Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Numbers 10:29-32
Moses Asks Hobab To Accompany Them (Numbers 10:29).
Hobab, Moses' Midianite brother-in-law, was with them, giving assistance to Moses with his knowledge of wilderness lore, but determined to return to his own people. Moses pleaded with his brother-in-law to continue to accompany them and give them the benefit of his knowledge of wilderness survival. Among other things he was clearly very knowledgeable about the whereabouts of water. Note that even in this small section the ‘doing of good' to Hobab both begins and ends the incident, maintaining the chiastic pattern.
a Moses promises Hobab that if he accompanies them they will ‘do him good' in the land Yahweh has described as good (Numbers 10:29).
b Hobab plans to depart to his own land (Numbers 10:30).
b Moses pleads with him not to depart but to go with them as their eyes (Numbers 10:31)
a He promises that whatever good Yahweh does to them they will do to him (Numbers 10:32).
‘And Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' brother-in-law, “We are journeying to the place of which Yahweh said, I will give it you. You come with us, and we will do you good, for Yahweh has spoken good concerning Israel.” '
Hobab was of the Midianites, and was a relation of Moses. The word used probably means ‘in-law' and can thus mean either father-in-law or brother-in-law. Reuel is the Reuel whose ‘daughter' Moses married (Exodus 2:18), and thus Hobab may well have been his brother-in-law. But the relationship may have been a little more complicated. The point is that he was related to Moses through Moses' marriage to a Midianite. Moses requested Hobab to come with them with his knowledge of wilderness lore. Moses himself knew much of wilderness survival but he was probably aware that Hobab was especially skilled in the art, with a reputation as a man of the wilderness.
He emphasised that they were going towards the place which Yahweh had promised to give them, and that Yahweh had spoken good about it. Once in the land they would see that he did not lose by his act. They would ‘do him good'.
We should note here that the fact that Yahweh was leading them did not mean that Moses did not make use of all skilled help available. We must trust God fully, and at the same time make use of all the means available.
‘And he said to him, “I will not go, but I will depart to my own land, and to my kindred.'
But Hobab was minded to return to his own people and refused. He wanted to return to his own land and to his own wider family.
‘And he said, “Leave us not, I pray you, forasmuch as you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you shall be to us instead of eyes.'
But Moses knew his value both as an expert on wilderness lore, and as a valuable scout. He knew that Hobab was aware of how best to encamp, and where, and he could be as eyes to them as he acted as a scout, covering the areas around the camp in order to detect any possible danger, and seeking out water. Most of the travellers were wilderness novices. Here was one on whom he could rely for sound practical advice and guidance on the journey, and to pass on to others his skills..
‘And it shall be, if you go with us, yea, it shall be, that whatever good Yahweh shall do to us, the same will we do to you.'
And Moses confirmed that if he would go with them, whatever good Yahweh did to them they would do to him. He would be treated on equal terms. He would not lose his reward. The assumption must be that he agreed to go with them (Judges 1:16 with Judges 4:11). In Judges he is called a Kenite, which was a wilderness tribe who were possibly a Midianite sub-tribe. Or Hobab may have become a Kenite by adoption through marriage.