All. Y.xai\.
reference, they appear to be frequently nsecl. Of the fate of the truuiptts of the sanctuary,.see the note on E,\od. sxv. 31.
Verse 5. When yc blow an alarm'] rij?nn tcriidli, probably meaning short, broken, sharp tones, termmaling with long ones, blown with both the trumpets at once. From the similarity in the words, some suppose that tlie Hebrew teriicih, was similar to the Roman taratantara, or.>-ound of their clarion.
Verse G. IVhcn ye bloxu a second alann] A single alarm, as above stated, was a signal for the eastivurd division to marcli; mo such alarms, the signal for the south div.sion; and probably three for the xvest division, and futtr for the north. It is more likelj-, that this was the case, than that a single alarm served for each, with a small interval between thim.
The camps, or grand divisions of this great army, always lay, as we have aheady seen, to the east, south, west, and norlli: and here, the east and south camps alone are mentioned; the Jirst containing Judah, Issachar and Zcbulon: the second, Reuben, Simeon and Gud. The u«t and north divisions are not named, and yet we are sure ihey marched in consequence of express orders or signals, as well as the other two. There appears therefore a deficiency here in tlje I lebrcw Text, which is thus supplied by the Septuagint, xai aaXTrnm trti/xainav TfiTtjv, xai cia^cv(nv at ■:zafi/x0oXai ai 7Taf£/ji.^a\- >.ciu<7ai TTji^a da'Kaa(7aV xai craATriEiTc arifxacriav TcrapTriv, xat i^a^ouciv ai 'jrapti/.^tXat at TTcc^s/x^aM^ouaai Tr^og ^of^av. " And when ye blow a third alarm oi signal, the ■ amps on the west shall march: and when ye blow a fourth alarm or signal, the camps on the north shall march " This addition however, is not ackno«lcdg< d by the iiamaritun, nor by any of the other versions, but the Coptic. Nor are there any various readings in the collections of Keiinicott and Jje liossi.
which countenance the addition in the above versions. Houbigant thinks this addition so evidently necessary that he has inserted the Latin in his text, and in a note supplied the Hebrew words; and thinks that these words were originally in the Hebrew Text, but happened to be omitted in consequence of so many similar words occurring so often in the same verse, which might dazzle and deceive the eye of a transcriber.
Verse 9. If ye go to it.ar'] These trumpets shall be sounded for the purpose of collecting the people together; to deliberate about the war, and to implore the protection of God against their enemies.
Verse 10. Jn the day of your gladness] On every festival the people siiall be collected by the.same means.
Ye shall be remembered before the Lord] \^'hen ve decamp, incamp, make ti;ar, and hold religion.': fcuivals, according to his appointment, which appointment shall be signified to you by the priest.s, (who at the command of God, for such purposes, shall blow the trumpets) then yc may expect both the presence and blessing of Jehovah, in all that ve undertake.
Verse 1 1. The tiventieth day of the second month] The Israelites had lain encamped in the wilderness of Sinai about eleven vtonths and twenty days, compare t.xod. xix. 1. with this verse. They now received the order of God to decamp, and proceed towards the promised land: and therefore the Samaritan introduces at this place, the words which we find Deul. i. 6 — 8. The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, •iaying: Yc htcoe dwelt long enough in this mount, turn and take yt ur journey, &c.
Verse 12. The cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran] This was three days' journey from the wilderness of Sinai, of the camp of the cliildren of Judah, according to their armies: and over his host 'was ^ Nahshon, the son of Ammina'dab. And over the host of th.e tribe of the
16 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, xvas Eliab, the son of Hcion.
17 And '' tlie tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon, and the sons of Merari, setibrward, "bearing the tabernacle.
18 ^Arid ben set forward, according to their armies over his host tvas Elizur, the son of Shedeur.
19 And over the host of the tribe of the children of SLmeon, xvas Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai.
20 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad, "dcas Eliasaph, the son of Deuel.
21 And the Kohathites set forward, bearing the ' sanctuary: and ' t]ie other did set up the tahernacle against they came.
see ver. 33. and the people had three stations — the first at Kibroth Ilaiain-ali, the sacond at Hazeroth, chap. xi. 35. and the third in the \vililcrue-.s of I'aran, sec chap. xii. 16. But it is extretnely difRcuit to detenuine these journeyings with any degree of exactness: and we are often at a loss to know, whether the place in question, was in a direct or retrograde position from the place previously mentioned.
Verse 14. The standard — of Juduli] See this order of marching explained at large on chap, ii in which this vast company
^ the _ standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward, according to their armies:
j 23 And over the host of the tribe of the children of IMunasseh, xvas Gamaliel, the son of Te- \ dahzur.
j 24 And over the host of the tribe of the j children of Benjamin, u^as Abidan, the son of I Gideoni.
j 25 % And '^ the standard of the camp of the
the standard of the camp of Reu- ji ward of all the camps throughout their hosts:
2G And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher xvas Pagiel, the son of Ocran.
27 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, xvas Ahira, the son of \ Euan.
28 ' Thus " were the journeyings of the children of Israel, according to their armies, when they set forward.
29 ^ And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of
Verse 29. Moses said to Hobab'] For a circumstantial account of this person, see the noies on Exod. ii. 15, 1 6, and 18. iii. 1. iv. 20, 24.; and for the transaction recorded here, and which is probably x)ut of its place, see Exod. xviii. 5. where the subject is discussed at large.
iVe are journeying] God has brought us out of thraldom, and we are thus far on our way through the viilderness, travelling towards the place of rest which he has appointed us, trusting in his promise, guided by his presence, and supported by his power. Come thou ivilh us, and ive liill do thee good. Those who wish to enjoy the heavenly inheritance, must walk in the way towards it, and associate with the people who are going in that way. — True religion is ever benevolent. — They ^^ho know jnost of the goodness of God, are the most forward lo invite others to partake of that goodness. That religion, which excludes all others from.salvation, imless they believe a particular creed, and worship in a particular way, is not of God. Even Jlobab, the Arab, according to tiie opinion of Moses, might receive the same blessings which God had promised to Israel, provided he accompanied them in the same way.
The Ij}rd hath spoken good concernina Israel.] The name Zsrtiel, is taken in a general sen-se, to signify the folloti-ers of God; and to ihcni, all the promises in the Bible are made. God has spoken good of tiKm; and he has spoken good to them; and not one word that he hath spoken shall iail. Header, hast thou left thy unhallowed connexions in life f Hast ihoa
* Raguel, the Midianitc, Moses' father-in-law, We are journeying unto the place of which the Loud said, •" I will give it you: come tiioii with
us, and " we will do thee good: for "^ the Lord
30 Ar.i I '3.-aid unto him, I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred.
31 And he said. Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us ' instead of eyes.
32 And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea,
it shall be, that ' what goodness the Lord shall
got into the camp of the Most Hiprl>? Then continue to follow Goil wilh l.srael, and tlion siiah be incorporated in the heavenly family, and siiare in Israel's lienedictions.
Moses requests Hobab CHAP
Verse 30. / uitl voi go; hut I milt depart to my o-a-n land, and to my kindnd.] From the »tron(T expostulations in verses the.'51. and 32. and from Judges i. 16. iv. 11. and 1 Sam. XT. G. it is likely, that Hobab changed his mind: or that if he did go bark, to Madian, he returned again to Israel, as the above scriptures shew, that his posterity dwelt among tlie Israelites in Canaan. Reader, after having been almost persuaded to become a Christian, to take Clirist, h.is cross, liis reproach, and his crown, for thy portion, art thou again purposing to go back to thy own land, and to liij' kindred.? Knowe.st thou not that this land is the place of destruction — that the children of this world, who are not taking God for their portion, are going to perdition? Up, get thee hence, for the Lord will destroy this place by fire: and all who are not of the kindred and family of Christ, shall perish at the brightness of hi.? appearing!
