GQrbbid:| Pj. Kikchen
HE contents of this chapter are the renewal of the order to appoint cities of refuge for y¥. hs The Lord alfo fpake unto Fofoua, &c.] Out of the tabernacle, at the door ef which he with the
-fach thatcommit man-flaughter icnorantly, to flee ‘ynto, and have fhelter in from the avenger of high prieft and princes were: the Lord had fpoken to hiny before concerning dividing the land among the tribes, ch. xiii. 17. and this being done he fpeaks to him again: faving; as follows. ¥. 2, y. 2. Speak to the children of Ifrael, faying, 8cc Whom the affair concerned. the Lord fpake to ‘fofoua about, they having now the whole land divided among them: appoint out for you cities of refuge; of the name, nature, ule, and number of thefe cities, fee the note on Numb. xxxv. 6. whereof I fpake unto you by the hand of Mofes,; Numb. Sychar, Fobn. iv. 5. and it is now called Neapolis, or Naploufe: and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, in she mountain of Fudab, it ftood inthe hill-country ot Judea, Luke i. 39, 65. of which fee ch. xiv. 15. fand xv. 54. There feems to be a difficulty here, fince this city was before given to Caleb, ch. xiv. 13, 14. and yet afterwards given to the Levites, xxxy.. Deut. xix. and appointed a city of refuge. The ews reconcile
¥. 3. That the flayer that killeth any perfon unawares and unwittingly, may flee thither, 8c.) Who through mere accident, and without defign, killed a perfon, friend or foe, one of his own kindred, or a ftranger, without any malice againft him, or intention to take away his life: and they fhall be your refuge from the avenger of blood, from any of the relations of the deceafed, who might be ftirred up to avenge the blood of his kinfman on the flayer; fee Numb, xxxv. 12. holy or bolinefs; Cbri tribe of Ephraim, its name in the new teftament this by obferving, that the city and fuburbs were given to the Levites, and fixed for a city of refuge; but the villages and fields, and country around it, and belonging to it, were given to Caleb, ch. xxi. 12. and Abarbinel makes no doubt, that the children of Fudah gave fomething elfe to Caled in lieu of it. As thele cities of refuge were typical of Céri/?, as has been obferved on Numb. xxxv. 29. their names are applicable to him.+ Kede/b fignifies f is holy in both his natures, divine and human; and fo abundantly qualified to be the mediator, faviour, and redeemer; and is \the fountain of holinefs to his people, and is made fanctification to them, Pf xvi. 10. Heb. vii. 26. 1 Cor. i. 30. and Shehiem fignifies the fhoulder, and not only the government of the church and people of God is on the thoulder of Chri, but all their fins have been laid upon: him, and bore by him; and every particular foul in converfion, every loft fheepis looked up by him, andtaken up and brought home on his fhoulder, Jf ix. 6. and liii. 6. Lukexv.4. Hebron fignifies fellow/hip; in effectual vocation, the faints are called into fellowfhip with Cérz/f, and their fellowthip is with the Father, and his fon Ye/us Chri; through him they have accefs to God, and communion with him now, and fhall have uninterrupted communion with him to all eternity, 1 Cor. ig. 1 Fob. i. 3. Epb. ii. 18. Fob. xvii. 24.
¥. 4. And when he that doth flee unto one of thofe cities, &c.] Any one of them, that was neareft to him: fhall fiand at the entering of the gate of the city, for he might not rufh in without leave: and feall declare bis caufe in the ears of the eldersof that city; lay before them the whole matter, how that he had killed a perfon unawares, by what means it came about, and that it was merely through error, without any malicious defign, and was a mere accident: they fhall take bim into the city unto them; direétly, left the avenger of blood fhould come and feize on him, and kill him; and they were to take him into the city, not only to prevent that, butto examine him ftill more clofely about the matter, and get farther fatisfaction; and being fatisfied, were to continue him in it: and give hima place that he might dwell among them; until his death, or the death of the high prieft, if thar was firlt. Kimchi obferves from their Rabdins, that he was not to hire a houfe all the time of his dwelling there, but was to have one freely, becaufe it is faid, and give bim, &c. of Reuben and Gad, and the half y¥. 5. And if the avenger of blood purfue after &c.] To the city of refuge, whither he is fled, and demand him: then they fhall not deliver the flayer up into bis hands; to be flain by him, but fhall protecthim: Lecaufe be fimote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not before time, {ee the notes on Numb. XXXV. 22, 23. and Deut. xix. 6.
y.8. And on the other fide Fordanby Fericho eaft- | ward, &c.] In the country poffefied by the tribes tribe of Manaffeh:
him,) they affigued Bezer in the wilderne/s, upon the plain, out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan-in Bafban out of the ¢ribe of Manaffeh,; of thefe places, and the fignification of their names, and, of the application af them to Cbrift, the antitype of the cities of refuge, fee the note on Deut. iv. 43. Thefe laft cities were not appointed now, they were appcinted in the times of Mojfes, and fevered by him, Deut. iv. 41. nor arethey here faid to be appointed, but to be afwhich figned or given‘ they were now delivered up into the hands of the Levites for cities. of refuge, for they were before fevered for that ufe; they were not, according to the Jews‘, made ufe of as fuch, until the other three were appointed.
