Numbers 10:1

Numbers 2:1 INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 2 This chapter contains the order of the encampment and march of the tribes of Israel in their proper places about the tabernacle; the general direction for the same is in Numbers 1:1; the particulars follow; on the cast of the tabernacle the camp of Judah was to pitch, and under his standard the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun, Numbers 1:3; on the south side of it the camp of Reuben, and under his standard the tribes of Simeon and Gad, Numbers 1:10; then the tabernacle, with the camp of the Levites round it, were next, to stand or set forward, Numbers 1:17; and on the west side the camp of Ephraim, and under his standard the tribes of Manasseh and Benjamin, Numbers 1:18; and on the north side the camp of Dan, and under his standard the tribes of Asher and Naphtali, Numbers 1:25; the sum total of the numbers of which camps are given, exclusive of the camp of Levi, Numbers 1:32; and the chapter is concluded with observing, that all was done according to the commandment of God, Numbers 1:34. Ver. 1. And the Lord spake unto Moses, and unto Aaron,.... Very probably after the number of the children of Israel was taken, of which in the preceding chapter, and when the congregation of Israel with the tabernacle were about to set forward on their journey; and therefore directions are here given for their orderly and regular proceeding in it, in what form and manner they should both encamp and march; saying: as follows. Numbers 2:2 Ver. 2.

392. Boeotica, sive, l. 9. p. 578. Arcadica, sive, l. 8. p. 522. {t} Ib. Arcadica, p. 531. . Thus shall Aaron come into the holy [place],.... The most holy place; and this was after he had offered the daily sacrifice of the morning, and had performed the rest of the service then done, as Gersom observes; such as burning the incense and trimming the lamps, for no offering preceded the daily sacrifice: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering; which were both for himself and his family; and such were the weakness, imperfection, and insufficiency of the Levitical priesthood, and priests, that they were obliged first to offer for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people: the meaning is not, as Aben Ezra says, that he should bring the bullock into the holy place, only that he should first give of his own a bullock for a sin offering, to atone for himself, and for the priests; nor could it be the body of the bullock he brought, only the blood of it into the most holy place, where he entered not without blood, first with the blood of the bullock, and then with the blood of the goat; for the body of the bullock for a sin offering was burnt without the camp, and the body of the ram for the burnt offering was burnt upon the altar of burnt offering; see Hebrews 9:7. . Of Simeon; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. See Gill on "Numbers 1:5". Numbers 1:7 Ver. 7. Of Judah; Nahshon the son of Amminadab. See Gill on "Numbers 1:5". Numbers 1:8 Ver. 8. Of Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar. See Gill on "Numbers 1:5". Numbers 1:9 Ver. 9. Of Zebulun; Eliab the son of Helon. See Gill on "Numbers 1:5". Numbers 1:10 Ver. 10. Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim; Elishama the son of Ammihud: of Manasseh; Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. See Gill on "Numbers 1:5". Numbers 1:11 Ver. 11. Of Benjamin; Abidan the son of Gideoni. See Gill on "Numbers 1:5". Numbers 1:12 Ver. 12. Of Dan; Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. See Gill on "Numbers 1:5". Numbers 1:13 Ver. 13. Of Asher; Pagiel the son of Ocran. See Gill on "Numbers 1:5".

10:1-10 Here are directions concerning the public notices to be given the people by sound of trumpet. Their laws in every case were to be Divine, therefore, even in this matter Moses is directed. These trumpets typify the preached gospel. It sounds an alarm to sinners, calls them to repent, proclaims liberty to the captives and slaves of Satan, and collects the worshippers of God. It directs and encourages their heavenly journey; stirs them up to combat against the world and sin, encouraging them with the assurance of victory. It leads their attention to the sacrifice of Christ, and shows the Lord's presence for their protection. It is also necessary that the gospel trumpet give a distinct sound, according to the persons addressed, or the end proposed; whether to convince, humble, console, exhort, reprove, or teach. The sounding of the trumpet of the gospel is God's ordinance, and demands the attention of all to whom it is sent.

And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... When the following directions concerning the trumpets were given is not certain; it may he at the time when the order of the camps of Israel was fixed, and is here recorded before the journeying of them, which was one use they were to be put unto, Numbers 10:2 , saying; as follows.

Verse 1. - And the Lord spake. The command to make the silver trumpets is introduced here, because one principal use of them was connected with the order of march. It does not necessarily, follow that the command was actually given exactly at this time, or that all the different directions for use formed part of one communication. They may have been gathered together for convenience sake. See the Introduction on this subject. It is, however, a mistake to suppose that this use of trumpets has been anticipated in Leviticus 25:9 , or elsewhere, for the "trumpets" there mentioned were altogether different in shape, as in material. Numbers 10:1

CHAPTER 10 Nu 10:1-36. The Use of the Silver Trumpets.Two trumpets of silver commanded to be made; with a direction to what end, when, how, by whom, and with what success they should be used, Numbers 10:1-10. The Israelites remove to Paran: the order in which they go, Numbers 10:11-28. Moses endeavours to get Hobab his father-in-law along with him, Numbers 10:29-32. Moses’s prayer and blessing when the ark was removed and set down again, Numbers 10:33-36. No text from Poole on this verse.

