EXODE
410
EXODE
opposite Pisgah, a peak (specially corresponding prob- I atilv to .Iel)el Attariis) of the mountains inclosing the valley of tiie Jordan on the east. About this time the expc'ilitiou was sent out against Sihon, Og, and the in- habitants of Baslian ; upon the successful return of vliicli they )iassed northward around the heights of Kebo (probably west of Ileshbon"*, and so across the general range of Abarini by one of the valleys running south-westerly into the Jordan (probably wady Hesh- ban). In this last vicinity they encamped in the plains of Moab, preparatorj- to crossing the Jordan op- posite Jericho. (See each of the stations above-named ill its alphabetical place.)
2. ^Vhen we begin to take up the thread of the story at the second visit to Kadesh, we find that time had, in tlie interval, been busy at its destructive work, and we thus gain confirmation of the view which has been taken of such second visit. No sooner has the sacred historian told us of the return of the Israelites to Ka- desh, than he records the death and burial of Miriam, and has, at no great distance of time, to narrate that of Aaron and Moses. While still at Kadesh a rising against these leaders takes place, on the alleged ground of a want of water. Water is produced from the rock at a spot called hence Meribah (strife). But Moses and Aaron displeased God in this proceeding, probably because thev distrusted God's providence and applied for extraordinary lesources. On account of this dis- pleasure, it was announced to them that they should not enter Canaan. A similar transaction has been al- ready spoken of as taking place in Eephidim (Exod. xvii, 1). The same name, Meribah, was occasioned in that as in this matter. Hence it has been thought that we have here two versions of the same story. But there is nothing surprising, under the circum- stances, in the outbreak of discontent for want of wa- ter, whicli ma}' well have happened even more than twice. The places are different, very wide apart ; the time is different ; and there is also the great variation arising out of the conduct and punishment of Moses and Aaron. On the whole, therefore, we judge the two records to speak of different transactions.
Relying on the ties of blood (Gen. xxxii, 8), Moses sent to ask of the Edomites a passage through their territorj' into Canaan. The answer was a refusal, ac- companied by a display of force. We suggest as an explanation of this unnatural churlishness that per- haps the request chanced to be preferred to the native Horite "king" (probably the very Hadad last men- tioned in the list in Gen. xxxvi, 39) ratlier than to the ]>hylarch of the Esauites contemporary with him (Gen. xxxvi, 4.i). See Esau. The Israelites, there- fore, were compelled to turn their face southward, and, making a turn around the end of the Elanitic gulf, reached iMount Ilor, near Petra, on the top of which Aaron died. Finding the country bad for travelling, and their food unpleasant, Israel again broke out into rebellious discontent, and was punished bj' fiery ser- pents wliich bit the people, and many died, when a remedy was provided in a serpent of brass set on the flag-staff (Xumb. xxi, 4 sq.). There is )iear Elath a promontory known as the Rds Um J/a;/c, " tlie mother of serpents," which seem to abound in the region ad- jacent; and, if we may suppose this the scene of that judj;ment, the event would thus be connected with the line of march, rounding the southern border of Mount Seir, hiid down in Deut. ii, 8 as being "through the way of the plain (i. e. the 'Arabah) from Elath and from Ezion-geber," whence "ttn-ning nortliward," having "compassed that mountain (ilount Seir) long enougli," they "passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab" (v, 3, 8). Still going northward, and proba- bly pursuing the caravan route from Damascus, they at length reached the valley of Zcred (the brook), which nun- be the present wadv Kerek, that runs from the east into the Dead Sea. Hence tiiey '"removed and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the
border of Moab, between ]\Ioab and the Amorites'' (Numb, xxi, 13). Beer (the well) was the next sta- tion, where, finding a plentiful supply of water, and being rejoiced at the prospect of the speed}' termina- tion of their journey, the peo]>le indulged in music and song, singing "the song of tlie well" (Numb, xxi, 17, 18). The Amorites being requested, refused to give Israel a passage through their borders, and so the na- tion was again compelled to proceed still in a norther- ly course. At length, having beaten the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, they reached the Jordan, and pitched their tents at a spot which lay opposite Jeri- cho. Here Balak, king of the Moabites, alarmed at their numbers and their successful prowess, invited Balaam to curse Israel, in the hope of being thus aided to overcome them and drive them out. The intended curse proved a blessing in the prophet's mouth. While here the people gave way to the idolatrous practices of the Moabites, when a terrible punishment was inflicted, partly by a plague which took off 24,000, and partly by the avenging sword. Moses, being commanded to take the sum of the children of Israel, from twenty j'ears upwards, found they amounted to 600,730, among whom there was not a man of those whom Moses and Aaron numbered in the wilderness of Sinai (Numb, xxvi, 47, 64). Moses is now directed to ascend Aba- rim, to Mount Nebo, in the land of Moab, over against Jericho, in order that he might survey the land which he was not to enter on account of his having rebelled against God's commandment in the desert of Zin (Numb, xxvii, 12; Deut. xxxii, 41)). Conformably with the divine command, IMoses went up from the plains of INIoab unto the mountains of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, and there he died, at the age of 120 years: "His eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated" (Deut. xxxiv). Under his successor, Joshua, the He- brews were forthwith led across the Jordan, and estab- lished in the Land of Promise.