^'erse 31. Thou mayest be to us instead of eyes, &c.] But what need had they of Hobab, when they had the pillar and fire continually to point out their way.'' Answer. 1"he cloud directed their general journeys, but not their particular excursions. Parties tooli several journics while the grand army lay still. See chap, xiii, xx, xxxi, xxxii, &c. They therefore needtd such a person as Hobab, who was well acquainted with the desart, to direct these particular excursions; to point them out watering places, and places where they miglit meet with fuel, &c. &c. W'iial man cannot, under the direction of God's providence, do for himself, God will do in the way of especial mercy. He could have directed them to the fountains, and to the places of fuel; but Hobab can do iViis, therefore let Hobab be t mploycd: and let Hobab know, for his encouragement, that while he is serving others in the way of God's providence, be is securing his own best interests. On these grounds Hobab should be invited; and for this
do unto us, the same will we do unto
33 % And they departed fiom ^the mount of tlie Lord three days' journey: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord "went before them in the thiee days' journey, to.search out a resting place for them.
34 And 'th« cloud of the Lord ivas upon them by day, when they went out of t!iecan;p.
S3 And it came to pa.ss, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, '' Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let lliem that hate thee flee before thee.
reasoti Hobab should go. Man cannot do God's work; and God will not do the work which he has qualified and commanded man to perform. Thus then the Lord is ever seen, even while he is helping man by man. See.some valuable obscrrations on this subject in Harmer, vol. ii. 286. Instead of, And thou mayest be to us instead of eyes — the Septuagint translate thepassage thus, kxi itv, ev v\ii,iv -irptir^urn;, And tliou shall he an elder «won» us. Bui Moses probably refers to Hobab's accurate knowledge of the wilderness, and to the assistance he could give them as a guide.
Vcne 33. The ark wtnt before them] W'e find from ver. '21. that the ark was carried by the Kohathites in the centre of the army: but as the army never moved, till the cloud was taken up, it is said to go before them, i. c. to be the first to move, as without, this motion, the Israelites continued in their encampments.
Ver.se 35. Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered.'] If Go4 did not arise in this way and scatter his enemies, there could be no hope tliat Israel could get sadly through the wilderness. God must go first, if Israel would wikli to follow in safety.
Verse 36. Return, 0 Lord, unto the many thousands of /.?- racL] These were the words spoken by Moses at the moment the divisions halted in order to pitch their tents. In reference to this subject, and the history with wliich it is connected, the 6Sth Psalm seems to have been composed. Many thousands; literally, the ten thousands thousands. Unless the ark tto« with them, and the cloud of the divine glory with it, they could have neither direction nor safety: unless the ark rested with them, and the cloud of glory with it, they could have neither rest nor comfort. How necessary are the -xord qf God, and the Spirit of God, for the direction, comfort, and defence, of every genuine follower of Christ! Header, pray to God that thou mayest have both with thee through all the wilderness; — through all the changes and chances of this mortal life: — if thou be guided by his counsel, thou shalt be at last received into bis glory,
The people complain, the hard is (Hspleased, and many of them are consumed by fire, 1. Moses intercedes for themf. and the fire is quenched, 2. The place is called Taberah, 3. The misLed multitude long for fiesh, and murmur, 4 — 6. The manna described, 7 — 9- The people zceep in their tents, and the Ijord is displeased, 10. Moses deplores his lot in being obliged to hear and bear icith all their miirniurings, 11 — 15. He is commanded to bring seventi/ of the elders to God, that he mai/ endue than, zcith the same spirit, and cause them to divide the burden- Kith him, IG, 17. lie is also coiiuiianded to inform the people that thcij shall have flesh for a ichole month, 18 — 20. Moses expresses his doubt of the possibility of this, '21, 2'2. The Lord confirms his promise, 23. These' venty men are brought to the tabernacle, '1^. And the spirit of prophecy rests upon them, 25. Eldad and JNIedad stay in the camp and prophesy,- 16, 17. Joshua beseeches Moses to forbid them, 28. Moses refuses, 29, 30. A xcind from the Lord brings quails to the camp, 31, 32. JVhile feeding on the fiesh, a plague from the Lord falls upon them, and many of them die, 33. The place is called Kibroth-hattaavali, or the graves of
AN D ' xcken the people " complained, ' it displeased the '-'• Lord: and the Lord heard it;
"and his anger was kindled; and the ^fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed tliem that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.
2 And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses ' prayed unto the Lord, the fire ^was quenched.
3 And he called the name of the place ""Ta-
Verse 1. And when the people complained] What the cause of this cumplaininr; was, we know not. The conjecture of.'^t. Jerom is probable; they complained because of the kngtfi of tite icay. But surely no people had ever les.'; cause for murmuring — they had God among them,• and miracles of goodness were continually wrouglit in their behalf.
/( displeased the Lord] For his extraordinary kindness was lost on such an ungrateful and rebellions people. And his a):r^er tva.-: kindled — Divine Justice was necessarily incensed against.<;uch inexcusable conduct.
And the fire of the Lord Iturnt among theni] Either a supernatural fire was sent for this occasion, or the lightning was commissioned against them, or God smote them with one of those hot suffocating winds, which are very common in those countries.
And consumed —in tlic uttermost parts of the camp.] It pervaded the whole camp, from the centre to the circumference, carrying death with it tn all the murniurers; for we are not to suppo.se, that it was confined to the uttermost parts (if the camp, unless we could imagine, that there were none cuh[)able any where dse. If this were the same with the case intn-
berah: because the fire of the Lord burnt among them.
was among them " fell a lusting: and tlie children of Israel also ' wept again, and said, " Who shall give us flesh to eat?.
5 "We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the gaiiick:
6 But now ° our soul is dried away: there is
tioned ver. 4-. then, as it is possible that the mixed multitudeoccupied the outermost parts of the camp, conseqiiently the burnin<^ might have been confined to them.
Ail. E.xod.
Verse 2. The fire xvas qucKchcd.] Was.•:iink, or swallowed up, iis in the margin. The plague, of whatever sort, ceased to act, and the people had respite.
Verse 4. 'i'.V- juixt multitude] IDWNn hasaplisuph, the collected or gathered people. Such as came out of Egypt with. the Israelites; and are mentioned Exod..\ii. 38. This mongrel people, who had comparatively little of the knowledge of God, feeling the dilhculiies and fatigues of the journey, were the first to complain — and then we find the childreji of Lr.ael joined them in tlifir complaining's, and made aeommon cause with these demi-infulels.
Verse 5. lie remember; &c.] The choice aliments which those murmuiers complained of liaving lost by their leaving Egypt, were the fullowiug: fish, cucumbers, melor^s, leeks, onions, and garlic. An European may smile at such deticacies; but, delicacies they were in tiiat couutry. Their fish is excellent, their cucumbers and -.enter rm'lons highly salubrious and refreshing: and their onions, gar-lie, &r. exquisitely flavoured, difl'cring as much from vegetables of the same species in these northern climes, as a bud turnip does from a good apple. In bc'h'v nothing at all, beside this manna, be- j An.Exod.hr. Jlive our evcs. I 'fl 7 And " the manna xvas as coriander seed, and the "* colour thereof as the co-; Jour of ' bdellium.
8 And tlie people went about, and gathered it, and grotnid // in mills, or beat // in a mortar, and bakeil it in pans, and made cakes of it: and '' tlie taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.
9 And "when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna tell upon it.
10 ^1 Tlien Moses heard the people Avecp throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and ' the anger of tlie Lord was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.
11^ And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not ibund favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?
12 Have I conceived all this people i" have I begotten them, that thou shouklest say unto me, " Carry them in thy bosom, as a ' nursing father bearetli tlie sucking child, unto the land which thou " swarest imto their fathers?
13 ' Whence should I have flesh to give luito all this peo])le? for they weep unto me, saying. Give us flesh, that we may eat.
15 And if thou deal thus with me, "kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found fa- ^ our in thy sight; and let me not ° see my wretchedness.
