1Dies sind die Lagerorte der Söhne Israels, da sie aus Ägyptenland ausgingen, nach ihren Heerscharen unter der Hand des Mose und Aharon. 2Und Mose schrieb auf ihre Auszüge nach ihren Lagerorten auf Befehl Jehovahs; und dies sind ihre Lagerorte nach ihren Auszügen: 3Und sie brachen auf von Ramses im ersten Monat am fünfzehnten Tage des ersten Monats. Am morgenden Tag nach dem Passah zogen die Söhne Israels aus mit erhöhter Hand vor den Augen aller Ägypter. 4Und die Ägypter begruben all die Erstgeburt, die Jehovah unter ihnen geschlagen hatte; und an ihren Göttern hatte Jehovah Gerichte geübt. 5Und die Söhne Israels brachen von Ramses auf und lagerten in Sukkoth. 6Und von Sukkoth brachen sie auf und lagerten in Etham, das am Ende der Wüste ist. 7Und von Etham brachen sie auf und wandten sich zurück nach Pi Hachiroth, das vor Baal Zephon ist und lagerten vor Migdol. 8Und vor Hachiroth brachen sie auf und zogen mitten durch das Meer nach der Wüste hin und gingen einen Weg von drei Tagen in der Wüste Etham und lagerten in Marah. 9Und von Marah brachen sie auf und kamen nach Elim; und in Elim waren zwölf Wasserquellen und siebzig Palmbäume, und sie lagerten daselbst. 10Und sie brachen auf von Elim und lagerten am Schilfmeer. 11Und vom Schilfmeer brachen sie auf und lagerten in der Wüste Sin. 12Und von der Wüste Sin brachen sie auf und lagerten in Dophkah. 13Und von Dophkah brachen sie auf und lagerten in Alusch. 14Und von Alusch brachen sie auf und lagerten in Rephidim, und daselbst war kein Wasser für das Volk zum Trinken. 15Und sie brachen auf von Rephidim und lagerten sich in der Wüste Sinai. 16Und aus der Wüste Sinai brachen sie auf und lagerten in Kibroth Thaavah. 17Und von Kibroth Thaavah brachen sie auf und lagerten in Chazeroth. 18Und von Chazeroth brachen sie auf und lagerten in Rithmah. 19Und von Rithmah brachen sie auf und lagerten in Rimmon Parez. 20Und von Rimmon Parez brachen sie auf und lagerten in Libnah. 21Und von Libnah brachen sie auf und lagerten in Rissah. 22Und von Rissah brachen sie auf und lagerten in Kehelathah. 23Und von Kehelathah brachen sie auf und lagerten am Berge Schapher. 24Und vom Berge Schapher brachen sie auf und lagerten in Charadah. 25Und von Charadah brachen sie auf und lagerten sich in Makheloth. 26Und von Makheloth brachen sie auf und lagerten in Thachath. 27Und von Thachath brachen sie auf und lagerten in Tharach. 28Und von Tharach brachen sie auf und lagerten sich in Mithkah. 29Und von Mithkah brachen sie auf und lagerten in Chaschmonah. 30Und von Chaschmonah brachen sie auf und lagerten in Moseroth. 31Und von Moseroth brachen sie auf und lagerten in Bene Jaakan. 32Und von Bene Jaakan brachen sie auf und lagerten in Chor Gidgad. 33Und von Chor Gidgad brachen sie auf und lagerten in Jotbathah. 34Und von Jotbathah brachen sie auf und lagerten in Abronah. 35Und von Abronah aber brachen sie auf und lagerten in Ezjon Geber. 36Und von Ezjon Geber brachen sie auf und lagerten in der Wüste Zin, das ist Kadesch. 37Und sie brachen auf von Kadesch und lagerten am Hor, dem Berge an dem Ende vom Lande Edom. 38Und Aharon, der Priester, stieg auf den Berg Hor nach dem Befehl Jehovahs und starb allda im vierzigsten Jahre des Auszugs der Söhne Israels aus Ägyptenland, im fünften Monat im ersten des Monats. 39Und Aharon war hundertdreiundzwanzig Jahre alt, da er starb auf dem Berge Hor. 40Und der Kanaaniterkönig Arad, der da wohnte im Mittag im Lande Kanaan, hörte von dem Kommen der Söhne Israels. 