¥.6. Aud be foal dwell in that city, until be fhall fiand before the congregation for judgment, &c.] That is, until his caufe was heard in the court ot judicature in his own city, or in any other to the avenger of blood fhould appeal; fee Numd. Xxxv. 24, 25. who if they found him guilty of death, they put him to death; butif only guilty of accidental manflaughter, then they delivered him up to his city of refuge for fafety, wherehe was to abide until the death of the high prieft Shall be in thofe days; fee Numb. xxxv. 25. then Sfoall ike flayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own houfe, unto the city from whence be Jied; and live with his family in the enjoyment of his pofleffions and eftates, honours, and privileges belonging to him as before; fee Numb. xxxy. 28.
y, 9. Thefe were the cities appointed for all the that) children of Ifrael, &c.| For the common ule of them all, and not for that tribe only in which they ftood: and for the ftranger that fojourneth among them not only for the profelytes of rightcoufnels, but for the profelytes of the gate alfo, as well as for the natives of J/rael,; Chriff is a refuge for Fews and Gentiles, for all finners that flee tohim: that whofoever killeth any perfon unawares might flee thitber; and find fhelter and fafety: and not d; the band of the avenger of blood; atogehtehaaae fore he could overtake him: until be flood before the congregation; either before the congregation, the elders of the city, or court of judicature in the é it fell to the lot of thejof refuge, or before the court of his own city’ is'from whence he fled, if fummoned thither.
¥. 7. dud they appointed Kedefh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, &c.] Of which fee ch. xix. 37, the ap+ pointment of this and the two cities following was made by the children of J/rae/ at this time: and Shechem in mount Ephraim, called Sichem, Gen, xii. 6. and Shechem from a prince of that name that poflefied it, Gen. xxxiv.
PAHIS chapter contains the addrefs of the: Zevites to the court, to have the. cities and fuburbs given them according to the command of of the’ pot or‘urn was! forthe defcendants of Kobarb; "a fon of Levi:\ and the children of Aaron the prie# which'-were of the Levites; who defcended
God by Mofes, ¥. 1, 2. the grant of them. by-lot out of the feveral tribes, y. 3—8. the: particular Cities out of the tribes of Fudab and \ Simeon are mentioned by name, ¥. g—16. then thofe out of the tribe of Benjamin, ¥. 17, 18,19. next thofe out of the tribe of Ephraim, y. 20,21, 22. afterwards thofe-out, of the tribe of Dan, y. 23—26. then thofe out of the half tribe of Manaffeb, y. 27. and out of the tribe of fachar,.¥.28,29. and out of the tribe of Aer, ¥. 30, 31. and of Napthali,y. 32,33+ andof Zebulun, y¥. 34,35. and of Reuben, ¥. 36, 37. and of Gad, ¥. 38, 39,40. which in all made forty-eight, ¥..41, 42. and the chapter is concluded with obferving, that God gave J/rae/all the land of Canaan, and reftin it, according to his promife, very faithfully,and punctually, ¥. 43; 44, 45:
from Amram, the eldeft°fon of Kohath, and thefe were not only Levites, but ‘priefts: thefe bad by lot out of the tribe of Fudah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and-out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities; which are after mentioned by nanie 3. ahd-as thefe were priefts, whofe ‘bufinefs’ was. to. ferve in the temple, and at the altar, the cities 4ffigned them by the lot, were bythe wife difpofal of divine providence, ordered them out of thofe tribes which lay neareft to ‘Yerufalem; the place God had chofen to put his name in, where*the temple would be built, and the altars erected for facrifices and incenfe.
y. 5. And the reft of the children of Kebath, &c.] Which did not defcend from him inthe Jine of Amram and Aaron, but of Izbar, Hebron, and Uzziel, who were not priefts, but Levétes; -had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and
y.1, Then came near the heads of the fathers of out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the balf tribe of
the Levites, &c.| When the land was divided:to the feveral tribes, and every one knew the cities that belonged to them, and what they could and fhould part with to, the Levites, and when the fix cities of refuge were fixed; the Levites cameto put in their claim for cities of habitation, they having no fhare in the divifion of the land; and yetit was neceflary they fhould have habitations; the’perfons that undertook to put in.a claim for:them.were the principal: men among them; the fathers of them were Kobath, Gerfbon, and Merari; the sheads of thofe were the chief men.that were then living; thefe came unto Eleazar the prieft, and unto Fofbua the fon of Nun; the high prieft and chief magiftrate: and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Ifrael; the princes appointed to divide the land with the two great perfonages before mentioned, Numb. xxxiv. 17—29.
