a Or rather, the Canaanite King of Arad : for Arad is not the name of a man, but of a city or territory, asmay ſeem from Foſ. 12. 14: Judg. 1. 16. ifat leaſt this was the ſame place with that. And he ſeems to be called a Canaanite in a general ſenſe, as the 4morites and others ſometimes are. b To wit, of Canaan, as appears from Num. 33. 40. towards the Eaſt, and near the dead Sea. c Not of thoſe Spies which Moſes ſent to ſpic the land, Numb. 13.17. for that was done 38 years before this, and they went ſo privately, that the Ca- naanites took no notice of them, nor knew which way they came or went ; but of the ſpies which he himſelf ſent out to obſerve the marches and motions of the Iſraelites. But the words may be 0- therwiſe rendred, either thus, in the manner of ſpies, ſo the tenſe is, when he heard that divers of the 1ſ7aelites came into or towards his country in the nature of Spies, to prepare the way for the reſt : or thus, by the way of Atharim, a place fo called, as the ſeventy Inter- preters here take ir, and it ſeems not improbable. d Which God permitted for Jſroels humiliation and puniſhment, and to teach them not to expe the conqueſt of that land from their own wit- dom or valour, but wholly from Gods favour and affiſtance. See Deut. 9. 4. Pſal. 44. 3, 4. 2 And Iſrael vowed a vow unto the LORD e, and ſaid, If thou wilt indeed deliverthis people intomy hand, then I will utterly deſtroy their cities f. e Being ſenſible of their own weakneſs, they endeavour to engage God to help them in the war, which they intended to renew. fl will reſerve no perſon or thing for my own uſe, but devote them all ro rotal deſtrution, which was the conſequent of ſuch vows. See Lev. 27. 29. Deut. 13. 15. 3 And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Iſrael, and delivered up the Canaanites : and they | utterly de- t Gr. aw ſtroyed them g, and their cities, andhecalled the name ny ay of the place || Hormah. Hick So g When? Anſw.Either 1. Some time after this, under Joſhus, who | Thar ; ſubdued, among others,the King of Arad, Joſ. 12. 14. And ſo this is ,,,.,, by, mentioned here by anticipation, that the vow being now made and ftruftion mentioned, the effe& or performance of it might be recorded, ; rhough our of its place ; and ſo this verſe muſt be ſuppoſed to be added by ſome of the Prophets, and inſerted into Moſes his hiſtory, as lome other paſſages ſeem to be. Or 2. at this time : and fo this 1s
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not the ſame rad with that, Joſ. 12. 14. nor this the ſame Hormagh : .
with that there mentioned, but another of the ſame name,which is moſt frequ-nt in perſons and places in Scripture. And this is the more probable, becauſe that Arad and Hormah, Joſ. 12.14. are two di- ſtin& places, and had diverskings, whereas here the ſame place is called both Arad 2nd Hormah; and becauſe that Arad ſeems to be at, ſome good diſtance from this, and more within the conntry, and more northward, as may be gathered from the other places joyned with it, Zoſ. 1 2.whereas this Arad was near Edom, verſe 4. and inthe ſouth, verſe x. Queſt. x. How could this be done in the land of Canaay, when Moſes neither entred himſelf,nor led the people into that land? Anſw. Neither Moſes nor the whole body of the people did this ex- ploit, but a ſele& number ſent out for this purpoſe to puniſh that king and people,who were ſo fierce and malicious that they came out of their own country to fight with the 1ſ-aelites in the wilderneſs ; and theſe,when they had done this work,returned to their brethren into the wilderneſs.Qxeſt.2.Why cid they not all now go into Cana- an,when ſome of them had once centred it,and purſue this viQory ? Anſ. Becauſe God would not permit it, there being ſeveral works yet to be done,other people muſt te conquered,the 1/aelites muſt be further humbled and rried and purged,Moſes muſt die,and then they ſhall enter, and that in a more glorious manner, even over Jordar, which thall be miraculouſly dried up, and give them paſſage.
4 And they * journeyed from mount Hor by the way * chap.;; of the Red-ſea h to compaſs the land of Edom: and-the 41: foul of the people was much || + diſcouraged becauſe of Or.g
the way 5. + Heb h ( i. e. ) Which leadeth to the Rea-ſea, as they muſt needs do to ſhortened. compaſs the land of Edem. # By reaſon of this journey, which was long and troubleſome, and prepoſterous ( for they were now goin towaras Egypr ) and unexpetted, either becauſe they doubted not bur their brethren the Edomites would grant them their reaſonable requeſt of paſſing through their land, which diſappointmentmade it worſe ; Or, becauſe the ſucceſsful entrance and viftorious progreſs which ſome of them had made in the borders of Canaon,made them think they might have ſpeedily gone in and taken pofleſſion of it and ſo have ſaved their tedicus travels and further difficulties, in. to which Moſes had again brought them. ; 5 And the people ſpake againft God &,and againſt Mo- ſes, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egype to die in the Wilderneſs?for there isno bread, neither js there
any water, and * our ſoul loatheth this lighe bread 1, * chap.n; k Againſt Chriſt, their chief conduQor, whom | ws tempted x 6. :
Cor. 10. 9. 7(7.e, ) Of ſmall ſubſtance and virtue. Thus contem-
ptuouſly do they ſpeak of Mama, whereas it appears it yielded ex-
cellent nouriſhment, becauſe in the ſtrength of it they were able
to go ſo many and ſuch tedious journies.
6 And* the LORD ſent hiery ſerpents » among the * ; Cor,
people, and they bit the people, and much people of 10. 9. Iſrael died. m Such there were many in this wilderneſs, Deut. 8. 15, whi having been hitherto reſtrained by God, are now let hd ang among them. They are called fery from their effes,becauſe their _- way" = man 1g heat and burning and thirſt in the bo« ies of the [raelites, which was aggravated wi IS CI of the place, that here was no bas. na F. Ces
7 Thereforethe people came to Moſes, and {aid, We have ſinned: for we have ſpoken againſt the LORD,and
the ſerpents from us : and Moſes prayed for the peopl *X- 8 And the LORD faid unto Meſas Make _ ny ſerpent», and ſetit upon a Pole oz and it ſhal come to
againſt thee : pray unto the LORD that he take away |
paſs
{Hel mot th red fi &c.
*cha 13.
THe
Satat