41Und sie brachen auf vom Berge Hor und lagerten in Zalmonah. 42Und von Zalmonah brachen sie auf und lagerten in Phunon. 43Und von Phunon brachen sie auf und lagerten in Oboth. 44Und von Oboth brachen sie auf und lagerten in Ijim Haabarim, an der Grenze Moabs. 45Und von Ijim brachen sie auf und lagerten in Dibon Gad. 46Und von Dibon Gad brachen sie auf und lagerten in Almon Diblathaim. 47Und von Almon Diblathaim brachen sie auf und lagerten in den Bergen Abarim vor Nebo. 48Und von den Bergen Abarim brachen sie auf und lagerten in Arboth Moab am Jordan bei Jericho. 49Und sie lagerten am Jordan von Beth Jeschimoth bis Abel Schittim in Moabs Flachland. 50Und Jehovah redete zu Mose in dem Flachland Moabs am Jordan bei Jericho und sprach: 51Rede zu den Söhnen Israels und sprich zu ihnen: Wenn ihr über den Jordan setzet in das Land Kanaan, 52So sollet ihr alle, die im Lande wohnen, vor eurem Angesichte austreiben, und all ihr Gebilde und all ihre gegossenen Bilder sollt ihr zerstören, und alle ihre Opferhöhen vernichten. 53Und sollt das Land erblich besitzen und darin wohnen: denn euch habe Ich das Land gegeben, es erblich zu besitzen. 54Und nach dem Lose sollt ihr das Land unter euch zum Erbe verteilen nach euren Familien; dem, der viele hat, mehrt sein Erbe, und dem der wenige hat, mindert das Erbe. Wohin das Los ihm ausgeht, das soll das Seinige sein. Nach den Stämmen eurer Väter sollt ihr es zum Erbe unter euch verteilen. 55Und so ihr, die im Lande wohnen, nicht austreibet vor eurem Angesicht, so sollen die, so ihr von ihnen übriglasset, euch zu Dornen in den Augen und zu Stacheln in den Seiten werden und euch bedrängen auf dem Lande, da ihr innen wohnet. 56Und es wird geschehen, daß, wie Ich ihnen zu tun gesonnen war, Ich euch tun werde.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 This is a review and brief rehearsal of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It was a memorable history and well worthy to be thus abridged, and the abridgment thus preserved, to the honour of God that led them and for the encouragement of the generations that followed. Observe here,
I. How the account was kept:
Moses wrote their goings out, Num 33:2. When they began this tedious march, God ordered him to keep a journal or diary, and to insert in it all the remarkable occurrences of their way, that it might be a satisfaction to himself in the review and an instruction to others when it should be published. It may be of good use to private Christians, but especially to those in public stations, to preserve in writing an account of the providences of God concerning them, the constant series of mercies they have experienced, especially those turns and changes which have made some days of their lives more remarkable. Our memories are deceitful and need this help, that we may
remember all the way which the Lord our God has led us in this wilderness, Deut 8:2.
II. What the account itself was. It began with their departure out of Egypt, continued with their march through the wilderness, and ended in the plains of Moab, where they now lay encamped.
1. Some things are observed here concerning their departure out of Egypt, which they are reminded of upon all occasions, as a work of wonder never to be forgotten. (1.) That they
went forth with their armies (
Num 33:1), rank and file, as an army with banners. (2.) Under the hand of Moses and Aaron, their guides, overseers, and rulers, under God. (3.)
