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Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
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Matthew Henry |
N U M B E R S
CHAP. X.
In this chapter we have,
I. Orders given about the making and using of silver trumpets, which
seems to have been the last of all the commandments God gave upon mount
Sinai, and one of the least, yet not without its significancy,
II. The history of the removal of Israel’s camp from mount Sinai, and
their orderly march into the wilderness of Paran,
III. Moses’s treaty with Hobab, his brother-in-law,
IV. Moses’s prayer at the removing and resting of the ark,
&c.
| The Moving of the Camp. | B. C. 1490. |
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1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou
make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the
assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.
3 And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall
assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation.
4 And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes,
which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather
themselves unto thee.
5 When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east
parts shall go forward.
6 When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that
lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow
an alarm for their journeys.
7 But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye
shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.
8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the
trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever
throughout your generations.
9 And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that
oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets;
and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall
be saved from your enemies.
10 Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days,
and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the
trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of
your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial
before your God: I am the LORD your God.
We have here directions concerning the public notices that were to be
given to the people upon several occasions by sound of trumpet. In a
thing of this nature, one would think, Moses needed not to have been
taught of God: his own reason might teach him the conveniency of
trumpets; but the constitution of Israel was to be in every thing
divine, and therefore even in this matter, small as it seems. Moses is
here directed,
1. About the making of them. They must be made of silver; not cast but
of beaten work (as some read it), the matter and shape, no doubt, very
fit for the purpose. He was now ordered to make but two, because there
were but two priests to use them. But in Solomon’s time we read of 120
priests sounding with trumpets,
2 Chron. v. 12.
The form of these trumpets is supposed to have been much like ours at
this day.
2. Who were to make use of them; not any inferior person, but the
priests themselves, the sons of Aaron,
v. 8.
As great as they were, they must not think it a disparagement to them
to be trumpeters in the house of God; the meanest office there was
honourable. This signified that the Lord’s ministers should lift up
their voice like a trumpet, to show people their sins
to call them to Christ,
3. Upon what occasions the trumpets were to be sounded.
(1.) For the calling of assemblies,
v. 2.
Thus they are told to blow the trumpet in Zion for the calling of a
solemn assembly together, to sanctify a fast,
Public notice ought to be given of the time and place of religious
assemblies; for the invitation to the benefit or ordinances is general:
whoever will, let him come. wisdom cries in the chief places of
concourse. But, that the trumpet might not give an uncertain
sound, they are directed, if only the princes and elders were to
meet, to blow but one of the trumpets; less should serve to call
them together, who ought to be examples of forwardness in any
thing that is good: but, if the body of the people were to be called
together, both the trumpets must be sounded, that they might be heard
at the greater distance. In allusion to this, they are said to be
blessed that hear the joyful sound
that is, that are invited and called upon to wait upon God in public
ordinances,
And the general assembly at the great day will be summoned by the
sound of the archangel’s trumpet,
Matt. xxiv. 31.
(2.) For the journeying of the camps, to give notice when each
squadron must move; for no man’s voice could reach to give the word of
command: soldiers with us that are well disciplined may be exercised by
beat of drums. When the trumpets were blown for this purpose, they
mustsound an alarm
(v. 5),
a broken, quavering, interrupted sound, which was proper to excite and
encourage the minds of people in their marches against their enemies;
whereas a continued equal sound was more proper for the calling of the
assembly together
(v. 7):
yet when the people were called together to deprecate God’s judgments
we find an alarm sounded,
At the first sounding, Judah’s squadron marched, at the second
Reuben’s, at the third Ephraim’s, at the fourth Dan’s,
And some think that this was intended to sanctify their marches, for
thus were proclaimed by the priests, who were God’s mouth to the
people, not only the divine orders given them to move, but the divine
blessing upon them in all their motions. He that hath ears, let him
hear that God is with them of a truth. King Abijah valued
himself and his army very much upon this
God himself is with us for our captain and his priests with sounding
trumpets.
(3.) For the animating and encouraging of their armies, when they went
out in battle
(v. 9):
“If you go to war, blow with the trumpets, signifying thereby
your appeal to heaven for the decision of the controversy, and your
prayer to God to give you victory; and God will own this his own
institution, and you shall be remembered before the Lord your
God.” God will take notice of this sound of the trumpet, and be
engaged to fight their battles, and let all the people take notice of
it, and be encouraged to fight his, as David, when he heard a sound
of a going upon the tops of the mulberry trees. Not that God needed
to be awaked by sound of trumpet any more than Christ needed to be
awaked by his disciples in the storm,
But where he intends mercy it is his will that we should solicit it;
ministers must stir up the good soldiers of Jesus Christ to fight
manfully against sin, the world, and the devil, by assuring them that
Christ is the captain of their salvation, and will tread
Satan under their feet.