y. 2. And they fpake unto them at Shilob in the land of Canaan, &c.] Where the tabernacle was fixed, at or near which the above perfons met to caft lots for the divifion of the land to the feven tribes that had not received their inheritance: faying, the Lord commanded by the hand of Mofes to give us cities to dwell in, with the fuburbs thereof for our cattle, this command is extant in Numb. xxxv. 2—8, y. 3. And the children of Ifrael gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, &c.} Knowing full well there was fuch a command, made no ‘objection to their motion, but freely gave them cities out of the portion of inheritance allotted to them; this they did at the commandment of the Lord, and in obedience to it, even gave rhefe cities and fuburbs, after mentioned: this was done by the tribes themfelyes; as there were a certain number fixed by the commandment of God, they agreed among themfelves how many and what cities fhould ‘be given out of each tribe; and thén lots were caft:for them by ofbua, what and which cities fhould be appropriated to their feveral divifions, asthe Kobathites that, fprang from daron, and ‘the reft o them that did not, and the Ger/bonites and Merarites, as follows.
Manaffeb, ten cities; thefe other fort of Kobathites had their cities in tribes next to the other three where the Kobathites that were priefts had theirs.
¥. 6. And the children of Gerfhon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ifachar, &c.| Thefe were Levites who defcended from Gerfhon, the eldeft fon of Levi, and had their cities’’by lot affigned them in tribes ata greater diftance, not only out of J - achar, but out of the tribe of Alber, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the balf tribe of Ma-~ naffeo in Bafban, which was the other half of the tribe beyond ‘Yordan: thirteen cities; as many as’ were given out of the tribes of Fudab, Siiteon, and Benjamin.
¥. 7. The children of Merari by their families, &c.] Thedefcendants of Merari, the third fon of Levi: bad out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad; which were both on the other fide Fordan: and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve ct- y. 8. And the children of Ifrael gave by lot unto the Levites thefe cities with their fuburbs, &c.] Reaching 2000 cubits fromrthe’ cities all around: thefe cities did not lye all together, and fo could not be defcribed by their coafts; but in the feveral tribes, and intermixed with their cities; which fulfilled $acod’s prophecy, that they fhould be divided and fcattered 1n J/rael, Gen. xlix. 7. as well as it was fo ordered for the benefit of the feveral tribes, that they might have the affiftance of the priefts ‘and Levites, to inftruct them in the knowledge of the laws andcommandments of God, and all divinethings: as the Lord commanded by the band of Mofes; Numb. xxxv. 2. '
¥. 9. And they gave out of the tribe. of the children of Fudab, 8c.) Here follows a particular accounr of the feveral cities which were given out of each tribe, and firft out of this’: avd out of tbe tribe of the children of Simeon;-which is joined with that of Fudab, becaufe the cities of it lay within it, ch. xix, 1. thefe cities which ave here mentioned by name;
¥. 10. Which the thildren of Adroii beidg ‘of tbe lot came out for the family of the\ families of Kobathites, &c.] The firft lot that was drawn out the Kobathites, &c.]_ Who defcending from Kohbath, in the line of Aaren, were, prieits:
who were of the children of Levi, bad, they were Levites, as defcending from Levi, but were prieits alfo, as being of the ftock of Aaron, and the cities hereafter mentioned in the faid tribe fell to their portion: for theirs was the firft lot; for being of the line of Aaron, and priefts, they had the ho- Nour and privilege to have the firft lot drawn for them, and out of the tribe for which the firft lot was alfo drawn, the tribe of Fadab; here they had _their cities allotted them, for a reafon before given. ¥.11. And they gave them the city of Arbah, the father of Anak, &c.| Which from him-was called Kirjath- Arbab, ch. xiv..15..and Anak, according to Kimchi, is not the name of a man, but a general name, comprehending the Anakim, a race of giants, among whom Arbab was the chief and principal man, a prince and ruler over them, as Ben Melech; which city is Hebron in the bill-country of Fudab as in ch. xiv. 15. fee Luke i. 39, 65. with the fuburbs thereof round about it; as far as 2000 cubits, which were to put their cattle in, and provifion for tribe as little Benjamin to give. a!
y. 19. All the cities of she children of Aaron, the priefs, &c.] Thofe of the Kobathites that came from him: were thirteen cities with their Juburbs; and juft fo many are mentioned by name in the preceding verfes.
