Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall 3 give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them. And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for 4 their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts. And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the 5 wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about. And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this 6 shall be to them the suburbs of the cities. And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, 2 which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and 7 two cities. So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty 8 and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs. And the cities which Jos. 21. 41. ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth. 8 9, 10 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan; 11 then 'ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer 12 may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares [by error]. "And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, 13 until he stand before the congregation in judgment. And of these cities which 14 ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge. Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall 15 be cities of refuge. These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither. 16 vers. 13, 14; Deu. 4. 41; Jos. 20. 2. 7, 8; 21. 3. 13, 21, 27, 32, 36, 3; M. 11. 28; H-b. 6. 18. 9 Jos. 21 3. eh. 26. 54; 2 Cor. 8. 13, 14. Deu. 19. 2; Jos.20.2. ver. 19: Den. 19. 6; ver. 24; Den. 19. y ver. 6. a ch. 15. 16: Ro. 3. 29; Gal. 3. 28. And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: Ex. 21. 12, 14: Le. 17 the murderer shall surely be put to death. And if he smite him with throwing 24. 17; Deu. 19.11,12. vers. 21, 24, 27; Deu. 19. 6, 12; Jos, 20.3, 5. d Gr. 4. 8: 2 Sam. 3. 27: 20. 10; 1 Ki. 2 31, 32. Ex. 21. 14; Deu. 19. 11. a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall 18 surely be put to death. Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely 19 be put to death. The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when 20 he meeteth him, he shall slay him. But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at 21 him by laying of wait, that he die; or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him. 22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any ver. 11; Ex. 21. 13; 23 thing without laying of wait, or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought 24 his harm: then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger 25 of blood according to these judgments: and the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil. 26 i But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his 27 refuge, whither he was fled; and the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he 28 shall not be guilty of blood: because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession. 29 30 So these things shall be for 'a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to 1 For these, see Josh. xxi. 2. By the cities of the Levites being distributed over the land, the whole country might have had the benefit of their religious instructions. 2 This merciful law imposed a salutary check upon the ancient custom of blood-revenge, which unhappily still prevails in the east. The unintentional man-slayer was safe, in his refuge, from the avenger; though subject to some restrictions which would tend to enhance the value of human life. On the other hand, the murderer was Deu. 19. 5. 8 ver. 12; Jos. 20. 6. A Jos. 20. 6; Ro. 3. 24 k John 15. 4-6; Heb. 3. 14; 10. 26-30, 39. ich. 27. 11. Deu. 17. 6, 7; 19. 15; Mt. 18 16; 2 Cor. 13. 1; Heb. 10. 28. The subjected to the disgrace of a judicial condemnation; and "Ge. 9. 5. Ac. 4. 12; Gal. 3 10 -13 31 die. Moreover " ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is 32 guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the P 106 38; Mic. land and the land cannot be cleansed [there can be no expiation for the land] 34 of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel. 33 Law respecting heiresses; conclusion of the book. 9 Ge. 9. 6 Le. 18. 25; Deu. 21. 23. Ex. 25.8; 29. 45, 46. eh. 26. 55, 56; 33. 54; Jos. 17. 3 3,4. 36 AND the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of ch. 6. 29. Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spake before Moses, and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children 2 of Israel: and they said, "The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel: and my lord was commanded by ch. 27. 1, 7; Jos. 17. the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters. 3 And if they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall be put to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so 4 shall it be taken from the lot of our inheritance. And when the jubilee of the children of Israel shall be, then shall their inheritance be put unto the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers. a 5 And Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the 6 LORD, saying, The tribe of the sons of Joseph hath said well. This is the thing which the LORD doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry [be wives] to whom they think best; only to the family of the 7 tribe of their father shall they marry. So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of 8 Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. And every daughter that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the 9 children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers. Neither Le. 23 10-13, 23 * eh. 27. 7. . ver. 12. 1 Ki. 21. 