PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible — Numbers
Gill, John, 1697-1771 · 203,866 words · 574 reading sections
Numbers 31:1
Numbers 31:1 INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 31 This chapter contains an order to make war upon Midian, which was accordingly done, Nu 31:1, but Moses was wroth, because they saved the women alive, who, through the counsel of Balaam, had been the cause of sin, and of the plague for it in Israel, and therefore orders them, an…
268 wordsSECTION 482Numbers 31:2
Numbers 31:2 Ver. 2. Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites,.... For the injury they had done them, by sending their daughters among them, who enticed them to commit uncleanness with them, and then drew them into the worship of their idols, which brought the wrath of God upon them, and for which 24,000 person…
261 wordsSECTION 483Numbers 31:3
Numbers 31:3 Ver. 3. And Moses spake unto the people, saying,.... In obedience to the divine command; this must be supposed to be spoken to the heads or princes of the tribes: arm some of yourselves unto the war: not the whole body of the militia, 600,000 men and upwards, only some of them, and these choice and selec…
178 wordsSECTION 484Numbers 31:4
Numbers 31:4 Ver. 4. Of every tribe a thousand,.... So that the whole number of those that were armed were 12,000 as after given: throughout all the tribes of Israel; this is observed, as Jarchi thinks, to comprehend the tribe of Levi, which in some cases was left out of the account: shall ye send to the war; to fig…
64 wordsSECTION 485Numbers 31:5
Numbers 31:5 Ver. 5. So they were delivered out of the thousands of Israel,....] Several thousands very probably offered themselves voluntarily to go to the war, or however were summoned together on this account, and out of them the following number was delivered of picked and chosen men: a thousand [of every] tribe,…
144 wordsSECTION 486Numbers 31:6
Numbers 31:6 Ver. 6. And Moses sent them to the war,.... Being mustered and armed: a thousand of [every] tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest to the war; which looks as if Phinehas was the general of this army; for Moses went not to the war, and no mention is made of Joshua, nor might it be proper f…
482 wordsSECTION 487Numbers 31:7
Numbers 31:7 Ver. 7. And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses,.... Whether the Midianites came out against them with an army, and there was a pitched battle between them, is not certain; however the Israelites committed acts of hostility upon them, by entering their cities, plundering their …
271 wordsSECTION 488Numbers 31:8
Numbers 31:8 Ver. 8. And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain,.... Besides the males of the common people, they slew their kings, who were petty kings or princes, perhaps under the king of Moab, or had reassumed their titles and government after the death of Sihon the king of the Amor…
311 wordsSECTION 489Numbers 31:9
Numbers 31:9 Ver. 9. And the children of Israel took [all] the women of Midian captives,.... The word "all" is not in the original text, nor should it be supplied; for if all had been taken, and carried captive, and put to death, as those were afterwards, how could there have been such an increase of the Midianites as…
137 wordsSECTION 490Numbers 31:10
Numbers 31:10 Ver. 10. And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, &c. } So far as they went into the country, which, perhaps, might not be the whole land of Midian: and all their goodly castles with fire; which were either the palaces of their princes and nobles, or such like great personages; or they were f…
86 wordsSECTION 491Numbers 31:11
Numbers 31:11 Ver. 11. And they took all the spoil,.... In their cities and castles; and all the prey, both of men and of beasts; all sorts of cattle, oxen, sheep, and asses.…
34 wordsSECTION 492Numbers 31:12
Numbers 31:12 Ver. 12 And they brought the captives, the prey, and the spoil,.... The women and children, who were the captives, and the beasts which were the prey, and the gold, silver, &c. which were the spoil: unto Moses and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel; that is, they wer…
104 wordsSECTION 493Numbers 31:13
Numbers 31:13 Ver. 13. And Moses and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation,.... Attended, no doubt, with a proper retinue: went forth to meet them without the camp; partly to do honour to them, and to congratulate them on their victory, and partly to hinder them going into the camp directly, unt…
64 wordsSECTION 494Numbers 31:14
Numbers 31:14 Ver. 14. And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host,.... The general officers who had the command of the army, for there does not appear to be anyone that was one general over the whole, otherwise the displeasure would have fallen upon him: [with] the captains over thousands, and captains over hu…
122 wordsSECTION 495Numbers 31:15
Numbers 31:15 Ver. 15. And Moses said unto them, have ye saved all the women alive?] Which either had been reported to him, or he concluded, by seeing so many with them; and this question is put, not for information, but by way of reproof, and as chiding them for what they had done; for they might have received orders…
