been attacked, concerning the Havoth-jair, the small towns, or rather tent- villages of Jair (xxxii. 41, 42; comp. Judg. X, 4; Deut. iii, 14), is fully justified on a closer examination.
The list of stations in ch. xxxiii is an important document, which could not have originated in a poeti- cal imagination. This list contains a survey of the whole route of the Israelites, and mentions individual places only in case the Israelites abode there for a con- siderable period. It is not the production of a diligent compiler, but rather the original work of an author well versed in the circumstances of that period. A later au- thor would certainly have avoided the appearance of some contradictions, such as that in Numb, xxxiii, 30, 31, comp. with Deut. x, 6. This contradiction may best be removed by observing tliat the book of Numbers speaks of the expedition of the Israelites in the second year of their wanderings, and the book of Deuteronomy of their expedition in the fortieth year. The list of stations contains also important historical notices ; those, for instance, in Numb, xxxiii, 4, 9, 14, 38. These no- tices demonstrate the accurate historical information of the author.
The great fact, which is the basis of the narrative of this whole book, namely, the sojourn of the Israelites during forty years in the wilderness, is not open to any just objection. The manner in which the narrator states this fact we have mentioned above. A view so strictly theocratical, and a description so purely objective, are most befitting the law-giver himself. Modern criticism has chiefly taken offence at the statement that Jehovah had announced all this as a punishment to be inflicted upon the people. This, they say, is incomprehensible. However, the fact stands firm that the Israelites really abode forty years in the wilderness. This fact is proved in the Scriptures by many other testimonies. Hence arises the question how this protracted abode was occa- sioned, and what induced Moses to postpone or give up the conquest of Canaan. De Wette says that such res- ignation, in giving up a plan to which one has devoted the full half of a life, is not human, Goethe asserted that by such a representation the picture of ISIoses is en- tirely disfigured. All this renders the problem of our opponents the more difficult, De Wette says, " Who knows what happened in that long period ?" This ques- tion would amount to a confession of our entire igno- rance concerning the real turning-point of the history of Israel, and would make an enormous and most striking gap in universal historj-. It is incredible that no tra- dition should liave been preserved in >vhich was told to posterity what was here most important, even if it should have been much disfigured. It is incredible that there should have been communicated only what was comparatively insignificant. If that were the case, the traditions of Israel would form a perfectly isolated phe- nomenon. Thus the history of Israel itself would be something incomprehensible. Either the history is in- conceivable, or the astounding fact is, indeed, a truth. The resignation of Moses, and the sojourn of the people in the wilderness, can be explained only by assuming an extraordinary divine intervention. A merelj' natural interpretation is here completely futile. The problem can only be solved by assuming that the whole pro- ceeded from the command of God, which is uncon- ditionally obeyed by his servant, and to which even the rebellious people must bow, because they have amply experienced that without God they can do nothing. — Kitto.
IV. Commentaries. — The exegetical helps on the en- tire book of Numbers alone are not numerous. Besides those of the Church fathers, contained in their works, we specify the following : Chytra;us, Enarrationes (Yitemb. 1,")72, 1580, 8vo>; Attersoll, Commentarie (Lond. 1C18, fol.); also in Dutch (Amst. 1CG7, fol.) ; Lorinus, Covi- mentarii (Lugd. 1622, fol.) ; Patrick, Commentary (Lond. 1G90, 4to) ; Jaroslav, "i1X3 (in Mendelssohn's Penta-
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teuch, Berl. 1783, 8vo, and often since) ; Horsley, ^i'ofes (in Bib. Criticu, vol. i) ; Camming, Readings (Lond. 1855, 8vo). See Pentateuch.
NUMBERS, Sacked. In a mystical sense, one is Unity ; two, represents Unity repeated ; three, the Cre- ator, Trinity ; four, the worlcl, and by the Second Adam, paradise ; live, the synagogue ; six, perfection and cre- ation, the hour when Jesus was crucified; seven, rest, as in the Sabbath, love, grace, pardon, composed of three and four; eight, beatitude and resurrection (eight persons were saved at the deluge) ; nine, angels ; ten, the law of fear or salvation, in allusion to the denarius given to the laborers in the vineyard; twelve, apostles; fourteen, perfection ; three hundred, redemption ; fifty, beatitude; one hundred, virgins; sixty, widows; and thirty, wives, according to St. .Jerome on Matt, xiii, 8 ; 888. Jksous the Saviour. The uneven number of the collects in Mass, three, five, or seven, was symbolical of the Church, desire of unity. See AValcott, Sacred Ar- chceologu, p. 403.
Nume'nius (Soviit'iviog), son of Antiochus, was sent by Jonathan on an embassy to Rome (1 Mace, xii, 16) and Sparta (xii, 17) to renew the friendly connec- tions between these nations and the Jews, B.C. cir. 144. It appears that he had not returned from his mission at the death of Jonathan (xiv, 22, 23). He was again de- spatched to Rome by Simon, B.C. cir. 141 (xiv, 24), where he was well received, and obtained letters in fa- vor of his countrymen, addressed to the various Eastern powers dependent on the republic, B.C. 139 (xv, 15 sq.). ^Smith. See Lucius.