(4.) For the solemnizing of their sacred feasts,
One of their feasts was called a memorial of the blowing of
trumpets,
Lev. xxiii. 23,
&c. And it should seem they were thus to grace the solemnity of all
their feasts
(Ps. lxxxi. 3),
and their sacrifices
to intimate with what joy and delight they performed their duty to God,
and to raise the minds of those that attended the services to a holy
triumph in the God they worshipped. And then their performances were
for a memorial before God; for he takes pleasure in our
religious exercises when we take pleasure in them. Holy work should be
done with holy joy.
| The Removal of the Camp. | B. C. 1490. |
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11 And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second
month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off
the tabernacle of the testimony.
12 And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the
wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of
Paran.
13 And they first took their journey according to the
commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
14 In the first place went the standard of the camp of the
children of Judah according to their armies: and over his host
was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
15 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar
was Nethaneel the son of Zuar.
16 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun
was Eliab the son of Helon.
17 And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon
and the sons of Merari set forward, bearing the tabernacle.
18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according
to their armies: and over his host was Elizur the son of
Shedeur.
19 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon
was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
20 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was
Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
21 And the Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary: and
the other did set up the tabernacle against they came.
22 And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set
forward according to their armies: and over his host was
Elishama the son of Ammihud.
23 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh
was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
24 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin
was Abidan the son of Gideoni.
25 And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set
forward, which was the rereward of all the camps throughout
their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer the son of
Ammishaddai.
26 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher
was Pagiel the son of Ocran.
27 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali
was Ahira the son of Enan.
28 Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel
according to their armies, when they set forward.
Here is,
I. A general account of the removal of the camp of Israel from mount
Sinai, before which mountain it had lain now about a year, in which
time and place a great deal of memorable business was done. Of this
removal, it should seem, God gave them notice some time before
You have dwelt long enough in this mountain, turn you and take your
journey towards the land of promise. The apostle tells us that
mount Sinai genders to bondage
(Gal. iv. 24),
and signifies the law there given, which is of use indeed as a
schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, yet we must not rest in it, but
advance towards the joys and liberties of the children of God, for our
happiness is conferred not by the law, but by promise. Observe,
1. The signal given
(v. 11):
The cloud was taken up, and we may suppose it stood for some
time, till they were ready to march; and a great deal of work it was to
take down all those tents, and pack up all those goods that they had
there; but every family being employed about its own, and all at the
same time, many hands made quick work of it.
2. The march began: They took their journey according to the
commandment of the Lord, and just as the cloud led them,
Some think that mention is thus frequently made in this and the
foregoing chapter of the commandment of the Lord, guiding and
governing them in all their travels, to obviate the calumny and
reproach which were afterwards thrown upon Israel, that they tarried so
long in the wilderness, because they had lost themselves there, and
could not find the way out. No, the matter was not so; in every stage,
in every step, they were under divine direction; and, if they knew not
where they were, yet he that led them knew. Note, Those that have given
up themselves to the direction of God’s word and Spirit steer a steady
course, even when they seem to be bewildered. While they are sure they
cannot lose their God and guide, they need not fear losing their way.
3. The place they rested in, after three days’ march: They went out
of the wilderness of Sinai, and rested in the wilderness of
Paran. Note, All our removals in this world are but from one
wilderness to another. The changes which we think will be for the
better do not always prove so; while we carry about with us, wherever
we go, the common infirmities of human nature, we must expect, wherever
we go, to meet with its common calamities; we shall never be at rest,
never at home, till we come to heaven, and all will be well there.
II. A particular draught of the order of their march, according to the
late model.
1. Judah’s squadron marched first,
The leading standard, now lodged with that tribe, was an earnest of the
sceptre which in David’s time should be committed to it, and looked
further to the captain of our salvation, of whom it was likewise
foretold that unto him should the gathering of the people be.
2. Then came those two families of the Levites which were entrusted to
carry the tabernacle. As soon as ever the cloud was taken up, the
tabernacle was taken down, and packed up for removing,
And here the six wagons came laden with the more bulky part of the
tabernacle. This frequent removing of the tabernacle in all their
journeys signified the movableness of that ceremonial dispensation.
That which was so often shifted would at length vanish away,
3. Reuben’s squadron marched forward next, taking place after Judah,
according to the commandment of the Lord,
v. 18-20.
