3. XV Josh 1 3. being different from the Wilderness of Sin which lay near to Egypt XVI Exod. 1. Vnto Rehob as Men come to Hamath The City of Rehob lay in the North of the Land of Canaan and fell to the Lot of the Tribe of Asher XIX Josh 28. And it lay not far from Hamath which in after times was called Ephiphania a City which we very often read of afterwards as the bounds of Judaea Northward which Moses saith was unto the entrance of Hamath XXXIV 8. So that they took a Survey of the whole Country from one end of it to the other South and North and also as they passed along observed those Parts that lay East and West For they gave an account of the Canaanites as dwelling by the Sea which was Westward and by the Coast of Jordan which was on the East v. 29. Or if by the Sea we understand not the Western Ocean but the dead Sea as some do yet it appears by these very words that they bent their Course as they passed from South to North unto the Western and Eastern Parts also For Rehob and Hamath both lay at the foot of Libanus one to the North-west towards Sidon and the other to the North-east Verse 22 Ver. 22. And they ascended by the South In their return from searching the Country And came unto Hebron That is Some of them For the words in the Hebrew is not they came as it is they ascended but he came Which demonstrates that they did not go all of them together in a Company for that had been dangerous and might have made them taken notice of but dispersed themselves some going to discover one place some another And it is a probable Conjecture of some of the Hebrew Doctors that Caleb was the Man that went to take a view of Hebron and was so little affrighted at the sight of the Giants there that he was the very Person that afterward drove them out and had this place given him for his Portion For it was in the South part of the Lot of the Tribe of Judah being formerly called Kirjath-Arba XIV Josh 9 12 14. Where Ahiman Sheshai and Talmai the Children of Anak were These were the Grand-children of Arba from whom Hebron had the name of Kirjath-Arba i. e. the City of Arba who was the Father of Anak Whose Family was more eminent than any other in Canaan these three Sons of his being Men not only of great Bulk but Prowess and Valour Bochartus thinks Lib. I. Canaan cap. 1. that Anak signifies as much as the Roman name Toropiatus being like to that Gaul whom Manlius vanquished And Ahiman signifies as much as Who is my Brother importing there was none to be compared with him Sesai he takes to be as much as Sixtius viz. Six Cubits high as Goliath was And Talmai he derives from Talam a Furrow as if he seemed in length to equal a Furrow in the Field These were the People that made the Israelites tremble for it is likely their whole Family were of a very large Stature though not so big as these And indeed they were so very terrible to all their Neighbours that it became a Proverbial saying in those Countries Who can stand before the Children of Anak IX Deut. 2. Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt The Egyptians boasted of the great Antiquity of their Nation and Cities But Moses shows that Hebron was built before the Capital City of their Country For so Zoan was and called in after Ages Tanis lying not far from that Mouth of the River Nile which from thence was called by Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. Solomon will have it that Hebron was built by Cham one of the three Sons of Noah and the Father of Mizraim from whom the Egyptians descended But of this there is no certainty and the Gemara upon Sota cap. 7. saith It is not likely that a Man would build a House for his younger Son before he had built one for his elder for Canaan was the youngest of all the Sons of Cham X Gen. 6. Yet those Doctors are willing to suppose that Cham built both these Cities and therefore interpret the word banah which is rightly translated built as if it signified fruitful according to XVI Gen. 2. and make the Sense to be That Hebron was seven times more fruitful than Zoan Which is very foolish as upon other accounts so on this that Hebron was a strong place and therefore not fertile Verse 23 Ver. 23. And they came unto the Brook Eshchol A place which lay in a Valley at the foot of the Mountain I Deut. 24. And cut down from thence a Branch with one Cluster of Grapes This was done no doubt in some private place upon the Southern Borders of Canaan just as they were returning to the Camp of Israel again For it would have given the Country too great an Alarm if they had marched in the High-way with this Bunch upon their Shoulders And they bare it between two A great many Authors mention Vines and Grapes of an extraordinary bigness in those Eastern and Southern Countries I need only refer to Strabo who says the Vines in Margiana and other places were so big that two Men could scarce compass them with their Arms and that they produced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Bunch of Grapes of two Cubits Lib. II. Geograph p. 73. and Lib. XI p. 516. Which is in part justified by Olearius in his late Travels into Persia Book III. where he saith not far from Astracan he saw Vines whose Trunks were so thick that a Man could do no more than grasp them about with both his Arms. And Forsterus in his Dictionarium Hebraicum p. 862. saith there was a Preacher at Norimberg called Achacius who lived as a Monk eight Years in the Holy Land as they call it who told him upon his Sick-bed That in his time there were Clusters of Grapes at Hebron of such bigness that one single Kernel was sufficient to quench his Thirst a whole day when he was sick there of a Tympany J. Conradus Dieterius hath collected a great deal more to this purpose out of Leo Africanus and Nic. Radzivillius and other Authors in his Antiq Biblicae p. 249. And since him the most learned Huetius in his Quaestiones Alnetanae Lib. II. cap. 12. n. 24. where among other things he observes that Crete Chios and other Islands in the Archipelago afford Bunches of Grapes of ten pound weight sometimes of thirty six yea of forty And he mentions Grapes of a prodigious bigness in the Island of Madera Vpon a Staff See IV. 10. And they brought of the Pomegranates and Figs. Which grew in the parts nearest to the place where the Israelites were encamped Ver. 24. The place was called the Brook Eshcol because Verse 24 of the Cluster of Grapes which the Children of Israel cut down from thence That is when the Israelites got possession of the Land
XXXIIId Chapter of this Book See v. 41 42. And pitched in Oboth Where it is probable they found Water of the want of which they complained See XX. 2. Ver. 11. And they journeyed from Oboth and pitched Verse 11 in Jie-Abarim Not that Mount Abarim where Moses died XXVII 12. but another place in the Confines of Moab as it here follows See what I have observed XX. 2. In the Wilderness which is before Moab Called the Wilderness of Moab II Deut. 8. Towards the Sun-rising On the East part of it as Jephthah observes a great many Years after this That they came by the East side of the Land of Moab XI Judges 18. Ver. 12. And from thence they removed As they Verse 12 were about to remove from this last place they received a Command from God not to meddle with the Country of Moab II Deut. 9. Which is the reason as Abarbinel observes that Moses here sets down briefly whence and whether they went and where they pitched that it might appear they did not transgress that Command And pitched in the Valley of Zared Or as some translate it in Nachal-Zared which is called Dibon-Gad XXXIII 45. For this place had two Names as the same Author observes and it was just eight and thirty Years since the Spies went up to Survey the Country from Kadesh-barnea till their passing this Brook as we translate it II Deut. 14. But I take Dibon-Gad rather to have been a place which lay upon the Brook Zered Ver. 13. And from thence they removed and pitched Verse 13 on the other side of Arnon The Hebrew word meheber may be translated on this side or on the other side And some think they were now on this side of the River and not yet gone over it Nor did they immediately come hither from their former Station but first to Almon-Diblathaim XXXIII 46. which is also called Beth-Diblathaim in the Wilderness of Moab XLVIII Jerem. 22. and Diblah VI Ezek. 13. And then passing by Ar in the Confines of Moab and approaching to the Country of the Children of Ammon God commanded them not to invade the Ammonites being Descendants from Lot as well as the Moabites II Deut. 18 19 37. but to pass over the River Arnon II Deut. 24. to that side of it which belonged to the Amorites For this River at that time divided the Moabites from the Amorites as it here follows Which is in the Wilderness that cometh out of the Coasts of the Amorites Runs by the Wilderness of Kedemoth unto which the Amorites extended their Dominion II Deut. 26. For Arnon is the Border of Moab between Moab and the Amorites This River flowed from the Mountains of Arabia where it had its rise and fell into the Dead Sea as Josephus saith Lib. IV. Antiq. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bounding the Country of the Moabites and of the Amorites the Country of Moab lying on one side of it and that of the Amorites on the other For though the Moabites formerly possessed the Country on both sides of Arnon as far as Heshbon yet the Amorites had driven them out of that part of it which lay next to them and made the River the Boundary of their two Kingdoms v. 26 27. This Moses recites the more exactly that it might appear the Israelites invaded none of the Moabites Possessions but what was now possessed by the Amorites By which Jephthah defended the Right of the Children of Israel in future times against the Ammonites who pretended this Country belonged to them XI Judges 13 14 15 c. Ver. 14. Wherefore it is said in the Book of the Wars Verse 14 of the LORD A proof of this Moses thought good to alledge out of an Authentick Record in those Countries containing the History of all the Wars that had been in those Parts which are here called the Wars of the LORD because he is the great Governour of the World as Abarbinel interprets it from whom and by whom are all things who putteth down one and setteth up another as the Psalmist speaks at his good pleasure This Book he thinks was written by some of the Wise men of those Naons and so thinks Nachmanides who looking upon this Conquest made by Sihon as a very memorable thing put it down in their Annals which after the way of those Countries were written he thinks in a Poetical manner There are those who are of opinion that this Book was written by Moses himself who left in it directions to Joshua how to proceed in the Wars of the LORD when he conquered Canaan So Dr. Lightfoot conjectures and Bonfrerius doth not much differ from him But I take the former account to be the more probable that Moses justifies what he writes concerning this Conquest out of their own Books which he quotes just as St. Paul in the New Testament doth one of the Greek Poets What he did in the Red Sea These are the words of the Book out of which he quotes a small Fragment And the Marginal Translation of them is most proper Vaheb in Supheh only the word eth is omitted which makes the Sence to be this against Vaheb in Supheh That is he came some such word must be understood against Vaheb a King of the Moabites and overthrew him in Suphah a place in the Frontiers of Moab See I Deut. 1. Others understand by Vaheb the place where Sihon gave the Moabites this blow which he did by falling upon them on a sudden with a terrible Fury So Nachmanides understands these words besuphah he stormed the City and made a furious Assault when they thought not of it For Suphah signifies a Whirlwind or stormy Tempest V Isai 28. And in the Brooks of Arnon The same Nachmanides takes the word veeth which we translate and in to signifie rather and with and these being still the words of the Book before-mentioned the sence is this In the same manner he smote the Brooks or Torrents of Arnon upon which he fell like a Tempest and carried all before him Verse 15 Ver. 15. And at the Streams of the Brook None I think hath given a better account of these words than the same Nachman who by Esched hannechalim which we translate the Streams of the Brooks understands either a Cliff from whence the Torrents flowed as Aschdod and Happisgah III Deut. 17. are the Hills from whence the Springs gushed or the Valley through which the Torrents ran where they made a great broad Water which is here called an Effusion of Torrents as R. Levi ben Gershom interprets the Hebrew words Esched hannechabim That goeth down to the dwelling of Ar. Which extends it self as far as Ar a City of Moab v. 28. R. Levi ben Gersom takes the word Schebet which we translate dwelling to signifie a Place as well as Ar towards which these Torrents bent their Course And lyeth upon the Borders of Moab Which leaneth or belongeth unto Moab being in the Border of that Country Thus far are
