The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 438

EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XXXIII. ally, "were burying (Septuagint, lS-a1rro11) those whom the Lord had smitten among [TINERARY OF TB:B WANDERINGS (vers. them, viz., all the first-born.'' The fa.et tha.t 1-49). Ver. 1.-These are the journeys. the Egyptians were so universally employed The Hebrew word 'l?.l;l~ is rendered 11ra!:)µ.ol a.bout the funeral rites of their first-born- by the Septuagint, which means "stages " rites to which they paid such extreme atten• or " stations.'' It is, however, quite rigntly !ion-seems to be mentioned here as supply- translated "journeys," for it is the act of mg one reason at least why the Israeli.tea setting out and marching from such a. place ~gan the!r ?utward march without oppos• to such another which the word properly 1tion. It LS m perfect accordance with wha.t denotes (cf. Gen. xiii. 8; Dent. L 11}. we know of the Egyptians, that all other Ver. 2.-And Jroses wrote their goings passions and interests should give place for out (tqm:i. Septuagint, airap(mr) accord• the time to the necessary ea.re for the departed. ing to their journeys by the commandment Upon their gods also the Lord executed judgments. See on Exod. xii. 12, and cf. of the Lord. The la.tier clause (i1)i1', 1F;l..,V.) Isa. xiL 1. The false deities of Egypt, may be ta.ken as equivalent to an adjective h~ving no existence except in the imagin• qualifying the noun "goings out," signify- atlons of men, could only be affected within ing only that their marches were made under the sphere of those imaginations, i. e. by being the orders of God himself. It is more ma.de contemptible in the eyes of those who natural to read it with the verb "wrote ; " feared them. and in that case we have a direct assertion Ver. 6.-Ethe.m. See on Exod. xiii. 20. that Moses wrote this list of marches himself ier. 7.-Pi-hahiroth. Hebrew, "Hahi- by command of God, doubtless as a memorial roth," without the prefix. See on Exod. not only of historical interest, but of deep xiv. 2. religiou.s significance, as showing how Israel Ver. 8.-In the wilderness of Etham. had been led by~him who is faithful and This is called the wilderness of Shur in true--faitbful in keeping his promise, true in Exod. xv. 22, nor is it easy to explain the fulfilling his word for good or for evil. The occurrence of the name Etha.m in this con- direct statement that Moses wrote this list nection, for the Etham mentioned in ver. 6 himself is strongly corroborated by internal la.y on tho other side of the Red Sea. We do evidence, a.nd has been accepted as substan- not, however, know what physical changes tia.lly true by the most destructive critics. have ta.ken place since that time, and it is No conceivable inducement could have ex- quite possible that at Etha.m there may have isted to invent a list of marches which only been a. ford, or some other easy means of partially corresponds with the historical ac- communication, so that the strip of desert count, and can only with difficulty be recon• along the opposite shore cnme to be known ciled with it-a list which contains many as the wilderness of Eth am. names nowhere else occurring, and ha ring no Ver. 9.-Elim. See on Exod. xv. 27. associations for the later Israelites. Whether Ver. 10.-Encamped by the Red Bea. the statement thus introduced tells in favour This encampment, like those n.t Dophkah of the Mosaic authorship (as llS1lally a.ccepted) and at A.lush (ver. 13), is not mentioned of the rest of the Book is a very different in the narrative of Exodus. The phrase- matter, on which see the Introduction. ology, however, used in Exod. xvi. 1 ; xvii. Ver. 3.-TheJ departed :from Rameses. 1 leaves abundant room for intennediate Hebrew, Raemses. See on E:x:od. i. 11 ; xii. halting-places, a.t which it is to be presumed 87. The brief description here given of the that nothing very noteworth{ happened departure from Egypt touclies upon every Notliing whatever is known o these three material circuu stance as re' a.ted at large in stations. Exod. ri, :riL In the sight of all the Ver. 15.-l'he wilderness of Sinai See Emtians. Tho journey Wll.ll begun by on Exod. xiL 1. rught (E:x:od. xii. 42), but was of colll'Se con• Ver. 17.-Xibroth-hattaavah •. Raze· tinued on the following day. roth. See on eh. xi. 84, 36. Ver. 4.-Buriedall theirflret-bom, which Ver. 18. -ll.ithmah. Comparing this verse $he Lord had amitten among them. Liter• with eh. xii. 16 and xiii. 26, it would apre,u-  CH. XXXIII. 1-49.] THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. 427