108 wordsSECTION 496Numbers 31:16
Numbers 31:16 Ver. 16. Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam,.... Who advised the Midianites to send their women into the camp of Israel, and allure them to uncleanness, and so draw them into idolatry, which counsel they followed and it succeeded; for, by this means, they were brou…
135 wordsSECTION 497Numbers 31:17
Numbers 31:17 Ver. 17. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones,.... Which they had taken and brought captives, Nu 31:9 and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him; who might be such, at least many of them, who had lain with Israelitish men; and as the adulterers had been put to death, so no…
126 wordsSECTION 498Numbers 31:18
Numbers 31:18 Ver. 18. But all the women children,.... The females among the little ones: that have not known a man by lying with him; which might be pretty clear, and easily concluded, from their age:keep for yourselves; either to be handmaids to them, or to be married among them when grown up, and become proselytes,…
2,574 wordsSECTION 499Numbers 32:1
Numbers 32:1 INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 32 This chapter relates, how that the tribes of Gad and Reuben requested a settlement in the country of Jazer and Gilead, being fit for the pasturage of their cattle, Nu 32:1 at which Moses at first was very much displeased, as being unreasonable, and tending to discourage the res…
541 wordsSECTION 500Numbers 32:2
Numbers 32:2 Ver. 2. The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses,.... The children of Gad are mentioned first, though Reuben was the firstborn, and had a standard under which Gad pitched: it may be, as Aben Ezra thinks, the Gadites were the first authors of this counsel, the contrivers of …
172 wordsSECTION 501Numbers 32:3
Numbers 32:3 Ver. 3. Ataroth, Dibon, and Jazer,.... These were places which belonged to the Amorites, and were taken from Sihon, their king: of Ataroth we read nowhere else but in this chapter; of Dibon see Isa 15:2, Jazer was a city, from whence the land about it had its name; it is the same with Jaazer, Nu 21:32 and…
351 wordsSECTION 502Numbers 32:4
Numbers 32:4 Ver. 4. Even the county which the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel,.... In which the above cities were, and perhaps some others not named: this was now in the hands of the people of Israel, being subdued by them, the conquest of which is ascribed unto the Lord, for the victory was of him; it w…
134 wordsSECTION 503Numbers 32:5
Numbers 32:5 Ver. 5. Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight,.... Directing their speech to Moses, the ruler of the congregation, in a very modest, decent, and respectable manner: let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession; as their own portion and inheritance, to be enjoyed by them, …
102 wordsSECTION 504Numbers 32:6
Numbers 32:6 Ver. 6. And Moses said unto the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben,.... Being displeased with their motion, as his following discourse shows, it having at first sight an appearance of covetousness and cowardice: shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? it is not reasonable that y…
98 wordsSECTION 505Numbers 32:7
Numbers 32:7 Ver. 7. Wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel.... Which he suggests it would, should they settle on that side Jordan, since they would lose the assistance of two of their tribes, even two thirds of one of their standards in fighting with their enemies and subduing their land; and bes…
155 wordsSECTION 506Numbers 32:8
Numbers 32:8 Ver. 8. Thus did your fathers,.... Meaning not particularly and only the fathers of these two tribes he was speaking to, but of them and the other tribes also, who acted much such a part; did not choose to go into the good land to possess it, when they were bid to do it, but were for sending spies first, …
112 wordsSECTION 507Numbers 32:9
Numbers 32:9 Ver. 9. For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol,.... That is, when they went up the hill, for they were bid to go up into the mountain, and proceeded on into the country, until they came to the valley or brook, of Eshcol, so called from the cluster of grapes they there cut down, and brought along …
165 wordsSECTION 508Numbers 32:10
Numbers 32:10 Ver. 10. And the Lord's anger was kindled, the same time,.... Against the spies that brought the ill report, and against all the people that were disheartened and murmured upon it, and which, above all things, was to be dreaded now: and he sware, saying; as follows.…
50 wordsSECTION 509Numbers 32:11
Numbers 32:11 Ver. 11. Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upwards,.... See Nu 14:28. shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; the land of Canaan, which at various times he sware to give to them, and to their posterity: because they have not w…
94 wordsSECTION 510Numbers 32:12