I (> % And the Lord said imto Moses, Gather unto me ^ seventy men of the ciders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be tiie elders of the peojjle, and " officers over them; and bring tliem unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there witii thee.
17 And I will 'come down and talk with thee there: and ' I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.
18 And say thou unto the people, 'Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: lor ye have wept " in the ears of the Lord, saying. Who shall give us flesh to eat? " for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.
19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;
20 ^ Bit t even ii "whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto
fcliort, tills enumeration takes in almost all the commonly attuinablc dc-licaiULS in those countries.
Verse 7. 'I'hc manna was us coriander seed] Probably tliis «b(irt description is added to shew th(; inifiuity of tlie jieoplc in •: irniuring, while they bad so adequate a provision. 15ut the, aseness of llicir minds appears in every part of their conduct.
About the hddliuvi of the ancients, the learned are not agreed: and I shall not trouble the Reader with coiijeclures. See the note on Gen. ii. 12. Concerning tlie uiamia, see the notes on lOxod. xvi.
Verse 1 1 — 15. The complaint and remonstrance of Mosos tn those \er.-is, serve at once to shew the tieeply distressed state of hit mind, and the degradation of tiie minds of the people. We have already seen, that the slavery they hatl so long endured, had served to debase tiieir minds, and to render them incapable of every high and dignified sentiment, and of every jftnerous act.
Verse 17. / H'iU take of the spirit xi-hich is upon tha] From ■this place, Oriijcn and Theodoret take occasion to compiire iMo.;es to a lamp, at which seventy others were lighted, without losing any of its brightnes.<. To convince Moses, that God had sufficiently <|ualifKd linn tor the work which he bad given him to do, he tells him that of the gifts and graces which he has given him, he will qualify seventy persons to bear the charge with him. This was probably intended as a gracious rc()roof. Query. Did not Nioses lose a measure of •; ills gifts m this bn-iiiess? And is it not right that he whom ■ \ God has called to and qualitied for some particular oflic«, I sliould lose those gifts wliieh he eitJur undcr\ahioi> or retu<i s P to employ fur God in the way appomied ' l^ (here not nuieij:j reason to believe, that many casts have occurred, where thr 'I spiritual eiidowinenls of parlirular persons have been taken i' away, and given to others who made a belter use of them? j Hence tlie propriety ol that exhortation, Hcv. ni. 11. Hold i] that fast ivhich thou hunt, that no man take thy croivn. 1 The gracious God ncveri ailed a man to perform a work with- ' out furnishiu;^ him witli adtquate strength: to refuse to do it, on j the pretence of inability, is little short of rebellion against God^- ' " 4 L 2
you: because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wej>t before him, saying, ^ Why came we forth out of Egypt?
21 ^ And Moses said, " The people, among whom I am, are six liundred thousand Ibotmen; and thou hast said, I will give them fiesh, that they may eat a whole month!
22 ' Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the iish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?
iJ3 And the Lord said unto Moses, " Is the Lord's hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether " my word shall come to pass unto thee or not,
24 ^ And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the Lord, and ' gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tacernacle.
25 And the Lord ^ came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that
"was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders; and it came to pass,
26 But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one xvas Eldad, and the name of the other Medad; and the spirit rested upon them: and they Tverc of them that were written, but "went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.
27 And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp,
28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said. My lord Moses, ' forbid them.
29 And Moses said imto him, Enviest thou for my sake? " would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them.
.'30 And INIoses gat liiin into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.
This iiistitution of the seventy persons to help Moses, the Rabbins consider as the origin of tlieir grand council, called the San/iedrin. But we find that a council of seventy men, elders of Israel, had existed among the people, a year before this tinu-. See Exod. xxiv. 9. see the advices Xiven by Jethro to Moses, Exod. xviii. 17, Sec. and the notes there.
Verse 22. Shalt the Jlocks and the herds be slain — ] There is certainly a considerable measure of tueahicss and unbelitf manifested in the complaints and que.-tions of Moses on this occasion: but his conduct appears at the same time so very simple, honest, and ajixiionuts, that we cannot but admire it, ■while we wonder that he had not stronger confidence in that God, whose miracles he had so often witnessed in Esypt.
Verse 23. Is the Lord's hand waxed short?] Hast tiiou forgotiten the miracles whlxh I have aheady peribrmed } Or thinkest thou that my pov^er is decreased } The power that is liidiniiicd, can ntver be diminished.
Verse 25. When the spirit rested upon thnn, thiy prophesied'] T3y prophesyinf^ here we are to understand their jitrfurmiiig those civil and sacrtd functions fur wruch ihry were qualified; exhorting the people to quiet and peaceable submission, to, trust and confidence in llie goodness and pro\idoncc of God, would make no small part of the duties of their new office. The ideal meaning of the word N3J «aia, is to pray, «ntreat, he. The prt>phet is called N'SJ nabi, because he pray.s ^upplicatts, in reference to God — exhorts, entreats, in »eft«nce to man. See oa Gen. xx. 7,
A''erse 27. Eldad and Medad do prophexj/] These, it seem.s made t«o of the seventy elders — they were '.vritten, though they went not out to the tabernacle — they were enrolled as of the elders, but went not to meet God at the tabernacle, ])robably at that timcj prevented by some legal hindrance — but they continued in the camp using their new function in exhorting the people.
Verse 28. Dfy lord Moses, forbid them.] Joslvja was afraid. that the audiority and influence of his master Moses might be lessened by the part Eldad and Medad were taking in the government ef the people; which might ultimately excite sedition or insurrection among them.
Verse 2D. Enviest thuit for niysake?] Art thou jealous of iheir influence only on n;y ncconnt } I am not alarmed; on tlie contrary, I would to God tliat all his people were endued with the satne influence, and actuated by the same motives.
Persons may be under the especial direction of grace and providence, while apparestly performing a work out of rcgJiluT order. And if the act be good, and the ell'ects good, we have no right to c[uestion the motive, nor to forbid the work. What are order and regularity in the ^ight of man, may be disorder and coofiision in the sight of (jod, and tier zersft. John wished to prevent a man I'rora casting out danioiis in the name of Jesus, because he did not fol'.ww Christ in company with the disciples. Our Lord's conduct in thai case should rcguhue ours in all similar ones; see Luke ix.
31 ^ And there went forth a 'wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let tliem tall by the it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp; and as it were two cubits high upon lhi> liice of the earth.
32 And tlie people stood up all that day, and all tliat night, and all the next day, and thev gathered tlio quails: he that gathered least gathered ten " homers: and they spread them all abroad tor themselves round about the camp.
Versa 31. A niiid front the Lord] An extraordinary one, not the etVect of a natural cause. And brought quails, a hird which in great companies, visits Egypt about ihi> time of the year Marcii or April, al which the circumstance marked here took phice..Mr. llax.sclqui.il, the friend and pupil of the famous Linnocus, saw many of them about this time of the year, wlien he \\as in t gyi>t. See his 'rravel.<, p. 201).
Tiuo cubii.t high upon the face of the earth.] We may consider the quails as fyiif^ u-ithin two cubits of the ground; so that the Israelites could easily lake as many of them as tiny wished, wliilc flying within the reach of their hands or their clubs. The common notion is, that the quails were brought round about tlic camp, and fell tlieie in such multitudes as to lie t«'o ftet thick upon the ground: but tiic Hebrew will not bear this version. The Vulgate has expressed the.sense volabantque in acre duobits cubiti-i allitudinc super terrain. And they flew in the air, two cubits high above the ground.
Verse 32. The people stood up, &e.] While these immense flocks were flying at this short distance from the ground, fatigued with the.strong wind, and the distance they had come, they were easily taken by the people; and as various flocks continued to succeed each other for two days and a night, enow for' a month's provision might be collecled in that time. If tl»c (juails!iad fallen about the tents, there was no need to have stood up two days and a nigiit in gathering them; but if they were on the wing, as the text seems to -suppose, it was necessary for them to use dispatch, and avail themselves of the passing of these birds whilst it continued. — See Harmcr, and.see the note on Exod. xvi. 13.
