Numeri 10:31

31 Er sprach: Verlaß uns doch nicht; denn du weißt, wo wir in der Wüste uns lagern sollen, und sollst unser Auge sein.

Numeri 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.''

Numeri 10:31 In-Context

29 Und Mose sprach zu seinem Schwager Hobab, dem Sohn Reguels, aus Midian: Wir ziehen dahin an die Stätte, davon der HERR gesagt hat: Ich will sie euch geben; so komm nun mit uns, so wollen wir das Beste an dir tun; denn der HERR hat Israel Gutes zugesagt.

30 Er aber antwortete: Ich will nicht mit euch, sondern in mein Land zu meiner Freundschaft ziehen.

31 Er sprach: Verlaß uns doch nicht; denn du weißt, wo wir in der Wüste uns lagern sollen, und sollst unser Auge sein.

32 Und wenn du mit uns ziehst: was der HERR Gutes an uns tut, das wollen wir an dir tun.

33 Also zogen sie von dem Berge des HERRN drei Tagereisen, und die Lade des Bundes des HERRN zog vor ihnen her die drei Tagereisen, ihnen zu weisen, wo sie ruhen sollten.