The Silver Signal-Trumpets. - Although God Himself appointed the time for removal and encampment by the movement of the cloud of His presence, signals were also requisite for ordering and conducting the march of so numerous a body, by means of which Moses, as commander-in-chief, might make known his commands to the different divisions of the camp. To this end God directed him to prepare two silver trumpets of beaten work (mikshah, see Exodus 25:18 ), which should serve "for the calling of the assembly, and for the breaking up of the camps," i.e., which were to be used for this purpose. The form of these trumpets is not further described. No doubt they were straight, not curved, as we may infer both from the representation of these trumpets on the triumphal arch of Titus at Rome, and also from the fact, that none but straight trumpets occur on the old Egyptian monuments (see my Arch. ii. p. 187). With regard to the use of them for calling the congregation, the following directions are given in Numbers 10:3 , Numbers 10:4 : "When they shall blow with them (i.e., with both), the whole congregation (in all its representatives) shall assemble at the door of the tabernacle; if they blow with only one, the princes or heads of the families of Israel shall assemble together."

[Reformed Biblical] nt residence in that place. ## The appearance of fire; that they might better discern it, and direct themselves and their journeys or stations by it. Numbers 9:16 Numbers 9:17 ## Was taken up, or, ascended on high, above its ordinary place, by which it became more visible to all the camp. Numbers 9:18 The motion or stay of the cloud is fitly called the command of God, because it was a signification of God’s will and their duty, which a command properly is. Numbers 9:19 ## The charge of the Lord, i.e. the command of God mentioned before, that they should stay as long as the cloud staid, as the same phrase is manifestly taken below, Num_9:23. And this, saith he, they did, though it were long in one place, which was tedious to them, who desired to change places, and to make haste to Canaan, yet they obeyed God herein against their own inclinations; which because it was remarkable in so obstinate a people, it is so largely and particularly mentioned here, as an instance of their obedience, and as an aggravation of the many following instances of their apostacy and disobedience. Numbers 9:20 Numbers 9:21 Numbers 9:22 Numbers 9:23 ## Numbers 10:1 NUMBERS CHAPTER 10 Two trumpets of silver commanded to be made; with a direction to what end, when, how, by whom, and with what success they should be used, Num_ 10:1-10. The Israelites remove to Paran: the order in which they go, Num_10:11-28. Moses endeavours t o get Hobab

[Reformed Biblical] for rejoicing and thanksgiving to God, either for former mercies, or for succeeding deliverances, as Est_9:18, &c. Compare Hos_2:11. ## Your solemn days; your stated and constant festivals. ## The beginnings of months, of which see Psa_81:3. ## A memorial before your God; that God may remember you for good to accept and bless you; as that phrase oft signifies. Numbers 10:11 Numbers 10:12 From which they travelled to other places, and then returned into it again, Num_12:16. Numbers 10:13 Numbers 10:14 Numbers 10:15 Numbers 10:16 Numbers 10:17 Numbers 10:18 Numbers 10:19 Numbers 10:20 Numbers 10:21 ## The other, i.e. the Gershonites and Merarites, as is evident both from their work and office, which was to take down and set up the tabernacle, Num_3:25 ,26 4:22-33 ; and from Num_10:17, who therefore marched after the first camp, a good distance kern and before the Kohathites, that they might prepare the tabernacle for the reception of its utensils, which the Kohathites brought some time after them. Numbers 10:22 Numbers 10:23 Numbers 10:24 Numbers 10:25 Numbers 10:26 Numbers 10:27 Numbers 10:28 Numbers 10:29 ## Raguel, called also Reuel , Exo_2:18, who seems to be the same who is called Jethro, Exo_3:1, it being usual in Scripture for one person to have two or three names. And therefore this Hobab is not Jethro, but his son, which may seem more probable, because Jethro was old and unfit f

1 . the same day ] The day of the month must in some way have fallen out in the early part of the verse. the wilderness of Sinai ] The area in front of the mountain, whether ‘Sinai’ be J. Serbâl or J. Mûsâ (see p. 186 ff.): so v. 2, Leviticus 7:38 b, Numbers 1:1 ; Num Exo 1:19; Numbers 3:14 ; Numbers 9:1 ; Numbers 10:12 ; Numbers 26:64 ; Numbers 33:15-16 (all P). If Sinai be J. Serbäl, the ‘wilderness’ will be the stretch of W. Feiran, ¾ mile long, between W. ‘Ajeleh and W. ‘Aleyat (cf. on Exodus 17:1 a), 3 miles N. of J. Serbâl, and separated from J. Serbǎl itself by a chaos of rugged hills (cf. p. 182, and see the map): if Sinai be J. Mûsâ, then the ‘wilderness’ will be the plain er-Râḥah, about 1½ mile long, and ½ mile broad, fronting it on the NW., and, according to the best route (p. 182), 37 miles above Feiran. Er-Râḥah, it may be added, is 3000 ft. above Feiran, and 5000 ft. above the sea. 1, 2 . a (P). Arrival of the Israelites at Sinai. The ‘when’ in v. 2. is intended to remove a difficulty: the Heb. is, And they took their journey …, and came …, and pitched , &c.; these words, however, beginning with the departure from Rephidim, would naturally precede v. 1, which, stating the new fact of the date of their arrival at Sinai, would as naturally then follow.