Numbers 34:1--36:13
land ............ land <0776> [is the land.]
inheritance <05159> [an inheritance.]
southern border ............... southern <06285 05045> [south quarter.]
eastward ....... Salt Sea <03220 06924 04417> [salt sea eastward.]
The lake Asphaltites, Dead sea, or Salt sea, is, according to the most authentic accounts, about 70 miles in length, and 18 in breadth. Viewing this sea from the spot where the Jordan discharges its waters into it, it takes a south-easterly direction, visible for ten or fifteen miles, when it disappears in a curve towards the east. Its surface is generally unruffled, from the hollow of the basin in which it lies scarcely admitting the free passage necessary for a strong breeze: it is, however, for the same reason, subject to whirlwinds or squalls of short duration. The mountains on each side are apparently separated by a distance of eight miles; but the expanse of water at this point has been supposed not to exceed five or six: as it advances towards the south, it evidently increases in breadth. The acrid saltness of its waters is much greater than that of the sea; and of such specific gravity that bodies will float on it that would sink in common sea-water. It is probably on this account that few fish can live in it; though the monks of St. Saba affirmed to Dr. Shaw, that they had seen fish caught in it.
Scorpion Ascent <04610> [Akrabbim.]
Zin <06790> [Zin.]
Kadesh Barnea <06947> [Kadesh-barnea.]
Hazar Addar <02692> [Hazar-addar.]
Brook <05158> [the river.]
sea <03220> [the sea.]
northern border <01366 06828> [north border.]
Mount Hor <02023 02022> [mount Hor.]
Hamath <0935> [the entrance.]
Hazar Enan <02704> [Hazar-enan.]
Riblah <07247> [Riblah.]
east ............. eastern side <06924 03802> [side. Heb. shoulder. sea of Chinnereth.]
[Chinneroth.]
[Gennesaret.]
Sea <03220> [Sea of Tiberias.]
Salt Sea <03220 04417> [the salt sea.]
land <0776> [This is the land.]
two ..... tribes <04294 08147> [two tribes.]
These two tribes inherited the dominions of Sihon and Og, the two vanquished kings of the Amorites, which extended from the Arnon to Mount Hermon. Of those counties, Moses gave to the tribe of Reuben the south-west part, which was bounded on the south by the river Arnon, on the west by Jordan, and on the north and east by the tribe of Gad. The tribe of Gad was bounded by the river Jordan and tribe of Reuben on the west, by the half tribe of Manasseh on the north, by the kingdom of the Amorites and Arabia Deserta on the East, and by the tribe of Reuben on the south. The part belonging to the tribe of Manasseh was bounded by the tribe of Gad on the south, by the sea of Galilee and part of Jordan on the west, by Hermon and Lebanon on the north, and by the mountains of Trachonitis on the east.
side .... Jordan <05676 03383> [on this side Jordan.]
names <08034> [are the names.]
It is worthy of remark, that Moses does not follow any order hitherto used in arranging the tribes, but places them exactly in the order in which they possessed the land, and according to their fraternal relationship. Judah is first, having the first lot, in the South (Jos ch. 15); and next to him is Simeon, because his inheritance was "within the inheritance of the children of Judah." (Jos 19:1.) Benjamin, the third, had his portion between "Judah and the children of Joseph." (Jos 18:11.) Dan was the fourth, and his lot was westward of Benjamin. (Jos 19:40, 41.) Manasseh and his brother Ephraim had their inheritances behind that of Benjamin. (Jos 16:7.) Next these dwelt Zebulun and Issachar, (Jos 19:10-17;) and then Asher and Naphtali. (Jos 19:24-32.)
Eleazar <0499> [Eleazar.]
Joshua <03091> [Joshua.]
Caleb <03612> [Caleb.]
500 yards <0520 0505> [thousand cubits.]
The Septuagint reads [dischilious pecheis] "two thousand cubits," as in the following verse; but this reading is not acknowledged by any other ancient version, except the Coptic, nor by any of the MSS. collated by Kennicott and De Rossi. Various modes have been proposed for reconciling the accounts in these two verses, which appear in general to require full as much explanation as the text itself. The explanation of Maimonides is the only one that is intelligible, and appears perfectly satisfactory. "The suburbs," says he, "of the cities are expressed in the law to be 3,000 cubits on every side, from the wall of the city and outwards. The first 1,000 cubits are the suburbs; and the 2,000, which they measured without the suburbs, were for fields and vineyards." The whole therefore, of the city, suburbs, fields, and vineyards, may be represented by the following diagram:-- ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Fields and vineyards. ³ ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ³ ³ Suburbs. ³ ³ ³ ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ City. ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ ³ ³ ³ 1,000 Cubits ³ ³ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ ³ 2,000 Cubits ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
towns ............ six towns ... refuge ................... towns <05892 04733 08337> [six cities for refuge.]
give ................... someone ....... give <05414> [to them ye shall add. Heb. above them ye shall give.]
possession <0272> [possession.]
larger <07227 04592> [from them.]
allocated <05157> [he inheriteth. Heb. they inherit.]
designate <07136> [ye shall appoint.]
