilcs: of Haggi, the family of the Haggitcs: of Sliuni, the family of the Shunites:
but that he was burnt, as appears in fact to have been Ihe case. And the earth swallowed them up, what time that company died; and the fire devoured Korah with the two hundred and fifty men, who became a sign.
Verse 11. The children of Korah died not.] It is difficult to reconcile this place with chap. xvi. 27, 31-33, where it seems to be intimated that not only llie men, but the wives, and the sons, and the little ones of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, were swallowed up by the earthquake; see especially ver. 27, collated with ver. 33, of chap. xvi. But the text here expressly says, The children of Korah died not; and on a close ina
17 Of I" Arod, the family of the Arodites: of Areli, the family of the Arelites.
IS These are the families of the children of Gad according to those that were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred.
19 1 The sons of Judah were Er and Onan: and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
20 x\nd ' the sons of Judah after their families were; of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites: of Pharez, the family of the Pharezites: of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.
2 1 And the sons of Pharez were; of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.
22 These are the families of Judah according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and sixteen thousand and five hundred.
23 ^ Of the sons of Is^achar after their fami-..-es • of Tola, the family of the Tolaites: of
24 Of " Jasliub, the family of the Jashubites: of Shimron, the family of the Shiraronites.
25 These are the families of Issachar according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and four thousand and three hundred.
26 ' 0/"the sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Sardites: of Elon, the family of the Elonites: of Jahleel, the family of the Jahlcelites.
27 These are the families of the Zebulunites arcording to those that were numbered of ihem, threescore thousand and five hundred.
28 ^ The sons of Joseph after their families toere Manasseh and Ephraim.
29 Of the sons of JIanasseh: of ' Machir, the family of the Machirites: and Machir begat Gilead: of Gilead come the family of the Gileadiles.
.30 These are the sons of Gilead: o/'y Jeezer, the family of the Jeezeriles: of Helek, the family of the Helekites:
spection of ver. 27 of the above-mentioned chapter, we.shall find that the sons and the Utile ones of Dathan and Abiram alone are mentioned. So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out — and a
32 And of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites: and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.
33 And ^ Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
34 These aix the families of Manasseh, and those that were numbered of them, fifty am' two thousand and seven hundred.
35 These a7-e the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites: of '^ Becher, the family of the Bachrites: of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.
36 And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites
37 These a7~e the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their famihes.
38 '' The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites: of Ashbcl, the family of the Ashbelites: of " Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites:
39 Of "1 Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites: of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.
40 And the sons of Bela were •■ Ard and Naaman: of /Url, the family of the Ardites: and of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.
4 1 These are the sons of Benjamin after their families: and they that were numbered of them loere forty and five thousand and six
4 2 f These are the sons of Dan after their families: of ^ Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.
their wives, and their sons, and their little ones. Here is no mention of the children of Korah, they therefore escaped, while it appears those of Dathan and Abiram perished with their fathers. See the note oa chap. xvi. 30.
a ^ Of the children of Asher after their families: of Jiinna, the family of the Jimnites: of Jesui, the family of the Jcsuites: of Beriah, the family of the Beriites.
45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Hebcr, the family of the Hebcrites: of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.
46 And the name of the daughter of Asher was Sarah.
47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those that were numbered of them; tvho were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.
48 'Of the sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites: of Guni, the family of the G unites:
Verse 51. These were the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirli/.] The following comparative statement will sliow how much some of the tribes had increased, anil others had diminished, since the enumeration in chap. i.
Let it be observed, 1. That among; these there was not a man of the former census, save Joshua and Caleb, see ver. 64, 65. 2. That thoun;h there was an increase in seven tribes of not less than 74,800 men, yet so great was ll>e decrease in the other five tribes, that the balance against the present census is 1,820, as appears above: thus we find that there was an increase of 601,728 from 603,550 in the space of thir- <v.eight years.
50 These are the families of '"*•
Naphtali according to their families: and they that were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and four hundred.
5 1 ^ These were the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty.
53 ■" Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.
54 " To many thou shall ° give the more in heritance, and to few thou shall p give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him.
55 Notwithstanding the land shall be i divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes ol their fathers they shall inherit.
Notwithstanding the amazing increase in some and decrease in other tribes, the same sort of proportion is preserved in the east, west, north, and south divisions, as before; so as to keep the division of Judah. which was always in the front or van, the largest; and the division of Dan, which was always in the rear, the next in number. But it is worthy of remark that as they are now, properly speaking, to commence their grand military operations, so their front, or advanced division, is increased from 186,400 to 201,300; and their rear from 157,600 to 163,200. The first division is strengthened 14,900 men, and the last division 5,600 men. The reasons for this are sufficiently obvious.
Mr. Ainsworth has a curious remark on the number of families in the 12 tribes. " Here are families,
" In all 57; to wliom if we add the 1 2 patriarchs, and Jacol) ihcir father, the whole number is 70, the exact number of the souls in Jacob's house that went down to Egypt, Gen. xlvi. 27." In a variety of things in this ancient economy there is a most surprising proportion kept up, which never could have been a fortuitous effect of general causes. But proportion, harmony, and order distinguish all the works of God, both in the natural and moral world.
were numbered of the Levites after their fami lies; of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites: of Kohath, the family of the Kohatliites: of Merari, the family of the Merarites.
58 These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begat Amram.
59 And the name of Amram's wife was 'Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.
60 ' And unto Aaron was born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ilhamar.