yt 20. And the families of the children of Kobath, the Levites, &c.] Who were not priefts: which remained of the children of Kobath, thele are the children of Mojfes, as archi fays, and thofe that them. defcended from Kobath in the lines of Izhar, He-
¥. 12. But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, &c.] Which lay beyond the 2000 cubits: gave they to Caleb the fon of Fephunneh, for his pof- Sefion; as Mofes had promifed, and ‘Yofhua had confirmed to him; and now the children of Jf rael gave them to him, and put him in the pol. feffion of, ch. xiv. 6, 13. and xv. 13. and the fame is to be obferved of all the other cities given to the Levites, that they and their fuburbs, extending to fuch a diftance only, were given to them; but the fields and villages, which belonged to them, continued the inheritance of the tribes in which they bron, and Uzziel: even they had the cities of their /ot out of the tribe of Ephraim, and were as follow.
y. 21. For they gave them Shechem, with ber fuburbs, in mount Ephraim, &c.] Ot which fee ch. xx. 7. fo be a city of refuge for the flayer; which being on a mountain, was the more confpicuous, and the fitter for this purpofe, as was Hebron in the hill-country of Judea, y. 11, 13. this is the fecond city of refuge mentioned: and Gezer with er /uburbs; a place from whence the Canaanites were not expelled; fee the note on ch. xyi. 10.
¥.13. Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the prieft, &c.] The families of the Kobathites, that part of them which defcended from him, and were priefts: Hebron with her fuburbs, to be a city of re- Fuge for the flayer; that had flain a perfon unawares, and without defign.; fee on ch. xx. 3, 7. and Libnah with ber fuburbs; a royal city, of which Which feems to be the fame with Fokneam, 1 Chron. vi. 68. of it we read no where elfe: and Bethoron with her fuburbs; upper Bethoron, for there were two, an upper and a nether; feech. xvi. 3, 5. /four cities; as mentioned by name.
¥- 23,24. And out of the tribe of Dan, Eliekeh with her fuburbs, Gibbethon with ber fuburbs, Aijalon
¥. 14,15, 16. And Fattir with her fuburbs, and Efbtemoa with ber fuburbs, and Holon with her fuburbs, and Debir with ber fuburbs, and Ain with ber fuburbs, and Futtah with her fuburbs, &c.| Of which fix cities, fee the notes on ch. xv. 32, 48, 49, 50, 51, 55. and Beth-fhemefo with her fuburbs; which is not mentioned among the cities of Fudab, ch. xv. only as in the borders of it, y. 10. and perhaps is the fame Beth-/bemefh to| which the ark was directed by the Philiftines from Afbdod, 1 Sam. vi. 9,12. in it formerly was aJ temple dedicated to the fun, from whence it had its name: mine cities out of thofe two tribes; and they feem, all but one, which is 4, to be of the tribe of Yudah, and that originally belonged to it; and as that tribe had the largeft number of cities in its lot, the more were given out of it to the Levites, according to a rule prefcribed, Numb. four cities;} Of thefe four cities, fee the notes on ch. xix. 42, 44, 45.
y.25. And out of the half-tribe of Manafeh, Taanach with her fuburbs, Sc.) Of which fee ch. xvii. 10. and Gath-rimmon with her fuburbs; there was acity of this name in Daa, as in the preceding verfe; nor was it unufual for cities to be called by the fame name in different tribes; ¢1wo cities; thele are called Aner and Bilean in 1 Chron. vi. 70. in procefs of time cities changed their names; two cities were a proper proportion for this half tribe; two more were given out of the otker half tribe on the other fide Yordan, as appears by what follows.
y. 26. All the cities were ten with ber fuburbs, &c.] Four out of Ephraim, four out of Dan, and two out of the half tribe of Manaffehb: which were for the families of the children of Kobath that remain-~ xxxv. 8. ed; who were of the other branch of the Kohathites, y.17. And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with ber fuburbs, Geba with ber juburbs;) Of which fee the notes on ch. xviii. 24, 25. fromthe former came the Gideonites. families of the Levites, &c.
¥. 18. Anathoth with her fuburbs, &c.| This is not mentioned among the citiesof Benjamin, ch. xviii. it was the native place of the prophet Yeremiab, Fer.i. 1. fee the note there; it lay about and who did not defcend from Aaron, and were only Levites, and not priefts; fee the note on y. 20.
