Numbers33
New King James Version
1These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who went out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron.
2Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their journeys at the command of the Lord. And these are their journeys according to their starting points:
3They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out with boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians.
4For the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had killed among them. Also on their gods the Lord had executed judgments.
5Then the children of Israel moved from Rameses and camped at Succoth.
6They departed from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness.
7They moved from Etham and turned back to Pi Hahiroth, which is east of Baal Zephon; and they camped near Migdol.
8They departed from before Hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, went three days’ journey in the Wilderness of Etham, and camped at Marah.
9They moved from Marah and came to Elim. At Elim were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there.
10They moved from Elim and camped by the Red Sea.
11They moved from the Red Sea and camped in the Wilderness of Sin.
12They journeyed from the Wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah.
13They departed from Dophkah and camped at Alush.
14They moved from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.
15They departed from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai.
16They moved from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah.
17They departed from Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.
18They departed from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.
19They departed from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez.
20They departed from Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah.
21They moved from Libnah and camped at Rissah.
22They journeyed from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.
23They went from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.
24They moved from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.
25They moved from Haradah and camped at Makheloth.
26They moved from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.
27They departed from Tahath and camped at Terah.
28They moved from Terah and camped at Mithkah.
29They went from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.
30They departed from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.
31They departed from Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan.
32They moved from Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Hagidgad.
33They went from Hor Hagidgad and camped at Jotbathah.
34They moved from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.
35They departed from Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber.
36They moved from Ezion Geber and camped in the Wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh.
37They moved from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the boundary of the land of Edom.
38Then Aaron the priest went up to Mount Hor at the command of the Lord, and died there in the fortieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month.
39Aaron was one hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.
40Now the king of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.
41So they departed from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.
42They departed from Zalmonah and camped at Punon.
43They departed from Punon and camped at Oboth.
44They departed from Oboth and camped at Ije Abarim, at the border of Moab.
45They departed from Ijim and camped at Dibon Gad.
46They moved from Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim.
47They moved from Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo.
48They departed from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho.
49They camped by the Jordan, from Beth Jesimoth as far as the Abel Acacia Grove in the plains of Moab.
50Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho, saying,
51“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
52then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places;
53you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to possess.
54And you shall divide the land by lot as an inheritance among your families; to the larger you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance; there everyone’s inheritance shall be whatever falls to him by lot. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.
55But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell.
56Moreover it shall be that I will do to you as I thought to do to them.’ ”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Numbers 33.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Encampments of the Israelites. (1–49). The Canaanites to be destroyed. (50–56).
vv1-49
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our removes in this world are but from one part a desert to another. They were led to and fro, forward and backward, yet were all the while under the direction of the pillar of cloud and fire. God led them about, yet led them the right way. The way God takes in bringing his people to himself is always the best way, though it does not always seem to us the nearest way. Former events are mentioned. Thus we ought to keep in mind the providences of God concerning us and 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. Few periods of our lives can be thought upon, without reminding us of the Lord's goodness, and our own ingratitude and disobedience: his kindness leaves us without excuse for our sins. We could not wish to travel over again the stages we have passed, unless we could hope, by the grace of God, to shun the sins we then committed, and to embrace such opportunities of doing good as we have let slip. Soon will our wanderings end, and our eternal state be fixed beyond recall; how important then is the present moment! Happy are those whom the Lord now guides with his counsel, and will at length receive to his glory. To this happiness the gospel calls us. Behold now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation. Let sinners seize the opportunity, and flee for refuge to the hope set before them. Let us redeem our time, to glorify God and serve our generation; and he will carry us safely through all, to his eternal kingdom.
vv50-56
Now that they were to pass over Jordan, they were entering again into temptation to follow idols; and they are threatened that, if they spared either the idols or the idolaters, their sin would certainly be their punishment. They would foster vipers in their own bosoms. The remnant of the Canaanites, if they made any peace with them, though but for a time, would be pricks in their eyes, and thorns in their sides. We must expect trouble and affliction from whatever sin we indulge; that which we are willing should tempt us, will vex us. It was intended that the Canaanites should be put out of the land; but if the Israelites learned their wicked ways, they also would be put out. Let us hear this and fear. If we do not drive out sin, sin will drive us out. If we are not the death of our lusts, our lusts will be the death of our souls.
Key Words
אֵלֶּה: these or those
מַסַּע: a departure (from striking the tents), i.e. march (not necessarily a single day's travel); by implication, a station (or point of departure)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
יָצָא: to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.
אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
מִצְרַיִם: Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt
צָבָא: a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized forwar (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship)
יָד: a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
Cross References
Numbers 33Direct parallel showing God executed judgment on both Egypt's firstborn and their false gods.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Calvin highlights this law of breaking down Canaanite altars and images to prevent idolatry.
Supported by John Calvin
Records Israel departing from Egypt 'with an high hand' in the sight of all.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Chronicles Aaron dying on Mount Hor, matching the account recorded in Numbers 33:38.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Warns remaining Canaanites will be 'scourges in your sides' and 'thorns in your eyes.'
Supported by Matthew Henry
Poole links Moseroth and Bene-jaakan to the itinerary recorded in Deuteronomy 10:6.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Poole links Hor-haggiggad and Jotbathah to Gudgodah and Jotbath in Deuteronomy 10:7.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Identifies Ezion-geber's location as being on the shore of the Red Sea.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Describes King Arad the Canaanite fighting Israel when they approached the south.
Supported by JFB
Identifies Elim as the place containing twelve fountains of water and seventy palm trees.
Supported by JFB
Matches instructions for dividing the Promised Land by lot among tribes based on size.
Supported by JFB
Matches the detail that Israel went out of Egypt armed and in orderly arrays.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Geographical parallel where Israel arrives at the Wilderness of Sin after the Red Sea.
Supported by JFB
Identifies Rephidim as the specific wilderness station where there was no water to drink.
Supported by JFB
Connects the mountains of Abarim near Nebo with Moses' final view of Canaan.
Supported by JFB