For they were Amorites whose Country God promised to Abraham XV Gen. 21. being part of the Canaanites whom they were commanded to destroy for they were descended from one of the Sons of Canaan X Gen. 16. Which made this War with them to have a just ground not because they denied the Israelites a Passage through their Country against the right of Nations as Grotius thinks which was but the occasion not the ground of the War but because they were one of the Seven Nations condemned by God to destruction whose Land he bestowed upon the Israelites III Josh 10. and because Sihon came out armed against them beyond the Bounds of his own Dominions and fell upon them when they had given him no provocation Ver. 24. And Israel smote him with the edge of the Verse 24 Sword Utterly overthrew his Army and putting them all to the Sword made themselves Masters of his Country And possessed his Land For they destroyed all the Inhabitants Men Women and Children II Deut. 33 34. From Ammon unto Jabbok even unto the Children of Ammon This is a brief Description of the Extent of Sihon's Country which reached from the River Arnon the bound of the Moabites Country on the South XXII 36. unto Jabbok which was the bound of the Ammonites Country on the North III Deut. 16. XII Josh 2. XIII 10. But they meddled with no place that lay upon the River Jabbok which belonged to the Ammonites for that God had forbidden II Deut. 37. By which Jephthah as I observed before Two hundred and sixty Years after this justified the Title of the Israelites to all the Country here mentioned which they took not from the Ammonites or Moabites but from the Amorites who were the Owners of it when they conquer'd it XI Judges 13 15 22 23. For Sihon had got half of their Country as well as part of the Country of Moab as appears from III Deut. 11. and from XIII Josh 25. Where it is plain Joshua gave the Gadites half of the Country of the Children of Ammon which was now taken from the Amorites who had dispossessed them Josephus describes it as lying between three Rivers like an Island for the Banks of Arnon were the Bounds of this Region on the South side and Jabbok on the North which running into Jordan lost its Name and the Western Tract of it was washt by Jordan it self and on the East part it was surrounded with the Mountains of Arabia For the Border of the Children of Ammon was strong This is not mentioned here as a Reason why the Israelites did not set upon their Country for they were expresly forbidden to do it II Deut. 19. but why Sihon conquered none of the Ammonites Country beyond Jabbok as he did all from Arnon thither because their Frontiers on that side of their Country were very strong by the Fortifications which it is likely they had made upon the River Ver. 25. And Israel took all these Cities All the Verse 25 Cities of that Country which lay between Arnon and Jabbok Some of which are named v. 30. And Israel dwelt in all the Cities of the Amorites Having destroyed the former Inhabitants as I noted before II Deut. 34. In Heshbon Even in their Royal City And in all the Villages thereof In Hebrew the Daughters as Villages and Castles are called which depend upon the Metropolis as Daughters on their Mother Ver. 26. For Heshbon was the City of Sihon the King Verse 26 of the Amorites He had made this the Seat of his Kingdom after his Conquest of this Country Which Moses observes together with what follows that it might appear to Posterity they Invaded no part of the Moabites Territories or of the Ammonites but what was in the quiet possession of the Amorites who had taken this Country from them and perhaps in a just War and long enjoyed it Who had fought against the former King of Moab c. It is not certain that this Sihon whom the Israelites now vanquished had dispossessed the Moabites of this Country but more likely some of his Ancestors who were all called by the Name of Sihon as the Kings of Palestine were all called Abimelech XX Gen. 2. XXVI 1. and the Kings of Egypt called Pharaoh who had fought not with the present King of Moab but with one of his Predecessors and conquered him and his Country The former King of Moab These words are not to be understood as if he fought with the King of Moab who immediately reigned before Balak but as I said with some of his Predecessors So the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that heretofore was King of Moab and in the Hebrew the words are literally The King of Moab the first perhaps of the present race Verse 27 Ver. 27. Wherefore they that speak in Proverbs In the Hebrew the words are wherefore the Proverbialists that is the Poets whose Composures in those days were very Sententious Say Have this Song in their Mouths which seems to have been composed by some of the Amorites upon the Victory which Sihon got over the Moabites particularly upon the taking of Heshbon which I suppose he besieged immediately upon the Routing of their Army This Moses thought good to insert in his History as an Evidence that this Country belonged to the Amorites when the Israelites subdued it Thus he quotes a common Saying about Nimrod to justifie what he writes of his Greatness See X Gen. 9. Come into Heshbon The words either of Sihon calling to his People or of the Amorites exhorting one another to go to Heshbon and help to repair the Ruins that had been in it by the War that it might become the Royal City of their Country For that 's the meaning of the following words Let the City of Sihon be built and prepared Let that Place which Sihon hath chose for his Seat be built up again and made fit for his Reception Ver. 28. For there is a Fire gone out of Heshbon Verse 28 Now the Poet rises into a Rapture and Prophecies the Conquest of the whole Country by the Army of Sihon marching out of Heshbon For in the Prophetical Language the Desolations made by War are compared to the Fire and to Flames which consume all they come near I Amos 7 10 12 14. II. 2 5. A Flame from the City of Sihon This is but a Repetition as the manner is of what was now said in other words expressing the certainty of this Presage It hath consumed Ar of Moab He speaks as if he already saw the thing done which he foretold though it never came to pass For they did not conquer Ar which remained in the possession of Moab in Moses his time as appears from II Deut. 9 18 29. But in his Poetical heat or fury as they speak he insults as if they had actually taken the Capital City of Moab For so Ar was and afterwards called Rabbath and Rabbath-moba i. e. the great City of Moab to distinguish it from
Rabbah-Ammon i. e. the great City of the Ammonites For so we find in Stephanus de Vrbibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Bochartus hath truly corrected it in his Preface to his Phaleg which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Ar as I said was the old Name of it II Deut. 29. XVI Isa 1. from whence came the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which it retained in later Ages And the Lords of the High-places of Arnon The Masters or Owners as the word Baale may be translated of the High-places c. i. e. those that dwell in the strongest Forts of the Country Or as some fancy the Priests of the Places are here meant or rather their Temple where Baal was worshipped For we find a place in this Country called Bamoth-Baal XIII Josh 17. The High-places of Baal And it is evident this Poet triumphs in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over their Gods and their Religion as well as over them Verse 29 Ver. 29. Wo unto thee Moab He goes on to foretell the Calamity of the whole Country Thou art undone O People of Chemosh So he calls the Moabites who served as the Chaldee translates it or worshipped Chemosh as their God For so we read he was XLVIII Jerem. 7 13. 1 Kings XI 7. XI Judges 24. which St. Hierom thinks differs from Baal-Peor only in Name See Vossius de Orig. Progr Idolol Lib. II. cap. 8. Some take Chemosh to be Saturn particularly Scharastanius the manner of whose Worship see in Dr. Pocock's excellent Annotations in Specim Hist. Arab. p. 316. I shall only add That as the Moabites are called the People of Chemosh because they worshipped him as their God so the Israelites are called the People of the LORD and the People of God because they worshipped the LORD alone V Judges 11. 2 Sam XIV 13. For in the Days of Paganism as Mr. Mede observes every Country nay every City had their proper and peculiar Gods which were deemed as their Guardians and Protectors From whence the Nations themselves are expressed by the Name of their Gods That is evident from this place but it is not so plain that when God threatens to deliver up Israel to serve other Gods he means giving them up into the Hands of the People of strange Countries which he takes to be intended in IV Deut. 28. XXVIII 64. XVI Jerem. 16 c. See Book IV. p. 977. And so he thinks the words of David may be expounded 1 Sam. XXVI 19. They have driven me out this day from abiding in the Inheritance of the LORD saying Go serve other Gods i. e. banished me into the Country of Idolaters See Book III. p. 823. where this is more largely explained He hath given his Sons that escaped and his Daughters into Captivity unto Sihon King of the Amorites This is a manifest triumph over their god Chemosh who was not able to save his Worshippers whom he calls his Sons and his Daughters i. e. his Children who were under his Protection No he could not so much as preserve those that escaped the fury of the Sword but they were afterward taken Captive to make up part of the Triumph of Sihon King of the Amorites Ver. 30. We have shot at them Heshbon is perished Verse 30 even unto Dibon The Hebrew words vanniram abad Heshbon at h Dibon may as well if not better be translated their Light is perished or taken away from Heshbon unto Dibon So Forsterus in his Lexicon and the Tigurin Version and others That is their Glory is gone from one end of the Country to the other For Heshbon and Dibon were two famous places in this Territory XIII Josh 17. And some think this is the place called Dibon-Gad XXXIII 45. Which was the more noted because there Nebo one of their Gods was worshipped For in XV Isai 2. Dibon is mentioned as one of their High-places and there Nebo is lamented i. e. their God which was there worshipped When Hesychius saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which no doubt is this Dibon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Place where the Moabites had a Temple See Selden de diis Syris Syntagm 2. cap. 12. We have laid them waste even unto Nophah Another place in that Country as appears by the words following Which reacheth unto Medeba That is the Territories of Nophah extended as far as Medeba which was certainly a place in the Country of Moab XV Isai 2. But the word reacheth is not in the Hebrew and the words without it may be thus truly translated and as far as Medeba For so the Hebrew Particle ascher is sometimes used to signifie simply and as VI Eccles 12. ascher mi and who can tell c. So here ascher ad and unto c. And here I think fit to note That it is likely these Verses were some part of the History of those Countries For a Poetical way of writing was in use before Prose as Strabo tells us Lib. I. Geograph p. 18. where he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. All set or artificial Speech whether Historical or Rhetorical was but an imitation of Poetical Compositions the Ancients knowing no other Cadmus and Pherecydes and Hecataeus being the first who brought in this form of writing now in use See Salmasius in Solinum p. 841. and Cuperus in his Apotheosis Homeri p. 55. However this is certain that they who would instruct the People put their Lessons into Verse as Strabo there shows where he says p. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Ancients call Poetry the first Philosophy forming our Lives from tender years teaching good manners governing the passions and actions with pleasure For which cause the Greeks instituted their Children in their Cities by Poety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not merely for the sake of bare delectation but to form them to sobriety Ver. 31. Thus Israel dwelt in the Land of the Amorites Verse 31 This he mentions again to make it the more observed that this was the Country of the Amorites into which the Children of Israel entred not of the Moabites who had been expelled out of it as was notoriously known there being a Song in every Bodies mouth which continued the memory of it Ver. 32. And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer Another Verse 32 City formerly belonging to Moab but now in the possession of the Amorites Which the Israelites did not take at the first but after they had conquered all the Country before-mentioned they sent some Men to bring them Intelligence which way it was best to attack that City also and the Country about it It was not far from Mount Gilead 2 Sam. XXIV 5 6. 1 Chron. XXVI 31. and both of them were famous for good Pasture and therefore given to the Tribe of Reuben and Gad who had much Cattle XXXII of this Book 1 3 4 35 36. After the ten Tribes were carried Captive from their own Land