6 1 And " Nadab and Abihu died, when they
word blU goral, translated lot, is supposed by some to signify the stone or pelible formerly used for the purpose of what we term casting lots. The word Woe htot is Anglo-Saxon, from Weosan, to divide, or portion out, i. e., fortuitously: it answers to the Greek K?.Tipo(, which some think comes from kAou, /o break; because the lot, being a sort of appeal to God, ("The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord," Prov. xvi. 33,) broke off all contentions and litigations relative to the matter in dispute. From this original division of the promised land by lot to the children of Israel, all portions, appointments, offices, shares, or divisions in spiritual and ecclesiastical matters, were termed lots. So in the New Testament, the word K^.tjpoc, lot, is used to signify a portion of spiritual blessedness, and nXTipovojiia, a division by lot, an inheritance; and ulripoi, the lotted or appointed persons to different works, shares, &c.; hence our word clergy, lO.ripoi, persons appointed by lot to a lot, portion, or inheritance; see the case of Matthias, Acts i. 26. Persons thus appointed were by accommodation termed inheritors, because originally, when there could he no claims of exclusive right, all lands where a wandering tribe chose to take up its residence were divided by lot, as the promised land in the case before us. So Judah says to Simeon his brother, Judg. i. 3: " Come up with me into my lot." And as God
bered of them were twenty and three thousand, all males from a month old and upward; " for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, 'because there was ''no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.
63 These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel '' in the plains of Moab. by Jordan near Jericho.
64 '^ But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.
65 For the Lord had said of them, They " shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, ^ save Caleb the son of.lephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
was ever supposed to be the whole disposer in such matters, whatever /«// out in the course of God\s providence was called a lot. " This is the lot of them that rob us;" Isa. xvii. 14. " Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter;" Acts viii. 21. A lot in the promised land was evidently typical of a place in eternal glory. " That they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance (xJiipov, a lot) among them that are sanctified;" Acts xxvi. 18. " Who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance (kA?;/iod, of the lot) of the saints in light;" Col. i. 13. "Which is the earnest of our inheritance, (uliipovouiar, of our allotted portion;") Eph. i. 14. "What is the riches of the glory of his inheritance," {K?.ripovouiar, allotted portion;) Eph. i. 18. As therefore the promised land was divided by lot to the believing Israelites, God determining the lot as he saw good, none of the people having any claim on or right to it; so the kingdom of heaven is a lot given by the mere good will of God to them that believe and obey him; for as unbelief and disobedience threw 600,000 people out of the inheritance of the promised land; so none who disbelieve God's word, and rebel against his authority, shall ever enter into the kingdom of heaven. — See Ainsworth. These things happened unto them for e.xamples: see then, reader, that thou fall not after the same example of unbelief.
The daughters of Zelophehad claim their inheritance, 1-4. Moses brings their case before the Lord, 5.
He allows their claim, 6, 7; -nnd a laio is made to regulate the inheritance of daughters, 8-11. Moses is commanded to go up to Mount Abarim, and vieio the promised land, 12; is apprised of his death, 13;
and because he did not sanctify God at the loaters of Meribah, he shall not enter into it, 14. Moses requests the Lord to appoint a person to supplij his place as leader of the Israelites, 15-17. God appoints Joshua, commands Moses to lay his hands upon him, to set him before Kleazar the priest, and frive him a charge in the sight of the people, 18-20. Eleasar shall ask counsel fir him by Urim, and at his command shall the Israelites go out and come in, 21. Moses does as the Lord commanded him, and cons' crates Joshua, 22, 23.
Hepher, the son of Gilead, tlie son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the liimilies of Manasseh tlic son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.
2 And lliey stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, hij the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
3 Our father '' died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered lliemselves together against the Lord " in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons.
■1 Why should the name of our father be ■^ done away from among his family, because he hath no son? " Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.
Verse 1. The dauglitcrs of Zclophehad] Tlie singular case of tliese women caused an additional law to be made to the civil code of Israel, which satisfactoiily ascertained and amply secured the right of succession in cases of inheritance. The law, which is as reasonable as it is just, stands thus: 1. On the demise of the father the estate goes to the sons; 2. If there be no son, the daughters succeed; 3. If there be no daughter, the brothers of the deceased inherit; 4. If there be no brethren or paternal uncles, the estate goes to the brothers o( his father; 5. If there be no grand uncles or brothers of the father of the deceased, then the nearest akin succeeds to the inheritance. Beyond this//i!/( degree the law does not proceed, because as the families of the Israelites were kept distinct in their respective tribes, there must always be some who could be called kinsmen, and were really such, having descended without interrui>tion from the patriarch of the tribe.
