Numbers 10

1 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

2 `Make to thee two trumpets of silver; beaten work thou dost make them, and they have been to thee for the convocation of the company, and for the journeying of the camps;

3 and they have blown with them, and all the company have met together unto thee, unto the opening of the tent of meeting.

4 And if with one they blow, then have the princes, heads of the thousands of Israel, met together unto thee;

5 `And ye have blown -- a shout, and the camps which are encamping eastward have journeyed.

6 `And ye have blown -- a second shout, and the camps which are encamping southward have journeyed; a shout they blow for their journeys.

7 `And in the assembling of the assembly ye blow, and do not shout;

8 and sons of Aaron, the priests, blow with the trumpets; and they have been to you for a statute age-during to your generations.

9 `And when ye go into battle in your land against the adversary who is distressing you, then ye have shouted with the trumpets, and ye have been remembered before Jehovah your God, and ye have been saved from your enemies.

10 `And in the day of your gladness, and in your appointed seasons, and in the beginnings of your months, ye have blown also with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings, and they have been to you for a memorial before your God; I, Jehovah, [am] your God.'

11 And it cometh to pass -- in the second year, in the second month, in the twentieth of the month -- the cloud hath gone up from off the tabernacle of the testimony,

12 and the sons of Israel journey in their journeyings from the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud doth tabernacle in the wilderness of Paran;

13 and they journey at first, by the command of Jehovah, in the hand of Moses.

14 And the standard of the camp of the sons of Judah journeyeth in the first [place], by their hosts, and over its host [is] Nahshon son of Amminadab.

15 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Issachar [is] Nathaneel son of Zuar.

16 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun [is] Eliab son of Helon;

17 And the tabernacle hath been taken down, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari have journeyed, bearing the tabernacle.

18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben hath journeyed, by their hosts, and over its host [is] Elizur son of Shedeur.

19 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Simeon [is] Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

20 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Gad [is] Eliasaph son of Deuel;

21 And the Kohathites have journeyed, bearing the tabernacle, and the [others] have raised up the tabernacle until their coming in.

22 And the standard of the camp of the sons of Ephraim hath journeyed, by their hosts, and over its host [is] Elishama son of Ammihud.

23 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh [is] Gamalial son of Pedahzur.

24 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin [is] Abidan son of Gideoni.

25 And the standard of the camp of the sons of Dan hath journeyed (rearward to all the camps), by their hosts, and over its host [is] Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

26 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Asher [is] Pagiel son of Ocran.

27 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali [is] Ahira son of Enan.

28 These [are] journeyings of the sons of Israel by their hosts -- and they journey.

29 And Moses saith to Hobab son of Raguel the Midianite, father-in-law of Moses, `We are journeying unto the place of which Jehovah hath said, I give it to you; go with us, and we have done good to thee; for Jehovah hath spoken good concerning Israel.'

30 And he saith unto him, `I do not go; but unto my land and unto my kindred do I go.'

31 And he saith, `I pray thee, forsake us not, because thou hast known our encamping in the wilderness, and thou hast been to us for eyes;

32 and it hath come to pass when thou goest with us, yea, it hath come to pass -- that good which Jehovah doth kindly with us -- it we have done kindly to thee.'

33 And they journey from the mount of Jehovah a journey of three days; and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah is journeying before them the journey of three days, to spy out for them a resting-place;

34 and the cloud of Jehovah [is] on them by day, in their journeying from the camp.

35 And it cometh to pass in the journeying of the ark, that Moses saith, `Rise, O Jehovah, and Thine enemies are scattered, and those hating Thee flee from Thy presence.'

36 And in its resting he saith, `Return, O Jehovah, [to] the myriads, the thousands of Israel.'

Numbers 10 Commentary

Chapter 10

The silver trumpets. (1-10) The Israelites remove from Sinai to Paran. (11-28) Hobab entreated by Moses to continue. (29-32) The blessing pronounced by Moses. (33-36)

Verses 1-10 Here are directions concerning the public notices to be given the people by sound of trumpet. Their laws in every case were to be Divine, therefore, even in this matter Moses is directed. These trumpets typify the preached gospel. It sounds an alarm to sinners, calls them to repent, proclaims liberty to the captives and slaves of Satan, and collects the worshippers of God. It directs and encourages their heavenly journey; stirs them up to combat against the world and sin, encouraging them with the assurance of victory. It leads their attention to the sacrifice of Christ, and shows the Lord's presence for their protection. It is also necessary that the gospel trumpet give a distinct sound, according to the persons addressed, or the end proposed; whether to convince, humble, console, exhort, reprove, or teach. The sounding of the trumpet of the gospel is God's ordinance, and demands the attention of all to whom it is sent.

Verses 11-28 After the Israelites had continued nearly a year at mount Sinai, and all was settled respecting their future worship, they began their march to Canaan. True religion begins with the knowledge of the holy law of God, and humiliation for sin, but we must go on towards perfection, in acquaintance with Christ and his gospel, and those effectual encouragements, motives, and assistances to holiness, which it proposes. They took their journey according to the commandment of the Lord, ( Deuteronomy 1:6-8 ) , and as the cloud led them. Those who give themselves to the direction of God's word and Spirit, steer a steady course, even when they seem bewildered. While they are sure they cannot lose their God and Guide, they need not fear losing their way. They went out of the wilderness of Sinai, and rested in the wilderness of Paran. All our removes in this world are but from one wilderness to another. The changes we think will be for the better do not always prove so. We shall never be at rest, never at home, till we come to heaven, but all will be well there.

Verses 29-32 Moses invites his kindred to go to Canaan. Those that are bound for the heavenly Canaan, should ask and encourage their friends to go with them: we shall have none the less of the joys of heaven, for others coming to share with us. It is good having fellowship with those who have fellowship with God. But the things of this world, which are seen, draw strongly from the pursuit of the things of the other world, which are not seen. Moses urges that Hobab might be serviceable to them. Not to show where they must encamp, nor what way they must march, the cloud was to direct that; but to show the conveniences of the place they marched through, and encamped in. It well consists with our trust in God's providence, to use the help of our friends.

Verses 33-36 Their going out and coming in, gives an example to us to begin and end every day's journey and every day's work with prayer. Here is Moses's prayer when the ark set forward, "Rise up, and let thine enemies be scattered." There are those in the world who are enemies to God and haters of him; secret and open enemies; enemies to his truths, his laws, his ordinances, his people. But for the scattering and defeating of God's enemies, there needs no more than God's arising. Observe also the prayer of Moses when the ark rested, that God would cause his people to rest. The welfare and happiness of the Israel of God, consist in the continual presence of God among them. Their safety is not in their numbers, but in the favour of God, and his gracious return to them, and resting with them. Upon this account, Happy art thou, O Israel! who is like unto thee, O people! God will go before them, to find them resting-places by the way. His promise is, and their prayers are, that he will never leave them nor forsake them.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 10

This chapter gives an account of the directions given for making two silver trumpets, and of the use of them, the ends and purposes for which they were to be made, Nu 10:1-10; and of the time of taking up of the cloud from the tabernacle, and of the removal of the camp of Israel from the wilderness of Sinai, and of the order of their march, Nu 10:11-28; when Moses most earnestly passed Hobab, his brother in law, to continue with him, Nu 10:29-32; and the chapter is closed with the prayer of Moses at the setting forward of the ark, and the resting of it, Nu 10:33-36.