to Palestine Though it is very probable the People of both these Countries were descended from Abraham by one of the Sons he had by Keturah XXV Gen. 2. Now shall this Company The Army of Israel encamped in the Plains of Moab v. 1. Lick up all round about us i. e. Devour us and all our Neighbours or our whole Country unless we joyn together to oppose them As the Ox licketh up the Grass of the Field They use this Metaphor to signifie how easily the Israelites would conquer them without a timely resolute and unanimous Opposition and likewise what an Universal Desolation they would make For the words are in the Hebrew the green of the Field i. e. not only the Grass but the Leaves of Trees which Oxen eat as Bochartus observes out of the Scripture as well as other Authors XXVII Isai 20. And to lick up is not lightly to touch with the Tongue but to eat and consume See Hierozoicon P. I. Lib. II. cap. 31. And Balak the Son of Zippor was King of the Moabites at that time He was mentioned before v. 2. but here recorded to have been King of the Country who endeavoured to secure himself by the assistance of his Neighbours and Allies Unto whom he sent this Embassy to advise with them what Course it was best for them to take for their common Safety Ver. 5. He sent Messengers therefore The Result of the Treaty with Midian was That with joynt Consent they should send Ambassadors of each Nation and of the same Quality on the following Message Verse 5 v. 7. And this Counsel it is likely was given by the Midianites for Balak saith nothing of it by his Messengers but it was resolved on when they came there as the most effectual Means for their Security This I think the word therefore imports Vnto Balaam A famous South-sayer or Diviner as he is called in XIII Josh 22. That is one who pretended to foretel Future Things and discover Secrets c. though not by good and allowable Arts but such as were absolutely prohibited to God's People XVIII Deut. 10. He had been formerly a good Man and a true Prophet till loving the wages of Vnrighteousness he apostatised from God and became a Rosem which we translate a Diviner That is saith Aben-Ezra an Astrologer who observing when Men were under a bad Aspect of the Stars pronounced a Curse upon them which sometimes coming to pass gained him a great Reputation But this is not the import of that word as I shall show in its proper place Let it suffice now to observe that the Jews are so much of this Opinion that he had been a better Man than he was now that they take him as St. Hierom observes to be the same Person who in the Book of Job is called Elihu But Origen and some others think he was no Prophet but only one of the Devils Sorcerers of whom he went to Enquire but God was pleased to put the Devil by and give what Answer he thought fit which Balaam himself plainly discerned and therefore calls himself He who heard the words of God c. On which side the Truth lies we shall be able to judge when we come to consider what passed between God and him in the following History The Son of Beor Who was also called Bosor as some gather from 2 Pet. II. 15. though that place may have another Interpretation To Pethor A City in Aram or Mesopotamia XXIII 7. XXIII Deut. 4. This was the ancient Name of the place which in after times the Syrians called Bosor by an easie change of two Letters which is very usual So Grotius understands those words 2 Pet. II. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Balaam not the Son but of the City of Bosor Which is by the River of the Land of the Children of his People i. e. Near to Euphrates which is commonly in these Books called by the Name of the River XV Gen. 18. and many other places This determines Aram which was the Name of several Countries thereabouts to signifie that which is called in Scripture Aram Naharaim that is the Aram which lay between the two famous Rivers of Euphrates and Tygris The former of which was called by way of Eminence the River though the other also was eminent because it was nearest and best known to the Israelites And Ptolemy mentions a City called Pachoria in his time upon this River which some take to be Pethor And it is very probable that Abraham before he came into Canaan lived here about XXIV Gen. 4 10. XXIV Josh 2. And here Jacob also served for his Wife and begat all the Patriarchs except Benjamin whence the Israelites acknowledged their Father to have been a poor Aramite or Syrian as we translate it XXVI Deut. 5. By which means some Relicks of true Religion still remained in this Country though mixed with a great deal of Superstition To call him To invite him to come to them Saying There is a People come out of Egypt Which all the Power of Pharaoh could not hinder They cover the face of the Earth Are exceeding numerous And they abide over against me Lye incamped not far from me and are ready to invade my Country Ver. 6. Come now therefore I pray thee They Verse 6 were to speak in the Name of the King of Moab whose words these are said to be v. 7. there being no King perhaps at this time in Midian but several little Princes who are called Kings XXXI 8. And Curse me this People It seems they had an Opinion in those days which prevailed much in after times That some Men had a power by the help of their Gods to blast not only particular Persons but whole Armies so that they should not be able to effect their Designs This they are said to have done sometimes only by bare words of Imprecation of which there was a Set-form among some People which Aeschines calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the determinate Curse Sometimes they also offered Sacrifices and used certain Rites and Ceremonies with Solemn Charms a famous instance of which we find in the Life of Crassus Where Plutarch tells us That Attejus Tribune of the People made a Fire at the Gate out of which Crassus was to march unto the War against the Parthians into which he threw certain Things to make a Fume and offered Sacrifices to the most angry Gods with horrid Imprecations upon him which he saith according to ancient Tradition had such a power that no Man who was loaded with them could avoid being undone For they are too mighty for me I am not able to deal with them without thy help Peradventure But I hope c. For the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not a Particle of Doubting but of Hoping Non est particula dubitantis sed benè ominantis sperantis as Forsterus observes XXXVII Isai 4. II Zephan 3. I shall prevail that I may smite them and that I may drive
their Inheritance in the Land of Canaan Verse 30 Ver. 30. But if they will not pass over before you armed Perform their Promise v. 17. They shall have possession among you in the Land of Canaan Take what falls to their share there and this Country be disposed of as God shall order Verse 31 Ver. 31. And the Children of Gad and the Children of Reuben said as the LORD hath said unto thy Servants so will we do They confirm what they had promised to Moses v. 25. and here take all that he had said as spoken by the order of God who bestowed this Land upon them on the Condition often mentioned Ver. 32. We will pass over armed before the LORD into the Land of Canaan This they offered at first of themselves v. 17. and solemnly promised when Moses accepted their Proposal v. 27. and again here Verse 32 ratifie and confirm it before Eleazar and Joshua and all the Princes v. 28. That the possession of our Inheritance Which we have desired to have for our Inheritance On this side Jordan They were now in the Land of Gilead and so might properly call it on this side Jordan but when they were in the Land of Canaan it was said to be on that side Jordan May be ours Settled upon us and our Posterity Ver. 33. And Moses gave unto them Not an absolute Verse 33 Grant but a conditional if they did as they engaged v. 29 30 31 c. Even to the Children of Gad and the Children of Reuben and half the Tribe of Manasseh the Son of Joseph This half Tribe is not mentioned before because they did not put in any Claim till they saw how those of Gad and Reuben would succeed in their Petition Which being granted it is likely that thereupon they represented also what store of Cattle they had and that the Country would be more than enough for those who had desired it This being found to be true Moses thought fit to give them a Portion in it rather than any other because the Children of Machir the Son of Manasseh had by their Valour subdued part of this Country v. 39. XVII Josh 1. The Kingdom of Sihon King of the Amorites and the Kingdom of Og King of Bashan XXI 24 29. Which were the first Countries that the Israelites possessed and were the first that were carried Captive out of their Land 2 Kings XV. 29. The Land with the Cities thereof in the Coasts even the Cities of the Country round about The Land with the Cities within such a Compass or Limits and all the Towns within that Circuit Verse 34 Ver. 34. And the Children of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth Repaired and fortified these Towns which are mentioned before v. 3. For they were not destroyed but only their Inhabitants 2 Deut. 34 35. and if they had there was not time now to rebuild them Thus Jeroboam is said to have built Schechem 1 Kings XII 25. which was a City before but gone to decay And Azariah to have built Elah 2 Kings XIV 22. which he restored to Judah as a City formerly belonging to them And Aroer A City of the Amorites upon the brink of the River Arnon as Moses tells us II Deut. 36. III. 11. IV. 48. It formerly belonged to the Moabites but was taken from them by Sihon Verse 35 Ver. 35. And Atroth and Shophan and Jaazer and Jogbehak We do not read of any of these Towns elsewhere but only of Jaazer which seems to be that called Jazer v. 3. Verse 36 Ver. 36. And Beth-Nimrah Called v. 3. Nimrah for shortness sake as it may be further observed Jemini is put for Benjemini II Esther 5. Sheba for Beer-sheba XIX Josh 2. where we find these two mentioned but they do not signifie two several Cities but are two Names for one and the same City as if he had said Beersheba which is also called Sheba This is clear to a demonstration for otherwise there would be more than thirteen Cities in the Tribe of Simeon contrary to v. 6. of that Chapter And Beth-haran A place some say between Dibon and Jordan Fenced Cities and Folds for Sheep All these Cities the Children of Gad fortified and built Folds for Sheep in the Pastures near to them Ver. 37. And the Children of Reuben built Repaired Verse 37 and fortified as I said v. 34. Heshbon and Elealah Mentioned above v. 3. And Kirjathaim A place where a Giant-like People formerly dwelt called Emims XIV Gen. 5. who were expelled by the Moabites as they were by the Amorites Ver. 38. And Nebo This City is mentioned in Verse 38 XLVIII Jerem. 1. when it was faln again into the possession of the Moabites as was also Kirjathaim It seems to have been near Dibon being mentioned together with it XV Isa 2. At least there were in these places two famous Temples for the destruction of which the Prophet represents the People making Lamentation So the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nebo is destroyed where your Altar is And Hesychius saith of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Dibon that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a place where a Temple of the Moabites was built And St. Hierom suspects that there was an Oracle at this place the word Nebo importing Prophecy or Divination as he speaks And Baal-Meon Another place where it is likely Baal was worshipped which made them change the names of these places as it here follows Their names being changed For Nebo as well as Baal was the name of a God as we learn from XLVI Isaiah 1. and seems to have been an Assyrian Deity there being footsteps of it in the names of several great Men there such as Nebuchadnezzar Nebuzaradan and many others And it is not unlikely that they therefore changed the names of these Cities into some other because they would abolish all Remainders of Idolatry in this Country according to the Precept XXIII Exod. 13. that they should not take the name of their Gods into their Mouth But notwithstanding this they still retained their ancient Names as appears from XIII Josh 17. XXV Ezek. 9. so hard it is to alter any thing for the better And Sibmah See v. 3. And gave other Names unto the Cities which they builded If this refer to all the Cities here mentioned it is manifest they either retained or recovered their former Names For we read of them all in future times particularly in the XVth and XVIIth of Isaiah And Kirjathaim is mentioned in the place I now quoted out of Ezekiel Verse 39 Ver. 39. And the Children of Machir the Son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it Here Gilead is used in a strict sence not so largely as before v. 1 26 29. where it is taken for all the Country on that side Jordan where Gilead was but here for a part of it about Mount Gilead This is plain from the next verse and Gilead the Son of Machir one would think was the Person that took it