A''erse 7. Thou shall surely give them — an inheritance among their father'' s brethren^ There is a curious anomaly here in the Hebrew text which cannot be seen in our translation. In Hebrew they, them, and their, ijou, ye, and your, are both of tlic masculine and feminine genders, according as the nouns are to which they are affixed; but these words are of no gender in English. In this verse, speaking of the brethren of the father of those wumen, the masculine termination an hem, THKiii, is used instead of X\\a feminine, ]n hen, governed by T\M2 bcnoth, daughters. So DPl'? lahem, a 706
6 And the Lord spake unto '"'•
7 The daughters of Zclophehad speak right: s thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their fathci-'s brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
8 And thou shalt speak unto the cl)ildren of Israel, saying. If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.
9 And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.
10 And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren.
1 1 And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall
to THEM, and DH'^X abihem, their fathers, mascnline, are found in the present text, instead of Jn? lahen and tri'UN abihcn, feminine. Interpreters have sought for a hidden meaning here, and they have found several, whether hidden here or not. One says, " the masculine gender is used because these daughters are treated as if they were heirs male." Another, " that it is because of their faith and conscientious regard to the ancient customs, and to keep the memory of their father in being, which might well befit men." Another, " that it signifies the free gift of God in Christ, where there is neither rnale nor female, band or free, for all are one in Christ;" and so on, for where there is no rule there is no end to conjecture. Now the plain truth is, that the masculine is in the present printed text a mistake for the feminine. The Samai-itan, which many think by far the most authentic copy of the Pentateuch, lias the feminine gender in both ])laces; so also have upwards of fourscore of the M.S.S collated by Kennicnlt and De Rossi. Therefore all the curious reasons for this anomaly olfered by interpreters are only serious trifling on the blunder of some heedless copyists.
While on the subject of mysterious reasons and meanings, some might think it unpardonable if I passed by the mystery of the fill, recovery, and full salvation of man, signified, as some will have it, by the names of Zclophehad.and his daughters. " 1. Zelophehad's daughters, claiming a portion in the promised land, may represent believers in Christ claiming an inheritance among the saints in light. 2. These five ( -16")
13 And the Lord said unto Moses, ' Get thee up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.
13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also ^ shall be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.
14 For ye ' rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the ^ water of Meribali in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.
15 And Moses spake unto the Lord, saying,
1 6 Let the Lord, " the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,
17° Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may
virgins may be considered as tlie Jive wise virgins, (Matt. XXV. 1-10,) who toolc oil in their vessels with their lamps, and consequently are types of those who make a wise provision for their eternal state. 3. They are examples of encouragement to weak and destitute believers, who, though they are orphans in this world, shall not be deprived of their heavenly inheritance. 4. Their names are mysterious; for Zelophehad, TnilSy TsELopHCHAD, signifies the shadow of fear or dread. His first daughter, nSno Machlah, infrmili/; the second, r\yi Noah, wandering; the third, nSjn Chogi.AH, turning about or dancing for joy; the fourth, njS'O MiLC.iH, a queen; the fiftli, ni'Sn Tiutsah, ivellpleasing or acceptable. By these names we may observe our reviving by giace in Christ; for we are all born of the shadoio of fear, (Tselophchad,) being brought forth in sin, and through fear of death being all our life time subject to bondage, Heb. ii. 15. This begets (Machlah) infirmity or siclmcss — grief of heart for our estate. After which {Noah) wandering about for help and comfort we find it in Christ, by whom our sorrow is turned into joy (Ckoglah.) He communicates of his royalty {Milcah) to us, making us kings I and priests unto God and his Father, Rev. i. 6..So ' we shall,at last be presented unto him glorious and without blemish, being (Tirtsah) loell-plcasing and acceptable in his sight." This is a specimen of pious INGENUITY, which has been endeavouring to do the work of an Evangelist in the Church of God from the time of Origcn to the present d.av.
Yerse 12. Gel thee up into this Mount Abarirn] The mountain which Moses was-commanded to ascend was certainly.Mount Nebo, see Deut. xxxii. 49, &c., '.vhich was the same as Pisgah, see Deut. xxxiv. 1.
brnigthem m; that the congrega- An. Exod.lsr. tion of the Lord be not " as sheep **
18 And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man 1 in whom is the spirit, and ' lay thine hand upon him;
19 And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation, and ^ give him a charge in their sight.
20 And ' thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel " may be obedient.
21 ■'And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him ■" after the judgment of Urim before the Lord: ^ at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.
22 And Moses did as the Lord commanded
The mountains of Abarim, according to Dr. Shaw, arc a long ridge of frightful, rocky, precipitous hills, wliich are continued all along the eastern coast of the Dead Sea, as far as the eye can reach. As in Hebrew ID^' abar signifies to pass over, Abarim here probably signifies passages; and the ridge in this place had its name in all likelihood from the passage of the Israelites, as it was opposite to these that they passed the Jordan into the promised land.
A'erse 16. The Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh] See the notes on chap. xvi. 22.
A'"orse 17. That the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep lohich have no shepherd.] This is a beautiful expression, and shows us in what light Moses viewed himself among his people. He was their shepherd; he sought no higher place; he fed and guided the flock of God under the directi(m of the Divine Spirit, and was faithful in all his Master's house. To tliis saying of Moses our Lord alludes. Malt. ix. 30.
Verse 18. In whom is the spirit] This must certainly mean the Spirit of God; and because he was endued with this Spirit, therefore he was cap.able of leading the people. Hov,- miserably qualified is that man for the work of God who is not guided and influenced by the Holy Ghost! God never chooses a man to accomplish his designs but that one whom he himself has qualified for the work.
A''erse20. And thou shalt put, Jfc.] ^TinOmc/Kx/cc^or, of thine honour or authority upon him. Thou shalt show to the whole congregation that thon hast associated him with thyself in the government of tlie people.
liim: and he took Joshua, and set liim before Eleazar the priest, and before all \\\c con- hini] Here was a remarkable difference between him and Muses. God talked with Moses face to face; but to Joshua only through the medium of the liigh priest.
