1The use of the silver trumpets. 11The Israelites remove from Sinai to Paran. 14, 18, 22, 25The order of their march. 29Hobab is entreated by Moses not to leave them. 33The blessing of Moses at the removing and resting of the ark.
1AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2Make thee 1two trumpets of silver; of a 2whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them 3for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.
1 The use of which was threefold: I. to call the congregation together, verse 2, namely, the ecclesiastical, verses 3, 7, 10, and the civil, verse 4; II. to make the camp to break up to journey, verses 2, 5, 6; III. to arm the militia and to rouse them up to fight against the enemies, verse 9.
2 Or, beaten work. See Num. 8 on verse 4, where mention is made of the golden candlestick, which was of pure beaten gold.
3 That is, to call the congregation together and to make the camp to march.
3And when 4they 5shall blow 6with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
4 Namely, the priests, whose office it was. See verse 8.
5 Namely, not with a broken sound, as verses 5, 6, 7, but with an even, and equal, continual sound, as appears by the comparison of those verses.
6 That is, with both of them, as appears by comparing with the next verse.
4And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.
5When ye 7blow 8an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.
7 Namely, for the first journey; as appears by comparing this verse with the next.
8 Understand hereby what makes not always the same, even and equal, but a differing, interrupting, quavering and uneven sound; and thus the Hebrew word is taken in the following verses 6, 7 and 9.
6When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.
7But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.
8And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance 9for ever throughout your generations.
9 Hebr. institution of eternity. See Gen. 13 on verse 15.
9And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; 10and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.
10 Understand it not as if the deliverance and the prosperity of the people depended on the blowing of those trumpets, but that they were not to blow or sound the same, nor march forth to battle, but according to God’s command, and relying on Him alone for help, in which cases the sounding of the trumpets was a token to them of God’s assistance. How remembrance is attributed unto God, see Gen. 8 on verse 1.
10Also in the day of your 11gladness, and in your 12solemn days, and in the 13beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for 14a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.
11 That is, when the LORD shall have removed any notable judgment from, or bestowed any extraordinary mercy upon you; over which they were wont to rejoice, and to give God public and solemn thanks in the assembly. See Psalms 48 and 118.
12 Wherein honest rejoicing and cheerfulness was not only allowed, but also commanded them, Deut. 16:14.
13 Hebr. heads, also Num. 28:11. See hereof an example in Nehemiah 8, comparing verse 1 with the verses 10 and 11.
14 The sense is, that the LORD would be gracious unto them, and do them good, when they would assemble, according to His command, to return Him praise and thanks for His mercies and benefits. Compare this with the annotation on verse 9.
11¶And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the 15second month, in the second year, that the 16cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle 17of the testimony.
15 Of which month see Num. 1 on verse 1.
16 Spoken of before in Num. 9:15.
17 See Num. 1 on verse 50.
12And the children of Israel took 18their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud 19rested in the wilderness of 20Paran.
18 That is, in such order as God had commanded and prescribed them to journey, Numbers 2.
19 Hebr. dwelled, that is, rested.
20 See Gen. 14 on verse 6. Before the children of Israel fully arrived in this wilderness, they had yet another resting place called Taberah, Num. 11:3; thereafter another, called Kibroth-hattaavah, Num. 11:34; and then a third, called Hazeroth, Num. 11:35. From where they arrived at last in the wilderness of Paran, Num. 12:16.
13And they first took their journey according to the 21commandment of the LORD by the 22hand of Moses.
21 Or, mouth. See Gen. 41 on verse 40.
22 That is, ministry, or leadership. See Exod. 4 on verse 13.
14¶In the 23first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah accordinga to their armies: andb over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
23 That is, according to the order which was settled in the camp of Judah, therein being the princes of their thousands and their hundreds. Also in the sequel.
a Num. 2:3.
b Num. 1:7.
15And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethaneel the son of Zuar.
16And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.
17And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari 24set forward, bearing the tabernacle.
24 These moved immediately forward after the banner of the children of Judah, so that they might set up the tabernacle where they were to camp against the arriving of the Kohathites, who were to carry physically the sanctuary or the holy vessels. See verse 21.
18¶And the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur.
19And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
20And over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
21And the Kohathites set forward, bearing thec sanctuary: and the 25other did set up the tabernacle against 26they came.
c Num. 4:4.
25 Namely, the Gershonites and the Merarites, who had moved ahead with the camp of the tribe of Judah, as may be seen at verse 17.
26 Namely, the Kohathites.
22¶And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud.
23And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
24And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.
25¶And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, which was 27the rereward of all the camps throughout their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
27 Hebr. gathering all the camps. This was assigned consequently, so that the tribe of Dan, being joined with the other two tribes, made up the rear (or rereward) and so concluded all that went before, in order that no one would tarry behind. Thus the rereward is likewise spoken of in Joshua 6:13.
26And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran.
27And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.
2828Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their armies, when they set forward.
28 That is, this was the order, which the Israelites retained, when they removed and journeyed.
29¶And Moses 29said unto 30Hobab, the son of 31Raguel the Midianite, Moses' father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the LORD hath spoken 32good concerning Israel.
29 Or, had said, for some hold that this happened when he was first come to him in the wilderness, Exod. 18:27.
30 This is held to be the same person who was called Jethro in Exod. 18:1.
31 Hebr. Reüel, or Rehuël.
32 Compare Gen. 18:19.
30And he said unto him, 33I will not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred.
33 Some are of the opinion that this absolute refusal was but for that time only and that he would first return homewards, but came again afterwards unto the Israelites, seeing the Scripture makes mention of his posterity dwelling among them, Judges 1:16; 4:11, 17; 1 Sam. 15:6; 2 Kings 10:15; 1 Chron. 2:55; Jer. 35:2.
31And 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 34eyes.
34 Hebr. of two eyes, that is, a good guide and leader to conduct us most conveniently through these untrodden, unknown and overgrown ways, which thou art better acquainted with than any of us. Other, and thou hast been our eyes.
32And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the LORD shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.
33¶And they departed from the 35mount of the LORD three days' journey: and the ark of the 36covenant of the LORD 37went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them.
35 Understand Mount Sinai and Horeb, called the Mount of the LORD, because that there the LORD had revealed Himself and had given His law. See Exod. 3:1; 33:6; Deut. 1:2; 1 Kings 19:8.
36 So called, because that therein were laid up by Moses the two tables of stone when the LORD had made a covenant with the children of Israel, as they were coming out of Egypt towards the land of Canaan, Exod. 25:16; 1 Kings 8:9; 2 Chron. 5:10.
37 Namely, being carried by the priests, Deut. 31:9.
34And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.
35And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rised up, LORD, and 38let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.
d Psalm 68:1.
38 Other, Thine enemies shall be scattered, and etc.
36And when it rested, he said, 39Return, O LORD, unto the 40many thousands of Israel.
39 Other, Rest, LORD by the ten thousands, etc.
40 That is, unto the large number of the children of Israel, being almost numberless.