Numbers 33

1 These are the mansions of the children of Israel, who went out of Egypt by their troops under the conduct of Moses and Aaron,

2 Which Moses wrote down according to the places of their encamping, which they changed by the commandment of the Lord.

3 Now the children of Israel departed from Ramesses the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the phase, with a mighty hand, in the sight of all the Egyptians,

4 Who were burying their firstborn, whom the Lord had slain (upon their gods also he had executed vengeance,)

5 And they camped in Soccoth.

6 And from Soccoth they came into Etham, which is in the uttermost borders of the wilderness.

7 Departing from thence they came over against Phihahiroth, which looketh towards Beelsephon, and they camped before Magdalum.

8 And departing from Phihahiroth, they passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness: and having marched three days through the desert of Etham, they camped in Mara.

9 And departing from Mara, they came into Elim, where there were twelve fountains of waters, and seventy palm trees: and there they camped.

10 But departing from thence also, they pitched their tents by the Red Sea. And departing from the Red Sea,

11 They camped in the desert of Sin.

12 And they removed from thence, and came to Daphca.

13 And departing from Daphca, they camped in Alus.

14 And departing from Alus, they pitched their tents in Raphidim, where the people wanted water to drink.

15 And departing from Raphidim, they camped in the desert of Sinai.

16 But departing also from the desert of Sinai, they came to the graves of lust.

17 And departing from the graves of lust, they camped in Haseroth.

18 And from Haseroth they came to Rethma.

19 And departing from Rethma, they camped in Remmomphares.

20 And they departed from thence and came to Lebna.

21 Removing from Lebna they camped in Ressa.

22 And departing from Ressa, they came to Ceelatha.

23 And they removed from thence and camped in the mountain Sepher.

24 Departing from the mountain Sepher, they came to Arada,

25 From thence they went and camped in Maceloth.

26 And departing from Maceloth, they came to Thahath.

27 Removing from Thahath they camped in Thare.

28 And they departed from thence, and pitched their tents in Methca.

29 And removing from Methca, they camped in Hesmona.

30 And departing from Hesmona, they came to Moseroth.

31 And removing from Moseroth, they camped in Benejaacan.

32 And departing from Benejaacan, they came to mount Gadgad.

33 From thence they went and camped in Jetebatha.

34 And from Jetebatha they came to Hebrona.

35 And departing from Hebrona, they camped in Asiongaber.

36 They removed from thence and came into the desert of Sin, which is Cades.

37 And departing from Cades, they camped in mount Hor, in the uttermost borders of the land of Edom.

38 And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the Lord: and there he died in the fortieth year of the coming forth of the children of Israel out of Egypt, the fifth month, the first day of the month,

39 When he was a hundred and twenty-three years old.

40 And king Arad the Chanaanite, who dwelt towards the south, heard that the children of Israel were come to the land of Chanaan.

41 And they departed from mount Hor, and camped in Salmona.

42 From whence they removed and came to Phunon.

43 And departing from Phunon, they camped in Oboth.

44 And from Oboth they came to Ijeabarim, which is in the borders of the Moabites.

45 And departing from Ijeabarim they pitched their tents in Dibongab.

46 From thence they went and camped in Helmondeblathaim.

47 And departing from Helmondeblathaim, they came to the mountains of Abarim over against Nabo.

48 And departing from the mountains of Abarim, they passed to the plains of Moab, by the Jordan, over against Jericho.

49 And there they camped from Bethsimoth even to Ablesatim in the plains of the Moabites,

50 Where the Lord said to Moses:

51 Command the children of Israel, and say to them: When you shall have passed over the Jordan, entering into the land of Chanaan,

52 Destroy all the inhabitants of that land: Beat down their pillars, and break in pieces their statues, and waste all their high places,

53 Cleansing the land, and dwelling in it. For I have given it you for a possession.

54 And you shall divide it among you by lot. To the more you shall give a larger part, and to the fewer a lesser. To every one as the lot shall fall, so shall the inheritance be given. The possession shall be divided by the tribes and the families.

55 But if you will not kill the inhabitants of the land: they that remain, shall be unto you as nails in your eyes, and spears in your sides, and they shall be your adversaries in the land of your habitation.

56 And whatsoever I had thought to do to them, I will 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.

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.