Verse 23. He laid his hands upon him] As a proof of his being appointed to and qualified for the work. So at the word of Joshua they were to go out, and at his word to come in, ver. 21. And thus he was a type of our blessed Lord as to his mediatorial office, and Divine appointment as man to the work of our
23 And he laid his hands upon him, '' and gave him a charge, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.
salvation; and to this circumstance of the appointment of Josliua to this work, and his receiving of Moses's hoiM)ur and glory, St. Peter seems to lefer in these words, 2 Epist. i. 16, 17; "We were eye-witnesses of his majesty; for he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there carnc such a voice to him from the e.vcellent glory: This is my helovetl Son, in %vhom I am well pleased; hear Him." See Matt. xvii. 5. But one infinitely greater that either Moses or Joshua is here.
All the offerings of God to be offered in their due season, 1,2. The continual humt-offering for the mom ing, 3-6; and its drink-offering, 7. The conlinual humt-offering for the evening, 8. The offerings for the Sabbath, 9, 10. The offerings for the beginning of each nionth, 11-15. Repetition of the ordinances concerning the passover, 16-25. Ordinances concerning the day of first-fruits or pentecost,
A ND the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Command the children of Israel, and say unto them. My offering, and ^ my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for * a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season.
3 And thou shall say unto them, ■= This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the Lord; two lambs of the first year without spot * day by day, for a continual burnt-offerinjT.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXA^H. Verse 2. Command the children of Israel, <^-c.] It is not easy to account for the reason of the introduction of these precepts here, which had been so circumstantially delivered before in different parts of the books of Exodus and Leviticus. It is possible that the daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly services had been considerably interrupted for several years, owing to the unsettled state of the people in the wilderness, and that it was necessary to repeat these laws for two reasons: 1. Because they were now about to enter into the promised land, where these services must be established and constant. 2. Because the former generations being all dead, multitudes of the present III litht be ignorant of these ordinances.
In their due season] Moses divides these offerings into 1. Daily. The morning and evening sacrifices; a 'ami each time, ver. 3, 4.
4 The one lamb shall thou offer A..\f. cir. 2553
in the morning, and the other lamb An. Exod. isr. shall thou offer " at even; ""'• ^"-
5 And ' a tenth part of an ephah of flour for a? meat-offering, mingled with the fourth part oi 3.^ hin of beaten oil.
6 It is ' a continual burnt-offering, which was ordained in Mount Sinai for a sweet savotu", a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord.
7 And the drink-offering thereof shall be the fourth part of a hin for the one lamb: ^ in the holy place shall thou cause the strong wine to
3. Monthly. At the beginning of each month two young bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs of a year old, and a kid for a sin-offering, ver. 11, &c.
4. Annual. 1. The passover to last seven days; the offerings, tu'o young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs chahs, or meat-offerings, composed of fine flour rain- I gled with oil, ver. 8, 12, Ac. For an ample account I of all these offerings, see the notes on Lev. vii., and
Verse 7. Strong wine] Sikera; see the note on 1 chap. X. 9, where this is largely explained.
offer at ev^en: as the meat-offering of the morning, and as the drink-offering thereof, tliou shalt offer it, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.
9 And on the Sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat-offering, mingled with oil, and the drink-offering thereof:
1 0 This is ■ the burnt-offering of every Sabbath, beside the continual burnt-offering, and his drink-offering.
1 1 And " in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt-offering unto the Lord; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot;
1 2 And " three tenth deals of flour for a meat-offering, mingled with oil, for one bullock; and two tenth deals of flour for a meatoffering, mingled with oil, for one ram;
1 3 And a several tenth deal of flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering unto one lamb;
fc a burnt-offering of a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord.
14 And their drink-offering shall be half a hin of wine unto a bullock, and the third pa7-t of a hin unto a ram, and a fourth part of a hin unto a lamb: this is the burnt-offering of every month throughout the months of the year.
1 5 And ° one kid of the goats for a sin-offering unto the Lord shall be offered, beside the continual burnt-offering, and his drink-offering.
16 p And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the Lord.
17 1 And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.
1 8 In the "■ first day shall be a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein:
19 But ye shall offer a sacrifice made by fire
Verse 26. Day of the first-fniitx] Called also the feast of weeks, and the feast of pentecost. See it explained Exod. xxiii. 14, and Lev. zxiii. 15.
for a burnt-offering unto the a. m. cir. 2553 Lord; two young bullocks, and a„ Vxod. to!' one ram, and seven lambs of the "'*•■ ^- first year: ^ they shall be unto you without blemish:
20 And their meat-offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: three tentii deals shall ye offer for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram;
2 1 A several tenth deal shalt thou offer for every lamb, throughout the seven lambs:
22 And ' one goat /or a sin-offering, to make an atonement for you.
23 Ye shall offer these beside the burntoffering in the morning, which is for a continual burnt-offering.
24 After this manner ye shall offer daily, throughout the seven days, the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord: it shall be oflfered beside the con tinual burnt-offering, and his drink-offering.
25 And " on the seventli day ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work.
26 Also ' in the day of the first-fruits, when ye bring a new meat-offering unto the Lord, after your weeks be out, ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work:
27 But ye shall offer the burnt-offering for a sweet savour unto the Lord; '" two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of the first year;
28 And their meat-offering of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto one bullock, two tenth deals unto one ram,
29 A several tenth deal unto one lamb, throughout the seven lambs;
30 Afid one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you.
31 Ye shall offer them beside the continual burnt-offering, and his meat-offering, (^they shall be unto you without blemish,) and their drink-offerings.