its eminency or height above the rest So the Vulgar translates it reading I suppose the Hebrew not Hor hahar i. e. Hor the Mountain but Har hahar the Mountain of Mountain i. e. the highest Mountain The Jews generally by this Mount Hor understand Amanus which is a part of Taurus as Mr. Selden observes in the place before-named which the Hierusalem Targum calls more briefly Manus Verse 8 Ver. 8. From Mount Hor ye shall point out your border to the entrance of Hamath There were two Hamaths one called by the Greeks Antiochia the other Epiphania The former called Hamath the Great VI Amos 2. to distinguish it from the latter which is the City that is always meant when we read the Bounds of Judaea were to the entrance of Hamath Northward as here and XIII 21. For it is certain as Bochartus observes they did not reach to Antiochia but came near to Epiphania Lib. IV. Phaleg cap. 36. And this makes it probable that Hor as I said before may be a Promontory of Libanus because in XIII Josh 5. Hermon is joyned with the entrance of Hamath as Hor is here Now Hermon was certainly a part of Libanus by some called Sirion by others Senir III Deut. 9. and by others Sion IV Deut. 48. And the goings forth of the border shall be to Zedad Which in Ezekiel's time was reckoned the Northern Border together with Hamath from the great Sea just as it is here XLVII Ezek. 15 16. Ver. 9. And the border shall go on to Ziphron Another Town in those parts of which I find no mention any where else And the goings out of it shall be at Hazar-Enam Verse 9 Here it ended which was a place that retained its name till Ezekiel's time XLVII 17. David Chytraeus seems to have given a full account of this Northern Border in a few words It extended saith he from the Mediterranean by the Mountains of Libanus to the Fountain of Jordan In which Tract are the Towns of Hamath Zadad in the Tribe of Naphthali Ziphron in the same Tribe at the foot of Libanus and Hazar-Enan which he takes to signifie a Village at the Fountain viz. of Jordan Ver. 10. And ye shall point out your East border from Verse 10 Hazar-Enan From the Fountain of Jordan as was said before To Shepham A place not far from thence for the River Jordan was certainly the Eastern Limits Ver. 11. And the Coast. The Limits or Bounds Verse 11 Shall go down from Shepham to Riblah A place no doubt near to Jordan with which River the Eastern Limits go along St. Hierom takes Riblah to be Antiochia but that was in Syria to which the promised Land did not reach On the East side of Ain The Vulgar reads it the Fountain of Daphne And indeed Ain signifies a Fountain and both Jonathan and the Hierusalem Targum take Riblah for Daphne as they do Shepham before-mentioned for Apamia But this is only a vain Conceit of the Jews who would extend their Bounds beyond what God gave them For it is certain the Land of Canaan never extended to these places as Bochartus observes Lib. I. Canaan cap. 16. And therefore Daphne which was in the Suburbs of Antiochia cannot be here meant unless we understand another place mentioned by Josephus Lib. IV. de Bello Judaico cap. 1. which lay near the Lake of Semechonites through the middle of which Jordan ran And then Ain must signifie another Fountain of Jordan for it had more than one And thus David Chytraeus explains this part of the verse and the fore-going The Eastern Bounds were the River Jordan near to which were these places Enan which had its name from the Fountain of the River and Shepham not far from thence and Riblah which was also near to Jordan lying between the Lake of Semechonites and Genesaret And the border shall descend and shall reach unto the side of the Sea of Cinnereth Eastward To the East side of this Sea or Lake which had its name from a City so called XIX Josh 35. and a Country 1 Kings XV. 20. or else it gave them their names For David Chytraeus will have it called Cinnereth from the Hebrew word Cinnor which signifies an Harp or Lute the Lake being of that shape and figure about four German Miles long and two and a half broad It is called the Sea of Galilee or Tiberias in the Gospel Verse 12 Ver. 12. And the border i. e. this Eastern Border Shall go down to Jordan That is to the River which was eminently so called and was on the East part of Canaan XIII Gen. 11. for it was very small till it came to the Lake of Genesaret before-mentioned From whence being augmented by several Torrents and Rivulets it ran in a wider Stream till it fell into the Salt or Dead-Sea See Bonfrerius out of Josephus Lib. IV. de Bello Judaico cap. 1. And its goings out shall be at the Salt-Sea There was the end of this Border where it met with the Southern as was observed above v. 3. This shall be your Land with the Coasts thereof round about As was said before v. 2. therefore they were not to extend their Right any farther this being the Country he promised Abraham when he bad him lift up his Eyes and look from the place where he was Northward and Southward and Eastward and Westward and walk through the length of the Land and breadth of it which he assures to his Posterity XIII Gen. 14 15 16 17. which now he lays out for them with the exact Limits of it in all those four quarters Ver. 13. And Moses commanded the Children of Israel Verse 13 saying This is the Land which ye shall inherit by lot He repeats it so often that they might know what People they were to dispossess and with whom they might make Friendship and not extend their Desires beyond the bounds of Gods gracious Grant to them By which they were placed in a very fertile and pleasant Country bounded as appears by the foregoing description on the South v. 4 5. by great Mountains which sheltred them from the burning Air of the Desarts of Arabia on the West by the Midland Sea which sent to them refreshing Breezes and on the North by Mount Libanus which kept off the colder Blasts from that quarter and on the East the delightful Plains of Jordan abounding with Palm-trees especially about Jericho which yielded them a great Revenue Which the LORD commanded to give to the nino Tribes and to the half Tribe This he had not said plainly before though it was necessarily inferred from his granting to two Tribes and an half their Inheritance beyond Jordan Ver. 14. For the Tribe of the Children of Reuben Verse 14 according to the House of their Fathers and the Tribe of the Children of Gad c. have received their Inheritance Upon condition they performed their promise to help the rest of their Tribes to win their Inheritance in Canaan So those
Children of the two Hand-maids in the four following Verses Where v. 12. Dan is set first he being the First-born of Bilhah whom Rachel gave Jacob for his Wife XXX Gen. 5. But then the next that follow are not reckoned according to the order of their Birth for Naphtali who was born next is placed the last and the youngest Son of Zilpah placed before the eldest For which we cannot now discern the reason though it is likely it was upon the account of some Pre-eminence or other which they had gained as Ephraim the youngest Son of Joseph is mentioned before Manasseh the eldest v. 10. because Jacob had given him the precedence when he blessed them before his Death XLVIII 19. Verse 6 Ver. 6. Of Simeon Shelumiel the Son of Zurishaddai There is less to be observed concerning the Names of these great Men of each Tribe for whatsoever the import of them may be in the Hebrew Language which Chytraeus and others have endeavoured to make out it signifies nothing to us Only most of them show how much God was in the Thoughts of those who imposed these Names on their Children for Elizur signifies my God the Rock and Shelumiel is as much as God my Peace or God my Rewarder and Zurishaddai my Rock Omnipotent or All-sufficient c. Verse 14 Ver. 14. The Son of Deuel So he is called also VII 42. and yet in the second Chapter v. 14. he is called the Son of Reuel For these two Letters Daleth and Resch are very often changed the one for the other As Ripath X Gen. 3. is called Dipath 1 Chron. I. 6. As on the other hand Dodanim X Gen. 4. is called Rodanim 1 Chron. I. 7. And it is to no purpose to heap up more Examples there are of this Verse 16 Ver. 16. These were the renowned of the Congregation The Hebrew word Keruim signifies properly Men called or named that is who had the Honour to be named by God to this Employment which made them more noble than they were before But without this respect to their Nomination by God this word signifies in general famous Men as we translate it XVI 2. XXVI 9. or renowned XXIII Ezek. 23. accordingly the vulgar translates it most noble Princes of the Tribes of their Fathers As appears more plainly from the noble Offerings which each of them made for the Dedication of the Altar Chap. VII Heads of thousands in Israel Men not only of great Authority such as Jethro advised Moses to take to his Aid in governing the People XVIII Exod. 21. but the highest of that Rank being chief Commanders over all the Thousands that were in their several Tribes under whom no doubt were many inferiour Officers of great account For so all People have found it necessary to submit themselves to the Government of some Supreme Power with several subordinate Rulers under it In which Israel excelled all other Nations being under the Government of God himself who appointed Moses immediately under him with several others as we here find to assist him For it is truly observed by Xenophon that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nothing is either so profitable for Men or so becoming as good Order And on the contrary nothing so mischievous or unseemly as Confusion Now Order is nothing else but the apt Disposition of every thing in its proper place for certain Ends and Uses Accordingly among Men nothing is more necessary than that every one should know and keep his place in that Degree and Rank that belongs to him As was here ordered by God for the Preservation and good Government of his People Ver. 17. And Moses and Aaron took these Men. To Verse 17 be their Associates in the numbering of the People Which are expressed by their Names Whom God himself marked out by name to be joined with them For as People cannot be preserved without Order so that cannot be preserved without Rulers and Governors and they will signifie nothing if their Authority be not reverenced and nothing can gain them such Reverence as a particular Designation by God to their Office Verse 18 Ver. 18. And they assembled all the Congregation together on the first Day of the second Month. They immediately executed their Commission on the same day they received it v. 1. summoning all the People to appear before them And they declared their Pedigrees The People instantly obeyed and every one showed from whom he was descended or it may refer to Moses and Aaron and the rest who set down every Man 's Original in the publick Tables After their Families by the house of their Fathers c. First they showed of what Family they were and then of what House in that Family and then the Name of every Person in that House was given in See v. 2. Such a kind of Distinction Cecrops made in Attica when he numbered the People whom he divided into four Tribes which in the days of Alcmaeon their last King were increased into ten every one of which had several People in it which were like the Families in Israel there being no less than ten or eleven People in that Tribe which was called after his own Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Meursius L. I. de Reg. Athen. cap. 7. Lib. II. cap. X. And every one knows how Rome at the first had three Tribes instituted by Romulus which were divided into ten Courts if I may so call them and those into certain Families which in after-times were increased into Five and thirty Tribes according to the Regions of the City Ver. 19. As the LORD commanded Moses so he Verse 19 numbered them With the assistance of the forenamed Persons In the Wilderness of Sinai Before they removed from Sinai which being upon the Twentieth Day of this Month X. 11. they finished this Work in so many Days or less Ver. 20. And the Children of Reuben Israels eldest Verse 20 Son by their Generations c. The word Generations seems to be larger than Families as that is than Houses comprehending every Family in that Tribe as Families comprehend every Houshold and Houshold comprehends every Person therein So the meaning is all that were descended from Reuben according to their several Families and Houses in those Families and Persons in those Houses Ver. 21. Those that were numbred of them c. were Verse 21 forty and six thousand and five hundred Some have observed that this Tribe was one of those who had the smallest number of Men in it in which they think was fulfilled the Prophecy of Jacob who foretold that Reuben should not excel XLIX Gen. 4. But I do not look upon this as solid for there were several Tribes who all this time had fewer Persons in it than this Particularly the Children of Joseph whom Jacob compared to a fruitful Bough XLIX Gen. 22. were very much fewer See below v. 33 35. Gad also Benjamin and Asher were fewer in number than Reuben who in this regard excelled Five Tribes