With a high hand, because God's hand was high that wrought for them,
and in the sight of all the Egyptians, Num 33:3. They did not steal away clandestinely (
Isa 52:12), but in defiance of their enemies, to whom God had made them such a burdensome stone that they neither could, nor would, nor durst, oppose them. (4.) They went forth while the Egyptians were burying, or at least preparing to bury, their first-born,
Num 33:4. They had a mind good enough, or rather bad enough, still to have detained the Israelites their prisoners, but God found them other work to do. They would have God's first-born buried alive, but God set them a burying their own first-born. (5.) To all the plagues of Egypt it is added here that
on their gods also the Lord executed judgments. Their idols which they worshipped, it is probable, were broken down, as Dagon afterwards before the ark, so that they could not consult them about this great affair. To this perhaps there is reference,
Isa 19:1,
The idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence. 2. Concerning their travels towards Canaan. Observe, (1.) They were continually upon the remove. When they had pitched a little while in one place they departed from that to another. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city. (2.) Most of their way lay through a wilderness, uninhabited, untracked, unfurnished even with the necessaries of human life, which magnifies the wisdom and power of God, by whose wonderful conduct and bounty the thousands of Israel not only subsisted for forty years in that desolate place, but came out at least as numerous and vigorous as they went in. At first they pitched
in the edge of the wilderness (
Num 33:6), but afterwards in the heart of it; by less difficulties God prepares his people for greater. We find them in the wilderness of Etham (
Num 33:8), of Sin (
Num 33:11), of Sinai,
Num 33:15. Our removals in this world are but from one wilderness to another. (3.) They were led to and fro, forward and backward, as in a maze or labyrinth, and yet were all the while under the direction of the pillar of cloud and fire. He led them about (
Deut 32:10), and yet led them the right way,
Pss 107:7. The way which God takes in bringing his people to himself is always the best way, though it does not always seem to us the nearest way. (4.) Some events are mentioned in this journal, as their want of water at Rephidim (
Num 33:14), the death of Aaron (
Num 33:38,
Num 33:39), the insult of Arad (
Num 33:40); and the very name of
Kibroth-hattaavah -
the graves of lusts (
Num 33:16), has a story depending upon it. Thus we ought to keep in mind the providences of God concerning us and our families, us and our land, and the many instances of that divine care which has led us, and fed us, and kept us, all our days hitherto. Shittim, the place where the people sinned in the matter of Peor (
Num 25:1), is here called
Abel-shittim. Abel signifies
mourning (as
Gen 50:11), and probably this place was so called from the mourning of the good people of Israel on account of that sin and of God's wrath against them for it. It was so great a mourning that it gave a name to the place.
50 While the children of Israel were in the wilderness their total separation from all other people kept them out of the way of temptation to idolatry, and perhaps this was one thing intended by their long confinement in the wilderness, that thereby the idols of Egypt might be forgotten, and the people aired (as it were) and purified from that infection, and the generation that entered Canaan might be such as never knew those depths of Satan. But now that they were to pass over Jordan they were entering again into that temptation, and therefore, 1. They are here strictly charged utterly to destroy all remnants of idolatry. They must not only
drive out the inhabitants of the land, that they may possess their country, but they must deface all their idolatrous pictures and images, and
pull down all their high places, Num 33:52. They must not preserve any of them, no, not as monuments of antiquity to gratify the curious, nor as ornaments of their houses, nor toys for their children to play with, but they must destroy all, both in token of their abhorrence and detestation of idolatry and to prevent their being tempted to worship those images, and the false gods represented by them, or to worship the God of Israel by such images or representations. 2. They were assured that, if they did so, God would by degrees put them in full possession of the land of promise,
Num 33:53,
Num 33:54. If they would keep themselves pure from the idols of Canaan, God would enrich them with the wealth of Canaan. Learn not their way, and then fear not their power. 3. They were threatened that, if they spared either the idols or the idolaters, they should be beaten with their own rod and their sin would certainly be their punishment. (1.) They would foster snakes in their own bosoms,
Num 33:55. The remnant of the Canaanites, if they made any league with them, though it were but a cessation of arms, would be
pricks in their eyes and thorns in their sides, that is, they would be upon all occasions vexatious to them, insulting them, robbing them, and, to the utmost of their power, making mischief among them. We must expect trouble and affliction from that, whatever it is, which we sinfully indulge; that which we are willing should tempt us we shall find will vex us. (2.) The righteous God would turn that wheel upon the Israelites which was to have crushed the Canaanites:
I shall do to you as I thought to do unto them, Num 33:56. It was intended that the Canaanites should be dispossessed; but if the Israelites fell in with them, and learned their way, they should be dispossessed, for God's displeasure would justly be greater against them than against the Canaanites themselves. Let us hear this, and fear. If we do not drive sin out, sin will drive us out; if we be not the death of our lusts, our lusts will be the death of our souls.