Numbers 32:12 Ver. 12. Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun,.... See Nu 14:30, whether Caleb or Jephunneh is called the Kenezite is not so easy to determine; the latter rather seems to be most correct, for that Caleb should be called so from Kenaz the father of Othniel, who is said t…
183 wordsSECTION 511Numbers 32:13
Numbers 32:13 Ver. 13. And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel,.... For murmuring against the report of the spies: and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years; for though it was but about thirty eight years from that time that they were in the wilderness, the round number of forty is given; and besi…
3,603 wordsSECTION 512Numbers 33:1
Numbers 33:1 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 and they are ordered, when they passed over …
250 wordsSECTION 513Numbers 33:2
Numbers 33:2 Ver. 2. And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys, by the commandment of the Lord,.... Which may be understood, either that their journeys were by the commandment of the Lord; so Aben Ezra takes the connection to be, and which is undoubtedly true, and which is expressed plainly elsewher…
397 wordsSECTION 514Numbers 33:3
Numbers 33:3 Ver. 3. And they departed from Rameses,.... A city in Egypt, where the children of Israel, a little before their departure, seem to have been gathered together in a body, in order to march out all together, as they did. This place the Targum of Jonathan calls Pelusium. Dr. Shaw {a} thinks it might be Cair…
224 wordsSECTION 515Numbers 33:4
Numbers 33:4 Ver. 4. For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the Lord had smitten among them,.... Which contributed much to the more easy and safe deliverance of the children of Israel; for their hearts were heavy with sorrow, and their hands were full, and they had other work to do, namely, to bury their …
181 wordsSECTION 516Numbers 33:5
Numbers 33:5 Ver. 5. And the children of Israel removed from Rameses,.... Or Pelusium, as the same Targum again: and pitched in Succoth: where, as the same paraphrase says, they were covered with the clouds of glory, suggesting that to be the reason of its name; but that was rather because of the booths or tents the …
108 wordsSECTION 517Numbers 33:6
Numbers 33:6 Ver. 6. And they departed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham,.... Which was eight miles from Succoth: which is in the edge of the wilderness; of the name, see Ex 13:20 but Dr. Shaw {c} makes this particular portion of the wilderness to be fifty miles from Cairo or Rameses. {c} Travels, p. 308.…
58 wordsSECTION 518Numbers 33:7
Numbers 33:7 Ver. 7. And they removed from Etham, and turned again to Pihahiroth,.... Which was sixteen miles from Etham. This turning, Aben Ezra says, respects the cloud, or Israel; and indeed it may respect both, for, as the cloud turned, Israel turned, being directed by it; and this does not mean that they had been…
175 wordsSECTION 519Numbers 33:8
Numbers 33:8 Ver. 8. And they departed from before Pihahiroth,.... Being forced by Pharaoh's army pressing upon them: and passed through the midst of the sea; from shore to shore, as on dry laud: into the wilderness: that part of it which lay on the other side, for still it was the wilderness of Etham they went into…
94 wordsSECTION 520Numbers 33:9
Numbers 33:9 Ver. 9. And they removed from Marah, and came unto Elim,.... Which was eight miles from Marah: and in Elim were twelve fountains of water, and three score and ten palm trees, and they pitched there; being a convenient place of water for them,…
47 wordsSECTION 521Numbers 33:10
Numbers 33:10 Ver. 10. And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea. This encampment, is omitted in the book of Exodus, see Ex 16:1 this part or arm of the Red sea, whither they came, was six miles from Elim.…
45 wordsSECTION 522Numbers 33:11
Numbers 33:11 Ver. 11. And they removed from the Red sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin. Sixteen miles from the Red sea, where they were last; see Ex 16:1.…
33 wordsSECTION 523Numbers 33:12
Numbers 33:12 Ver. 12. And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin,.... According to the account in Exodus, this was after they had the manna given them, see Ex 17:1 and encamped at Dophkah; twelve miles from the wilderness of Sin; and of this, and the next encampment, no mention is made in Exodus.…
59 wordsSECTION 524Numbers 33:13
Numbers 33:13 Ver. 13. And they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush. The strong fort, as the Targum of Jonathan calls it; this was twelve miles from Dophkah: according to the Jewish chronology {d}, this Alush is the wilderness of Sin, where the Israelites came on the fifteenth day of the seventh month from th…
103 wordsSECTION 525Numbers 33:14
Numbers 33:14 Ver. 14. And they removed from Alush, and encamped at Rephidim,.... Eight miles from Alush: where was no water for the people to drink; and they murmured, and a rock here was smitten by Moses at the command of God, and waters gushed out sufficient for them and their flocks, Ex 17:1.…
56 wordsSECTION 526Numbers 33:15
Numbers 33:15 Ver. 15. And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai. Eight miles from Rephidim; and from a mount of this name here were given the decalogue, with all other statutes and ordinances, judicial and ceremonial, and orders and directions for building the tabernacle, and making all …