Verse 31. WithotU blemish] This is to be understood as applying, not only to the animals, but also to the flour, wine, and oil; every thing must be perfect in its kind.
The feast of trumpets on the first daij of the seventh month, and its sacrifices, 1-6. The feast of expiation. or annual atonement, on the tenth day of the same month, ivith its sacrifices, 7—11. The feast of tabernacles held on the fifteenth day of the same month, with its eight days^ offerings, 12. The offerings of the first day, thirteen bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs, and one kid, 13-16. The offerings of the second day, twelve bullocks, two Tams, fourteen lambs, and one kid, 17-19. The offerings of the third day, eleven bullocks; the rest as before, •20—22. The offerings of the fourth day, ten bullocks; the rest as before, 23-25. The offerings of the fifth day, nine bullocks, cj-c, 26-28. The offerings of the sixth day, ei^A/ bullocks, tjc, 29-31. T/ie offerings of the seventh day, ic«en bullocks, ^-c, 32-34. The offerings of the eighth day, one bullock, one ram, seven lambs, and one goat, 35-38. These sacrifices to be offered, and feasts to be kept, besides vows, freewill-offerings, tSfC, <Sfc., 39. Moses announces all these things to the people, 40.
A ND ill the seventh month, on tlie first day of the month, ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: "it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you.
2 And ye sliall ofi'er a burnt-offering for a sweet savour unto the Lord; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish:
3 And their meat-offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram,
4 And one tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs:
5 And one kid of the goats /or a sin-offering, to make an atonement for you:
6 Beside ** the burnt-offering of the month, and his meat-offering, and <= the daily burntoffering, and his meat-offering, and their drinkofferings, '^ according unto their manner, for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto
7 And ^ ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month a holy convocation; and ye shall ' afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein:
NOTES ON CHAP. XXIX. Verse 1. And in the seventh month, i!fcS\ This was the beginning of their civil year, and was a time of great festivity, and was ushered in by the blowing of trumpets. It answers to a part of our September. In imitation of the.Tews dilTcrent nations began their new year with sacrifices and festivity. The ancient Egyptians did so; and the Persians still celebrate their jj^ _jj naici rooz, or new years daij, which they hold on the vernal equinox. The first day of the year is generally a time of festivity in all civilized nations. On this day the Israelites offered one young bullock, one ram, seven lambs, and a kid, for a sin-olfering, besides minchafts or meat-offerings.
ottering unto the LoRD/or a sweet An. Exod. Isr. savour; one young bullock, one "^' '^°" ram, and seven lambs of the first year; k they shall be unto you without blemish:
9 And their meat-offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals to a bullock, and two tenth deals to one ram,
10 A several tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs:
1 1 One kid of the goats for a sin-offering; beside '^ the sin-offering of atonement, and the continual burnt-offering, and the meat-offering of it, and their drink-offerings.
1 2 And ' on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days:
1 3 And ^ ye shall offer a burnt-offering, a sa crifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord; thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year; they shall be without blemish:
14 And their meat-offering shall he o/" flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto every bullock of the thirteen bullocks, two tenth
Verse 7. On the tenth day] See the notes on Lev. xvi. 29; xxiii. 24.
Verse 12. On the fifteenth day of the seventh month] On this day there was to be a solemn assembly, and for seven days sacrifices were to be offered; on the first day thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs. On each succeeding day one bullock less, till on the seventh day there were only seven, making ill all seventy. What an expensive service! How should we magnify God for being delivered from it! Yet these were all the taxes they had to pay. At the public charge there were annually offered to God, independently of trespass-offerings and voluntary vows, fifteen goats, twenty-one kids, seventy-two rams, one
1 6 And one kid of the goats for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, his meat-offering, and his drink-offering.
17 And on the second day ye shall offer twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without spot:
18 And their meat-offering and their drinkofferings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, ' after the manner:
1 9 And one kid of the goats for a sin-offering; beside tlie continual burnt-offering, and the meat-offering thereof, and their drink-offerings.
20 And on the third day, eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish;
2 1 And their meat-offering and their drinkofferings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, ™ after the manner:
22 And one goat /or a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, and his meatoffering, and his drink-offering.
2.3 And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:
24 Their meat-offering and their drink-offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
25 And one kid of the goats/or a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, his meatoffering, and his drink-offering.
26 And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without spot:
27 And their meat-offering and their drinkofferings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
iniiulred and thirty-two bullocU.s, and eleven hundred and one lambs! But how little is all this when compared with the lambs slain every year at ihe passover, which amounted in one year to the immense number of 255,600 slain in the temple itself, which was the answer that Cestius, the Roman general, received when be asked the priests how many persons had come to
29 And on the si.xth day eight bullocks, twcrams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:
30 And their meat-offering and their drinkofferings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after tlie manner:
3 1 And one goat for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, his meat-offering, and his drink-offering.