y. 27. Aud unto the children of Gerfoon, of the The detcendants of the fecond fon of Levi: out of the other half tribe of - Manaf/éh;, that which was fettled beyond Fordan: they gave Golan in Bafhan, with ber fuburbs, to be a city of refuge for the flayer; fee ch. xx. 8. this is two or three miles north of,Ferufalem, three, favs Ferom*. Rauwolf' ipeaks of it as a {mall village, when he travelled into thofe parts, and as lying on a height or eminence, and which was within 20 furlongs of Ferufalem, as Fofephus writes": and Almon with ber fuburbs, ins allo is not mentioned among the cities of ‘Benjamin, ch. xviii. itis called Alemeth, 1 Chron. vi. Go. Farchi and Kimchi fay it is the fame with Baburim, 2 Sam. iii, 16. where the Zargum renders it by dlmerh, and both words fignify the fame thing, youth: four cities; which werea large number for fo fmall a the third city of refuge mentioned: and Beefhterab with her fuburbs, called Afbtaroth, 1 Chron. vi. 71. which had-been the royal city of Og, king of Ba/ban, where he had his palace, Deut. i. 4 Here {ents to have been formerly a temple dedicated to the goddefs 4ffarte, for Bee/bterab isa compound of Beth and Afbterah, or Aftarte; thatis, the houfe or temple of Afarte, but now become a city of the Levites: two cities; two more having been before given out of the other half tribe.
y. 28. And out of the tribe of Ifachar, Kifbon with her fuburbs, &c.] From whence the river Ki/hon probably had its name, or the city from that; it is the fame ‘with’ Ki/bio#, ch. xix. 20. and called Kedéfh, 1 Chron. vi..72. Dabareh with her fuburbs, the fame with Daderath on the bordet of Zebulun, ch, xix. 12. fee the note there. © y. 30. And out of the tribe of Alber, Mifbal with ber fuburbs, &c.| The fame with Mifheal, ch. xix. 26. called Majbal, 1 Chron. vi. 74. Abdon with ber fuburbs; not mentioned among the cities of Afber, uniefs the fame with Hebron, ch. xix. 28.
y. 31. Helkath with ber fuburbs, &c.] The fame with Hukok in 1 Chron. vi. 75. and Rehob with ber fuburbs, four cities; of which fee the notes on ch. xix. 25, 26, 28.
y¥. 32. And out of the tribe of Naphtali Kedefh in Galilee, with ber fuburbs, &c.| Of which fee ch. xx. 7. tobe a city of refuge for the flayer, this is the fourth city of refuge mentioned: and Hammoth-dor with her fuburbs; the fame with Hammon, 1 Chron. vi. 76. and with Hammath, ch. xix. 35. and is thought by fome to be Tiberias, fo called from the hot baths in or near it: and Kartan with her fuburbs, called Kirjathaim, 1 Chron. vi. 76. but cannot bethe Kirjathaim in Numb. xxxii. 37. for that belonged to the tribe of Reuben, and was on the other fide Jordan: three cities; this being a leffer tribe than fome others gave fewer cities, according tothe rule in Numb. xxxv. 8.
¥.33. All the cities of the Gerfbonites, according to their families, &c.| Which were divided among them, according to the number of their families: were 13 cities with their fuburbs, two out of the half tribe of Manaffeh beyond Jordan, four out of Ifachar, four out of Afber, and three out of Napbtali. ' ¥. 34. And unto the families of the children of Merari, the reft of the Levites, &c.| The defcendants of the youngeft fon of Levi, who were all that remained of the Levites unprovided of cities: out of the tribe of Zebulun, Fokneam with her fuburbs; which lay near Carmel, and was a royal city; fee the note on ch. xii. 22. and Kartab with her fuburbs; perhaps the fame with Kattath, ch. xix. 15.
ey. 35. Dimnab with her fuburbs, 8ec.] No where mentioned, unlefs the fame with Rimmon, 1 Chron. vi.77. Nabalal with ber fuburbs; fee ch. xix. 15. four cities; only two are mentioned, 1 Chron. vi. 77. and they by different names; the one is Rimmon, before obferved, and the other Tabor; perhaps the fame with Chifloth-tabor, ch. xix. 12.
¥. 36. And out of the tribe of Reuben Bexer with her fuburbs, 8c.) Which was a city of refuge, the divifion of the land, yet had more cities by lot given to it than any other, excepting the tribe of fudab; though indeed in the account of fome of the tribes, all the cities in them are not mentioned;
and the fifth of them in this account, though not obferved as fuch here, but is in the Greek verfion; feech, xx. 8. and Jahazah with heb fiburbs; called Fahaz, Numb, XXi, 23. fee the note there.
¥. 37. Kedemoth with her fuburbs, &cc.] Near to which was a wildernefs of that name; fee Deut. ii. 26. and Mephaath with her fuburbs 5 of which fee the note on ch, xiii, 18. where the two preceding cities are mentioned along with it; four ci« ties. This and the preceding verfe are not in fome antient copies of the Hebrew bible, as is noted by the Ma/orites; but are in fome others, as Kimchi owns, and ftand in the Yargum, in the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic verfions, and in a manufcript referred to by Hottinger*; and the fame words are tobe found in 1 Chron. vi. 78,79. and are abfolutely neceffary to be retained, fince without them there would be but eight cities for the Merarites, whereas they are exprefsly faid to be twelve, y.
