Numbers 13:21

The Spies’ Activities

13:21 So they went up and investigated the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, ¹  at the entrance of Hamath. ² 

Numbers 34:8

34:8 from Mount Hor you will draw a line to Lebo Hamath, ³  and the direction of the border will be to Zedad.

Numbers 34:1

The Southern Border of the Land

34:1 ⁴ Then the Lord spoke to Moses:

Numbers 8:1

Lighting the Lamps

8:1 ⁵ The Lord spoke to Moses:

Amos 6:14

6:14 “Look! I am about to bring ⁶  a nation against you, family ⁷  of Israel.”

The Lord, the God who commands armies, is speaking.

“They will oppress ⁸  you all the way from Lebo-Hamath ⁹  to the Stream of the Arabah.” ¹⁰ 

Zechariah 9:2

9:2 as are those of Hamath also, which adjoins Damascus, and Tyre ¹¹  and Sidon, ¹²  though they consider themselves to be very wise.

¹ sn Zin is on the southern edge of the land, but Rehob is far north, near Mount Hermon. The spies covered all the land.

² tn The idiom uses the infinitive construct: “to enter Hamath,” meaning, “on the way that people go to Hamath.”

³ tn Or “to the entrance to Hamath.”

⁴ sn This chapter falls into several sections: the south (vv. 1-5), the west (v. 6), the north (vv. 7-9), the east (vv. 10-15), and then a list of appointed officials (vv. 16-29).

⁵ sn This chapter has three main sections to it: the lighting of the lamps (vv. 1-4), the separation of the Levites (vv. 5-22), and the work of the Levites (vv. 23-26). Many modern scholars assume that the chapter belongs to P and was added late. But the chapter reiterates some of the Mosaic material concerning the work of the Levites in the new sanctuary. For the chapter to make sense the historical setting must be accepted; if the historical setting is accepted, the chapter is necessary as part of that early legislation. For more reading, see M. Haran, “The Nature of the’ohel mo‘edh in the Pentateuchal Sources,” JSS 5 (1960): 50-65, and “The Priestly Image of the Tabernacle,” HUCA 36 (1965): 191-226; and C. L. Meyers, The Tabernacle Menorah.

⁶ tn Or “raise up” (KJV, NASB); NIV “stir up.”

⁷ tn Heb “house.”

⁸ sn Once again there is irony in the divine judgment. The oppressive nation itself will suffer oppression. The verb “oppress” (לָחַץ, lakhats) in this verse is not the same as that used in 4:1 (עָשַׁק, ’ashaq).

⁹ tn Or “from the entrance to Hamath.” The Hebrew term לְבוֹא (lÿvo’) can either be translated or considered a part of the place name.

¹⁰ sn Lebo-Hamath refers to the northern border of Israel, the Stream of the Arabah to its southern border. See 2 Kgs 14:25. Through this invader the Lord would reverse the victories and territorial expansion Israel experienced during the reign of Jeroboam II.

¹¹ map For location see Map1-A2; Map2-G2; Map4-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.

¹² map For location see Map1-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.