32 And on the seventh day seven bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:
33 And their meat-offering and their drinkofferings for the bidlocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
34 And one goat for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, his meat-offering, and his drink-offering.
35 On the eighth day ye shall have a " solemn assembly: ye shall do no servile work therein:
36 But ye shall offer a burnt-offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord: one bullock, one ram, seven lambs of the first year without blemish:
37 Their meat-offering and their drink-offer ings for the bullock, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
38 And one goat for a sin-offering, beside the continual burnt-offering, and his meatoffering, and his drink-offering.
39 These things ye shall ° do unto the Lord in your p set feasts, beside your 1 vows, and your freewill-offerings, for your burnt-offerings, and for your meat-offerings, and for your drink-offerings, and for your peace-offerings.
40 And Moses told the children of Israel according to all that the Lord commanded Moses.
Jerusalem at their annual festivals; the priests, numbering the people by the lambs that had been slain, said, " twenty-five myriads, five thousand and si.K hundred."— For an account of the feast of tabernacles, see on Lev. xxiii. 34.
Verse 35. On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly] This among the Jews was esteemed the rhief or liigh day of the feast, though fewer sacrifices were olTered on it than on the others; the people seem to have finished the solemnity with a greater measure cif spiritual devotion, and it was on this day of the feast that our blessed Lord called the Jews from the letter to the spirit of the law, proposing himself as the sole fountain whence they could derive the streams of salvation, John vii. 37. On the subject of this chapter see the notes on Lev. xii., xvi., and xxiii.
The law concerning vows of men, 1,2. Of women under age, and in what cases the father may annul them, 3-5. The vows of a wife, and in w'hat cases the husband may annul them, 6-8. The vows of a widow, or divorced u'oman, in what cases they may be considered either as confirmed or annulled, 9-15. Recapitulation of these ordinances, 16.
2 '' If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or " swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not ^ break his word, he shall ' do according to all tliat proceedeth out of his mouth.
3 If a woman also vow a vow unto the Lord, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth;
4 And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.
5 But if her father disallow her in tlie day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the Lord shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.
6 And if she had at all a husband, when
Verse 2. If a man vow a vow] A vow isa religious promise made to God. Vows were of several kinds: 1. Of abstinence or humiliation, see ver. 13; 2. Of the Nazarite, see chap. vi.; 3. Of giving certain things or sacrifices to tlie Lord, Lev. vii. 16; 4. Of <dms given to the poor, see Deut. xxiii. 21. The law in this chapter must have been very useful, as it both prevented and annulled rash vows, and provided a proper sanction for the support and performance of those that were rationally and piously made. Besides, this law must have acted as a great preventive of lying and hi/pocrisy. If a vow was properly made, a man or woman was bound, under jjonalty of the displeasure of God, to fulfil it.
Verse 3. In her youth] That is, say the rabbins, under twelve years of age; and under thirteen in case
7 And lier husband heard it, and lield his peace at her in the day that he heard it: then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.
8 But if her husband ^ disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the Lord shall forgive her.
9 But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her.
10 And if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath;
1 1 And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.
12 But if her husband hath utterly made them
of a young man. Young persons of this age were considered to be under the authority of their parents, and had consequently no power to vow away the property of another. A married woman was in the same circumstances, because she was under the authority of her husband. If however the parents or the husband heard of the vow, and objected to it in the same day in which they heard of it, (ver. 5,) then the rovr was annulled; or, if having heard of it, they held their peace, this was considered a ratification of the TOW.
A rash vow was never to be kept; " for," says Pliilo, and common sense and justice say the same, " he who commits an unjust action because of his vow adds one crime to another, 1. By making an unlawful 1)010; 2. By doing an unlawful action."
A. M. cir. 2553. void on the day he heard them; An. Exod. isr. then whatsoever proceeded out ""• of her Hps concerning her vows,
or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and the Lord shall forgive her.
13 Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void.
14 But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day; then he esta-
life is at stake if she fulfil not the obligation under which she has laid herself.
Verse 16. These are the statutes\ It is very probable that this law, hke that concerning the succession o{ daughters, (chap, xxvii.,) rose from the exigency of some particular case that had just then occurred.
Making vows, in almost any case, is a dangerous business; they seldom do any good, and often much evil. He who does not feel himself bound to do what IB fit, right, and just, from the standing testimony of God's word, is not likely to do it from any obligation blisheth all her vows, or all her A. M. cir. 255a bonds, which are upon her: he An. Exod. Isr." confirmeth them, because he held "'■ ^°-
his peace at her in the day that he heard them
1 5 But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then he shall bear her iniquity.
1 6 These are the statutes, which the Lord commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between the father and his daughter, being yet in her youth in her father's house.
he may lay upon his own conscience. If God's word lack weight with him, his own will prove lighter than vanity. Every man who professes the Christian religion is under the most solemn obligation to devote body, soul, and spirit to God, not only to the utmost extent of his powers, but also as long as he exists. Being baptized, and receiving the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, are additional ratifications of the great, general. Christian vow; but every true follower of Christ should always remember, and frequently renew his covenant with God.