And tiny.fpread them ail' abroad] IVlaillet observes, that birds of all kinds coine to Egypt for refuge from the cold of a northern winter: and that llic people catch them, pluck, and bury them in the burning sand for a tew minutes, and thus prepare them for use. This is probably what is meant by spreading (hem all tibroud round the camp.
Some authors think that the ^vord D'lSty shehiTiin, rendered quails in our translation, siwuld be rendered locusts. There is no need of this conjecture; all ditiieiilties are easily resolved witb.out it. 'I'he Reader is particularly referred to the Dole on I'-Kod. xvi. 13.
33 And while the "flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed,
against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague.
;;4 And he called the name of that place ' Kibroth-hattaa\ah: because there they buried the people that lusted.
35 'A/id the peo)yle journeyed from Kibrothhattaavah unto Hazerodi; and ^ abode at llazcroth.
way, and with what effects, we cannot precisely determine. Some heavy judgment fell upon these nuirmurers and complainers, but of what kind the sacred writer says nothing.
Verse 33. The wrath of the Lord- was kindled} In what [
Verse 34-. Kibroth-hatlaaiah] Th* graves of lust; and thus their scandalous crime was perjietuated by the name of the place.
1. St.,Iudc speaks of persons who T;ere niurmurerand complainers, walking after their own lusts, ver. 16. and seems to have this people particularly in view, whom the sacred text calls ^cfui^iyttcifci, complainers of their lot. Thi-v I could never be satijfied; even God himself could not pk-ase ithem, because they were ever preferring tliair own wjs- 1 doin to I:is. God will save us in liis own way, or not at all; because that way, being iJie plan of infinite wisdom, i: is impossible that we can be saved in any other. How ofkn have we professed to pray, " Thy will be done!" And how seldom, very seldom, have our hearts and lips corresponded! How careful shuuld we be in all our prayers to ask nothing but what i.s perfectly consistent with the will of God. Many times our prayers and desires are such, that, were they answered, our rum would be inevitable. TllV will be done I is the greatest of all prayer*; and he who would pray safe!'/ and successfully, must at Jeast have the spirit of these word.^ in all his petitions. Tlie Israelites asked flesh when they should not have asked for it: God yields to their niiirmiirin-' ■ and the death of multitudes of these murmurers was the consequence! Wc hear of such punishments, and yet walk in the same way, presuming on God's inercy, while we- continue to provoke his Justice. Let us settle it as an irdisputablf truth, iliat God is better arqiiainted with our wants than we are ourselves; that lie knows infinitely better what we need • and that he is ever more ready to hear than «e ai-e to pray; and is wont to give more than we can desiit or deserve.
2. In no case has God at any time withheld from liis nieanecJ followers any of the spiritird or tem|ioial merciei they needed. Were he to call us to travel through a Kildemcs.s, lie would send us bread from heaven, or cause the wilderness (o smile and blossom as the rose. How strange is it that we will neither believe that God has worked, or will worl;^ unless »e' see bim working!
Miriam and Aaron raise a sedition against Moses because of I lie Ethiopian woman he had married, 1, andthTOwh jeaJomv of hi's increasing poicer and anthorifii, 1. The character of Moses, 3. Moses, Aaron and Miriam are suddenly called to the tabernacle, 4. The Lord appears in the pillar of the cloud, and converses rcith them, 5. Declares his purpose to communicate his will to Moses only, 6 — 8. His anger is kindled against Miriam, and she is s>?2ittcn Kith the leprosy, Q, 10. Jaron deplores his transgression, and intreats for Miriam, 11, 12. Moses intercedes for her, 13. The Lord requires that she be shut out of the ca/np for seven dai/s, 14. The people rest till she is restored, 15, and afcerzvards leave Hazerotli, and pitch in the uilderness of Paran, l6.
J \ against Moses because of the ' Ethiopian woman whom he had
2 And tb.ey said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? '^ hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lokd '" heard it.
3 (Now the man Moses xcas ' very meek, above all the men which xccrc upon the face of the earth.)
4 ^ And the Loud spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aai-ou, and unto Miriam, Come out
ye three unto the tabernacle of the,^"-??•*• congregation. And they three came An.Eiod.isr. out. 2.
^OTES OX CHAP. XH. Verse I. 31iriam and Aiiron spoke a<;ahist Moses] It appears that jealousy of the power and influence of Moses was the real cause of their complaint, though his having marritd an Ethiopian woman; H'tt'^n njysn ha ishah ha- CKshitli; 1 HAT ^^■0^1A^■, llie Ciishite, probably meaning Zipporali, who was an Arab born in the land of Midian, was the ostens.'ble caij.^.
A'erse. 'J. ]Iaih the Lord imltcd spok-en nnlj/ hi/ Closes'] It is rerlain that both Aaron and Miriam had received a porlionof (he prophetic spirit, see Exod. iv. 15. and xv. 20., and therefore rhey thought ihcy might have a share in the government; for though there was no kind of git in attached t^ this government; and no honour but such as rame liom God, yet the love of power is natural to ihe human mind; and in many instances men will sacrifice even honour, picitsure and proj'ii to the lust of poiur.
V^rse 3. Non- the man ]\Ioscs was very meek] How could Moses, -who certainly wa.s as humble and modest as he was meek, -write this.cncom-ium upon himself? I think the word is not rightly understood; XV nnav, which we translate meek, comes from nV thiah, to act upon, to hitmhie, depress, affiiei, and is t.'-anslated.so in many places in the Old Testament: and in this sense it should be understood here. " Now this man ]\lo»es was de]>resscd or iifHictcd more than any man, TOisn lia-udamali, ol' that land." And why was he so.'
And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
6 And he said. Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, / the Lord will make myself known unto him 'in a vision, and will sj)eak unto him "in a dream.
7 ' My servant Moses is not so, "who is faithful in all " mine house.
Becau.se of the great burden he had to bear in the care and goverument of tiiis people; and because of their ingratitude and rebelKun both against God and himself: of this depression and affliction, see the fullest proof in the jireceding chapter. The very power they envied \<as oppressive to its possessor, and was more than cither of their shoulders could sustain.
Verse 4. And the Lord spake snddenli/] The sudden interference of God in this business, shews at once the importance of the case, and his displeasure.
Verse 6. 7/ there he a prophet] We see^here the different ways in which God usually made himself known to the prophets, viz. by visions, emblematic appearances, and by dreams, in which the future was announced by dark speeches, mTia bc-chidoth, by enigmas or figurative representations, ver. 8. Put to Moses God had commuiucated himself in a different way — he spoke to biin face to face, apparently, sjiewiiighim his glory; not in dark or enigmatical speeches; this could not be admitted in the case in which Mo.«es was engaged, for he was to receive Iuxls by divine inspiration, the precepts and expressions of which must all be ad cuptum vitlgi, wititin the reach of the meanekt capacity. As Moses, therefore, was cliosen of God to be the /(/it'i'iter, so was he chosen to."(ee these laws duly enforced fur the benefit of the people among whom he presided.
of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then '' were ye not atiaid to speak against my servant Moses?
9 And the anger of tiie Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.
10 ^ And the cloud departed from oft" the tabernacle; and, " behohl, Miriam became ' leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she teas leprous.
11 And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my; lord, I beseech thee, ^ lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.
12 Let her not be "as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he conieth out of his mother's womb.
13 And jNIoses cried unto the Loud, saying. Heal her now, () God, I beseech thee.
14 ^ And the Loud.^aid unto Mo.ses, 'H her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be "shut out from the camp seven days, and alter that let her be received in again..
15 'And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was broughf in again.
IG ^ And afterward the people removed fioni "'Ha.zeroth,and pitched in the wilderness of i'aran.
