Numbers 10:33-36 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Numbers 10:29-36

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, Exod. 18:1-27, should come in here; it seems more probable that Hobab was the son of Jethro, alias Reuel, or Raguel (Exod. 2:18), and that when the father, being aged, went to his own land (Exod. 18:27), he left his son Hobab with Moses, as Barzillai left Chimham with David;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 10:33

And they departed from the mount of the Lord three days' journey ,...., From Mount Sinai, so called, because the Lord descended upon it, and gave the law from it; so the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan,"from the mount on which the glory of the Lord (or of his Shechinah or divine Majesty) was revealed.'This they left, after they had been nearly twelve months about it, and travelled three days' journey from it before the cloud rested, so as to abide, otherwise is stopped no doubt to give them... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 10:34

And the cloud of the Lord was upon them by day ,.... Not only upon the tabernacle, and upon the ark particularly, but it spread itself in journeying over the whole body of the people, and therefore said to be a covering to them from the heat of the sun, Psalm 105:39 ; as well as it was a guide unto them, and a token of the divine Presence with them, see Isaiah 4:5 when they went out of the camp ; or out of the place of their encampment, when they removed from Sinai; and appears... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 10:35

And it came to pass, when the ark set forward ,.... Carried by the Kohathites, Numbers 10:21 that Moses said ; in prayer, as both the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem express it; and it was a prayer of faith, and prophetic of what would be done, and might serve greatly to encourage and animate the children of Israel in their journeys; for the following prayer was put up not only at this time, but at all times when the ark set forward; and so Ben Gersom says, it was the custom of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 10:36

And when it passed ,.... The ark, and the cloud over it: he said ; Moses stood and prayed, as before, according to the above Targums, in the following manner: return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel ; who were six hundred thousand footmen, besides women and children, Numbers 11:21 ; the import of this petition is, that upon the resting of the ark God would take up his abode with them, grant them his presence, and manifest his love, grace, mercy, and goodness unto them;... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 10:33

The ark - went before them - We find from Numbers 10:21 ; that the ark was carried by the Kohathites in the center of the army; but as the army never moved till the cloud was taken up, it is said to go before them, i. e., to be the first to move, as without this motion the Israelites continued in their encampments. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 10:35

Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered - If God did not arise in this way and scatter his enemies, there could be no hope that Israel could get safely through the wilderness. God must go first, if Israel would wish to follow in safety. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 10:36

Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel - These were the words spoken by Moses, at the moment the divisions halted in order to pitch their tents. In reference to this subject, and the history with which it is connected, the 68th Psalm seems to have been composed, though applied by David to the bringing the ark from Kirjath-jearim to Jerusalem. See the notes on Psalm 68 (note). Many thousands, literally the ten thousand thousands. Unless the ark went with them, and the cloud of the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 10:33

Verse 33 33.And they departed from the mount of the Lord. He calls Sinai “the mount of the Lord,” because in no other place had God’s glory been so conspicuously manifested. This, I admit, it had been called by anticipation ( κατὰ πρόληψιν) before the promulgation of the law; but this name was imposed upon it afterwards to inspire eternal reverence for the law. By “three days’ journey,” we must understand a continuous march of three days, for they did not pitch their tents until they reached... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 10:35

Verse 35 35.And it came to pass, when the ark set forward. Since their journey was by no means a peaceful one, but the attack of enemies was constantly to be dreaded, it was needful to beseech God that He would go forth as if prepared for battle. Thus, too, did Moses support their courage, lest any more immediate cause for terror should render them sluggish and inert. It is, then, as if he had prayed thus: O Lord, not only show us the way, but open it to us also by the power of thy hand in the... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Numbers 10:29-36

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 10:33

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 10:34

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 10:35

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 10:36

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 10:33

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 10:35

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 10:36

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 10:33

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 10:35

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