3 shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance. 10 Even as the LORD commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad: 11 for Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of 4 ch. 27. L. 12 Zelophehad, were married unto their father's brothers' sons: and they were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father. 13 These are the commandments and the judgments, which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses unto the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho. ch. 26. 3; 33 3 THE FIFTH BOOK OF MOSES, CALLED DEUTERONOMY. THIS book is a repetition of much, both of the history and of the laws, contained in the three foregoing books; and was delivered to the Israelites by Moses, both orally and in writing, in the second month of the fortieth year of their wanderings in the wilderness. The Greek title 'Deuteronomy' signifies the second law (or, the law repeated'); as this is a second edition of the law, with additions adapted to the state of the people now just entering the promised land, and preparatory to the further developments which God was about to make of his purposes; and with explanations illustrating the holiness of heart which the law required, and inculcating the spirit in which its services and worship must be performed. There was a peculiar necessity for this solemn reiteration of the law by Moses at this time; inasmuch as the race of men to whom it was first given were all dead, and a new one had sprung up. The various mercies which God had bestowed upon | them and their forefathers, from their departure out of Egypt, are recapitulated; the people are reminded of their disobedience, ingratitude, and chastisements; and the law, both in its letter and spirit, is repeated, expatiated upon, and enforced by every variety of argument and motive. On the one hand prosperity, happiness, and honour-both individual and national-are promised upon obedience: and, on the other, the miseries are foretold which should follow their apostasy-their plagues, captivities, and dispersions; their extreme sufferings when besieged; the desolation of their land; their degradation and oppres sions; and their present condition, as exhibited to our own observation:-and to these predictions are added promises of abundant mercy and blessing, upon repent ance. Such are the general outlines of this book: and, as it must have been exceedingly useful to those to whom it was primarily addressed, so will it prove to us, if, com paring the history here recited with God's dispensations towards ourselves, both in temporal and in spiritual things, and our conduct towards Him, we apply the exhortations and persuasions to our own consciences, to excite our minds to believing and grateful obedience. The contents of this book (which is itself a kind of analysis of the three preceding books), are arranged by Diodati under three general heads: I. AN INTRODUCTION, or preface; adapted to gain attention from the people: 1. By a commemoration of the blessings conferred on them; both in peace, by the gift of a wise and religious magistracy (ch. i.), and in war, by making them victorious over the kings of Heshbon and Bashan (ii., iii.) 2. By a description of the precious law given to them-setting forth its Author, its miraculous promulgation, its subject-matter, and the benefits which would redound to them by it (iv.) of their own frequent rebellions, murmurings, and provocations (ix.), and of God's free and undeserved grace and love towards them (x.) 2. Deductions, or conclusions, from those principles (xi.) These chiefly concern the worship of God-as to its proper place and manner (xii.); the avoiding and punishing seducers to idolatry (xiii.); the guarding against legal uncleanness (xiv.); and the times and seasons of worship, including the sabbatical year (xv.) and the passover (xvi): and the conduct of men; either in authority civilas kings, who were to be chosen by God (xvii.); or in authority ecclesiastical (xviii.); or universally considered in their several duties to God and man, in many lawsmoral, judicial, and ceremonial (xix.-xxvi.) III. The CONCLUSION, which is, 1, exhortatory: persuading to obedience-by promises of blessings (xxviii.); by denouncement of curses (xxviii.) ratified by the people's own mouths, saying 'Amen' (xxvii.); by the remembrance of the great things which God had done for them; by the obligation of a solemn covenant (xxix.); and by encouragements to repentance (xxx.) 2. Historical: Moses resigns his charge to Joshua, and delivers the law to the priests (xxxi.); composes a prophetic song, which he delivers to the people (xxxi., xxxii.); pronounces a blessing upon the tribes, each in particular (xxxiii.); views the promised land, into which he must not enter; dies and is buried (xxxiv.) II. The second part is doctrinal, and contains, 1, the main principles of religion in the ten commandments (v.), to which are annexed a declaration of the end of the law-obedience; with an exhortation thereto (vi.), and dissuasives from those things which would hinder their obedience; viz., intercourse with heathen nations (vii.), forgetfulness of God's mercies, and self-righteousness (viii.); to beat down which Moses reminds them Moses' address to the people, reviewing the history of their journeys; with exhortations, warnings, and promises. 1 a Jos. 9. 1, 10; 22. 4,7. 26. THESE be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan2 in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red Sea, [or, Zuph,] between 2 Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab. (There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir4unto Kadesh-barnea.) ch. 9. 23; Num. 13. 3 And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that 4 the LORD had given him in commandment unto them; after he had slain Sihon Num. 21. 21-35. the king of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, which dwelt at Astaroth in Edrei. 