10:1-36. Journeyings and Order (March).

  I1  1-10. Journey. Preparation.
     K1  11. Removal of cloud.
    I2  12-16. Journey. Commenced.
     K2  17. Removal of tabernacle.
    I3  18-28. Journey. Order.
     K3  29-32. Removal of Hobab.
    I4  33. Journey. progress.
     K4  34. Removal of cloud.
    I5  35. Journey commenced.
     K5  36. Rest of cloud.

1490 B.C.

Numbers 10)

1 And the Lord (Yahaveh) spoke to Moses, saying (see 1:1),
2 "Make you two trumpets of silver (here only 2. Later, 120 [2 Chron. 5;12]. These were of 2 principle kinds: those called chazoz‘rah, made of silver, and straight: the other shophar, a horn. These must be distinguished. The other words are yôbêl, a jubilee horn [Ex. 19:16]; and tako’a, the blast of a trumpet [Ezek.7:14]); of beaten work shall you make them: that you may use them (4 purposes: 1-assembly; 2-journeying; 3-for war; 4- for the feasts) for the calling of the whole congregation (i.e. in its civil character), and for the journeying of the camps.
3 And when they shall blow with them, the whole congregation shall assemble themselves to you at the entrance of the tent 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 to you.
5 When you all blow a prolonged alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.
6 When you all blow a prolonged alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow a prolonged alarm for their journeys.
7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together (= a portion only, in its military character), you all shall blow, but you all shall not sound a prolonged alarm.
8 And the sons of Aaron (cp. Lev. 1:5), the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.
9 And if you all go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresses you, then you all shall blow a prolonged alarm with the trumpets; and you all shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and you all shall be saved from your enemies.
10 Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days (= appointed seasons), and in the beginnings of your months, you all 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."

(Between vv.10 and 11 comes in the account of Jethro, Ex. 18. See Deut. 1:17-14, where the choosing of judges takes place at Horeb, but is recorded in Ex.18 before Horeb. See Ex.18)

9-10th May, 1490 B.C.

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 sons of Israel set forward out of the wilderness of Sinai (Heb. idiom "journeyed for their journeyings". On the 19-20th of May [20th Ziph.], 1490 B.C., and ended 29-30th March [10th Abib] 1451 B.C. Lasted 38 years and 15 days); and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran (= place of caverns).
13 And they first took their journey according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
14 In the first place (for the order of tribes see 2:17) went the standard of the camp (notice distinction between "camp" and "host". Cp. 2:3) of the sons of Judah (= praised, celebrated) according to their armies: and over his host was Nahshon (= enchanter, see 1:7; 2;3) the son of Amminadab (Heb. = one of the princes people).
15 And over the host of the tribe of the son of Issachar (= reward) was Nethaneel (= given of God) the son of Zuar (= littleness).
16 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun (= a habitation) was Eliab (= God is my father) the son of Helon (= strong).

17 And the tabernacle (= the dwelling place [of Yehovah]) was taken down; and the sons of Gershon (= exile) and the sons of Merari (= bitter, unhappy) set forward, bearing the dwelling place.

18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben (= behold a son) set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elizur (= my God is the rock) the son of Shedeur (= darter of ligh).
19 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Simeon (= heard) was Shelumiel (= friend of God) the son of Zurishaddai (= my rock is the Almighty).
20 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Gad (a troop) was Eliasaph (= God is the gatherer) the son of Deuel (= friend of God. Also called Reuel, see Ex. 2:18).
21 And the Kohathites (= assembly) set forward, bearing the sanctuary: and the other (= the Gershonites and the Merarites) did set up the dwelling place before they came.
22 And the standard of the camp of the sons of Ephraim (= double fruitfulness) set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elishama (= whom God hears) the son of Ammihud (people of praise).
23 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh (= forgetful) was Gamaliel (= recompense of God) the son of Pedahzur (= whom the Rock redeems).
24 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin (= right hand of God) was Abidan (= father of the judge) the son of Gideoni (= a cutting down).
25 And the standard of the camp of the sons of Dan (= a judge) set forward, which was the rearward of all the camps throughout their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer (= brother of help) the son of Ammishaddai (= people of the Almighty).
26 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Asher (= blessed) was Pagiel (= God allots) the son of Ocran (= troubled).
27 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali (= fallen, wrestling) was Ahira (= brother of evil, i.e. unlucky) the son of Enan (= having eyes).
28 Thus were the journeyings of the sons of Israel according to their armies, when they set forward.

29 And Moses said to Hobab (= beloved), the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses' father in law, "We are journeying to the place of which the Lord said, 'I will give it you': come you with us, and we will do you good: for the Lord has spoken good concerning Israel."
30 And he said to him, "I will not go; but I will depart to my own land, and to my kindred."
31 And he (Moses) said, "Leave us not, I pray you; forasmuch as you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you may be to us instead of eyes (i.e. as guides).
32 And it shall be, if you go with us, yes, it shall be, that what goodness the Lord shall do to us, the same will we do to you."

9-10th thru 12-13th May [a Sabbath], 1490 B.C.

33 And they departed from the mountains of the Lord (because His glory had been revealed there) 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.

(VV. 35,36. These 2 verses are marked in the Hebrew MMS. by "inverted Nuns", i.e. the Hebrew letter n inverted and used as brackets, to show that vv.35 and 36 are thus enclosed to show v.34 should follow v.36. This is shown by the Structure:-
     33  The setting forth of the ark.
       35  "Rise up, O Lord"
       36  "Return, O Lord"
     34  The settings forth of the cloud.)

34 (35) And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, "Rise up, O Lord, and let Your enemies be scattered; and let them that hate You flee before You" (A beautiful prayer, cp. Ps. 3:7; 7:6; 10:12; 17:13; 44:26; 68:1).

35 (36) And when it rested, he said, "Return, O Lord, to the many thousands of Israel" (or "Cause to return". Cp. Deut. 30:3. Ps. 14:7; 126:1. The former better. Cp. Ex. 33:14-16).

36 (34) And the cloud of the Lord was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.

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