Deut. 12. or had its name from him cannot be determined But Hori we are sure was the first Possessor of whom there is any memory of this Mountain Hor which was afterward called Seir from one descended from him and afterward Edom. Verse 23 Ver. 23. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor. At the foot of the Mount as appears from v. 25. By the Coast of the Land of Edom. XXXIII 37. Verse 24 Ver. 24. Aaron shall be gathered unto his People Shall die v. 26. For he shall not enter into the Land which I have given unto the Children of Israel v. 12. A manifest Token that the earthly Canaan was not the utmost Felicity at which God's Promises aimed because the best Men among them were shut out of it Because ye rebelled against my Word at the Water of Meribah By this word rebelled it appears there was something of Obstinacy in their Unbelief mentioned v. 12. Verse 25 Ver. 25. Take Aaron and Eleazar his Son Speak to them in my Name For it is expresly said XXXIII 38. that they went up at the Commandment of the LORD And bring them up unto Mount Hor. This shows that they pitched their Tents at the bottom of it in a place called Mosera See X Deut. 6. where this seems also to have been the Name of the whole Hill as well as Hor. Ver. 26. And strip Aaron of his Garments i. e. Of Verse 26 his Priestly Robes as Josephus rightly expounds it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned XXVIII Exod. 2 3 c. wherewith he was clothed when he was anointed to the Office of High-Priest VIII Lev. 7 8 9. which he put on I suppose in the Camp and went up in them to Mount Hor that he might die gloriously not in his Robes but immediately after he put them off to be put upon his Son For this stripping him of his Robes was in effect the divesting Aaron of his Office that it might be conferred upon his Son which was done as follows And put them upon Eleazar his Son Which was the investing him with the Office of High-Priest into which he now succeeded in his Fathers stead and was by this Ceremony admitted to it The Talmudists say the manner was first to put on the Breeches then the Coat which being bound about with the Girdle then the Robe upon which was the Ephod and then the Miter and golden Crown See Selden de Succession in Pontif. Lib. II. cap. 8. And Aaron shall be gathered unto his People and die there This was said before in short v. 24. but now the time of his Death is expresly declared immediately after he laid down his Office and had the satisfaction to see his Son inaugurated in his Room and the place of it upon Mount Hor. Of this Phrase Gathered to his People see XXV Gen. 8 17. Ver. 27. And Moses did as the LORD commanded and they went up into Mount Hor in the sight of all the Congregation That they might all be Witnesses Verse 27 of the Succession of Eleazar to the Office of his Father Verse 28 Ver. 28. And Moses stripped Aaron of his Garments and put them upon Eleazar his Son This Moses did as the Minister of God who now translated the Priesthood to another And Aaron died there in the top of the Mount And was buried also there X Deut. 6. For great and heroick Persons were in ancient days usually buried in high Places So Joshua was XXIV 30 33. and Eleazar II Judges 9. and Cadmus and Harmonia who lived near the time of Joshua as Bochartus observes in his Canaan Lib. I. cap 23. And Moses and Eleazar came down from the Mount After they had seen him laid in his Grave by those that attended them This fell out in the fortieth Year after they came out of Egypt on the first day of the fifth Month when Aaron was an Hundred and three and twenty Years old as we read XXXIII 38 39. In the new Moon of the Month which the Athenians called Hecatombaeon the Macedonians I ous and the Hebrews called Sabba as Josephus glosses But that last word should be Ab not Sabba as Jacobus Capellus observes in his Histor Sacra Exotica ad An. 2542. which answers he thinks to the nineteenth of our July And so the Hebrews say in Seder Olam Aaron died on the first day of the Month Ab upon which there is a Fast in their Rituals in memory of it Ver. 29. And when all the Congregation saw that Aaron was dead i. e. Understood as the word See is used XLII Gen. 1. that God had taken him out of the World as Moses and Eleazar told them who Verse 29 also came down from the Mount with him They mourned for Aaron thirty days Till the end of the Month. For so long their Mourning seems in those days to have been continued for great Persons as it was for Moses XXXIV Deut. 8. though a Week sufficed for private Persons Even all the House of Israel Both Men and Women CHAP. XXI Chapter XXI Ver. 1. AND when King Arad the Canaanite In Verse 1 the Hebrew the words are thus placed When the Canaanite King Arad And so they are in the LXX and the Vulgar And Arad may as well signifie a Place as a Person nay there seems more reason to translate the words thus The Canaanitish King of Arad because there was such a City in Canaan mentioned XII Josh 14. and I Judges 16. One of the Sons of Canaan being called Arad as both the LXX and the Vulgar translate the Hebrew word Arvad X Gen. 18. who it is likely gave his Name to this part of the Country the chief City of which was also called after him Which dwelt in the South In the South part of the Land of Canaan towards the Eastern Angle of it near the Dead Sea See XXXIII 40. Heard that Israel came by the way of the Spies Which were sent by the King Arad as many suppose to bring him Intelligence which way the Israelites marched For it being Eight and thirty Years since the Spies sent by Moses went that way or rather they going so secretly that it was not known which way they went it is thought not probable that Moses speaks of them in this place But there is no necessity of taking the Hebrew word Atharim to signifie Spies but it may as well be the Name of a Place as the LXX understood it by whom it is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if the situation would agree to it one might probably conjecture the place was so called from the Spies that went from thence by Moses his order to survey the Country For that was a thing so memorable that as it could not well slip out of the Minds of the People of Canaan so they found I make no question after they were gone which way they came into their Country though for the present they passed unobserved and everafter called it the way of
the Spies Then he fought against Israel He marched out of his Country with an Army and fell upon the Israelites as they passed that way And took some of them Prisoners He attacked it 's likely at first only the Skirts of their Camp where he surprised some of them and carried them away captive as the words are in the Hebrew Verse 2 Ver. 2. And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD It was resolved it seems that they should engage them but the Israelites being afraid of them because they were unexperienced in War implored the Divine Aid by this Solemn Vow If thou wilt indeed deliver this People into my hand Give us the Victory over them Then will I utterly destroy their Cities They vow to reserve none of the Spoil to their own use but devote it all to destruction For such was the Nature of this Vow called Cherem See XXVII Lev. 29. Ver. 3. And the LORD hearkned to the voice of Verse 3 Israel He approved their Vow And delivered up the Canaanites The Israelites vanquished their Army And they utterly destroyed them and their Cities Utterly devoted them to destruction according to their Vow For they did not now actually destroy them they remaining when Joshua came to Canaan who executed this Cherem or Curse upon them XII 14. Which if it had been executed now they must have entred into the Land of Canaan at this time from whence we cannot imagine they would have returned to march further about before they got into it but have gone on to prosecute their Victory by subduing the Country as they had begun And he called the name of the place Hormah From the Cherem or Herem as some write it which was pronounced against it Which when it was put in execution this Name became more proper to it I Judges 17. Ver. 4. And they journeyed from Mount Hor. Where Verse 4 their Camp was pitched when the King of Arad assaulted them and whither they returned after they had overthrown him By the way of the Red Sea Towards Ezion-Gaber as we read II Deut. 8. To compass the Land of Edom. Which extended it self unto the Red Sea And the Soul of the People was much discouraged because of the way The word we translate discouraged signifies two things to faint and to breathe short through the anguish and bitterness of ones Spirit VI Exod. 9. And secondly to be angry at or at least impatient by reason of some Trouble And so it may be best taken in this place as Buxtorfius observes in Histor Serp. Aenei cap. 1. not simply for their being tired with a tedious long and troublesome March but that accompanied with no small Indignation and Wrath. Which did not only burn within but broke out into words of great Impatience as appears by what follows Whence the Hebrew words Ketzar-Ruach short of Spirit signifies Angry or Hasty XIV Prov. 29. and in XXI Job 4. we translate it troubled and in XI Zach. 8. loathed where it had better been translated I was angry with them Now that which made the People thus fret or faint if we will have it so interpreted was the way wherein they were now led which was about the Land of Edom. For when they were come towards Canaan in the middle of the fortieth Year at the end of which they were promised to enter in and possess it they are carried back again towards the Red Sea whether God had sent their Fathers after they had brought a false Report upon the Land XIV 25. This made them think perhaps that they should never come to Canaan or at least it was tedious to march such a great way about after they had been kept so long from their Inheritance and were lately in such hopes of it when Moses demanded a passage into it through the Country of Edom. Ver. 5. And the People spake against God and against Moses This shows they were in a very great rage which made them so forgetful of their Duty as to charge God himself with ill Conduct Whereas Verse 5 their Fathers were wont only to murmur against Moses and Aaron Wherefore have ye brought us out of Egypt The Hebrew word heelithunu made us to go up is a strange word as Dr. Lightfoot calls it in this Language declaring the great fume they were in when they uttered it To die in the Wilderness As if they had said so Abarbinel explains it what can we expect or hope for but Death from this long stay in the Wilderness For there is no Bread neither is there any Water For we want the most necessary things for the support of Life as he also well explains it which they spake in a rage for they had both by a miraculous Providence over them They themselves immediately confess they had Manna and they had lately received Water out of a Rock But nothing would satisfie unless they were brought to a Country where Bread and Water was to be had without a Miracle For the meaning of their Complaint was that God did not deal with them as he did with other People who to speak in our Phrase do not live from hand to mouth As the Israelites did who had Bread given them only to suffice for one day and no more and that such Bread as they despised It is likely also they began now to want Water again which did not follow them as formerly out of the Rock and what they had in their Vessels perhaps was near spent And our Soul loatheth this light Bread As for the Bread God bestowed upon them they were so far from being satisfied with it that they loath it and call it by the scornful Name of Light Bread So we translate the Hebrew word Hakkilkel which being the doubling of a word which signifies light or vile in that Language imports as much as very despicable exceeding vile or as the LXX translate it very empty having no Substance in it to fill their Stomachs So Abarbinel expounds this passage We are tired with long Journeys which require more solid Bread than this to support us Verse 6 Ver. 6. And the LORD sent fiery Serpents among the People So most of the Jews translates this place taking Seraphim for an Adjective as Grammarians speak and consequently rightly translated fiery But there are those who take it to signifie a peculiar sort of Serpents being added to Nechashim Serpents by way of opposition as they speak and signifying such Serpents as the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom Pliny reckons among the Sceleratissimi Serpentes most pernicious Serpents Lib. XXIV cap. 13. Or as others will have it those called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they made great Inflamations in Mens Bodies and an unquenchable thirst being also of a flame colour But the famous Bochartus hath alledged a great many Arguments to prove that they were a sort of Serpents called Hydrus because in Winter they lived in Fens and Marshes which being