David is se calkd, I Sam. xviii. 27. Neeman, and son-in-law of tlie king. Job xii. 20. speaks of the yeeanim as a name of dignity. It seems al.so to have been a title of re.sjKCt "livcii to ambassadois, Prov. xiii. 17. x.xv. 13. Caluiet well observts that llic word fiJilily is often used for an employ, olliee or: dignity, and refers tx> 1 Chron. ix. 22, 26, 31. 2 Chron. xxxi. ] 12, I5v xxxiv. 12, &c. ISIoses was a faithful well tried' servant in the house of God; and therefore he uses him as a familiar, and puts confidence in him.
Verse 10. Mn-iam became leprous] It is likely Miriam - ■was chief \n this mutiny; and it is probable that it was on | this ground she is mentioned first, see ver. 1. and punisiied • here, while Aaron is spared. Had he been smitten with the j leprosy, his sacred character must have greatly suffered, and perhaps the priesthood itsell have fallen into contempt. How many priests and. preachers wiio deserved to be exposed to reproach and infiiay, have been spared for the sake of the holy character they bore, tliat the ministry might not be' blamed! but the jii>t God will visit their trausgressions in some other way. Nothing, tends to discredit the work of God so much. as the trau.<;gre>sioiis and miscarriages of those w!io minister in holy things.
Verse 1 4. If htr father had hut spit in her face'] This appears to have been done only in cases of great provocation ' on the part of the child; and sirong irritation on the side of the parent. Spittin<; in the face was a sign of the deepest contempt. — See.lob xxx. 10. I.-ai. 1. 6. Mark xiv. C5. In' a case where a p.nrcnt was obliged by the disobedient conduct ' of his child, to treat him in this way; it appears he was '■ banished from the father's presence for set-en daijs. If then, j this was an allowed and judged case in matters of high i provocation on the part of a child; should not the punish- j nient be equally severe, where the creature has rebelled 1 against the Creator.' — tlurefoiv- Minam was shutout of the > camp for seven days, and thus d-baned from coming into the presence of God her father, \\\vi is represented as dwelling | among the people. To a soul who knows the value anJ inexpressible blessedness of communion with God, how intolerable nnist -seven days of spiritual darkness be! Buthow indt.scribaldy wretched must their case be, who are cast out. into outer darkness, where the light of God no more shines; and where liis approbation can no more be felt for ever! Header, God save thee from so great a curse!
Several of the fathers suppose there is a great mystery hidden in the quarrel of Minam and Aaron with -Moses an<i Zipjiorah. Origen, and alter hmi several others, speaks of it in the following manner: " 1. Zipporah, a Cushitc espoused by Hloses, evidently points out the choice which Jesus Christ has made of the Geiitile.t for his spouse and church. 2. The jealousy of Aaron and Miriam against Moses and Zipporah signifies the hatred and envy of the Jews.against Christ. and the apostle.^, when they saw that the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven had been opened to the Gentile.?; of which they had rendered themselves unworthy. 3. The Uproii/ with which Miriam was smitten, shew* the gro-^s ignorance of. llu; Jews; and the ruinous disordered slate of their religion, in which there is neither a head, a temple nor a sacrifice. 4. Of none but Jesus Christ can it be said, that he was the ino.st meek and patient of men — that he saw God face to face; th»t he had every thing clearly revealed without enigmatical representations; and that he U'o.* ^aiV/(/"Hi in all the hoiise of God." This, and much more, Origen states in the sixth and seventh homilies on the book of Numbers; and yet all this he considers as little in comparison of the vast nly^tcric3 th.u lie. hidden in these accounts; for I lie shortness of the time, and the magnitude of the uiystcries, only permit him " to pluck a few flowers from those vast field.s — not as many as the exuberance of those fields atibrds; but only.such as by their odour he was led to select from the rest.'" Licebal tamen cv iiii^cntibus campis paucos floscitlos Ic^cre, et nan quantmn ager ' exuhcret, sed quantum odorami s'lfficiat carpere.
the same Paran with that mentioned Deut. 1. i. for tbat was on tilt borders of the promised Land, see the note on Dent. i. 1, ". they were lony near the borders of Canaan, and mit^ht liave speedily entered into it, had it not been for their prov(V cations and iniquities. They spent thirty-eight years in a journey which might have been accomplished in a few weeks! How many tln'ough their unlaithfulness have been mayiy years in gaining that for which, in the ordinary jirocediire of divine grace, a few days had been sufficient. How much ground n^ay a man lose in the divine life, by ope act of unfaithiulness or tiansgression! Israel wandered in the wilderness because Israel despised the plea.'^ant land, and did not give credence to the word of the Lord. They would have a golden calf, and they had nothing but tribulation and woe in return.
Twelve men, one out of every tribe, arc sent to examine the nature and state of the land of Canaan, 1 — 3. J'/'ieir names, 4 — 16. Moses gives them particular directions, 17—20. Thet/ proceed on their journey, 21, 2<?. Cowe to Eshcol, and cut dozen a branch nith a cluster of grapes, nhich ihcy hear Leliceen tno of ihem itvon a s'aff, 0.3-, 24. After foHy days they return to Paran, from searching the land, and shczc to Moses and the people, the fruit they had brought with them, 25, 26. Their report — they achnoidedge that the land i-: good; hut that tltt inhabitants are such as the Israelites cannot hope to conquer, 27 — 29. Caleb endeavours to do aziay the bad impression, made by the report of hisfcUoics, upon the minds of the people, SO. But the others persist in their former statement, 31, and greatly amplify the difficulties of conquest, 32,33.
Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.
3 And Moses by the commandment of the Lord sent them " from the wilderness of Paran: all those men ivere heads of the chil'dren of
4 And these tjcere their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
5 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.
NOTES ON CHAP. XHI. Verse 2. Send men that ttiey may seaic'A] It appears from Deut. i. 19 — 24. that this was done in consequence of the request of the people, after the following address of Moses: And when we departed from Jloreb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness — and we came unto Kadesk J^arnea; and I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mowituin of the Amoriles, which the Lord our God doth give unto us. Eeiiold the Lord thy Gnd. hulk set the land before thee: ^o up xnil possess it, as the Lord God of ttiy fathers hath said unto thee, fear not, neither be discourat^ed. And ye cnme near unto me every one of you. and said: We wn.L.SbND MtN BEFOUE US, AND TliEY SHALL SEARCH US OUT THE LAND, and bring us word again, by what way we must go up, and into
6 ^Of the tribe of Judah, "Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
7 Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the.son of Josepli.
9 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.
10 Ofthe tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.
11 Of the tribe of Joseph, namely., ofthe tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
12 Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.
13 Ofthe tribe cf Ashur, Sethur the son of iSIichael.
what cities we shall come. And /he saying pleased me welt, and I took twe'rje men of you, one of a tr.be, Ifc. ^-c. Nearly the whole of these verses is added here by the Samaritan.
Eixry man a rzder'] Not any of the princes of the people; see chap. i. for these names are different from these: but, these now sent, were men of consideration and importance in. their respective tribes.
Verse 13. Setiiur the son of Michael.] It would havei been strange had not the numerous searchers aflcr the explati nation of the mystical number 666. Hev. xiii. IS. xvii. 5.- met with nothing to their purpose, in the name of this son of- Michael. Selliur, liriD, from "inD, saihar, to hide or conceal,., signifies hidden or mysterious, and includes in it the numerical, letters of the No. 6G6. D 60. +n 400. +1 «+■> 200 = 66C.:
14 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi. ],5 Of the tribe of Cad, Geuel the son of IMachi,
16 These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called ^ Oshea tlie sou of Nun, Jehoshua.
17 ^ And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this ti'aj/ " southward, and go up into " the mountain:
18 And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelletli therein, whetlier they be strong or weaky few or many;
in And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and wliat cities theji be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong iiolds;
But of wliat ulility can such Pxposition.^ be to any subject of history or theoloLj}'?
