Numbers 33

March out of Egypt and through the sea

1 These were the stages by which the Israelites marched when they left the land of Egypt, according to their military units under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

2 Moses recorded the points of departure for each stage of the march at the LORD's command. These are the stages of their march according to their points of departure.

3 They marched from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the day after the Passover the Israelites went out defiantly in the sight of all the Egyptians,

4 while the Egyptians were burying their oldest males, whom the LORD had killed. The LORD also executed judgments against their gods.

5 The Israelites marched from Rameses and they camped at Succoth.

6 They marched from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.

7 They marched from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol.

8 They marched from Pi-hahiroth and they crossed through the sea toward the desert.

March through the southern desert

9 Then they traveled three days in the Etham desert and they camped at Marah.They marched from Marah and arrived at Elim. At Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees and they camped there.

10 They marched from Elim and camped by the Reed Sea.

11 They marched from the Reed Sea and camped in the Sin desert.

12 They marched from the Sin desert and camped at Dophkah.

13 They marched from Dophkah and camped at Alush.

14 They marched from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.

15 They marched from Rephidim and camped in the Sinai desert.

16 They marched from the Sinai desert and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.

17 They marched from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.

18 They marched from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.

19 They marched from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.

20 They marched from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah.

21 They marched from Libnah and camped at Rissah.

22 They marched from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.

23 They marched from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.

24 They marched from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.

25 They marched from Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

26 They marched from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

27 They marched from Tahath and camped at Terah.

28 They marched from Terah and camped at Mithkah.

29 They marched from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.

30 They marched from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.

31 They marched from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan.

32 They marched from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad.

33 They marched from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.

34 They marched from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.

35 They marched from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.

36 They marched from Ezion-geber and camped in the Zin desert (that is, Kadesh).

March through the Transjordan region

37 They marched from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom.

38 Aaron the priest ascended Mount Hor at the LORD's command, and he died there in the fortieth year on the first day of the fifth month after the Israelites left the land of Egypt.

39 Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

40 The Canaanite king of Arad, who ruled in the arid southern plain in the land of Canaan, heard of the Israelites' coming.

41 They marched from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.

42 They marched from Zalmonah and camped at Punon.

43 They marched from Punon and camped at Oboth.

44 They marched from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim in the territory of Moab.

45 They marched from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad.

46 They marched from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim.

47 They marched from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the Abarim mountains in front of Nebo.

48 They marched from the Abarim mountains and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.

49 They camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.

Divine instruction about the land

50 The LORD spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho:

51 Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

52 you will drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. You will destroy all their carved figures. You will also destroy all their cast images. You will eliminate all their shrines.

53 You will take possession of the land and live in it, because I've given the land to you to possess.

54 You will divide up the land by lot according to your clans. To the large you will make its inheritance large, and to the small you will make its inheritance small. To whomever the lot falls, that place will be his. You will inherit land according to your ancestral tribes.

55 But if you don't drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, then those you allow to remain will prick your eyes and be thorns in your side. They will harass you in the land in which you are living.

56 Then what I intended to do to them, I'll do to you.

Numbers 33 Commentary

Chapter 33

Encampments of the Israelites. (1-49) The Canaanites to be destroyed. (50-56)

Verses 1-49 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.

Verses 50-56 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. March–April, Nisan
• [b]. Or with a high hand
• [c]. Or Red Sea
• [d]. July–August, probably Av

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 33

This chapter gives an account of the journeys of the people of Israel, from their first coming out of Egypt, to their arrival in the plains of Moab by Jordan, and the names of the various stations where they rested are given, Nu 33:1-49 and they are ordered, when they passed over Jordan, to drive out the Canaanites, destroy their idols, and divide the land among their families in their several tribes, Nu 33:50-54 or otherwise it is threatened the Canaanites should be troublesome and vexatious to them, even those that remained; and it might be expected God would do to the Israelites as he thought to do to those nations, Nu 33:55,56.