¥. 38. And out of the tribe of Gad, &c.| Which alfo, as that of Reuben, lay on the other fide Fordan: Ramoth inGilead with her fuburbs 5 of which fee ch. xx. 8. to be a city of refuge for the flayer; and is the fixth and laft city of refuge in this account: and Mabanaim with ber fuburbs;. here it ° was the angels met acob, which gave rife to the name of the place, Gen. xxxii. 1, 2. afterwards a city was built here, and was on the borders of the tribe of Gad, and belonged to it, ch. xiii. 26. mention is made of it in othef places, 2 Sam. ii, 8. t Kings ii. 8.
¥. 39. Helbbon with her fuburbs, &c.} Which was formerly the royal city of Sihon king of the Amorites, and was firft given to and rebuilt by the Reubenites, but was upon the border of the tribe of Gad, and appears from hence to have been one of their cities, Numb. xxi. 26. and xxxii. 37. Fo/b. Xilil. 17, 21, 26. Fazer with her fuburbs; fometimes called Faazer, another city in the fame country, and near He/bbon, fee Numb. xxi. 32. four cities in all; which were Ramoth-Gilead, Mahanaim, Hefbbon, and Fazer.
¥. 40. So all the cities for the children of Merari by their families, &c.] Which were diftributed by lot tothem, according to the number of their families, and were fufficient for them: which were remaining of the families of the Levites; the laft divifion of them, befides thofe of the Kobathites, Levites, and the Gerfhonites: were by their lot twelve cities; four out of the tribe of Zebulun, four out of thetribe of Reuben, and four out of the tribe of Gad, whofe names are before given,
¥.41. All the cities of the Levites, within the poffeffion of the children of Ifrael, &c.] As coms prized in one fum total: were forty-eight cities with their fuburbs; which is juft the number that Mofes from the mouth of God ordered to be given unto them, before they. entered into the land, and before they were in poffeffion of one city in it, Numb. xxxv. 7. which as it is a proof of the omnifcience, prefcience, and predetermination of God; fo of the fure and true prediétion, of Mo/es, who could not be otherwife certain than from the Lord, of the Tfraelites being able to give fo many cities to them, out of their feveral tribes: andit is to be obferved, that this tribe of Levi, though it had no fhare in
=, 244 FOSHUA.Chxxitivir—gy and befides, they had only the cities they had with their fuburbs round about’ them, but not the lands belonging to them, ‘nor. the villages; however, this fhews that a large and liberal maintenance of the minifters of the Lord; that ferve in lis fan@tuary, fhould be allowed and made for them, asin the legal, fo under the gofpel-difpenfation..
them, ‘as many cities as.they could at prefent peo- _.¥. 44. dnd the Lord gave them-yeft. round aboud, &c.1 Not only from their travel Oithanich they had been fatigued forty years in Hee ei but. from wars with the Canaanites they had. been engagedin for fome years paft.: according to all th eran unto their fathers; not only to give the the land, but. peace, reft, and fafety in it: 4 there Stood not a man of all their enemies before them for whenever any rofe up to oppofe them, they we immediately cut off: this is to be underiood whi Za/hua was living; for afterwards, finning again God, they were again and again delivered up into, fix the hands of their enemies: the ‘Lord delivercd.all; their enemies into their bands; -that is, that made war with them. « Pree Re eo There failed not ought of any good thing, 8&c.] Not only every good thing in general, but Itjevery part and particular of that good thing; that, with all, that was included in_ it, or were appenput: “ages to it, or circumftances of it:; which the Lord badfpoken to the hoyfe of Irael,.as. of their deliveandjrance out of Egypt, and paflage thro’ the Red-/ea and wildernefs, with all conveniences for them therein; fo of their paflage through ‘Jordan, fuccefs of their arms, the conqueft of their enemies, poffeffion of their land, a Jand flowing with milk and honey: aff came to pa/s; exadtly, precifely, and punétually, even every ‘thing relative to their temporal. and fpiritual. good: fo,all that God promifes to his fpiritual. I/rzel, with refpect to their prefent comfort or everlafting happinefs; all is ex= actly fulfilled, all his promifes inoCAri/# are yea and feveral places affigned Jamen.. ~ ee BON By,. °
¥.42. Thefe cities were every one with their fuburbs round about them, &c.] Which reached to the {pace of ‘2000 ‘cubits on every fide; and fuch.a fpace Was affigned to every one of the above ci~ ties for their cattle, to, keep them in and lay up provifion for ‘them: thus were all their cities of them cities of refuge, and forty-two for the priefts and Levites to dwell in, and for the commodious ufe of their herds and flocks.» W. 45. ~“¥, 43. And the Lord gave unto Yirael all the land which he fware to give unto their fathers, &cc. was all given them, by lot, whether fubdued or not fubdued,' and the far greater part was:actually into,.their hands, and.they had. as.much.as they could for the prefent occupy and cultivate; fuch: as. were ‘in the ‘hands of the Canaanites, were fubje& to pay tribute to them; and it was owing to their own flothfulnefs and fluggifhnefs, that they did not poffefs more hereafter; though it was the will of God that their enemies fhould be driven out by little and little, until ‘the Z/raelites were fo increafed ‘as to occupy the whole, left any part of the tand fhotild lie wafte and become batren, and left the wild beafts of the field fhould multiply upon them: and they poffefed it and dwelt therein; each according.to their lot in_ the.
ple, and.as much land’as. they could now manage.