5 On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, 6 saying, The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long 78 enough in this mount: turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaan8 ites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates. Behold, I have set the land before you go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them. 9 A And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself 10 alone: the LORD your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as 11 the stars of heaven for multitude. (The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!) 12 How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife? 13 Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I 14 will make them rulers over you. And ye answered me, and said, The thing 15 which thou hast spoken is good for us to do. So I took the chief of your tribes, 1 As this book is chiefly a recapitulation of the history and laws before recorded (to which references are made in the margin), the following notes will be confined to subjects not previously noticed. Several of these appear to be adaptations of the law to the improved character of the people, who were better prepared to submit to its spiritual precepts than their fathers had been; whilst others were probably explanations, arising out of particular events which had occurred. 6 2 Or, rather, near the passage of Jordan.' 3 The word 'sea' is not in the original, which has only Zuph,' or rather Suph.' Perhaps the place intended is Suph, or Suphah (Numb. xxi. 14, marg. reading). But it is more probable that the sentences should be differently divided, and that vers. 1 and 2 should be read thus: 'These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel at the passage of Jordan. By the wilderness along the Num. 33. 38. Num. 21. 33: Jos. Ex. 3. 1; 17. 6. Num. 10. 11-13. A Ge. 12. 7; 15. 18: 17. 7,8; 26. 4; 28. 13. i Ex. 18. 18; Num. k eh. 10. 22: 28 62; Ge. 12. 2, 3; 15. 5; Arabah in front of the Red Sea, between Paran, and between Tophel and Laban (Libnah, Numb. xxxiii. 20), and Hazeroth and Di-zahab, there are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadeshbarnea. Some commentators would place ver. 2 after ver. 19; considering it to have no connection with vers. 1 and 3. But if the passage be read as above, it appears like an exact specification of the short, natural route from Horeb to Canaan, put in direct contrast with the place, 'near the Jordan,' and the time, the fortieth year,' at which the following words were spoken; and it was calculated to call to mind the sin of the Israelites which had so greatly prolonged their journey. 4 There is another route, not along the plain of the Arabah and by Mount Seir, but over the high ground to the west. 5 of the sacred year-about February. wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and 16 officers among your tribes. And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and 17 his brother, and the stranger that is with him. Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; "ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's:1 and the cause that is too 18 hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it. And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do. 19 And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as 20 the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea. And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the LORD our 21 God doth give unto us. Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged. 22 c Num. 13. 1-20. 4 Num. 13. 3. Num. 13. 21-27. / Num. 13 27. And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we 23 must go up, and into what cities we shall come. And the saying pleased me well: 24 and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe: and they turned and went up into the 25 mountain, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out. And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, ' It is a good land which the LORD our God doth give us. Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment Num. 14. 1–4; Pa. 27 of the LORD your God: and ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us 28 into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, 'The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the " Anakims there. 26 29,30 Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them. "The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that 31 he did for you in Egypt before your eyes; and in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place. 32, 33 Yet in this thing 'ye did not believe the LORD your God, who went in the way before you, 'to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to show you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day. 34 106. 24, 25 A Ex. 16. 3; Num. 14.3 í ch. 9. 28. & Jos. 2. 11. 4 ch. 9. 1,2; Num. 13 28, 31-33 Num. 13. 28. "Ex. 14. 14, 25; Ne. 4. 20. Ex. ch. 7 to 15 P Ex. ch. 16 and 17. 9 ch. 32. 11, 13: Ex. Num. 14 22-10; Jos. 14. 9. And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and waswroth, "and sware, 35 saying, Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that 36 good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers, save Caleb the son of Num. 14. 24, 30; Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden 37 upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD. Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in 38 thither but Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in • Moreover 39 thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it. a eh. 3 ; 4. 21:34 9 11. A Num. 14. 25. Num. 14. 