attack of the king of Arad and his discomfiture may have taken place within a very few days after the death of Aaron. The events which followed may have taken place in rapid succession, and in some cases simultaneously.

Professors Birks and McCaul, by opposing conjecture to conjecture have shown that the whole may have been accomplished within the specified period; and the latter, by reference to the extraordinary results of the battle of Jena, has shown that such conjectures "concerning the possible and probable rapidity of Israelitish conquest, are confirmed by historic facts within the personal knowledge of many still living."

No Introduction to the Book of Numbers would be complete which failed to notice the peculiar proofs of its Divine inspiration which arise out of the typical occurrences which are related in it. These occurrences are, in some respects, even more remarkable, and more beyond the range of invention, than the symbolism of the ceremonial ordinances of the Levitical law. It is impossible to read, with candour and with attention, the account of the march of the Israelites through the wilderness, the miraculous guidance vouchsafed to them by the pillar of cloud and of fire, the invitation of Moses to Hobab, the miraculous supply of manna and of water, the expedition of the spies, the rash and abortive attempt to enter the land of Canaan, the repeated provocations in the wilderness, and the consequent exclusion from the land of promise of those who were included in the Sinaitic census, the intercession of Aaron as he stood between the living and the dead, the history of the fiery serpents and of the brazen serpent, the death of Moses and the appointment of Joshua as his successor, and lastly, the appointment of the cities of refuge-it is impossible, it may be affirmed, to read all these in a candid spirit and not to be struck with the remarkable types and foreshadowing which these events contain of the spiritual realities of the Christian life, and the impossibility either of the accidental occurrence of events which present so many points of spiritual correspondence, or of the arbitrary

invention of such a chain of historical circumstances, even at the latest period to which certain modern critics have assigned the composition of the Book of Numbers.

LITERATURE.

The following list contains some of the most valuable contributions to the critical and exegetical exposition of the Book of Numbers, which are either written in the English language or which have been translated into English. Of them many have been consulted, and valu. able aid has been derived from them, in the composition of the present Commentary :-Keil on The Pentateuch, 3 vols., T. and T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1864; Bishop Wordsworth's Commentary on the Bible, part ii., Rivingtons, 1865; The Speaker's Commentary, vol. ii., J. Murray, 1871; Lange's Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. iii., T. and T. Clark, Edinburgh (no date); Patrick Lowth and Whitby on The Old and New Testament, 4 vols., imp. 8vo, Tegg, 1844; A Practical and Explanatory Commentary on the Old Testament, by the Rev. Robert Jamieson, D.D., imp. 4to, London, Virtue and Co.

Much valuable information may be obtained from the following works, which bear more or less fully upon the elucidation of the Book of Numbers. Some of them, however, and more particularly that of Bleek, must be consulted with much caution:-The Historic Character of the Pentateuch Vindicated, Skeffington, 1863; The Mosaic Origin of the Pentateuch Considered, Skeffington, 1864; The Book of Moses, or the Pentateuch, in its Authorship, Credibility, and Civilisation, by the Rev. W. Smith, Ph.D., vol. i., Longmans, 1868; The Exodus of Israel, by the Rev. T. R. Birks, M.A., Rector of Kelshall, Herts, Second Ed., 1863; Hengstenberg on The Genuineness of the Pentateuch, translated by Ryland, J. D. Lowe, Edinburgh, 2 vols., 8vo, 1847; Hävernick's Historico-Critical Introduction to the Pentateuch, translated by Thompson, T. and T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1850; Bleek's Introduction to the Old Testament, translated by Venables, 2 vols., 8vo, Bell and Daldy, 1869.

CHAPTER I. — (1) And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying, (2) a Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls; (3) from twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies. (And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers.

:

(5) And these are the names of the men

(1) In the tabernacle of the congregation.The tabernacle of the congregation, or tent of meeting, so called because it was there that God met with Moses (chap. xvii. 4; Ex. xxv. 22), had been set up one month previously (Ex. xl. 17), nearly a year after the exodus.

(2) After their families.-The family or clan, mishpahah, included several fathers' houses (see Kurtz's Hist. of the Old Covenant, ii., pp. 8-10).

With the number of their names.-Better, according to the number of names. The reference is probably to the previous numbering recorded in Ex. XXX. 12. There is no corresponding clause in the account of the later numbering in chap. xxvi. 2. By their polls-i.e., man by man. The word gulgoleth denotes a man's head, or skull. Matt. xxvii. 33.

Cf.