HE ‘war with the Canaanites being ended,jon the Fofhua called to him the two tribes of Rew-jriver ben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manaffeh, who came over Fordan with him to affift in it, and commended them for their obedience to Mofesand-to himfelf, and to God by them; and then difmiffed them, with fome inftructions to keep the ways worfkip of God, and. with his bleffing upon them, ¥. r—8. upon which they returned to their try, and when they came to the borders of it fetup an altar by Yordan, ¥.9—10.
children of J/rae/ heard of, it gave them gteat ofother fide Fordan, and who came over that with him to affift their brethren in their wars with the Canaanites, and addreffed them in the following refpectable manner.
¥.2. And faid unto them, ye have kept all that Mo/es the fervant of the Lord commanded you, 8éc.} andj Which was, that they fhould leave their wives and children, and flocks, and, herds,, behind them in coun-jthe land of Gilead, and pafs over Jordan, with their brethren the children of I/rael armed, and which when theJfight with them, and for them, until the Canaenites were fubdued, and not.return until their brethren were peaceably fettled in the poffeffion of fence, they fearing they were going to make a re-’ volt from the pure worfhip of God, and therefore their inheritances 5 all which they had punétually obferved, and, inviolably kept, as they agreed to, fent a deputation of princes to them, with the fon of the high prieft, to enquire into the matter, and Numb. xxxii. and have obeyed my voice in, all that I commanded you, as the generaliflimo and expoftulate with them about it, who: did y. 11-20. and who received from them a very fatiscommander in chief of the J/raclitifh forces; as what rank and pofition to be in, what part to factory anfwer, ¥. 21—31. with which they returned and reported to the children of J/rae/, and which gave them pleafure, ¥. 32, 33, 34. take in an engagement, what attack to make, when and where, or on what expedition to go; where-
—?. * | “" *\ “| fever'he ordered them to go, they went; and upon ¥. r. Then Fofoua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the balf tribe of Manaffeb;\ The pro mife of God to [rael' being fulfilled, the land ‘Canaan being for the moft part fubdued, the war at an end, and reft had on all fides from their ene+ mies, and the land divided among the nine tribes -and’a half, and they fettled in the quiet pofleffion _oftheirlots o/bua fent for the two tribes of Rez+ ben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manaffeb, who had at their own requeft their portion allotted them whatfoever and-wherefoever he fent them, they readily and chearfully obeyed, as they promifed, ch. offi. 16,17. and approved themfelves as good foldiers under him; a all which he commends them, and gives them military honour.. AS
¥. 3. Ye have not left your brethren thefe many days unto this day, &c.| For the sea == years, which is the commonly received notion of the Fews '; feven years according to. them the was fubduing, and feven more {pent in dividing
~ c ee * " of Ch. xxii 4-1 O. ¢ 7 fed; all this time they ftuck clofé by their brethren, and affifted them in their wars, and never offered to return to their wives and children, until they had an order from their general: but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God, ‘for what both Mo/es and Fo/bua commanded them, was from the mouth of the Lord; fo that in obeying them, they obeyed him.,
¥. 4. And now the Lord your God hath given reft unto your brethren, as he promifed them, &c] As in ch. xxi. 44. fee Deut. xii. 9, 10. therefore now return ye, and get ye unto your tents; not their military tents in the army, from which they now came to Yo/fhua, but their houfes, as the Greek verfion, and their cities, as the Targum; they having béen fo long ufed to tents in the wildernefs, and during the wars in Canaan, this was a familiar word for their dwellings: and unto the land of ‘your poffefion, which Mofes the fervant of the Lord gave you, on the other fide fordan, before his death, on condition of doing what they now had done; even the land of Gilead and Ba/ban beyond Jordan.