Verse 16. And Moses called Oshea — Jehoshua.] OSHEA, Htb. pann should be written Hashed. The word sig-iiifies smed, or a saviour, or salvation — but I'Ciri' he shall save: or tlie snlia'ion of Ood; a Irtlcr, sav-s Calmct, of the inroiiinmiiicablc name of God, beiiia; added to his former name. Tliis was not the fir.<t time in winch he had the name Joshua; see Kxod. x\ ii. 9. and the note lliere. Some suppose he had this chanrre of name in consequence of his victory over Ania- Ick; see Exod. xvii. 1.?, 14.
Verse 1 8, See the land, what it is] What sort of a COUN- THY it is; how situated; its natural advantages or disadvantages.
Verse 20. The land, whether it be fat or lean] NV'hether the sou. be rich or poor; which miphl be known by its being well wooded, and by the fruits it produced; and therefore they were desired to examine it as to the trees, &c. and to bring some of the /r«;V.s with them.
A'erse2I. From the wilduincss of Ziii'] The place called ]S Tsin, here, is different from that called J'D Sin, or Seen, Kxod. x\i. 1. the latter was nigh to J'<'i/pi, but the former was near Kadcsk Barneu, not i'ar from the borders of tiie Promised Land.
"Xhi" spies having left Kadesh Barnea, vihich was in the desart o( Paran,.see ver. "0. they pioceeded to the desart of Tsin, all along the land of Canaan, nearly following the course <f the river Jordan, till they came to Uehob, a city situated near mount Libanus, at the northern exlrennty of the Holy Land, towards the road tluit leads to Hamath. Thence they returned through the niid^t of the same land,
20 And what the land is, whether it be " fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And 'be ye "••'• ^.
of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time v:as the time of the firstripe grapes.
2L ^ >So they went up, and searched the land '^from the wilderness of Zin unto ^Ilehob, as men come to Hamath.
22 And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where "Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, ' the children of Anak, xvere. (Now " Hebron was built seven years before ' Zoan in Egyjit.)
23 ""And they came unto the " brook of Kschol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staft"; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.
by the borders of the Sidonians and Philistines, and pa.ssing by mount Hebron, rendered I'amous by the residence of Abraham formerly, and by the gigantic descendants of Anak, at that time, they passed through the valley of the brook of Eshcol, where they cut down the bunch of grapes mentioned ver. 23. and returned to the Israelitish camp, after an ab-.sence of forty days," ver. 2j. — See Calmct on this place.
\^erse 22. Hebron lens built serai yturs before Zoan in Kjzypt.'] Tlie Zoan of the Scriptures is allowed to be the Tunis of the heathen historians, which was the capital of lower Egypt. Some think it was to humble the pride of the Egyptians, who boasted the highest antiquity, that this note eoticerning the higher antiquity of Hebron, was introdticcd by Moses. Some have supposed that it is more likely to havebeen originally a marginal note, which in firocrssof lime crept into the text: but all the ver>ions acknowledge it, and all the MSS. that have as yet been collated.
Verse 23. They bare it between two upon a staf] It would be very easy to produce a great number of Witnesses to prove that grapes iu the promised land, and indeed in vario»i.s other hot countries, grow to a prodigious size. By Calmet, Siheuch* zer, and JLmner, tliis subject has been exhausted, and to these I may refer the reader. Pliny mentions bunches of grapes in Africa, rat li of which was larger than an infant. R<idzvil.saw at Rhodes, bunches of grapes three quarters of an ell in length, each grape as large as a plumb. Dandini.saw grapes of this size at mount Libanus; and Vatd Lucas mentions some bunches which he saw at Damascus, that weighed above forty-five pounds. From the mOst authentic accoiuits, the Egyptian grape is very.<w«//, and this being the only one with \\lii(.li the Israelites were acquainted, the great size of the grapes of Hibron would appear still more extraordinary. I have mysdf once cut down a bunch of grapes 4 M
24 The place was called the ' brook " Eshcol, because of the cluster of
south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites "•
dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
30 And " Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said. Let us go up at once, and possessit; for we are well able to overcome it.
31 ' But the men that went up with him said, ^Ve be not able to go up against the people j:
jj 32 And they " brought up an evil report of.
I the land which they had searched unto the
grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.
25 And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.
26 % And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, "^ unto the wilderness of Paran, to ^ Kadesh; and brought back word unto tliem, and unto all the congregation, and shewe^.! them the fruit of the land.
27 And they told him, and said, We came un- ^- children of Israel, saying. The land, through:
to the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it flov.'eth with "milk and honey; '^ and this « the fruit of it.
28 Nevertheless ^ the people?/C strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw " the children of Anak there.
29 ' The Amalekites dwell in the land of the
nearlj' twenty poiintls in weight. Tho.se wiio live in cold climate> can.scnrcely have any conception to what perfection both grapes anil other fruits grow in climates that are warm, and where the soil is suitable to them.
From what is mentioned ver. 20. noiv the time was the tone of the first- ripe griipes, it is very probable that the spies received their orders about the beginning of August, and returned about the middle of September, as in those countries p'apc!:, ]ioinegranates, and figs, are ripe about this time; see tiarmtr, vol. i. p. 108 — 110. At Sheeraz. in Persia, I find from a MS. journal, thai the small ii-liite grape, askerie, came into season August 6; and pomegranates September 6; and the large red grape, sahibi, Sept. 1 0.
The spies carrying the bunch of grapes on a staff between two men, was probably not rendered necessary by the size of the hunch or cluster; but to preserve it from being bruised, that the Lsraclitc* might have a fair specimen of the fruit. As Jofihua and Caleb were the only persons who gave a favourable account of the land, it is most likely that they ■yvere the persons who bad gathered these fruits, and who brought them to the Israclitish camp. And it is likely they were gathered as short a time as possible, before their return, that they might not be injured by the length of the time they Jiad been separated from their respective trees.
Verse '21. We came unto the hind, &;c.] It is astonishing, that men so dastardly as these, should have had courage fnough t(* ri-k their' persons in searching llie land. But probably, thoi^b destitute of valour, tliey had a sufficiency of cunninjj; and this carried ihem through. The report liiey
eateth up the inhabitants thereof: and "all the I people that we saw in it, are ° men of a great:
stature. ■ 33 And there we saw the giants, ''the sons of)
brought was exceedingly discouraging, and naturally tended to produce the effect mentiuned in the next chapter. The conduct of Joshua and Caleb was alone magnanimous, and wortliy of the cause in which they were embarked.
An K.i'id Isr,
Verse 33. There ice saiv the giants'] CD'Vw Nepkilijn. It is. evident that they had seen a rolnibt, sturdy, warlike race of men, and of great stature; for the asserted fact is not denied by.Joshua or Caleb.
Tales of gigantic men are frequent in all countries: but they are generally of such, as have lived in times very remote from those in which such tales are told. That there have beengiants at different times, in various parts of the earth, there can be no doubt: — but that there ever was a nation of men twelve and fourteen feet high, we cannot, should not believe. (j'oliah appears to have been at least nine feet high: this was very extraordinary. 1 knew 'three young men in my own neighbourhood — two of them brothers, each of whom was upwards of seven feet, the third was eight feet sis inches: and these men were very well proportioned. Others 1 have seen of extraordinary stature, but they were generally disproportioned, especially in their limbs. These instances serve to. prove the ])ossibility of eases of this nature. The Eiiakiiti'. might appear to the Israelites as a very tall, robust nation: and in comparison of the latter, it is very probable that iheywere so: as it is very likely, that the growth of the Israelites', liad been greatly cramped with their long and severe servitude in Eiiypt. And this may, in some nicasuir, account for tlitii ulnnn. On this subject, the reader is desired to turn back to the note on Gen. vi. i.