As the {goel,} or kinsman, had a right to avenge the death of his relation, by slaying the murderer wherever he found him, the appointment of these cities was a humane institution for the protection of the involuntary homicide; for they were designed only for the protection of such.
unintentionally <07684> [unawares. Heb. by error.]
avenger <01350> [from the avenger.]
stood <05975> [until he stand.]
towns ......... six towns <08337 05892> [six cities.]
three towns ............ three towns .......... towns <07969 05892> [three cities.]
hits <05221> [if he smite.]
murderer ... murderer <07523> [the.]
stone ... enough <068 03027> [throwing a stone. Heb. a stone of the hand.]
throws <01920> [if he thrust.]
intentionally <06660> [by laying.]
live ..... death <03427 04194> [abide in it.]
anointed <04886> [anointed.]
After the manslayer had been received into the city of refuge, the avenger of blood could only act as prosecutor; and the magistrates, in the presence of the people, were appointed to decide the cause according to the rules here laid down. Probably the accused person was tried at or near the place where the deceased had been slain, and where evidence could most easily be brought: and in case he was acquitted by the decision of the judges, and with the approbation of the people, he was conveyed back to the city of refuge, where he was protected as a kind of prisoner at large, till the death of the high priest; when the public loss, and the grief occasioned by it, might be supposed to swallow up all personal regrets and resentments: and then he was permitted to return to his house and estate. But if, in the mean while, he ventured to leave the city, and the avenger met him and slew him, he was supposed to merit his doom by thus neglecting the appointment of God for his preservation, and the avenger must not be punished. This shews that in other cases, if the avenger slew an innocent man on surmise, he was liable to the punishment of a murderer; but if, by the testimony of two credible witnesses, the man who had fled to the city of refuge was adjudged guilty, he must without fail be put to death.
blood ................ blood ........... blood <01818> [he shall not be guilty of blood. Heb. no blood shall be to him]
stayed <03427> [he should.]
death ....... after ... death <04194 0310> [after the death.]
accept <03947> [Moreover.]
guilty ... death ... must ...... death <04191 07563> [guilty of death. Heb. faulty to die.]
The region east of Jordan was nearly as long as that on the west, and therefore three cities were appointed in each division. One or other of these cities would be within half a day's journey of every part of the land; and as it would rarely happen that the avenger of blood would be on the spot, and none had a right to assault or detain the manslayer, at least if no malicious intention was manifest, the unhappy men would, therefore, get the start of their adversaries, and very few of them be overtaken before they gained the place of refuge. But then they must forsake their families, employments, most important interests, and dearest comforts; and they must neither loiter nor yield to weariness, nor regard difficulties, nor slacken their pace, till they had got safe within the walls of the city. The Jewish writers inform us, that to afford every facility to those who thus fled for their life, the road to these cities was always preserved in good repair; and way-posts, upon which was inscribed REFUGE were placed wherever needful, that they might not so much as hesitate for a moment.
pollute ......... defiles <02610> [it defileth.]
land ......... land .... land .... cleansed ............... person <0776 03722> [the land cannot be cleansed. Heb. there can be no expiation for the land.]
defile ... land <02930 0776> [Defile not.]
live ...... live <07931> [I dwell.]
in which ... live ...... live among <07931 08432> [dwell among.]
Gileadites <01568> [Gilead.]
commanded ... lord .................. commanded .... Lord <03068 06680> [The Lord commanded.]
To one division of the tribe of Manasseh, a portion had been assigned eastward of Jordan; but Zelophehad was of that division, to which an inheritance was afterwards allotted west of Jordan; yet, expecting the promised land, the elders of the Manassites now propose a difficulty, upon the adjudged case of Zelophehad's daughters. (ch. 27:1-11.) If the females should inherit, in defect of male issue, and should intermarry with other tribes they would diminish the interest, and weaken the influence of their own tribes, and give occasion to future confusion, and perhaps contention. The Manassites therefore referred the case to Moses; and he, by the authority of God, annexed a clause, which would effectually keep the tribes and inheritances distinct, as long as it was observed. Heiresses were not allowed to marry out of their own tribe, though within those bounds they might consult their own inclinations.
give ..................... give <05414> [to give.]
taken .......................... taken <01639> [whereunto they are received. Heb. unto whom they shall be.]
saying <01696> [hath said well.]
marry ......... marry <0802> [marry. Heb. be wives. only to the family.]
one <0376> [for every one.]
That is, he shall not endeavour to obtain any part of the inheritance of another tribe by marrying an heiress.
inheritance .................... retain .... heritage <01692 05159> [keep himself. Heb. cleave]
daughter <01323> [every daughter.]
families ................... family <04940> [into the families. Heb. to some that were of the families.]
commandments <04687> [the commandments.]
plains ... Moab <06160 04124> [in the plains of Moab.]
CONCLUDING REMARKS. Thus terminates the book of Numbers; a book containing a series of the most astonishing providences and events. Every where and in every circumstance God appears; and yet there is no circumstance or occasion which does not justify those signal displays of his grace and mercy; and in every relation we perceive the consistency of the divine intentions, and the propriety of those laws which he established.
