Arad. This was either the name of the king, or of his city, which was situated in the southern parts of Chanaan, and which fell to the share of Hobab, in the tribe of Juda. (Haydock) --- When this king heard, by means of his spies, or was informed that Israel intended to make an irruption into his c... [ Continue Reading ]
_Cities. Hebrew, "I will subject their cities to anathema, or utter destruction." This vow they probably made at the place called Horma, or "Anathema," which was anciently called Saphaad, Judges i. 17. They fully executed their threat under Josue, who defeated the king of Hered, (Josue xii. 14,) tho... [ Continue Reading ]
_Anathema. That is, a thing devoted to utter destruction. (Challoner) --- The explanation of Horma is inserted by St. Jerome. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Edom, one of the princes, had refused them a passage; upon which they went by Salmona to Phunon, (chap. xxxiii. 37, 42,) where they probably murmured, (chap. v.,) and were bitten by the serpents, as we read in this chapter. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_God. They had before often directed their complaints against the two brothers. Now, Aaron being no more, they attack God himself, who had always resented the injury done to his ministers. --- Food. So they call the heavenly manna: thus worldlings loathe the things of heaven, for which they have no... [ Continue Reading ]
Fiery serpents. They are so called, because they that were bitten by them were burnt with a violent heat. (Challoner) --- Hence they are called seraphim, by which name an order of angels are known. The Egyptians adored a serpent which they called serapis, at Rome; and they represented their god sera... [ Continue Reading ]
Brazen. Hebrew, "fiery." But, in the following verse, it is said to have been "of brass." We might translate, "make a seraph, and fix it upon a standard," (Calmet) in which form it would resemble one suspended on a cross. It was placed at the entrance of the tabernacle. (St. Justin Martyr, First Apo... [ Continue Reading ]
_A brazen serpent. This was a figure of Christ crucified, and of the efficacy of a lively faith in him, against the bites of the hellish serpent, John iii. 14. (Challoner) (St. Ambrose; Apol. i. 3.) As the old serpent infected the whole human race, Jesus Christ gives life to those that look at him w... [ Continue Reading ]
_Oboth, where Obodas, an ancient king of the Nabatheans, was adored. Hither they came from Phunon, celebrated for its copper-mines, where Bochart believes the Hebrews were bitten by the serpents, though others say that judgment was inflicted upon them at Salmona; which may be derived from tselem enu... [ Continue Reading ]
Jeabarim, means "the ford, (of Zared, ver. 12,) or the straits of passages, passengers, or Hebrews; or the hills Abarim," which extended over the eastern parts of Moab. It was the 38th station, (Calmet) at the southern extremity of Mount Abarim. (Haydock) --- After which Moses specifies those of Zar... [ Continue Reading ]
_Zared. The Israelites passed over this torrent, 38 years after the murmur at Cades-barne, (Deuteronomy ii. 14,) when God ordered Moses not to attack the Moabites._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Against. Hebrew, "on the other, or on this side of (the river, ver. 14) Arnon," which runs from the east, almost in the same direction as the torrent of Zared, but empties itself into the Dead Sea higher up, near the mouth of the Jordan. (Calmet) --- It divides the Moabites from their brethren, the... [ Continue Reading ]
The book of the wars, &c. An ancient book, which, like several others quoted in Scripture, has been lost. (Challoner) --- St. Augustine (q. 42) thinks this book was written by one of that country. Others believe that Moses wrote a more detailed account of the wars which he had to wage with the Amale... [ Continue Reading ]
The rocks. Some assert that the rocks fell upon the enemy: others, that they gave way and opened a passage for the Hebrews, while the rivers were also dried up. Hebrew, "They encamped on the stream of the torrents, which bends towards the dwelling (or city) of Ar, and rests upon the frontiers of Moa... [ Continue Reading ]
_Well. Hebrew Beer. (Haydock) --- This station is not mentioned under the same name at least, chap. xxxiii. Probably the inhabitants had covered up this well with sand, and God having discovered it to Moses, he informed the princes, who pushed their staves down. Upon which the waters appearing, the... [ Continue Reading ]
_They sung. Hebrew, "sing ye unto it," in chorus, men and women. Septuagint, "commence a canticle unto it. This well the princes dug, the kings of nations hewed in the rock, in their kingdom, while they held dominion."_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Mathana. Perhaps they did not stop here, though all the encampments are not specified, chap. xxxiii. Nahaliel, "God my torrent," and Bamoth, "the heights," are also situated upon the Arnon._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Desert. Hebrew and Chaldean, "Yeshimon," (Josue xiii. 28; Ezechiel xxv. 9,) a city of the Moabites._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Messengers, not from the city of Cademoth, which was in the midst of Phasga, but from a desert of the same name, situated out of the dominions of Sehon, Deuteronomy ii. 24. (Eusebius) --- God had already promised this country to Abraham, and though Moses did not intend to attack the king at present... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wells. We shall content ourselves with the torrents. They had only to travel about thirty miles. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jasa was not far from the Arnon, between Medaba and Dibon, Isaias xv. 4. (Eusebius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Garrison, either against Sehon, or against the Hebrews, whom God did not, as yet, authorize to attack the Ammonites, (Calmet) though the latter knew it not. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Arnon. Hence this territory, which formerly belonged to Moab, being taken in a just war, the Moabites could not lawfully retain it, as they attempted to do under Jephte, Judges xi. 13. (Grotius, Jur. iii. 6.) --- Hesebon, or Esbus, was the capital, and lay over-against Jericho, twenty miles from th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Proverb. Hebrew Moshelim: "Those who speak proverbs, or enigmas, say." Those were the ancient poets of the Amorrhites, who composed this canticle on the victory of Sehon. (Calmet) --- Moses inserts it in his work, as an additional proof, that the country was entirely lost to Moab, and as a denuncia... [ Continue Reading ]
_A fire and flame, denote the horrors of war, Judges ix. 20. --- Ar. Samaritan and Septuagint read ad, "hath consumed even the country of the Moabites and the lords (or pillars, Septuagint) of Bamoth, (the heights mentioned in ver. 18, 19,) on the Arnon." These lords may be the principal men, priest... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER XXI. _ He. Chamos, the idol of Moab, is upbraided as too weak to defend his people. The pagans generally formed their judgments of the power of their gods, by the event; and, if that proved unfortunate, they were ever ready to consign the idols to the flames. Chamos was probably the sun. (C... [ Continue Reading ]
Hesebon in the north, to Dibon in the southern extremity of the conquered country, near the Arnon, where Moses places the station of Dibon-gad. The yoke, or dominion of the Moabites, was ruined in all those parts. (Calmet) --- Hebrew, "We have shot at them; or their lamp, ( children or power,) from... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jazer, a famous city, 15 miles from Hesebon, given afterwards to the Levites. Moses " took the Amorrhites who were there" prisoners, according to the Hebrew; or, "drove them away," (Septuagint) putting to death those who continued to make resistance. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Og, the king of the most fertile country of Basan, was of gigantic stature, Deuteronomy iii. 11. The Rabbins relate many fables concerning him. --- Edrai was 15 miles to the north of the torrent Jeboc, (Calmet) which was the southern extremity of this territory. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]