Canaan was a type of the kingdom of God: the uilderntss lliroii>jh which the Israehles passed, of the diflicullies and trials to be met with in the present world. — The promise of the kingdom of God is given to every believer; but liow tnany are discouraged by the dilHculties in the way! A slothful heart sees dangers, lions, and gianis, every where; and therefore refuses to proceed in the heavenly path. Many of the spies contribute to this by the bad reports they bring of •the heavenly country. Certain preachers allow " that the land is good, that it tlows willi milk and honey," and go so far as to shew some of its fruits; l)ut ihey di.scoiu'age the.people by stating ihc impossibility of overcoming their enemies. " Sin," say they, " cannot be destroyed in this life —
\i will always dwell in you — the Analdm cannot be conquered — we are but as grasshoppers against the Anakim," &c. &c. Here and there a Joshua and a Caleb, trusting alone in the power of God, armed with faith in the infinite cfficary of that blood which cleanses from all unrighteousness, boldly stand forth and say, '• Their defence is de]>artcd from them", and the Lord is with us: lot us go up at once, and possess the laud; for we are well able to overcome." \Ve can do all things through Christ strengthening us: he will purify us unto himself, and give us that rest from sin here, which his death has procured, and his word has promised. Reader, canst thou not take God at his word? He has never yet failed thee..Surely then thou hast no reason to doubt. Thou hast never yet tried him to the uttermost. Thou kn)Wf st lu.t how far, and how fully lie can save. Do not be dispirited: the sous of Aiiak shall fall before thee, if thou meet them in the name of the l.ORD of IlOSr.S.
The Tchoh cong^rcgation aecp at t/ie account l)rouglit Inj the spies, 1. They murmur, 2,3. And purpose to iiuike ihe,iiselies a captain, and go bark to Egypt, 4. Moses and Aaron are greatly affected, 5. Joshua and Ca/cf?
endeavour to appease and encourage the peopfe, 6 — 9. The congregation are about to stone them, 10. The gtortf of the Lord appears, and he is about to smite the rebels zcith the pestilence, II, 1'2. Moses makes a lomr and pathetic intercession in their behalf, 13 — 19. 2'he Lord hears and forbears to punish, 20, but purposes that not one of that generation shall enter into the promised land, save Joshua and Caleb, 21 — 24. Biases is commanded to turn and get into the wilderness by zcay of the Red sea, 25. The Lord repeats his purpose that none of that generation shall enter into the promised land — that their carcases shall fall in the tcilderness, and that their children alone, zcith Joshua and Caleb, shall possess the land of the Canaanites, Sfc. 26 — 32. As mam/ day-s as they have searched the land, shall they icander years, in the desart, until t/iei/ shall be utterly consumed
33 — 35. All the spies, save Joshua and Caleb, die by a plague, 36 — 38. Moses declares God's purpose to the people, at rvhieh they are greatly affected, 39- They acknoulcdge their sin, and purpose to go up at once and possess the land, 40. Moses cautions them against resisting the purpose of' God, 41—13. They, nolrcil/istand- ing, presume to go, but Moses and the ark abide in the camp, 44. The Amalekites and Canaanites come doun
K.c.Mw; A ^^ all the congregadon lilted 'or "would God we had died in this
2 " And all the children of Israel miirmnred!| brought us unto tin's land, to fall hy the sword,
against Moses and against Aaron: and the I that our wives and our children shoiild be a prey?
■whole congregation said luito them, Would God that wo had died in the land of Egypt!
\vere it not better for us to return into Egypt? 4 And they said one to another, " Let us
NOTES ON CHAP. XIV. Verse 1. Cried, and — luept tliat iiig/a] In almost every case, tliis people gave deplorable evidence of the degraded state of their minds. With scarcely any mental firmness, and with almost no religion, they could bear no reverses, and were ever at their wit's end. Tlu-y were headstrong, presumptu- ous, pusillanimous, indecisive, ami fickle. And because tUev VI ere such, therefore the power and wisdom of God appeared the more conspicuously in the whole of their history.
Verse 4. I^l us wio^-t a captain] Here was a formal rcnunelation of the authority of iMoses; and flat rebellion a"-ainst God. And it seems from Neh. ix. H. that they had^aciu- 4 M 2
into Egypt. 5 Tiien " Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
6 <jf " And Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, xehich ti.'ere of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, "^ The land, which we passed through, to search it, is an exceeding good land.
8 If tiie Lord ' delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; 'a land which floweth with milk and honey.
9 Only ^ rebel not yc against the Lord. " neither fear ye the peoj)le of the land; for ' they ifre bread for us: their ^ defence is departed li-om them, ' and the Lord is with us: fear them not.
10 "But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And " the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation, before all the children of Israel.
All. K-xod.
ally appointed cmoiher leader, under who.se direction, they were about to return to Kgypt. How astonishing is this! Thuir lives were niade biittr, because of the rigour with which they were made to serve in the land of Egypt; and yet they are willing, yea cajjer to f^et back into the same circiuiistances again! Great evils, when once some time past, afli'Ct the iiiiiid k>s than present ills, though niuch inferior. Thiy had partly forgot tlieir Egyptian bondage, and now imart under a little discouragement, having totally lost sight of tlieir high calling, and <if the poweF and goodness of God.
Verse 6. And Joshua, &c ] See on the preceding chapter,
1 1 % And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people ° provoke me? and how long will it '•
be ere they '' believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?
12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit tliem, and '^ wiU make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.
l.S ^ And "^ Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall hear //, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)
14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: \for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen tace to face, and that ' thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.
15 Now if' thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nation.s which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,
16 Because the Lord was not " able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto
" May thy protection never be removed from my head^ " May God extend thy shadoiv eternally."
7X tsal, both signifymg to overspread or overshadow. See the note on ver. 14.
Verse 1 0. The glory of the Lord appeared] This timely appearance of the divine glory prevented tliese faithful servants of God from being stoned to death by this base and treacherous ninltitude. " Every man is immortal till his work is done," while in simplicity of heart he is following his God.
Ver.se 14. That tla/ cloud standeth over iheyh] This clou4,. the symbol of the divine glory, and proof of the divine presence, appears to have assumed thnx dillereut forms, fyr three important purposes.
ui the wilderness. 17 And now, I beseech thee, let the ])ower of my Loiuj be great, according as tliou hast spoken, saying,
18 The Loud is Mongsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the gi/ilti/, ''visiting the iniquity of tiie fathers upon the children unto the third and f()urth generation.
19 'Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people " according unto the greatness ot thy mercy, and "as thou hast forgiven this people, from Kgypt even ' until now.
20 And the Loiiu said, I have pardoned ^according to thy word:
21 But as truly as I live, ''all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lokd. [
22 ' Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in j Egypt, and in the wilderness, have tempted me: now " these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; j
23 ' Surely" they shall not see the land which: I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
1. It appeared by day in tlie form of a pillar of a sufficient height to be seen by all the camp, and thu,< went before them to point out their way in the desart. Kxud. xl. 3S.
2. It appeared by nij^hl as a pilhir of fire to r^ive tliem hfcht while travcUinj); by night, which they probably soiiietintes did, see chap. ix. 21. or to illuminate their. Lents in tlieir encampments. Exod. xiii. 21, 22.
3. It stood at certain times above the whole congregation, overshadowing them from the scori hing rays of the.>iun; and probably at other times, coiidcnstd the vapmirs and precij)itattfd rain or dew for the refreshment of tlit people. JIc spread a cloud for their coverini;; and fire to;;ive It^lit in the night. Psal. cv. 39. It was probably from tins circumstance Uiat the shadow qf the Lord, was used to signify the divine protection, not only by the Jew.s, but also by other Asiatic nations. See the note on ver.!.'. and see particularly the note on I'^xod. xiii. 2 1.
Verse i'J. Pardon, 1 beseech thee, the iniquity of this people] From ver. 13 to ver. l!,'. inclusive, we have the words of JMoses.' intercession; they nctd no explanation; they are full
24 But my servant " Caleb, because j^^J- 'f^}* he had another spirit with him, and A..'i;xod.Ur,
"hath followed me fully, him will I t
bring into the land whcreinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, ''and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Reel sea.