39, 40. your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day & had no knowledges between good and evil, they shall go in thither,7 1,316; Ro 40 and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it. But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea." Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against the LORD, we will go up and fight, according to all that the LORD our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up 42 into the hill. And the LORD said unto me, Say unto them, *Go not up, neither * Num. 14 41, 42. 43 fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies. 41 4 So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment 44 of the LORD, and 'went presumptuously up into the hill. And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, "as bees 45 do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah. And ye returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear 46 unto you. "So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there. 1 Those who act for God, as his vicegerents upon earth, must act like him. He will protect them in doing right, and call them to account if they do wrong. 2 Including all kinds of care and support. Num. 14. 44, 45 "Num. 13. 25; 20.1, 22; Judg. 11. 17. 3 These, being the words of God at the time of the rebellion, ought rather to be rendered, 'who at this day have no knowledge,' etc. 4 Or, 'despised the warning so as to go up,' etc. 2 days. 1 Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea, as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many 2 And the LORD spake unto me, saying, Ye have compassed this mountain long 4 enough: turn you northward. And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves there5 fore meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a pos6 session. Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; 'and ye shall 7 also buy water of them for money, that ye may drink. For the LORD thy God hath "blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing. C a eh. 1. 40; Num. 14. 25. P see vers. 7, 14; ch. 1. 6. 7 Num. 20. 14-21. Ex. 15. 15. Ge. 36, 8; Jos. 24. 4 see refs. Ge. 12. 2. Job 23 10. Ps. 1. 6. V ch. 8. 2-4. Num. 20. 20, 21; Judg. 11. 18. a1 Ki. 9. 26. & Num. 21. 28. 8 And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain2 from Elath, and from Ezion-gaber, we 9 turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab. And the LORD said unto me, Distress not the Moabites [or, use no hostility against Moab], neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a posses10 sion; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession. ("The Emims3 dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the G. 5. 11 Anakims; which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites 12 call them Emims. The Horims also dwelt in Seir beforetime; but the children; Ge. 14. 6; of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead [or, room]; as Israel did unto the land of his possession, 13 which the LORD gave unto them.) Now rise up, said I, and get you over the brook [or, valley] Zered. And we went over the brook Zered. 14 h And the space in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; 'until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the LORD sware unto 15 them. For indeed " the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from among the host, until they were consumed. 16 So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from 17 among the people, that the LORD spake unto me, saying, Thou art to pass over 19 through Ar, the coast of Moab, this day: and when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I 20 have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession. (That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites 21 call them Zamzummims; a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt 22 in their stead: as he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed 'the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in 23 their stead even unto this day: and "the Avims which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah, the Caphtorims, which came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, 24 and dwelt in their stead.) Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle. 25 This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee. 26 And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of 27 Heshbon with words of peace, saying, Let me pass through thy land: I will go along by the high way, I will neither turn unto the right hand nor to the left. 28 Thou shalt sell me meat for money, that I may eat; and give me water for money, 29 that I may drink: only I will pass through on my feet; (as the children of Esau which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar, did unto me ;) act. Num. 21. 21-35. i Num. 13. 23. * Num. 13. 26. ch. 1. 34, 35; Num. 1 From this it seems probable that most of the thirty- | Canaanites by the Hebrews was not an unprecedented seven or thirty-eight years of wandering were spent in this neighbourhood; and not, as some have supposed, in the western desert. 2 The word rendered the plain' is, in the Heb. and Sept., the Arabah.' See note on ch. i. 1. Elath and Ezion-gaber were a fortress and a port, at the head of the eastern arm of the Red Sea, near the modern Akaba. 3 This and the next two verses are probably an explanatory addition made after this book was written; perhaps designed to show that the extermination of the 4 The previous verses being a parenthesis, it will appear that this is part of what God said to Moses. 5 See note on ver. 10. 6 Though the Edomites refused the Hebrews a passage through the heart of their country, by those defiles which have always been jealously guarded by their possessors, they did not obstruct them in their journey round the borders. Sihon and Og, however, refused a passage along their confines. |