Números 10:31

31 Y él le dijo: Te ruego que no nos dejes; porque tú sabes como debemos de acampar en el desierto, y nos serás en lugar de ojos

Números 10:31 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 10:31

And he said
That is, Moses, he replied to Hobab, unwilling to take him at his word and go without him:

leave us not, I pray thee;
or "not now"; as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; at this present time, under our present difficulties, while we are in the wilderness; though Jarchi says the particle (an) signifies beseeching or supplication:

forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness;
that this will be our case, that we shall be obliged, before we get to the promised land, to pitch our tents in the wilderness, in our passage through it; and thou knowest which are the best and most convenient places for that purpose, and therefore must entreat thee to go with us:

and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes;
not to show the way, as Aben Ezra notes, or guide and direct them in the road through the wilderness; for the cloud by day and the fire by night were of that use to them, as well as when it rested, it directed them when and where to pitch their tents; rather to assist with his advice in difficult matters, when they should be in pressing circumstances: the Targum of Jonathan is,

``thou hast been dear unto us, as the apple of our eyes, and therefore we cannot part with thee.''

Números 10:31 In-Context

29 Entonces dijo Moisés a Hobab, hijo de Ragüel madianita, su suegro: Nosotros partimos para el lugar del cual el SEÑOR ha dicho: Yo os lo daré. Ven con nosotros, y te haremos bien; porque el SEÑOR ha hablado bien respecto a Israel

30 Y él le respondió: Yo no iré, sino que me marcharé a mi tierra y a mi natural

31 Y él le dijo: Te ruego que no nos dejes; porque tú sabes como debemos de acampar en el desierto, y nos serás en lugar de ojos

32 Y será, que si vinieres con nosotros, cuando tuviéremos el bien que el SEÑOR nos ha de hacer, nosotros te haremos bien

33 Así partieron del monte del SEÑOR, camino de tres días; y el arca del pacto del SEÑOR fue delante de ellos camino de tres días, buscándoles reposo