it fell into the Hands of the Moabites again as may be gathered from XLVIII Jerem. 32. And they took the Villages thereof As well as the City it self And drove out the Amorites that dwelt there If it had not been possessed by them they would not have meddled with it Ver. 33. And they turned Or returned as the LXX have it from Jaazer And went up by the way of Bashan A famous Verse 33 Mountain LXVIII Psal 15. lying more Northerly than the Country of Sihon and belonging also to the Amorites where was very rich Pasture and an excellent Breed of Cattle XXXII Deut. 14. XXII Psal 12. and stately Oaks XXVII Ezek. 6. And Og the King of Bashan The whole Country of which he was King had its Name from that Mountain and was called the Kingdom of Og in Bashan III Deut. 10. where he is said as well as Sihon to be a King of the Amorites v. 8. and v. 11. that he was of the Remnant of the Giants or of the Rephaim who were a mighty People in that Country of Bashan See XIV Gen. 5. which in after Ages was called Batanaea Went out against them To oppose their Passage He and all his People With all the Men of War in his Country To the Battle at Edrei A City near that Country afterward called Adara as St. Hierom tells us in his Book de Locis Hebraicis He offered the Israelites Battle which by God's order they accepted Verse 34 Ver. 34. And the LORD said unto Moses That he might report it to the People Fear him not They had reason to be courageous and not affrighted because he was a Giant having lately overcome a mightier King than he of which God puts them in mind in the end of this verse For I have delivered him into thy hand and all his People c. For their greater incouragement he adds his Promise on which he bids them rely as if they saw it already done that he would give them the Victory over Og and all his Forces and bestow upon them his Country This History Moses reports more at large III Deut. 1 2 3 c. Ver. 35. So they smote him and his Sons and all his Verse 35 People until there was none left him alive After they had overthrown him and his Army they pursued the Victory till they had destroyed all the People of the Country Some part of which held out longer than the rest as appears from XXXII 39 c. but at length was wholly subdued by Jair the Son of Manasseh who had all the Region of Argob given him for his pains XXXII 41. III Deut. 14. And they possessed his Land Wherein were sixty walled Cities besides a great many small Towns III Deut. 4 5. XIII Josh 30. All which was given to the half Tribe of Manasseh III Deut. 13. XIII Josh 29 30. 1 Kings IV. 13. CHAP. XXII Chapter XXII Ver. 1. AND the Children of Israel set forward Verse 1 In what Month of the fortieth Year this which follows fell out we cannot tell but it is likely in the seventh when they removed from the Mountains of Abarim XXI 20. XXXIII 48. And pithed in the plains of Moab Which had formerly belonged to the Moabites from whom it took its name but had been taken from them by the Amorites and now was in the possession of the Israelites On this side Jordan Unto which River this Plain extended and they pitched near to it from Beth-Jesimoth unto Abel-Shittim XXXIII 49. where they stayed till under the Conduct of Joshua they came to Jordan and passed over it III Josh 1. By Jericho Rather against Jericho as the LXX translate it For Jericho was on the other side of Jordan directly opposite to the place where they now pitched And therefore the Vulgar Latin translates or rather paraphrases it Where Jericho is situated beyond Jordan i. e. passing the Ford they came directly to Jericho Verse 2 Ver. 2. And Balak the Son of Zippor Who was King of the Moabites at this time and descended it is likely from the ancient Kings of that Country XXI 26. Saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites To Sihon and Og the two Kings of the Amorites as they are called III Deut. 8. who were such near Neighbours to Balak that he not only saw but considered as the word implies what a speedy Conquest the Israelites had made of their Country Verse 3 Ver. 3. And Moab was sore afraid of the People Lest they should expel them out of their Country as they had done the Amorites for they knew nothing of God's Command to the Israelites not to disturb them in their Possessions Some imagine but I see no good ground for it that they were afraid the Israelites should get possession of the Land of Canaan unto which they thought themselves perhaps to have a better Title being descended from the eldest Daughter of Lot who was the Son of Abraham's elder Brother for Abraham was the youngest Son of Terah But no Body can see any Right that this Descent gave Lot or his Children there being no Promise made of it by God to any Person but Abraham and his Posterity Because they were many Too strong for the Moabites to deal withal having conquered those who had been too hard for them and taken a great Territory from them XXI 26. And Moab was distressed because of the Children of Israel As Moses in his Song after they had passed the Red Sea foretold they would be XV Exod. 15. Ver. 4. And Moab said By Messengers which Verse 4 were sent it is most likely by the King and the Princes of the Country Vnto the Elders of Midian Who were their Neighbours and Confederates The Title of Elders it appears by this was given in other Nations as well as among the Israelites to the greatest Persons in their Countries or the Israelites after their manner so called Men every where who were in high Authority For these Persons who are here called Elders are called Kings XXXI 8. and Princes XIII Josh 21. In like manner they who in the seventh verse of this Chapter are called the Elders of Moab are in the next verse called the Princes of Moab Which it is evident was the ancient Language among the Egyptians L Gen. 7. unless we suppose Moses as I said to have spoken in the Language of the Jews and it is very likely was also the ancient Language of Phoenicia and the Countries thereabouts and perhaps in much remote parts For it is a known Story That when the Phoenicians fled before Joshua and forsook the Land of Canaan they fixed in Asrick where they left this name of Elders among the Carthaginians See Mr. Selden Lib. I. de Synedr cap. 14. p. 587 c. Midian This is not the Country wherein Jethro was a Prince for that was not far from Mount Sinai as appears from III Exod. 1. whereas this was remote from that place adjoyning to the Moabites and near
former numbring I. 33. which makes Moses's Prophecy a little after this the more remarkable XXXIII Deut. 17. where he makes the Ephramites Ten to One in comparison with the Manassites Verse 38 Ver. 38. The Sons of Benjamin after their Families This Tribe also was under the Standard of Ephraim and therefore mentioned here together with him and Manasseh When they went into Egypt the Sons of Benjamin were no less than Ten XLVI Gen. 21. Half of which either had no Children or they were all Extinct before this time for here are only Five named Of Belah the Family of the Belaites c. The two first Bela and Ashbel are there named as they are here but the next Ahiram is there called Ehi and in 1 Chron. VIII 1. Ahara such an Alteration doth Time make in Names Ver. 39. Of Shupham c. He is called Muppim in XLVI Gen. 21. and Hupham is there called Huppim Ver. 40. The Sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman Verse 39 Though five of his Sons were dead without Issue Verse 40 yet two of his Grand-sons descended from his eldest Son made distinct Families in Israel And the Son of one of them was called after the name of his Uncle the youngest Son of Benjamin XLVI Gen. 21. whose name was Ard and in I Chron. VIII 3. by a small transposition of Letters is called Adar Ver. 41. There were numbred of them forty five thousand Verse 41 and six hundred This Tribe was grown to be Ten thousand more than they were at the last numbring I. 37. Ver. 42. These are the Sons of Dan. Thus he speaks Verse 42 though he had but one See v. 8. Of Shuham Called Hushim by a transposition of Letters XLVI Gen. 23. Just as the same Tree is called Almugim 1 Kings X. 8. and Algumim 2 Chron. II. 8. And the same City in which Joshua was buried called Timnath-Serach XXIV Josh 30. and Timnath-Cheres II Judg. 9. And to come still nearer the same Man is called Rechum XII Nehem. 3. and Cherim v. 15. of the same Chapter These are the Families of Dan after their Families That is from these Shuhamites came all the rest of the Families of this Tribe which are not here mentioned but into which this Family was sub-divided when it grew very great as it appears from the next words Ver. 43. All the Families of the Shuhamites This Verse 43 shows there were more than one of them who had names from some of the Children of Shuham Were threescore and four thousand and four hundred A vast number to spring from one Man when Benjamin who had ten Sons wanted almost twenty thousand of this number which is Seventeen hundred more than were in this Tribe at the last numbring I. 39. Verse 44 Ver. 44. Of the Children of Asher after their Families c. They all retain the same names which they had when they went into Egypt XLVI Gen. 17. Only he that is here called Jeshui is there called Ishui and another Son there mentioned is here omitted his Family I suppose being quite extinct Verse 45 Ver. 45. Of the Sons of Beriah c. Instead of him whose Family was quite lost the youngest Son of Asher Beriah had two Families sprung from him Verse 46 Ver. 46. And the name of the Daughter of Asher was Sarah Or Serah as she is called XLVI Gen. 17. He doth not say that a Family sprang from her which Corn. Bertramus cap. 6. de Republ. Jud. seems to think probable instead of some that were lost but she was a Woman it is likely as eminent in this Tribe as any of her Brethren for some Vertue or other Insomuch that the Cabbalists in the ancient Book Zohar parting the heavenly Region where the Souls of holy Women are into four Palaces make four great Women to be a kind of Presidents of them viz. Pharaoh's Daughter who educated Moses and this Serah the Daughter of Asher with Jochabed the Mother of Moses and Deborah the famous Prophetess See Selden Lib. II. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 4. Ver. 47. Were fifty and three thousand and four hundred This Tribe also fructified exceedingly wanting but an Hundred of Twelve thousand more than they were at the last numbring I. 41. Verse 47 Ver. 48 49. Of the Sons of Naphtali after their Families Verse 48 49. c. There are four of them whose Names were not all changed since they went into Egypt See XLVI Gen. 24. Ver. 50. Were forty five thousand and four hundred Verse 50 They wanted Eight thousand of their number I Numb 43. These two Tribes Asher and Naphtali are mentioned together with Dan because they were encamped under his Standard II Numb 25 26 c. Ver. 51. These were the numbred of the Children of Verse 51 Israel six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and fifty That is the whole Number amounted to this Sum which was but Eighteen hundred and twenty less than they were when they were last numbred Thirty eight year ago I. 46. So great was the Goodness of God and such his Faithfulness to his Word that when he destroyed all the former Generation who were above Twenty years old he multiplyed their Posterity so fast in that space of time as to make them equal in a manner to those that went before them Ver. 52. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying Verse 52 After the People were thus numbred and every Family and the Persons it contained exactly known then the LORD ordered as follows Ver. 53. Vnto these i. e. These Families before-named Verse 53 The Land shall be divided i. e. The Land of Canaan into which they were going For an Inheritance Not to be alienated from those Families According to the number of Names Of the Persons in the several Families from Twenty years old and upward v. 2. So that Minors who had not attained the Age of Twenty years when this account was taken the Jews say were not to have any share in the Land though they were come to that Age at the time of the distribution of it among them But those Minors had Possessions as Heirs of their Fathers according to the Families Verse 54 Ver. 54. To many thou shalt give the more Inheritance and to few thou shalt give the less Inheritance That is order Joshua to assign them a share in the Land proportionable to the number of Persons in every Tribe Some of which were far greater than others and therefore to have more Land proportionble to the largeness of their Families But this was not measured merely by the number of Acres as we speak but by the goodness of the Soil for a little Ground in a rich Country would maintain more Persons than twice as much in a barren So Josephus Lib. V. Antiq. cap. 1. where after he had said that Joshua made a Distribution of the Land 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the bigness of each Tribe he adds that in doing this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
