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, Num.

And the Lord spake unto Moses When the following directions concerning the trumpets were given is not certain; it may he at the time when the order of the camps of Israel was fixed, and is here recorded before the journeying of them, which was one use they were to be put unto, ; saying; as follows.

Make thee two trumpets of silver A metal very valuable and precious, durable, and fit for sound; only two are ordered, Aaron having but two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, who were to blow with them, ; for though Moses’s order is, “make thee”, or for thee, yet not for his own use, but for the priests to…

And when they shall blow with them With both the trumpets, in an even and continued sound, that is, the sons of Aaron: all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; to hear what was to be said unto them: blowing both the trumpets together was…

And if they blow but with one trumpet With only one of them, or but once, with one sounding, and that an even one as before: then the princes, which are the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee: and they only or alone, as Aben Ezra: by this token, or by this…

When ye blow an alarm Making a broken, uneven, and quavering sound, which is called a “tara-tan-tara”: then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward; the camps of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, which lay to the east of the tabernacle, at the front of it; see (Num. 1:3, Num. 1:5, Num.

When ye blow an alarm the second time Another “tara-tan-tara”: then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey; the camps of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad, which were encamped on the south side of the tabernacle, (Num. 2:10, Num. 2:12, Num.

But when the congregation is to be gathered together At the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and not to move in separate camps or bodies one after another: you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm; blow with an even and uninterrupted sound, and not with a broken and quavering…

And the sons of Aaron the priests shall blow with the trumpets Eleazar and Ithamar, the one with the one and the other with the other, there being at first but two, as there were but two priests; but in Solomon’s time there were an hundred twenty priests, and as many trumpets, ; hence Maimonides…

And when ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you That enters in to invade it, to besiege cities, and distress the inhabitants of it: then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets: a “tara-tan-tara” with both of them, to call the several tribes together to join against the…

Also in the day of your gladness When they should return from the enemy’s country conquerors, or have vanquished the enemy that came against them into their own land, and so would fix a day of rejoicing, like the days of Purim, and the seven days when Hezekiah rejoiced, as Aben Ezra observes; and…

And it came to pass, on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year Which was the twentieth of the month Ijar, in the second year of the coming of the Israelites out of Egypt; who, as it appears from hence, compared with ; had been in the wilderness of Sinai twelve months wanting ten…

And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai Each of their camps removed from thence, and so everyone took their journey; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran; which was a signal for the camps to rest and pitch their tents; this was after they had gone…

And they first took their journey, according to the commandment of the Lord Which was virtually contained in and signified by the taking up of the cloud, see ; by the hand of Moses; by his means and ministry, who had informed them, that it was the will of God, that when they saw the cloud taken up…

In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah Which tribe had the honour to go foremost and lead the van, the chief ruler, the Messiah being to come of it, as he did; who is King of Israel, and has gone forth at the head of them, fighting their battles for them:…

And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethaneel the son of Zuar.] (See Gill on Num. 10:14).

And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.] (See Gill on Num. 10:14).

And the tabernacle was taken down By the Levites, as Aben Ezra, and which appears to be their work, from ; this began to be done by them as soon as the cloud was perceived to move upwards, and the camp of Judah was preparing to march; and after Aaron and his sons had taken the holy vessels out of…

And the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their armies Next proceeded the standard of Reuben, having under it the tribes of Simeon and Gad, (Num. 10:19, Num.

And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. (See Gill on Num. 10:18).

And over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel. (See Gill on Num. 10:18).

And the Kohathites set forward After the standard of the camps of Reuben, and between that and the standard of the camp of Ephraim, to, which there is an allusion in ; bearing the sanctuary, or the holy things, as Jarchi; the ark, as Aben Ezra; though not that only, which indeed might be eminently…

And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies Next followed the standard of the camp of Ephraim, under which were Manasseh and Benjamin, (Num. 10:23, Num.

And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.] (See Gill on Num. 10:22).

And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni. (See Gill on Num. 10:22).

And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward Next after that of Ephraim, the last of all: which was the rearward of all the camps throughout their host; which brought up the rear, and was fittest for that purpose, being the most numerous, next to that of Judah, which led the van;…

And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran.] (See Gill on Num. 10:25).

And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.] (See Gill on Num. 10:25).

Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel Or this was the order of them, as Jarchi; in this form and manner they marched, and a most wise, beautiful, and regular order it was; first the standard of Judah, a camp consisting of 186,400 able men fit for war, then followed the Gershonites and…

And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses’s father in law Some think this Hobab was the same with Jethro, whose father’s name was Raguel or Reuel; so Jarchi and Ben Gersom; but rather Raguel or Reuel, and Jethro, seem to be the same, and was Moses’s father-in-law, and this…

And he said unto him, I will not go Which was a very peremptory answer, he seemed determined, and at a point about it for the present, though it is, probable he afterwards changed his mind, like the young man in the parable, ; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred; which were…

And he said That is, Moses, he replied to Hobab, unwilling to take him at his word and go without him: leave us not, I pray thee; or “not now”; as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; at this present time, under our present difficulties, while we are in the wilderness; though Jarchi says the…

And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be This repetition is for the confirmation of it, more strongly assuring him of what follows: that what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee; signifying that whatsoever they enjoyed in the land of Canaan he should have…

And they departed from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey , From Mount Sinai, so called, because the Lord descended upon it, and gave the law from it; so the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, “from the mount on which the glory of the Lord (or of his Shechinah or divine Majesty) was revealed.”…

And the cloud of the Lord was upon them by day Not only upon the tabernacle, and upon the ark particularly, but it spread itself in journeying over the whole body of the people, and therefore said to be a covering to them from the heat of the sun, ; as well as it was a guide unto them, and a token…

And it came to pass, when the ark set forward Carried by the Kohathites, ; that Moses said; in prayer, as both the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem express it; and it was a prayer of faith, and prophetic of what would be done, and might serve greatly to encourage and animate the children of Israel…

And when it passed The ark, and the cloud over it: he said; Moses stood and prayed, as before, according to the above Targums, in the following manner: return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel; who were six hundred thousand footmen, besides women and children, ; the import of this petition…