(3) From twenty years old and upward.— The result of the previous numbering (Ex. xxx. 12, xxxviii. 26), which was made about six months earlier, and which was probably obtained by counting the number of half-shekels which were paid, as Ithamar appears to have done (Ex. xxxviii. 2), exactly corresponds with the result of the present census (verse 46). But the complete census, or numbering and enrolment of the persons according to tribes, families, and fathers' houses, appears to have been deferred until after the erection of the tabernacle, towards the construction of which the atonement money had been paid. If the whole was done in obedience to the command contained in Ex. xxx. 12, and was regarded as one transaction, those only would be numbered on the second occasion who had already paid their atonement money. There

that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben; Elizur the son of Shedeur. (6) Of Simeon; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. (Of Judah; Nahshon the son of Amminadab. (8) Of Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar. (9) Of Zebulun; Eliab the son of Helon. (10) Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim; Elishama the son of Ammihud: of Manasseh; Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. (11) Of Benjamin; Abidan the son of Gideoni. (12) Of Dan; Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. (13) Of Asher; Pagiel the son of Ocran. (14) Of Gad; (15) Of Eliasaph the son of Deuel. Naphtali; Ahira the son of Enan. (16) These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.

is nothing impossible in the supposition that the whole of those who had been numbered six months previously were still alive, but no allowance is made, on this supposition, for the number of those who were below twenty years of age at the earlier period, and who had exceeded that age at the later period. Inasmuch, however, as the sum-total in both cases is divisible by ten, and inasmuch as the separate items in this chapter are given in tens (the smallest subdivision of the people which was adopted by Moses, on the recommendation of Jethro, Ex. xviii. 21), no objection to the historical accuracy of both records can be sustained if it be allowed that the number of those who had attained the age of twenty years since the earlier census corresponded nearly with the number of deaths during the same period. The whole of the objection, however, is removed in a far more satisfactory manner by the supposition that there was only one census. (See the Introduction.)

By their armies.-Better, their hosts or companies.

(4) Of every tribe.-Or, for every tribe. Every one head rendered every one a head

.—The words may be There were many but it appears

heads of fathers' houses in each tribe; from verse 16 (chap. vii. 10, 11) that in each case the tribal prince was selected to preside over the census. (5) Ôf the tribe of Reuben.-Hebrew, for Reuben.

(16) The renowned of the congregation.-Lit., the called men of the congregation, i.e., the men chosen as representatives of their respective tribes, and appointed

(17) And Moses and Aaron took these

names :

men which are expressed by their (18) and they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls. (19) As the LORD commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.

(20) And the children of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; (21) those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.

(22) Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; (23) those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred.

(24) Of the children of Gad, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; (25) those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Gad, were forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty.

(26) Of the children of Judah, by their

to act in that capacity in regulating the affairs of the nation.

Heads of thousands in Israel.-Better, they were the heads of the thousands of Israel. Comp. Exod. xviii. 21, 25, where rulers, or princes of thousands, are the highest class of officers recommended by Jethro, and appointed by Moses. See also chap. x. 4.

(18) Declared their pedigrees.-More literally, announced themselves as having been born—i.e., caused themselves to be enrolled. The people appear to have been enrolled by their polls, ie., individually, under three heads (1) according to the tribe to which they belonged; (2) according to the mishpahah, or family, which, as it appears from chap. iii. 22, included in some cases two or three thousand persons; and (3) according

by their Generations.

generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; (27) those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Judah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.

(28) Of the children of Issachar, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; (29) those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.

(30) Of the children of Zebulun, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; (31) those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred.

(32) Of the children of Joseph, namely, of the children of Ephraim, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; (33) those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred.

(34) Of the children of Manasseh, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go. forth to war; (35) those that were numbered

to their father's house. The importance of this enrolment, as affording the means of tracing the genealogy of Christ, must not be overlooked.

According to the number of the names.The words are the same as in verse 2, and should be rendered in the same manner.

(20) By their generations.-The toledoth, or generations, included the whole of the descendants of the head of the tribe (Gen. v. 1, vi. 9).

(27) Threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred. The superiority of Judah in point of numbers over all the other tribes deserves notice in connection with the blessing pronounced on that tribe by Jacob in Gen. xlix. 8: "Thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise." In like manner it should be

of them, even of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred.

(36) Of the children of Benjamin, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; (37) those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred.

(38) Of the children of Dan, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; (39) those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Dan, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred.

(40) Of the children of Asher, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; (41) those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Asher, were forty and one thousand and five hundred.

(42) Of the children of Naphtali, throughout their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to (43) those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Naphtali,

war;

observed that the number of the tribe of Ephraim (verse 33) exceeded that of the tribe of Manasseh (verse 35). (See Gen. xlviii. 19, 20.)