their Wrists or Hands XXIV Gen. 47. XVI Ezek. 11. Rings They were Ornaments of the Fingers XLI Gen. 42. III Esther 10. Ear-rings Nothing more common in those Countries especially among the Midianites and Ishmaelites as we find VIII Judges 24 25 26. where there is a different word used to express this Ornament yet the word Hagil here used certainly signifying something round and the Ornaments incompassing the Arms and other parts being before-mentioned it cannot well be thought to denote any thing but Rings in their Ears And so we translate it XVI Ezek. 12. And Tablets Some Ornaments about the Breasts See XXXV Exod. 22. To make an Atonement for our Souls before the LORD For the Guilt of which Moses accused them v. 14. or any other which they had contracted in the War Verse 52 Ver. 52. And all the Gold of the Offering which they offered up to the LORD c. was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels It hath been observed before that Three thousand Shekels made a Talent and therefore their Offering amounted to above Five Talents and an half Verse 53 Ver. 53. For the men of war had taken spoil every man for himself Or rather had taken the Spoil mentioned v. 12. of which part of the Booty no Division was made between the Men of War and the People v. 26. but they kept it intirely to themselves and now very gratefully made a Present of a considerable part of it to the LORD See v. 12. where the word Spoil is used strictly for a part of the Booty distinct from the other two the Captives and the Prey and so it signifies here Verse 54 Ver. 54. And Moses and Eleazar the Priest took the Gold This was said before v. 51. and therefore the sence here is that having received it as an Offering to the LORD they brought it into the Tabernacle of the Congregation as it here follows in the conclusion of this verse Of the Captains of thousands and of hundreds It was not their Oblation only but the Oblation of every one of the Men of War v. 50 51. But the Commanders received it from the common Soldiers and presented it unto Moses and Eleazar from the whole Host And brought it into the Tabernacle for a Memorial for the Children of Israel before the LORD That God might be mindful of them i. e. propitious to them who were so grateful to him for his Benefits The Hierusalem Targum upon v. 50. fancies these Officers to have represented to Moses their great Chastity when they made this Offering saying We broke into the Chambers and Closets of the Kings of Midian and there we saw their beautiful and charming Daughters from whom we took the golden Ornaments upon their Heads and in their Ears and on their Arms their Fingers and Breasts but did not cast a wanton look upon one of them And therefore they hoped this Oblation they made would rise up for them in the Day of the great Judgment as a Reconciliation for their Souls before the LORD CHAP. XXXII Chapter XXXII Ver. 1. NOW the Children of Reuben and the Children Verse 1 of Gad. Here the Children of Reuben who was Jacob's First-born are mentioned in the first place but in the rest of the Chapter v. 2 6 25 29 32. the Children of Gad are constantly first mentioned because they were the first Movers of that which follows as the Hebrews conjecture Had a very great multitude of Cattle More than any other Tribe And when they saw the Land of Jazer Which was lately taken from the Amorites after they had slain Sihon their King XXI 32. This City and Country belonging to it were near to the Spring of the River Arnon and there is frequent mention of it in the Book of Joshua and in Isaiah XVI 8 9. and Jeremiah XLVIII 34. And the Land of Gilead A noble Country so called from the Mountain Gilead which bounded it on the East as Jordan did on the West the River Jabbok on the South and Mount Libanus on the North. That behold the place was a place of Cattle Which in the fourth verse is called a Land of Cattle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the LXX translate it fit for feeding of Cattle being famous for Pasture and other grazing Ground For Bashan was in this Country III Deut. 12 13. where every one knows the largest and fattest Oxen were bred XXII Psal 12. and Sheep also XXXII Deut. 14. and therefore is joyned with Gilead VII Micah 14. which being woody and mountainous in some part of it was no less famous for breeding Goats See IV Cantic 1. which delight to brouse on such Trees as Mount Gilead abounded withal See Bochartus in his Hierozoicon P. I. Lib. II. cap. 51. Verse 2 Ver. 2. And the Children of Gad and the Children of Reuben Neither here nor in the foregoing verse is there any mention of the Children of Manasseh half of which had their Portion in this Country because they were neither the Contrivers nor Movers of this but it is most probable had a lot assigned them here because these Countries were too much for the other two Tribes alone and they of Manasseh had much Cattle also Came and spake unto Moses and Eleazar and the Princes of the Congregation Who were wont often to assemble to dispatch Publick Affairs XXVII 2. XXX 1. Ver. 3. Ataroth A place which was part of the Verse 3 Portion of Gad as appears by v. 34. And Dibon This is mentioned as a place in the Kingdom of Sihon XXI 30. and was given to Gad also as we read v. 34. And Jazer See v. 1. and 35. where we find this also belonged unto Gad. And Nimrah Called Beth-Nimrah v. 36. and given to the same Tribe It is usual I observed before for the Hebrews to cut off the first part of the Names of places for brevity sake XXV 1. but this place is elsewhere called at length Beth-Nimrah XIII Josh 27. where it is mentioned as a part of Sihon's Kingdom and signifies as much as Domus Pardorum an Habitation of Leopards So Bochartus who observes that when both Isaiah XV. 6. and Jeremiah XLVIII 34. speak of the Waters of Nimrim they mean this very place Which was given to Gad but in the days of those Prophets mentioned as in the Country of the Moabites who had usurped upon their Neighbours the Gadites and taken this Place from them as they had done Jazer also as appears from the places above-mentioned XVI Isa 8 9. XLVIII Jerem. 34. And Heshbon The principal City of Sihon King of the Amorites XXI 26 27 28. and was given to the Reubenites v. 37. And Elealah This is frequently mentioned with Heshbon as a Place adjoyning to it v. 37. XVI Isa 9. And Sheban Called also Shibmah v. 37. and Sibmah XVI Isa 8 9. XLVIII Jerem. 31. where it appears to have been a Place famous for Vines and in the days of that Prophet was faln into the Hands of the
XVII Josh 1. Verse 40 Ver. 40. And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the Son of Manasseh i. e. To the Children of Machir for he was dead long ago who had a considerable Portion of that half of the Land of Gilead which was given to the half Tribe of Manasseh For one half was given to the Reubenites and Gadites and the other half to them III Deut. 12 13. where Gilead signifies all that Country properly so called neither so much as the whole Territory which these Tribes demanded v. 1. nor so little as was given to Machir v. 15. where Moses says And I gave Gilead unto Machir i. e. to that Family of Manasseh which were properly called Machirites XXVI Numb 29. and to that Family descended from his Son which from him were called Gileadites For as Manasseh had only this Son Machâ—r so Machir had only Gilead but he had many XXVI 30 31 32. who all raised Families And as to the Macharites and I suppose the Gileadites was given a Portion in this Country XIII Josh 29 30 c. so Joshua gave to the rest an Inheritance in the Land of Canaan XVII 2. And he gives a reason in the foregoing verse why he gave Gilead and Bashan to the Posterity of Machir because they were a warlike People inheriting their Father's Valour who was a Man of War and therefore fit to be placed in the Frontiers of that Country Ver. 41. And Jair the Son of Manasseh One of Verse 41 the Posterity of Manasseh by his Mother's side For he was the Grandson of Gilead the Son of Machir by his Daughter 1 Chron. II. 21 22. but his Father was of the Tribe of Judah It seems he joyned with the Children of Machir in their Expedition against Gilead mentioned v. 39. and was so successful that he took several small Towns in that Country and so had his Inheritance among the Children of Manasseh on this side Jordan where they now were There were threescore of them in the whole which were afterward called Cities XIII Josh 13. 1 Kings IV. 23. but he had only twenty three for his Possession 1 Chron. II. 22 23. And called them Havoth-Jair That is the Habitations of Jair For Havah is a dwelling as Bochartus observes in his Phaleg Lib. IV. cap. 29. And among the Arabians the word Havoth properly signifies many Tents orderly disposed in a Ring or Circle which in those Countries made that which we call a Village For Hava in their Language signifies to compass The same he observes in his Hierozoicon P. I. Lib. II. c. 44. p. 466. Verse 42 Ver. 42. And Nobah Who he was we find in no other place but an eminent Person no doubt in some of the Families of the Manassites either of the Machirites or the Gileadites For they only as I take it inherited on this side Jordan Went and took Kenath and the Villages thereof At the same time I suppose that Jair took the Towns above-mentioned of which this was one 1 Chron. II. 23. But though Jair was the chief Conductor in that Expedition yet he kept as I said only twenty three Towns to himself the rest were given to them who accompanied him of whom it is probable Nobah was one And called it Nobah after his own Name But it retained its old name also for St. Hierom says in his time there was a City called Canatha in the Region of Trachonitis not far from Bosra Thus this Country being settled upon these two Tribes and an half the Land of Canaan was divided by God's Command for an Inheritance to the remaining nine Tribes and the other half of the Tribe of Manasseh XIII Josh 7. CHAP. XXXIII Chapter XXXIII Ver. 1. THESE are the Journeys of the Children Verse 1 of Israel which went forth out of the Land of Egypt A brief recapitulation of the Travels of the Children of Israel through the Wilderness whereby the wonderful Providence of God over them appears in their Protection and Preservation from the time they departed out of Egypt till they came to the Borders of the Land of Canaan With their Armies For they marched in an orderly manner as Armies do See XII Exod. 41 51. XIII 18. Vnder the Hand of Moses and Aaron By whom they were conducted as the Ministers of God XII Exod. 1 28 50. Ver. 2. And Moses wrote their goings out according Verse 2 to their Journeys Every removal which they made from the place where they were unto another whither they journeyed By the commandment of the LORD This may refer either to their Journeys which were by God's commandment X. 13. or rather to Moses his writing this Epitome of their Travels of which God ordered him to give a distinct account Which was no unnecessary Work but most useful to Posterity there being no History extant in the World as David Chytraeus well observes except that of the Birth Life Death and Resurrection of Christ which contains so many wonderful Instances of Divine Providence as this of bringing the Children of Israel out of Egypt and leading them through the Red-Sea and through the Wilderness Concerning which Maimonides hath an excellent Discourse in his third Part of More Nevochim cap. 50. the Substance of which is this That it being impossible any Miracles should continue throughout all Generations due care should be taken that the Memory of them be not lost but faithfully preserved by the History and Narration of them in future times Now there being no greater Miracle than the Subsistence of the Children of Israel in the Desert for Forty years a Desert full of Scorpions and Serpents destitute of Water uninhabited through which no Man had been wont to pass as Jeremiah speaks II. 6. where they ate no Bread nor drank Wine or strong Drink XXIX Deut. 6 c. God would have the particular places set down distinctly where they pitched in that howling Wilderness That all Men might be satisfied who would take the pains to examine things by what a marvellous Providence such a multitude of People were fed every day for Forty years together and none might be able to Cavil and say that they travelled through a Country good enough and pitched in habitable places where they might plough and sow and reap or where they might have Herbs and Roots for their Sustenance or where Manna ordinarily came down from the Clouds for Mens support And these are their Journeys according to their goings out As if he had said Having received this Commandment from God this is a true and exact Account which here follows of their Travels from place to place Ver. 3. And they departed from Ramsees See XII Exod. 37. Here in all likelyhood they Sacrificed the Paschal Lamb and were preserved from the destroying Angel which made this place very remarkable for Verse 3 they seem to have been all summoned hither to meet here as in a common Rendevouz as they now speak to be ready to march away when God gave the word of