4. Then the Kohathites followed with their charge, the sacred furniture
of the tabernacle, in the midst of the camp, the safest and most
honourable place,
And they (that is, says the margin, the Gershonites and Merarites) did
set up the tabernacle against they came; and perhaps it is
expressed thus generally because, if there was occasion, not those
Levites only, but the other Israelites that were in the first squadron,
lent a hand to the tabernacle to hasten the rearing of it up, even
before they set up their own tents.
5. Ephraim’s squadron followed next after the ark
(v. 22-24),
to which some think the psalmist alludes when he prays
(Ps. lxxx. 2),
Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, the three tribes that
composed this squadron, stir up thy strength (and the ark is
called his strength,
and come and save us.
6. Dan’s squadron followed last,
It is called the rearward, or gathering host, of all the
camps, because it gathered up all that were left behind; not the women
and children (these we may suppose were taken care of by the heads of
their families in their respective tribes), but all the unclean, the
mixed multitude, and all that were weak and feeble, and cast behind in
their march. Note, He that leadeth Joseph like a flock has a tender
regard to the hindmost
that cannot keep pace with the rest, and of all that are given him
he will lose none,
John xvii. 11.
| Moses’s Request to Hobab. | B. C. 1490. |
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29 And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite,
Moses’ father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which
the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will
do thee good: for the LORD hath spoken good concerning Israel.
30 And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to
mine own land, and to my kindred.
31 And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou
knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest
be to us instead of eyes.
32 And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that
what goodness the LORD shall do unto us, the same will we do unto
thee.
33 And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days’
journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them
in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for
them.
34 And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they
went out of the camp.
35 And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses
said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let
them that hate thee flee before thee.
36 And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many
thousands of Israel.
Here is,
I. An account of what passed between Moses and Hobab, now upon this
advance which the camp of Israel made towards Canaan. Some think that
Hobab was the same with Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, and that the
story,
should come in here; it seems more probable that Hobab was the son of
Jethro, alias Reuel, or Raguel
(Exod. ii. 18),
and that when the father, being aged, went to his own land
he left his son Hobab with Moses, as Barzillai left Chimham with David;
and the same word signifies both a father-in-law and a
brother-in-law. Now this Hobab staid contentedly with Israel
while they encamped at mount Sinai, near his own country; but, now that
they were removing, he was for going back to his own country and
kindred, and his father’s house. Here is,
1. The kind invitation Moses gives him to go forward with them to
Canaan,
He tempts him with a promise that they would certainly be kind to him,
and puts God’s word in for security: The Lord hath spoken good
concerning Israel. As if he had said, “Come, cast in thy lot among
us, and thou shalt fare as we fare; and we have the promise of God that
we shall fare well.” Note, Those that are bound for the heavenly Canaan
should invite and encourage all their friends to go along with them,
for we shall have never the less of the treasures of the covenant, and
the joys of heaven, for others coming in to share with us. And what
argument can be more powerful with us to take God’s people for our
people than this, that God hath spoken good concerning them? It
is good having fellowship with those that have fellowship with God
(1 John i. 3),
and going with those with whom God is,
2. Hobab’s inclination, and present resolution, to go back to his own
country,
One would have thought that he who had seen so much of the special
presence of God with Israel, and such surprising tokens of his favour
to them, would not have needed much invitation to embark with them. But
his refusal must be imputed to the affection he had for his native air
and soil, which was not overpowered, as it ought to have been, by a
believing regard to the promise of God and a value for covenant
blessings. He was indeed a son of Abraham’s loins (for the Midianites
descended from Abraham by Keturah), but not an heir of Abraham’s faith
(Heb. xi. 8),
else he would not have given Moses this answer. Note, The things of
this world, which are seen, draw strongly from the pursuit of the
things of the other world, which are not seen. The magnetic virtue of
this earth prevails with most people above the attractives of heaven
itself.
3. The great importunity Moses used with him to alter his resolution,
He urges,
(1.) That he might be serviceable to them: “We are to encamp in the
wilderness” (a country well known to Hobab), “and thou mayest be
to us instead of eyes, not to show us where we must encamp, nor
what way we must march” (which the cloud was to direct), “but to show
us the conveniences and inconveniences of the place we march through
and encamp in, that we may make the best use we can of the
conveniences, and the best fence we can against the inconveniences.”
Note, It will very well consist with our trust in God’s providence to
make use of the help of our friends in those things wherein they are
capable of being serviceable to us. Even those that were led by miracle
must not slight the ordinary means of direction. Some think that Moses
suggests this to Hobab, not because he expected much benefit from his
information, but to please him with the thought of being some way
useful to so great a body, and so to draw him on with them, by
inspiring him with an ambition to obtain that honour. Calvin gives
quite another sense of this place, very agreeably with the original,
which yet I do not find taken notice of by any since. “Leave us
not, I pray thee, but come along, to share with us in the promised
land, for therefore hast thou known our encampment in the
wilderness, and hast been to us instead of eyes; and we cannot make
thee amends for sharing with us in our hardships, and doing us so many
good offices, unless thou go with us to Canaan. Surely for this reason
thou didst set out with us that thou mightest go on with us.” Note,
Those that have begun well should use that as a reason for their
persevering, because otherwise they lose the benefit and recompence of
all they have done and suffered.