26 % And tlie Loud spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
27 '' How long shall I hear rcilh this evil congregation, which murmin- against me? ' I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.
28 Say unto them, '-As truly as I live, saith the Lord, ' as ye have spoken in mine cars, so will I do to you:
29 Your carcases shall fall in tliis wilderness; and "" all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,
30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the lanti, concerning which I "sware to make you dwell therein, ''save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
of simplicity and energy; his arguments with God, for he did rea.son and argue wiih his Maker, are pointed, co<Tent, and respeetf'il; and while they shew a heart full of humanity,, they evidence the deepest concern for the glory of God. Tlie argiwientum ad hominem, is here used in the most unexceptionable maimer, and with the fullest eflcct.
Ver.-c 20. / have pardoned] 'I'iiat is, they.shall not be cut oil' us they deserve, because thou hast interceded for their lives.
Verse 2 1. All the earth shall be filled] pxn Vj kol ha-urets, all THIS land; i. e. the land of Canaan, which was only fuU filled to the letter, when the preaching of Christ and his apostles was heard through all the cities and villages of Judea. It does not apiiear, that the whole of the terraqueous globe is meant by this expression in any of the places where it occurs, connected with this promise of the ditlusion of the divine light. See Psal. Ixxii. 19. Isai. xl. 5. Hab. ii. 14.
Verse 24. But mi/ sen-ant Caleb, &c.] Caleb had another spirit, not only a bold, generous, courageous, noble, and heroic spirit; but the Spirit and influence of the God of heaven, thus raised him above human inquietudes, and earthly fears, Oicrefore he follonxd God fully; nnx nVu'1 v:mmulit
But your little ones, which ye should be a prey, them will I in, and they shall know the land wliich '' ye have despised.
32 But as for you, ' your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.
33 xlnd your children shall "^ wander ' in the wilderness ^ forty years, and ^ bear your whoredoms, imtil your carcases be wasted in the ^\\\• derness.
34 ■■ After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even ' forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities,- even forty years, "^ and ye shall know ' my breach of promise.
35 "" I the Lord have said, I will surely do it unto all ° this evil congreeration, that are gathered togetlier against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.
36 ^ *And the men, which Moses bchw' sent to search the land, who returned, An.F.Md.iJr. and made all the congregation to mur- ^- mur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,
37 Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, '' died by the plague
38 ""But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, xvhiclt xvere of the men that went to search the land, lived stilL
39 And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: '' aiad the peojjle mourned greatl}'.
40 ^ And tlrey rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, * we be het'e, and will go up unto the place which tlie Lord hath promised: for we have sinned.
41 And Moses said. Wherefore now do ye
lOcharai, literallv, lie Riled qfier me: God shewed him the wny he was to take, and the line of conduct he was to pursue, and he filled up this hne, and in yll tliings/o//ou.r(i the will of his maker. He therefore shall see tlie promised lanil, and hii seed shall possess it. A daslardlj/ spirit in the tliin|4's of God, is a heavy curse. How many are retarded in their course, and fall short of the blessings of the Gospel, through magnifying the number and.strength of their adversaries, their own weakness and the difliculties of the way; willi which we may connect their distrust of the power, faithfulness, and goodness of God. And how many are prevented from receiving the higher degrees of salvation, by foolishly attributing insurmountable power, either to their inward corruptions, or outward enemies! Only such men as Joshua and Caleb, who take God at his word, and who know that against his wisdom no cunning can stan<l, and against his might, no strength can prevail, are likely to folloiu God fulli;, and receive the heights, lengths, breadths, and depths of the salvation of God.
Verse 34. After the nnmlicr of tlie A/yv] The spies were forlj/ dayn in searching the land, and the people who rebelled on their evil report, are condemned to wander forty years in the wilderness! Now let them make them a captain, and go back to Egypt if they can. God had so hedged theni about with his power, and providence, that they could neither go back to Egypt, nor get forward to the promised land! God has provided innumerable spiritual blessings for mankind; but in the pursuit of earthly good, they lose them, and often lose the others also! If ye he willint^ and ohcdient, ye shdU tat the fruit of the land; but not olhcrvjise; unless for your farther punishment, God give you your portion in THIS life, and ye get none in the life to come. From so great a curse may God save ihee, thou money-loving, honour-hunting, pleasure-taking, thoughtless, godless man!
And ye shall kno~i' my breach of promise] This is certainly a most harsli expression: and most learned men agree that the words <nsur\ iUC el temmti, should be translated my vengeance, which is the rendering of the Septuugint, Vidgale, Coptic, and Anglo-Saxon; and which is followed by almost all our ancient English translations. The mc.ining, however, appears to be this: y\s God had promised to bring them into the good land, provided they kept his statutes, ordinances, &.C. and they had now broken tlieir engagements, he was no longer held by his covenant; and therefore, by excluding them from llie promi.sed land, he shewed them at once his annulling of the covenant, which llicy had broken, and his vengeance, because they had broken it.
Verse 37. Those men that did bring up the evil report — died^ Thus, ten of the twelve that searched out the land were struck <lea(l, by the justice of God, on the spot! Caleb, of the tribe of.fudali, and Joshua of the tribe of Ephraim, alone escaped — because they had (ollowed God fully. Let preachers of God's word lake heed how they strai-ten the way of salvation; or render, by unjust description, that way perplexed and difficult, which Gml has ma<le plain and easy.
Verse 40. Jfe — ivill go up unto the place, Si.c] They found themselves on the very borders of the land — and they heard God.say, they should not enter it; but should beconsnmo*?^ by a forty years wandering in the wilderness; — notwit' i ill", they are determined to render vain this purpo.se o, probably supposing that the temporary sorrow they not among you yom" enemies. * 43 For the Amalekites and the Canaaiiites arc there before you, and ye shall tall by the sword: "because ye arc turned away from the Lord, therefore the Lord will not be with you.
their late rebellion, would be accepted as a sudiLicnt aluiienient for their crimes! Tlicj- accordingly went U|), and were cut down by tiieir enemies; and why.' God went not witii them, liow vain is the council of man again.st the wisdom of God! Nature, poor fallen human nature, is ever runniriu into extremes. This miserable people, a short time ago, thought, that tho.iijh they had Omnipotence with them, they could not conquer and pusicss the land! Now they
But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and Moses departed not out of the camp.
45 'Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, eien unto ' Horniah.
in)agine that though God himself go not with them, vet they shall be sulVieient to drive out the inhabitants, and take possession of their country! INIan is ever supposing; he can either do all t/tim^s, or do nothing: he is therefore sometimes presumptuous, and at other times in despair. W'lio but aa apostle, or one under the influence of the same spirit, can say: / can do do ALL THlNtiS THROUGH CllltlST vjho strengtheneth me f
Directions concerning the different offerings thei/ should bring unto the Lord, zchen they should come to the land of Canaan, 1 — 3. Directions relative to the meat-offering, 4, to the ciriiik-offeiing, 5. Of the biiriU-offerina:, vow-offering, peace-offering, drink-offering, S)C. G — 1'2. All born in the country must perform these rites, 13, and tlie stra?igcrs also, 14—16. TJtei/ shall offer unto the Lord, a lieave-offcring of the first-fruits of the land, 17 — 21. Concerning omissions through ignorance, and the sacrifices to lie offered on such occasions, 0.1- — 29. He liho sins presumptuously, shall be i-ut off, 30, 31. Ilislorij of the person who gatliered sticks on the sabbath, 32. IJe is brought to Moses and Aaron, 33. Thiy put him in confnement, tilt the mind of the Lord should be knoTtn on the case, 34. The Lord commands him to be stoned, 35. lie is stoned to death, 36. The Israelitesare commanded to make fringes to the borders of their garments, 37, 38. I'he end for uhich these fringes u-ere to be made, that they might remember the commandments of the Lord, that they might be holy, 39 — 41.
ND the Lord spake unto Mo-! ses, s.aying, 2 ^ Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them. When ye be come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you, 3 And '' will make an offering by fire unto