Numbers 10:11-28

Part Two: Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea (Numbers 10:11-36; Numbers 11; Numbers 12; Numbers 13; Numbers 14)

I. FROM SINAI TO HAZEROTH (Numbers 10:11-36; Numbers 11; Numbers 12)

A. DEPARTURE, AND ORDER OF MARCH, vv. 11-28
TEXT

Numbers 10:11. And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony. 12. And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran. 13. And they first took their journey according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

14. In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies: and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 15. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nathaneel the son of Zuar. 16. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon. 17. And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward, bearing the tabernacle.
18. And the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur. 19. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 20. And over the host of tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel. 21. And the Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary: and the other did set up the tabernacle against they came.
22. And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud. 23. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 24. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.
25. And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, which was the rearward of all the camps throughout their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 26. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran, 27. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan. 28. Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their armies, when they set forward.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 10:11. And it happened on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was lifted from the Tabernacle of the Testimony. 12. Then the children of Israel began their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud stayed in the wilderness of Paran. 13. And they first began their travel according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses. 14. In the front went the standard of the camp of Judah, according to their armies; and leading his host was Nahshon, the son of Amminadab. 15. And over the host of the tribe of Issachar was Nethanel, the son of Zuar. 16. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliav, the son of Helon. 17. And the Tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari went forward, carrying the Tabernacle.

18. And the standard of the camp of Reuben went forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elizur, the son of Shedeur. 19. And over the host of the tribe of Simeon was Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai. 20. And over the host of the tribe of the children Gad was Eliasaph, the son of Deuel. 21. And the Kohathites went forward, carrying the sanctuary: and the others set up the Tabernacle before their arrival.
22. And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim went forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elishama, the son of Ammihad. 23, And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur. 24. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan, the son of Gideoni.
25. And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan went forward, which was the rear side of all the camps throughout their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai. 26. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel, the son of Okhran. 27. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira, the son of Enan. 28. These were the travels of the children of Israel according to their armies; then they went forward.

COMMENTARY

Israel had arrived at Mt. Sinai in the third month after their departure from Egypt (Exodus 19:1). Now, on the twentieth day of the second month in the second year, they are summoned for their first march after receiving the Law. It will be the beginning of a long and arduous tripmuch longer and more difficult than even the most gloomy pessimist among them might have guessed. Little do they know that only two of their number above the age of twenty years will ultimately walk across the Jordan River into the Land of Promise; indeed, they know nothing of the circumstances which will make it necessary to take the round-about route from the east rather than the nearer, logical approach from the south. It will be their own stubbornness and lack of faith which will make the difference, and this will cost them dearly: more than thirty-eight years must be spent going from place to place in a barren, waste area before they are finally led of God through Moab.

The land in which most of the intervening time will be spent, called Paran, and, in its northern section, the Negev, is a large desert plateau. It is bounded on the east by the slash of Arabah (that portion of a 3000 mile long geological fault which has resulted in, among other things, the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea). On the southwest, the border is the desert of Shur, the generally acknowledged border between Egypt and Philistia. To the north, the barrenness slowly melds into the more hospitable hills of the Amorites, which formed the southern border of Canaan. The Arabs have called the general region et Tib, the wandering place of the children of Israel. Its sandy soil extends approximately 150 miles from north to south, and virtually the same from east to west. Divided nearly exactly in half by the Wady el Arish, the district is lower in the western half than in the eastern, which rises to lofty mountain heights broken up by many small wadies and large tableland areas. It is hostile country, and far from an ideal place for normal life; this, it would seem, should have made the Israelites even more eager to move quickly into the Land of Promise. That they did not is a reflection upon their unstable faith, and their rejection of the favorable report of the two faithful spies, Joshua and Caleb.

As the cloud was removed from the Tabernacle and the trumpet sounded, the tribe of Judah led the way from Sinai, moving in an almost due north path toward Kadesh-barnea, after a brief northeasterly trek to Hazeroth. There is a slight alteration in the original plan of marching: the Levites, instead of traveling all together, are divided to place the Gershonites and the Merarites after Judah and before Reuben. This allows them, ahead of the Kohathites to erect the Tent of Meeting in advance of its furnishings. It is unnecessary to list the order in which the rest of the tribes follow, other than to demonstrate that they did so in accordance with the divine orders. We may conclude that this experience in such marching became the set pattern for later occasions.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

180.

How long had the Israelites actually been living at Mt. Sinai?

181.

How long would it be before the Land of Promise was actually theirs at the crossing of the Jordan?

182.

Describe the chief characteristics of the territory through which the tribes were to march, and in which they would live for the next several years.

183.

What signaled the fact that the tribes were to pack up their belongings and move?

184.

Why is the original order of march slightly altered now?

185.

For what reason are we taken through the entire order of the first nine tribes-' departure, without completing the list with the final three tribes?