(2.) That they would be kind to him: What goodness the Lord shall do
to us, the same we will do to thee,
v. 32.
Note,
[1.] We can give only what we receive. We can do no more service and
kindness to our friends than God is pleased to put it into the power of
our hand to do. This is all we dare promise, to do good as God shall
enable us.
[2.] Those that share with God’s Israel in their labours and hardships
shall share with them in their comforts and honours. Those that are
willing to take their lot with them in the wilderness shall have their
lot with them in Canaan; if we suffer with them we shall reign with
them,
2 Tim. ii. 12;
Luke xxii. 28, 29.
We do not find any reply that Hobab here made to Moses, and therefore
we hope that his silence gave consent, and he did not leave them, but
that, when he perceived he might be useful, he preferred that before
the gratifying of his own inclination; in this case he left us a good
example. And we find
that his family was no loser by it.
II. An account of the communion between God and Israel in this removal.
They left the mount of the Lord
(v. 33),
that Mount Sinai where they had seen his glory and heard his voice, and
had been taken into covenant with him (they must not expect that such
appearances of God to them as they had there been blessed with should
be constant); they departed from that celebrated mountain, which we
never read of in scripture any more, unless with reference to these
past stories; now farewell, Sinai; Zion is the mountain of which
God has said. This is my rest for ever
and of which we must say so. But when they left the mount of the
Lord they took with them the ark of the covenant of the
Lord, by which their stated communion with God was to be kept up.
For,
1. By it God did direct their paths. The ark of the covenant
went before them, some think in place, at least in this removal;
others think only in influence; though it was carried in the
midst of the camp, yet the cloud that hovered over it directed all
their motions. The ark (that is, the God of the ark) is said to
search out a resting place for them; not that God’s infinite
wisdom and knowledge need to make searches, but every place they were
directed to was as convenient for them as if the wisest man they had
among them had been employed to go before them, and mark out their camp
to the best advantage. thus Canaan is said to be a land which God
spied out,
Ezek. xx. 6.
2. By it they did in all their ways acknowledge God, looking
upon it as a token of God’s presence; when that moved, or rested, they
had their eye up unto God. Moses, as the mouth of the congregation,
lifted up a prayer, both at the removing and at the resting of the ark;
thus their going out and coming in were sanctified by prayer, and it is
an example to us to begin and end every day’s journey, and every day’s
work, with prayer.
(1.) Here is his prayer when the ark set forward: Rise up, Lord, and
let thy enemies be scattered,
v. 35.
They were now in a desolate country, but they were marching towards an
enemy’s country, and their dependence was upon God for success and
victory in their wars, as well as for direction and supply in the
wilderness. David used this prayer long after
for he also fought the Lords’ battles. Note,
[1.] There are those in the world that are enemies to God, and haters
of him: secret and open enemies; enemies to his truths, his laws, his
ordinances, his people.
[2.] The scattering and defeating of God’s enemies is a thing to be
earnestly desired, and believingly expected, by all the Lord’s people.
This prayer is a prophecy. Those that persist in rebellion against God
are hasting towards their own ruin.
[3.] For the scattering and defeating of God’s enemies, there needs no
more but God’s arising. When God arose to judgment, the work
was soon done,
“Rise, Lord, as the sun riseth to scatter the shadows of the night.”
Christ’s rising from the dead scattered his enemies,
(2.) His prayer when the ark rested,
[1.] That God would cause his people to rest. So some read it,
“Return, O Lord, the many thousands of Israel, return them to
their rest again after this fatigue.” Thus it is said
The Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest. Thus he prays that
God would give Israel success and victory abroad, and peace and
tranquillity at home.
[2.] That God himself would take up his rest among them. So we read it:
Return to the thousands of Israel, the ten thousand
thousand, so the word is. Note, First, The church of God is
a great body; there are many thousands belonging to God’s Israel.
Secondly, We ought in our prayers to concern ourselves for this
body. Thirdly, The welfare and happiness of the Israel of God
consist in the continual presence of God among them. Their safety
consists not in their numbers, though they are thousands, many
thousands, but in the favour of God, and his gracious return to them
and residence with them. These thousands are cyphers; he is the figure:
and upon this account, Happy art thou, O Israel! who is like unto
thee, O people!
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