Numbers33
New Living Translation
1 This is the route the Israelites followed as they marched out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.
2 At the Lord’s direction, Moses kept a written record of their progress. These are the stages of their march, identified by the different places where they stopped along the way.
3 They set out from the city of Rameses in early spring—on the fifteenth day of the first month—on the morning after the first Passover celebration. The people of Israel left defiantly, in full view of all the Egyptians.
4 Meanwhile, the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn sons, whom the Lord had killed the night before. The Lord had defeated the gods of Egypt that night with great acts of judgment!
5 After leaving Rameses, the Israelites set up camp at Succoth.
6 Then they left Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.
7 They left Etham and turned back toward Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon, and camped near Migdol.
8 They left Pi-hahiroth and crossed the Red Sea into the wilderness beyond. Then they traveled for three days into the Etham wilderness and camped at Marah.
9 They left Marah and camped at Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees.
10 They left Elim and camped beside the Red Sea.
11 They left the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin.
12 They left the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah.
13 They left Dophkah and camped at Alush.
14 They left Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.
15 They left Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai.
16 They left the wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.
17 They left Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.
18 They left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.
19 They left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.
20 They left Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah.
21 They left Libnah and camped at Rissah.
22 They left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.
23 They left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.
24 They left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.
25 They left Haradah and camped at Makheloth.
26 They left Makheloth and camped at Tahath.
27 They left Tahath and camped at Terah.
28 They left Terah and camped at Mithcah.
29 They left Mithcah and camped at Hashmonah.
30 They left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.
31 They left Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan.
32 They left Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad.
33 They left Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.
34 They left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.
35 They left Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.
36 They left Ezion-geber and camped at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.
37 They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, at the border of Edom.
38 While they were at the foot of Mount Hor, Aaron the priest was directed by the Lord to go up the mountain, and there he died. This happened in midsummer, on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year after Israel’s departure from Egypt.
39 Aaron was 123 years old when he died there on Mount Hor.
40 At that time the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan, heard that the people of Israel were approaching his land.
41 Meanwhile, the Israelites left Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.
42 Then they left Zalmonah and camped at Punon.
43 They left Punon and camped at Oboth.
44 They left Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim on the border of Moab.
45 They left Iye-abarim and camped at Dibon-gad.
46 They left Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim.
47 They left Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains east of the river, near Mount Nebo.
48 They left the mountains east of the river and camped on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho.
49 Along the Jordan River they camped from Beth-jeshimoth as far as the meadows of Acacia on the plains of Moab.
50 While they were camped near the Jordan River on the plains of Moab opposite Jericho, the Lord said to Moses,
51 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: When you cross the Jordan River into the land of Canaan,
52 you must drive out all the people living there. You must destroy all their carved and molten images and demolish all their pagan shrines.
53 Take possession of the land and settle in it, because I have given it to you to occupy.
54 You must distribute the land among the clans by sacred lot and in proportion to their size. A larger portion of land will be allotted to each of the larger clans, and a smaller portion will be allotted to each of the smaller clans. The decision of the sacred lot is final. In this way, the portions of land will be divided among your ancestral tribes.
55 But if you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land where you live.
56 And I will do to you what I had planned to do to them.”
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Numbers 33Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Numbers 33. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
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