The command of the Lord to make war on the Midianites, 1,2. One thousand men are chosen out oj eae/i of the twelve tribes, and sent with Phinehas against the Midianites, 3-6. They slay all the males, 7; their five kings and Balaam, 8. They take all the women captives, with the flocks and goods, 9; burn their cities, and bring away the spoil, 10, 11. They bring the captives, <5(C., to Moses, luho is wroth with the ofiicers for sparing the women, who had formerly been the cause of their transgression and punishment, 12—16. He commands all the male children and all the grown up females to be slain, It, 18. How the soldiers were to purify themselves, 19, 20; and the different articles taken in war, 21—24. They are commanded to lake the sum of the prey, to divide it into two parts; one for the 12,000 warriors, and the other for the rest of the congregation, 25—27. One of 500, both of persons and cattle, of the share of the warriors, to be given to the Lord, 28, 29; and one part of fifty, of the people's share, to be given to the Levites, 30. The sum of the prey remaining after the above division; sheep 675,000, beeves 72,000, asses 61,000, young women 32,000, ver. 31-35. How the soldiers^ part was divided, 36-40. How the pant belonging to the congregation was divided, 41-47. The officers report that they had not lost a man in this war, 48, 49. They bring a voluntary oblation to God, of gold and ornaments, 50, 51; the amount of which was 16,750 shekels, 52, 53. Moses and Eleazar bring the gold into the tabernacle for a memorial, 54.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXI. Verse 2. Gathered unto thy people.^ When? Not in the grave surely. Moses was gathered with none of them, his burial-place no man ever knew. " But being gathered unto one's people means dying." It does imply dying, but it does not mean this only. The truth is, God considers all those who are dead to men in a state of conscious existence in another world. Therefore he calls himself the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob; now God is not the God of the dead, but of the living; because all live to him, whe-
3 And Moses spake unto the
ther dead to men or not. Moses therefore was to be gathered to his people — to enter into that republic of Israel which, having died in the faith, fear, and love of God, were now living in a state of conscious blessedness beyond the confines of the grave. See the note on Gen. xxv. 8, and xlix. 33.
Verse 3. Avenge the Lord of Midian.] It was God's quarrel, not their own, that they were now to tako up. These people were idolaters; idolatry is an offence against GOD; the civil power has no authority ta m°eddle with what belongs to Him, without especial
12 And they brought the cap-
people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge tlie Lord of Midian.
4 ' Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.
5 So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
6 And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and '' the trumpets to blow in his hand.
7 And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and " they slew all the ^ males.
8 And they slew llie kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; na?nely, ^ Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: '' Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.
9 And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.
10 And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.
1 1 And ' they»took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.
directiims, certified in the most unequivocal way. Private revenge, extension of territory, love of plunder, were to have no place in this business; the Lord is to be avenscil; and through Hi.M the children of Israel, (ver. -2.) hecause their suuh as well as their bodies had been well tiigh ruined by their idolatry.
A'erse 6. A lliousaiul of every tribe\ Twelve thousand men in the whole. And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar; some think he was made general in this expedition, but this is not likely. The ark and its contents must proceed to this battle, because the battle was the Lord's, and he dwelt between the cherubim over the ark; and Phinehas, who had before got a grant in the eternal priesthood, was chosen to accompany the ark in place of his father Eleazar, who was probably now too far advanced in years to undergo the fatigue. Who then was general 1 Joshua, without doubt, though not here mentioned, because the l)attl<> being the Lord's, he alone is to have the supreme direction, and all the glory. Besides, it was an extraordinary War, and not conducted on the common prin- tives, and the prey, and the spoil, An. Exod. lar. unto Moses, and Eleazar the ^-
priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which a?-e by Jordan near Jericho.
13 And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the cainp.
14 And Moses was wroth with the oflicers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, Avhich came from the ^ battle.
15 And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved ' all the woincn alive?
1 6 Behold, ■" these caused the children of Israel, through the " counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and " there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.
17 Now therefore p kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with i him.
18 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
1 9 And ' do ye abide without the camp seven days. whosoever hath killed any person, and * whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.
ciple, for we do not find that peace was offered to the Midianites, and that they refused it; see Deut. xx, 10, &c. In such a case only hostilities could lawfully commence; but they were sinners against GOD; the cup of their iniquity was full, and God thought pro))er to destroy them. Though a leader there certainlv was, and Joshua was probably that leader, yet because God, for the above reason, was considered as commander-in-chief, therefore no one else is mentioned; for it is evident that the sole business of Phinehas was to take care of the holy instruments and lo blow irith the trumpet.
Verse 8. Balaam — they slew with the sword.] This man had probal)ly coininitted what St. John calls the sin unto death — a sin which God punishes with temporal death, while at the same time he extends mercy to the soul. See the remarks at the end of chap. xxiv.
Verse 17. Kill every male among the little ones] For this action I account simply on the principle that God, who is the author and supporter of lifj, has a right to
A. M. 2553. 20 And purify all your raiment, An. Exod. isr. and all ' that is made of skins, and '"'• all work of goats' hair, and all
21 And Eleazar ihe priest said unto the men of war, which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses;
22 Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
23 Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified " with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.
24 " And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.
25 And the Lord spakG unto Moses, saying,
26 Take the sum of the prey '" that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:
27 And '^ divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation:
28 And levy a tribute unto the Lord of the men of war which went out to battle: y one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep:
29 Take it of their half, and give it unto
dispose of it lohen and /wu< he thinks proper; and the Judge of all the earth can do nothing but what is right. Of the loomen killed on this occasion it may be safely said, their lives were forfeited by their personal transgressions; and yet even in this case there can be little doubt that God showed mercy to their souls. The little ones were safely lodged; they were taken to heaven and saved from the evil to come.
Verse 23. The loater of separation] The ioa(er in which the ashes of the red heifer were mingled; see on chap. viii. 7; xix. 2, &c. Garments, whether of cloth or skins, were to be washed. Gold, silver, brass, iron, tin, and lead, to pass through the fire, probably to be melted down.
