Numbers33
World English Bible · Public Domain
1These are the journeys of the children of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron.
2Moses wrote the starting points of their journeys by the commandment of Yahweh. These are their journeys according to their starting points.
3They traveled from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the next day after the Passover, the children of Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians,
4while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom Yahweh had struck among them. Yahweh also executed judgments on their gods.
5The children of Israel traveled from Rameses, and encamped in Succoth.
6They traveled from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness.
7They traveled from Etham, and turned back to Pihahiroth, which is before Baal Zephon, and they encamped before Migdol.
8They traveled from before Hahiroth, and crossed through the middle of the sea into the wilderness. They went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham, and encamped in Marah.
9They traveled from Marah, and came to Elim. In Elim, there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there.
10They traveled from Elim, and encamped by the Red Sea.
11They traveled from the Red Sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.
12They traveled from the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah.
13They traveled from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.
14They traveled from Alush, and encamped in Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.
15They traveled from Rephidim, and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai.
16They traveled from the wilderness of Sinai, and encamped in Kibroth Hattaavah.
17They traveled from Kibroth Hattaavah, and encamped in Hazeroth.
18They traveled from Hazeroth, and encamped in Rithmah.
19They traveled from Rithmah, and encamped in Rimmon Perez.
20They traveled from Rimmon Perez, and encamped in Libnah.
21They traveled from Libnah, and encamped in Rissah.
22They traveled from Rissah, and encamped in Kehelathah.
23They traveled from Kehelathah, and encamped in Mount Shepher.
24They traveled from Mount Shepher, and encamped in Haradah.
25They traveled from Haradah, and encamped in Makheloth.
26They traveled from Makheloth, and encamped in Tahath.
27They traveled from Tahath, and encamped in Terah.
28They traveled from Terah, and encamped in Mithkah.
29They traveled from Mithkah, and encamped in Hashmonah.
30They traveled from Hashmonah, and encamped in Moseroth.
31They traveled from Moseroth, and encamped in Bene Jaakan.
32They traveled from Bene Jaakan, and encamped in Hor Haggidgad.
33They traveled from Hor Haggidgad, and encamped in Jotbathah.
34They traveled from Jotbathah, and encamped in Abronah.
35They traveled from Abronah, and encamped in Ezion Geber.
36They traveled from Ezion Geber, and encamped at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.
37They traveled from Kadesh, and encamped in Mount Hor, in the edge of the land of Edom.
38Aaron the priest went up into Mount Hor at the commandment of Yahweh and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first day of the month.
39Aaron was one hundred twenty-three years old when he died in Mount Hor.
40The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the South in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.
41They traveled from Mount Hor, and encamped in Zalmonah.
42They traveled from Zalmonah, and encamped in Punon.
43They traveled from Punon, and encamped in Oboth.
44They traveled from Oboth, and encamped in Iye Abarim, in the border of Moab.
45They traveled from Iyim, and encamped in Dibon Gad.
46They traveled from Dibon Gad, and encamped in Almon Diblathaim.
47They traveled from Almon Diblathaim, and encamped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo.
48They traveled from the mountains of Abarim, and encamped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.
49They encamped by the Jordan, from Beth Jeshimoth even to Abel Shittim in the plains of Moab.
50Yahweh spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
51Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, “When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
52then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their stone idols, destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places.
53You shall take possession of the land, and dwell therein; for I have given the land to you to possess it.
54You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger groups you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to any man, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.
55“But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those you let remain of them will be like pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land in which you dwell.
56It shall happen that as I thought to do to them, so I will do to you.”
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