threatned the same before he died XXIII 13. Of which an Angel or Messenger of the LORD minded them II Judges 3. And so it came to pass as we read there v. 14. and throughout that whole Book And shall vex you in the Land wherein ye dwell Make you very uneasie nay sigh and groan in the good Land which God gives you by reason of their oppression II Judg. 18. IV. 3. VI. 6 c. Ver. 56. Moreover I will do unto you as I thought Verse 56 to do unto them As I purposed to do unto them i. e. make you their Slaves as they were to several People whom they served many years III Judg. 8 14. VI. 2. and many other places Or make you flee before them and at last expel you from the Land I give you CHAP. XXXIV Chapter XXXIV Verse 1 Ver. 1. AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying In the same place where they were when he last spake to him for they made no other Removals till they marched for Canaan Verse 2 Ver. 2. Command the Children of Israel Charge them to take notice of this And say unto them when ye come into the Land of Canaan this is the Land that shall fall unto you for your Inheritance Having spoken to them concerning their dispossessing the Canaanites and dividing their Land among their Tribes it was fit to describe the Bounds of their Country that they might know whom they were to destroy and into whose Possessions they were to enter Even the Land of Canaan and the Coasts thereof The Land beyond Jordan and the Limits or Bounds thereof Verse 3 Ver. 3. Then your South quarter shall be from the Wilderness of Zin Mentioned in the foregoing Chapter v. 36. Along by the Coast of Edom. Which bordered upon this Wilderness XX. 1 14. And your South border shall be the utmost Coast of the Salt Sea From the very tongue of it as it is expressed XV Josh 2. where it appears this was the Portion of the Tribe of Judah The Salt-Sea is that which is called sometimes the Dead-Sea and in other Authors Lacus Asphaltites See XIV Gen. 3. The Hebrews call all great Lakes by the Name of Seas and this is called the Salt-Sea because the Water of it is very Salt or as some express it bitter and the Dead-Sea propter aquae immobilitatem as Justin speaks Lib. XXXVI because of the immoveableness of the Water which is never stirred by the greatest Winds See Vossius de Orig. Progr Idolal Lib. II. cap. 68. Eastward Where the Eastern and the Southern Border meet Ver. 4. And your Border That is this South Verse 4 Border Shall turn Not go on in a strait Line but bending toward the West From the South to the ascent of Akrabbim Or to Maale-Akrabbim a Mountain on the South-end of the Dead-Sea XV Josh 3. I Judg. 36. So called as Bochartus conjectures from the vast multitude of Scorpions found here From which Mountain also it is probable the Region called Acrabatena near to Idumaea had its name 1 Maccab. V. 3. See Hierozoicon P. II. Lib. IV. cap. 29. And pass on to Zin Either to a place called Zin or part of the Wilderness of Zin which lay on the South of the Land of Canaan XIII 21. And the going forth thereof shall be from the South That is still on towards the South as appears from what goes before and follows after To Kadesh-barnea From whence the Spies were sent to search out the Land and are said expresly to have gone up by the South XIII 22 26. And shall go on to Hazar-Addar Or to the Village of Addar as the Vulgar Latin renders it which seems to be justified by XV Josh 3. where it is simply called Addar There is indeed a place called Hezron joyned with it which may be thought to be the same with Hazar But so is another place also called Karkaa both which may as well be thought to be here omitted for brevities sake And pass on to Azmon A place lying on the West-end of the Mount of Edom. Verse 5 Ver. 5. And the border shall fetch a compass There shall be a greater turn than that mentioned v. 4. bending still more Westward From Azmon unto the River of Egypt By the River of Egypt is properly understood Nile and so Jonathan here renders the Hebrew word Nahal River by Nilus Which may seem to have taken its name from the word Nahal which the Ancients did not pronounce as we now do but called it Neel as we find in Epiphanius From whence Nilus was very easily made as Bochartus observes Hierozoic P. II. Lib. V. cap. 15. But if Nile be here meant it must be the more Northerly mouth of it where Pelusium stood See XV Gen. 18. And the goings out of it shall be at the Sea This Border ended at the Sea called the Great Sea in the next verse Verse 6 Ver. 6. And as for the Western border ye shall have even the great Sea That is the Mediterranean or midland Sea which lay on the West of Judaea And is called by the Hebrews the Great Sea in comparison with the Lake of Genesaret and Aspaltites which they also called Seas For your border On the West as it here follows This shall be your Western border From the River of Egypt as far as Zidon which was a part of the promised Land as appears from XIII Josh 6. I Judg. 31. All the Cities indeed on the shore of this Sea were held by the Philistines and others till the time of David but the Israelites had a right to them And the famous Rabbi Juda understands these words as if they should have the Western Ocean it self for their Portion as well as the Land adjacent to it For so he expounds these words as if Moses had said this shall be your Western Border viz. The Border of the Sea and the Isles near unto it And the Hierusalem Targum more plainly And let the great Sea be your Border i. e. the Ocean and the Isles thereof and the Cities and the Ships with the ancient Waters that are in the midst of it See Selden in his Mare Clausum Lib. I. cap. 6. where he alledges this as a proof that Men anciently thought they might have a Dominion over the Sea as well as the Land Ver. 7. And this shall be your Northern border from Verse 7 the great Sea From the Mediterranean which lay on the West Ye shall point out for you Mark out for your Direction Mount Hor. Not that Mount where Aaron died for that was on the South of the Land of Canaan towards Edom but this was diametrically opposite on the North of it And therefore must in all likelyhood be some part of Mount Libanus which with Antilibanus more towards the great Sea bounded the promised Land on the North. But there were several parts of Mount Libanus which were called by several Names and probably one of them was called Hor because of
that care was not taken for places to lay them in Verse 5 Ver. 5. And ye shall measure from without the City It is not said as in the foregoing verse from the wall of the City therefore I take it to signifie from the outside of the Suburbs before mentioned On the East side two thousand Cubits and on the South side two thousand Cubits c. So there was in the whole three thousand Cubits round about the City a thousand for the Suburbs properly so called and two thousand more for their Pasture called properly the Fields of the Suburbs XXV Lev. 34. This is the most natural and easie Explication of this place And the City shall be in the midst So that there was exactly every way such a Circuit of Ground about it This shall be the Suburbs of the Cities Here the word Suburbs comprehends the Fields also And Maimonides saith that by the Constitution of the Elders they set forth also a Burying place for every City beyond these Limits For they might not bury their Dead within the Suburbs or Fields which they ground upon the foregoing verse which appoints them for other uses Schemita ve jobel cap. 13. Ver. 6. And among the Cities which ye shall give unto Verse 6 the Levites there shall be six Cities for Refuge Three in the Land of Canaan and three on the other side Jordan v. 14. The names of which are set down XX Josh 7 8. And those on the other side Jordan were set apart by Moses himself before he died IV Deut. 43. The reason of their being called Cities of Refuge is given in the next words Which ye shall appoint for the Man-slayer Such a Man-slayer as is afterward described who killed another against his will That he may flee thither And there be preserved and kept in safety if he was not found guilty of wilful Murder The Cities of the Levites were appointed for this purpose rather than any other because they were a kind of Sacred Places inhabited by Sacred Persons And here Men might spend their time better than in other Cities being among God's Ministers who might make them sensible of the negligence which Men were commonly guilty of in such Cases and of such Sins as they might have otherwise committed And to them ye shall add forty two Cities Which had all the same Priviledge if we may believe the Hebrew Doctors but not equally with the six For in the six a Man-slayer was to have an House to dwell in for nothing but in the other forty two he was to pay for it And the Levites could not refuse him entrance into the six but as for the rest it was in their choice whether they would receive him or no. Thus Maimonides out of their ancient Authors See Selden Lib. IV. de Jure Nat. Gent. juxta Discipl Hebr. cap. 2. where he observes that the Altar also was a place of Refuge according to XXI Exod. 14. but with many Exceptions both with relation to the parts of the Altar and to the Persons who fled thither and to the quality of the offence and their stay there which very much lessened the Priviledge of this Refuge Verse 7 Ver. 7. So all the Cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty eight Cities c. Accordingly we read Joshua gave them so many XXI Josh 41. Thirteen of which the Priests had and the rest the Levites And in the days of the Messiah whom they vainly still expect other Cities shall be added to them saith Maimonides which shall belong to the Levites Verse 8 Ver. 8. And the Cities which ye shall give them shall be of the possession of the Children of Israel And so it is said XXI Josh 3. that the Children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their Inheritance these Cities and their Suburbs Where we read also they were given them by Lot as the Children of Israel had their Inheritance given them From them which have many ye shall give many and from them that have few ye shall give few According to the Rule in distributing their Inheritances to the Israelites XXXIII 54. Every one shall give of his Cities unto the Levites according to the Inheritance which he shall inherit Thus they gave Nine Cities out of the two Tribes of Judah and Simeon XXI Josh 16. and but Four out of Benjamin which was a small Tribe v. 18. out of the Tribes of Issachar and Asher Four apiece v. 28 31. and out of Naphtali no more than three vers 32. Ver. 9. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying This being a matter of great importance that guiltless Men should not suffer nor the guilty escape Punishment Verse 9 the LORD gives Moses further direction about it as he promised he would in XXI Exod. 13. Ver. 10. Speak unto the Children of Israel and say Verse 10 unto them Repeat this Command to them which God himself repeated to Joshua XX. 1 2. When ye be come over Jordan into the Land of Canaan When they had possession of it and divided it and were settled in it So it is explained XIX Deut. 1 2. Ver. 11. Then shall ye appoint you Cities to be Cities Verse 11 of Refuge for you This seems to signifie that all the Cities of the Levites were in some sort a protection to the Man-slayer as I said upon v. 6. Such places the Temples were among the Athenians as Sam. Petitus observes in Leges Atticas p. 12 13. yet not all of them for he can find only six that of Mercy and that of the Eumenides and Minerva and those dedicated to Theseus one of them within the City the other without the Walls and that in Munychia That the Man-slayer may flee thither which killeth any person at unawares Or as it is XX Josh 3. unwittingly XIX Deut. 4. ignorantly that is besides his intention having no such design nor hatred to him as is there expresly said and here below v. 22. This is repeated v. 15. And the Instances of it are such as these mentioned by Georg. Ritterhusius de Jure Asylorum cap. 4. If a Man cutting Wood the Hatchet flying from the Helve should hit a Man and kill him or a Huntsman shooting at a Deer in a Thicket should kill a Man whom he did not see lying there An Example of which we have in Adrastus mentioned by Herodotus Lib. I. Ver. 12. And they shall be unto you Cities for Refuge Verse 12 from the Avenger From him who had a right to call a Murderer to account for the Blood he had shed and is therefore called the Avenger of Blood v. 19. who being stimulated with Anger and Grief for the Death of a near Relation might in a heat of Rage hastily kill him who was not guilty of Murder And therefore this provision is made for the preservation of an innocent Person against the violent Prosecution of the Avenger In the Hebrew the word for Avenger is Goel which signifying a Redeemer