67 wordsSECTION 527Numbers 33:16
Numbers 33:16 Ver. 16. And they removed from the desert of Sinai, and pitched at Kibrothhattaavah. Eight miles from the desert of Sinai; here the people lusted after flesh, and murmured, which, though given them, a pestilence came and destroyed many of them, and here they were buried, whence the place was so called, w…
125 wordsSECTION 528Numbers 33:17
Numbers 33:17 Ver. 17. And they departed from Kibrothhattaavah, and encamped at Hazeroth. Eight miles from Kibrothhattaavah, where Miriam was smote with leprosy, Nu 12:1.…
27 wordsSECTION 529Numbers 33:18
Numbers 33:18 Ver. 18. And they departed from Hazeroth, and pitched at Rithmah. Eight miles from Hazeroth: Rethem, from whence this place seems to have had its name, is generally rendered by "juniper", 1Ki 19:4 and the Targum of Jonathan here adds, where the juniper trees grew; and, perhaps, it is the same with the va…
288 wordsSECTION 530Numbers 33:19
Numbers 33:19 Ver. 19-29. And they departed from Rithmah, and pitched at Rimmonparez. Six miles from Rithmah, and then from Rimmon to Libnah, which was six miles also; and from thence to Rissah, which was six miles more; and from Rissah to, Kehelathah, which was the same number of miles; and from thence to Shapher, wh…
132 wordsSECTION 531Numbers 33:30
Numbers 33:30 Ver. 30-31. And they departed from Hashmonah, and encamped at Moseroth. Thirty two miles from Hashmonah. In De 10:6 it is called Mosera; and according to the account there, they came hither from the following place, Benejaakan; probably they went first thither from Hashmonah, and then from Mosera or Mose…
1,574 wordsSECTION 532Numbers 34:1
Numbers 34:1 INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 34 In this chapter the bounds and borders of the land Canaan are described, according to the direction of the Lord to Moses, Nu 34:1, the south border, Nu 34:3, the western border, Nu 34:6, the north border, Nu 34:7, the east border, Nu 34:10, which is ordered to be divided by lot…
174 wordsSECTION 533Numbers 34:2
Numbers 34:2 Ver. 2. Command the children of Israel, and say unto them,.... Not to fix the borders, and settle the boundaries of the land, for that is done by the Lord himself, who has determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of men's habitations, and particularly of Israel, see De 32:8, but to observe an…
207 wordsSECTION 534Numbers 34:3
Numbers 34:3 Ver. 3. Then your south quarter,.... Or border of the land; which, as Jarchi observes, was from east to west: shall be from the wilderness of Zin; which is Kadesh, where Miriam died, Nu 20:1, and if this Kadesh was Kadeshbarnea, as Dr. Lightfoot seems to have proved {h}, from whence the spies were sent, …
318 wordsSECTION 535Numbers 34:4
Numbers 34:4 Ver. 4. And your border,.... That is, the south border, which is still describing: shall turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim; or Maalehacrabbim, as in Jos 15:3 so called from the multitude of serpents and scorpions in it, see De 8:15, so Kimchi says {k}, a place of serpents and scorpions was th…
255 wordsSECTION 536Nu 13:17
Nu 13:17 and shall go on to Hazaraddar; called Adar, Jos 15:3 and where it seems to be divided into two places, Hezron and Adar, which very probably were near each other, and therefore here put together, as if but one place: and pass on to Azmon; which the Targums call Kesam. {k} Sepher Shorash. "in voce" brqe. {l} …
96 wordsSECTION 537Numbers 34:5
Numbers 34:5 Ver. 5. And the border shall fetch a compass,.... Not go on in a straight line, but turn about: from Azmon unto the river of Egypt; the river Nile, as both the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem; but Aben Ezra seems to deny that that river is meant: and some think that Rhinocolura, which flows into the Me…
115 wordsSECTION 538Numbers 34:6
Numbers 34:6 Ver. 6. And as for the western border,.... Of the land of Canaan: you shall even have the great sea for a border; and no other, meaning the Mediterranean sea, which lies west of the land of Judea; Aben Ezra calls it the Spanish sea: it has the name of "great", in comparison of some in the land of Canaan,…
82 wordsSECTION 539Numbers 34:7
Numbers 34:7 Ver. 7. And this shall be your northern border,.... What follows: from the great sea ye shall point out for you Mount Hor; not that Mount Hor on which Aaron died, for that was on the southern border of the land; but rather Mount Herman, which is said to be unto the entering into Hamath, Jos 13:5 as this …
142 wordsSECTION 540Numbers 34:8
Numbers 34:8 Ver. 8. From Mount Hor ye shall point out your border unto the entrance of Hamath,.... Antiochia, as Jarchi; or rather Epiphania, as Jerom {r}; the former being described by Hemath the great, Am 6:2, this entrance was a narrow pass leading from the land of Canaan to Syria, through the valley which lies be…
90 wordsSource & rights
Public domain; John Gill (1697–1771). Source item is marked Public Domain on Internet Archive.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.