y. 5. But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, &c.| ‘The ten commandments, and all other laws, both ceremonial and civil: avbich Mofes the fervant of the Lord charged you, in the name of the Lord, to keep and obferve: to lave the Lord-your God; of which keeping the commands of God is an evidence, and which is the true principle and motive of hearty, fincere, and dh a obedience to them: and to walk in all bis ways; which he has preferibed, all ais ways of worfhip, paths of duty, faith, truth, holinefs and righteoufnels: and to keep his commandments, whether moral, ceremoniakor judicial; whether of natural and moral obligation, or of pofitive inftitution: and to cleave unto him; and not depart from his ways, worfhip,, word and ordinances: and to ferve him with all your heart, and with all your foul; in the moft ftriét and affectionate manner, This advice 7o/bua thought proper to give them, and inculcate into them, now they were about to leave their brethren, and go on the other fide Fordan, where they would be at a diftance from the tabernacle, altar and fervice of God, and might be under temptation to relinquifh it, and fet up another form of worfhip elfewhere.
y. 6. So Fofbua bleffed them, and fent them away, &c.}] Difmiffed them from his prefence with a blefling,; in order to go to their own country; this he did by wifhing them well, praying to God for a bleffing on them, their perfons and families, who had been fo ufeful in affifting their brethren to get pofieffion of the land of Canaan. Some think this bleffing includes gifts and prefents he, beftowed on them: and they went unto their tents; here the word means their military tents in the camp of Hrael, to which they returned, in.order to take it, and then thefe tribes were ‘feat for and detec of the fribe of Ephraim,
: 245 attd fo had 4. more particular difmiffion and blefling; and he took his leave of them in a different and affectionate manner. Kimchi makes mention of a Derafh, or expofition of theirs, which fays, that after they had taken leave they ftayed two days, and returned ‘and took leave a fecond time;and which heunderftands of them all, and not of the half tribe only; but iit is plainly the half tribe, that is only fpoken of,
¥. 8. And he [pake unto them, &c.] ‘To the half tribe of Manaffeh only, though fome think alfo to the other ten tribes: fayiag, return. with much riches unto your teats; that.is, return to their own land and habitations there, with whatfoever riches they had got from the fpoil of the enemy: and with very much cattle; they had.taken from them, and fell to their fhare, and for which they: had ~ good. pafturage in Gilead and Baj/ban, and therefore very proper to take with them: with /ilver and with gold, and with brafs, and with iron; whether in maffy pieces, or wrought up into veffels, which they found in the houfes of the Ca-_ naanites when they plundered them: and with very much raiment; fome no doubt very rich and coftly, fuch as their kings, princes, nobles and-great perfonages among them wore: divide the /poil of your enemies with your brethren, according to. Farchi and Kimchi this is fpoken to the half tribe of Manaffeb, to divide their fpoil with the tribes of Regben and Gad; but it rather means the dividing the above {poil, when they came to their own country with their brethren they left behind; who as they were employed in guarding and defending their cities, their wives and children, herds and flocks in their abfence, they had a right to part of the fpoil; and as.in other inftances it appears to be a common cafe, for thofe that ftaid at home to fhare in the fpoil with them that went to war, fee Numb. xxxi. 27. 1 Sam. xxx. 24, 25. Pf, |xviii? i2. though the notion of Abarbinel pleafes me beft, that by their brethren are meant the other half tribe of Manaffeh that remained in Canaan, and were fettled there: when the fpoil of the Canaanites was divided among all the tribes, the whole tribe of Manaffeb had its fhare; and whereas now half of it were going to their own country on the other fide Yordan, it was but reafonable they fhould have their part of the fpoil to carry with them; and this feems to be the true reafon of their being feparately addreffed, and difmiffed and bleffed.
¥. 9. And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manaffeb returned, &c.\ Firft to the camp to take their fubftance, and then fet forward to their own land: and departed from the children of Ifrael; from the reft of them, for otherwife they were children of Trae! alfo: out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan; for here the camp of J/rael was, as well as the tabernacle:. to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their poffefion, whereof they were with them their goods, their fubftance and riches, their part of the fpoil of the enemy, which poffeffed; Gilead is put for the whole country on of!the other fide Fordan, as the land of Fazer, and
¥. 7. Now to the one half of the tribe of Manaffeh, Mofes bad given pofleffion in Bafhan, &c.] The kingdom of Og, fee Deut. iil. 13. but unto the other half thereof gave Fofbua among their brethren on this fide ‘Jordan weftward; of which an account is given, and the border of their lot defcribed, ch. xvii. and when Fofhua fent them alfo unto their tents, then be blefed them; it feems as if the kingdom of Ba/han, which the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manaffeb were poffefled of: according to the word of the Lord by the band of Mofes; for when they moved to have that country, Moj/es, it feems, confulted the Lord about it, who declared it to be his will. they fhould have it, on performing what they promifed, fee Numb, xxxii. 31.,
‘¥. 10. And when they came unto the borders of
this half tribe was feparately difmiffed and blefled, they being more nearly related to ¥o/bua, who was Fordan, that are in the land of Canaan, &c.] To the banks of it, or the fand-heaps, fome take the