(46) Six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.-It is obvious that the odd numbers were not reckoned. In chap. xi. 21, as in Ex. xii. 37, the whole number is reckoned roughly at six hundred thousand.

(48) For the Lord had spoken -Better, And the Lord spake (chap. iii. 1, 5, 6, 14, 15). It is true that the Levites were not included in the earlier numbering, and consequently that they must have been exempted by divine direction. It does not appear, however, that there is a reference to any previous command respecting the Levites, or that the specific destination of the Levites had been previously declared.

(50) The tabernacle of testimony.-The testimony (sometimes described as the two tables of the testimony (Ex. xxxi. 18, xxxiv. 29) denotes in the first instance the tables of the law which were directed to

The Levites not Numbered.

were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.

(44) These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men: each one was for the house of his fathers. (45) So. were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel; (46) even all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.

(47) But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them. (48) For the LORD had spoken unto Moses, saying, (49) Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel: (50) but thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle. (51) And when the abiermeele setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. (52) And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, through

:

be placed in the ark (Ex. xxv. 16, 21). Hence the ark is described as the ark of the testimony (Ex. xxv. 22, xxvi. 33), and the tabernacle as the tabernacle of the testimony (Ex. xxxviii. 21), and the tent, including the outer covering of the mishkan, or wooden building, is called the tent of the testimony (chap. ix. 15). Also the veil which separated the holy place from the most holy is called the veil of the testimony (Lev. xxiv. 3).

And shall encamp round about the tabernacle.-The tent of meeting was like a royal palace, and the Levites served as a guard of honour round about it, to protect it from every sort of desecration.

(51) And the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.-The word zar (stranger) here denotes one who was not of the tribe of Levi (Lev. xxii. 10, 12).

(52) By his own standard.-It appears from chap. ii. 3, 10, 18, 25, that there were four standards-viz., those of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan-corresponding to the four camps, each consisting of three tribes, which pitched round the tent of meeting.

out their hosts. (53) But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath. upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.

(54) And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.

CHAPTER II. (1) And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, (2) Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father's house: 1 far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch.

(3) And on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies: and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the children of Judah. (4) And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred. (5) And those that do pitch next unto him shall be the tribe of Issachar: and Nethaneel the son of Zuar shall be captain of the children of Issachar. (6) And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred. (7) Then the tribe of Zebulun: and Eliab the son of Helon shall be captain of the children of Zebulun. (8) And his host,

(53) That there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel.-The word kezeph (wrath) is used to denote some immediate visitation of the hand of God, as, e.g., the plague. Thus, after the plague which broke out in consequence of the sin of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, we read in chap. xviii. 5 "that there be no wrath (kezeph) any more upon the children of Israel.” In chap. viii. 19 the word negeph (plague) is used in the same sense as kezeph is used here. (Cf. Josh. ix. 20; 2 Kings iii. 27; 1 Chron. xxvii. 24.)

in their Tents.

and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred. (9) All that were numbered in the camp of Judah were an hundred thousand and fourscore thousand and six thousand and four hundred, throughout their armies. These shall first set forth.

(10) On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their armies: and the captain of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur. (11) And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were forty and six thousand and five hundred. (12) And those which pitch by him shall be the tribe of Simeon and the captain of the children over of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. (13) And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred. (14) Then the tribe of Gad: and the captain of the sons of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel. (15) And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were forty and five thousand and six hundred and fifty. (16) All that were numbered in the camp of Reuben were an hundred thousand and fifty and one thousand and four hundred and fifty, throughout their armies. And they shall set forth in the second rank.

(17) Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the

but at some distance from it; and this is implied in the directions given in the following chapter for the encamping of the Levites immediately round the tent of meeting. It has been supposed that the nearest tents were above 2,000 cubits, which was probably a Sabbath day's journey, from the tabernacle (cf. Josh. iii. 4); and on this supposition the area of the camp has been computed at about three square miles. The form of encampment was probably circular.

(9) These shall first set forth.-It is quite possible that there may be a primary reference in Gen. xlix. 10 to the position which the camp of Judah should occupy in the marches of the Israelites.

(14) Reuel.-There is good authority for reading Deuel here, as in chaps. i. 14, vii. 42, x. 20.

(16) Throughout their armies.-Better, according to their hosts. So in verses 3 and 24. In verse 31 the words "with their standards " seem to be used in the same manner. Each tribe had probably the common standard (degel) of its leading tribe as well as its own smaller ensigns.

(17) In the midst of the camp.-Or, host. The word mahaneh (camp) here denotes evidently the whole of the four united camps or hosts. As the tent of