Verse 28. And levy a tribute unto the Lord — one soul nf five hundred, cjc] The persons to be employed in the Lord's service, under the Levites — the cattle either for sacrifice, or for the use of the Levites, ver. 30..Some monsters have supposed that one out of everv fii^e hundred of the captives was offered in sa-
30 And of the children of Israel's '^°- _ half, thou shalt take ^ one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the " flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, '' which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.
31 And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.
32 And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred tliousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,
33 And threescore and twelve thousand beeves,
34 And threescore and one thousand asses, 3 5 And thirty and two thousand persons in
all, of women that had not known man by lying with him.
36 And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number tliree hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep:
37 And the Lord's tribute of the sheep was si.x hundred and threescore and fifteen.
38 And the beeves ivere thirty and six thousand: of which the Lord's tribute was threescore and twelve.
39 And the asses ivere thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the Lord's tribute was threescore and one.
40 And the persons were sixteen thousand:
crifice to the Lord! but this is abominable. When God chose to have the life of a man, he took it in the way of justice, as in the case of the Midianites above; but never in the way of sacrifice.
Verse 32. The booty] It appears from the enumeration here that the Israelites, in this war against the Midianites, took 32,000 female prisoners, 61,000 asses, 72,000 beeves, 675,000 sheep and small cattle; besides the immense number of males who fell in battle, and the women and children who were slain by the Divine command, ver. 17. And it does not appear that in this expedition, a single man of Israel fell! This was naturally to be expected, because the battle was the Lord's, ver. 49.
As the booty was divided into two equal parts, ver. 22, one for the soldiers employed in the expedition, and the other for those who, being equally willing to be employed, were ordered to stay in the camp; so each of the parties in this booty was to give a certain proportion to the Lord. The soldiers to give to th»
49 And they said unto Moses,
of wliicli the Lord's tribute luas thirty "and two persons. 4 1 And Moses gave the tribute, which was llic Lord's heave-offering, unto Eieazar the priest, "= as the Lord commanded
42 And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided from the men that warred,
43 (Now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,
44 And tliirty and six thousand beeves,
45 And thirty thousand asses and five hundred,
46 And sixteen tliousand persons;)
47 Even "^ of the children of Israel's half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of tlie Lord; as the Lord commanded Moses.ii
48 And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:
Lord one out of every five hundred persons, beeves, asses, and sheep, ver. 28. The people, who by staying at liorae risked nothing, and had no fatigue, were to give 07ie out oi fifty of the above, ver. 30. The booty,
of the men of war which are under ''°'
our " charge, and there lacketh not one man of us,
50 We have therefore brought an oblation for the Lord, that ever}- man hath ' gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, b to make an atonement for our souls before the Lord.
5 1 And Moses and Eieazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.
52 And all the gold of the '' offering that they offered up to the Lord, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.
53 {For 'the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)
54 And Moses and Eieazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, '^for a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord.
its divisions among the soldiers and people, the proportion given by each to the Lord and to the Levites, will be seen in one view by the following table, which I copy from Houbigant.
J To the soldiers I To the people < To the soldiers \ To the people To the soldiers To the people ( To the soldiers \ To the people in this table the booty is equally divided between the people and the soldiers; a five-hundredth part being given to the Lord, and a fiftieth part to the Levites.
Verse 50. We have — brought an oblation for the Lord] So it ai)pears tliore was a great deal of booty taken which did not come into the general account; and of this the soldiers, of their own will, made a very extensive oflering to God, because he had preserved them from falling in battle. That not one man should have been slain is a most extraordinary circumstance, and powerfully marks the peculiar superintendence of God's especial providence. The Midianites must certainly have made some resistance; but that was ineffectual, because it was against the Lord. When any nation undertakes a crusade against those whom they are pleased to call the Lord's enemies, let them bring from the contest this proof of their Divine mission, viz., that not one man of them is either lost or missing; and then, and not till then, shall we believe that God hath sent them.
To make an atonement for our souls] That is. to make an acknowledgment to God for the preservation of their lives. The gold olTcred on this occasion amounted to 16,750 shekels, equ.il to £37,869. 16*. 5d. of our money. See the note on Exod. x.vv. 39, where the true value of the shekel is given, and a rule laid down to reduce it to English money a
The Reuhenites and Gadites request Moses to give them their inheritance on this side of Jordan, 1-5.
- Moses expostulates with and reproves them, 6-15. Theij explain themselves, and propose conditions, with which Moses is satisfied — they are to build cities for their wives and children, and folds for their cattle, and go over Jordan armed with the other tribes, and fight against their enemies till the land is subdued; after which they are to return, 16-27. Moses proposes the business to Eleazar, Joshua, and the ciders, 28-30. The Gadites and Reuhenites promise a faithful observance of the conditions, 31, 32; on which Moses assigns to them, and the half tribe of Mnnasseh, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the ArAorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, 33. The cities built by the Gadites, 34-36. The cities built by the Reuhenites, 37, 38. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, expel the Amorites from Gtlead, 39, which Moses grants to them, 40. Jair, the son of Manasseh, takes the small towns of Gilead, 41. And Nobah takes Kenath and its villages, 42.
IVrOW the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had
a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of ^ Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;
2 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,
4 Even the country " which the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:
5 Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.
6 And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?
7 And wherefore ^ discourage j'e the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord hath given them?