came by the way' of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners. b c. 13. 21. form in the Heb. is rendered, Josh. 12: 14, "King of Arad;" while in Num. 33: 40, it appears as here, "King Arad the Canaanite." We derive an important hint as to the locality in question, from Judg. 1:16; "And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up out of the city of palm-trees with the children of Judah, unto the wilderness of Judah, which lieth on the south of Arad," i. e., in the south parts of the tribe of Judah about the city Arad. Arad, therefore, was the name of a city on the southernmost borders of Canaan, which Eusebius and Jerome place about twenty Roman miles from Hebron, equal to about eight hours with camels. Prof. Robinson observed a place in about the same locality, on the route from Petra to Hebron, called "Tell Arad," which he thinks may with great probability be regarded as the site of the ancient city here spoken of. The Israelites were now advancing northwards, though still hovering about the south-eastern border of Edom, when this petty potentate of Canaan, getting intelligence of their movements and thinking it good policy to keep the war at a distance, marched forth from his own territory in considerable force, determined to dispute their further progress. His assault was at first partially successful, but we learn that he subsequently paid dear for his victory. "The trials of a wilderness state terminate only with our journey. Fears within and fightings without, are often the lot of the Church on earth. The time of the promise was not far off, yet they must conflict for possession. It might be thought, that as the church approached nearer and nearer to the land of promise, difficulties would lessen, and that peaceful and unopposed pos session would be gained. Instead of this trials have multiplied, and just when in reach of home more than at any period before."-Seaton. So with the Christian in his journey towards heaven. Instead of finding himself released from combat, his faith and patience are exercised by new forms of temptation, new battles with new enemies have to be fought, and he at length settles down in the assurance that there is "no discharge in that war," till he has crossed the Jordan of death, and sat himself down in peace in the Canaan beyond.-¶ Heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies. Heb. derek hâathârim, in regard to the true purport of which versions and commentators greatly differ. The Chald., Syr. and Vulg. render with our translators "the way of the spies," understanding thereby the way into Canaan travelled by the spies whom Moses had sent many years before to explore the land. But it is objected to this interpretation that the original word for spies is properly târim, from toor, to traverse, also to spy out, to examine, to explore, whence the normal form would be hattârim instead of athirim, which comes analogically from âthar, although this verb nowhere occurs. For this reason many critics are disposed to concur with the Sept. and the Arab., which renders it as a proper name, "by the way of Atharim," notwithstanding we have nowhere else the least intimation of the existence of any place of this name. For ourselves we incline to adhere to the established rendering. The Israelites, it is true, were now at a quite remote distance from the southern limits of Canaan when the spies had entered, but they were advancing in that general direction, 2 And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this e Gen. 28. 20. Judg. 11. 30. people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. d d Lev. 27. 28. Deut. 13. 15. vants may be temporarily “made prisoners," yet they are always "prisoners of hope," and the time of release, the year of jubilee, will come, when liberty is proclaimed to the "captives," and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. V. 2. Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord. This implied a calling upon the Lord for his help, and religiously prom and the king of Arad may have naturally supposed that they designed to enter the country through some passage which, from the circumstance alluded to, had perhaps in the mean time acquired the name of "the way of the spies." The use of the article suggests an appellative import to the original word, instead of its being a proper name, and Drusius has shown that the addition of the prosthetic Na (ising to devote to him their enemies and athârim) is paralleled by ezroa, for zeroa, arm, and other similar usages. The evidence, on the whole, predominates in our view in favor of the usual English version of the phrase. -¶ And took (some) of them prison ers. Heb. "Took captive of them a captivity." The abstract is here used for the concrete as in ch. 31: 12, "And they brought the captives (Heb. the captivity), and the prey, and the spoil, etc." Judg. 5: 12, "Arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive." Comp. Ps. 68:19. 2 Chron. 28: 5. Thus we have poverty for a company of poor people, 2 Kings 24: 14; spoil for a people spoiled, Am. 5:9; thanks for those who gave thanks, Neh. 12:31, and so in numerous other instances. The discomfiture which Israel now experienced was permitted of the Lord, not only to be a snare to the victors, but also to serve as a salutary lesson to the chosen people, to teach them their own intrinsic weakness and their constant dependence on the divine sufficiency for success in their warfare. The reverse, therefore, now met with would be an exercise of faith and a spur to fortitude. But although success may for a while attend the enemies of the Lord's church, it cannot be lasting. His ser all their substance. See Note on Gen. 28:20. It does not appear that God had thus far openly and explicitly commanded the cities of Canaan to be utterly destroyed, yet it is a fair inference that the purpose now expressed was acceptable to him, as it fell in with his general design in regard to those nations. He had resolved upon their destruction, and he had appointed the Israelites to execute the sentence. It would seem, therefore, if it was right for them, as the Lord's ministers, to do this work, it was right to vow to do it; and we learn from the sequel that they were enabled to accomplish the object of their vow, while no hint of the divine disapproval is anywhere to be met with. "The Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites." The vow, then, did not originate in inconsiderate zeal, but virtually in the divine determination. Hence it was not idly spoken, but was founded on the Lord's word, which is always the grand rule for vowing rightly. It may be conceded, that it was allowable for them to spare the cities which they wished to occupy themselves; but it was also allowable to devote them as an offering of first-fruits to God, as we are elsewhere informed, in regard to 3 And the LORD hearkened e Ps. 22. 4, 5. the city of Jericho, Josh. 6:21.¶ I will utterly destroy their cities. Heb. ha haramti, from the root 'hâram, to devote or doom, to devote to destruction. Gr. "Anathematize." From the same root is derived the word hormah, implying destruction accompanied by anathema, as if the place so called were devoted to the curse of God. Under the operation of this kind of devotement persons were to die, and property to be confiscated to the Lord, Lev. 27: 28, 29. See Note on Judg. 11:30. Thus when Jericho was devoted, the people and the beasts were killed, the city burnt, and the goods made over to the Lord's treasury, Josh. 6: 17-24. The vow, therefore, was a promise that they would reserve none of the captured possessions of the king to their own use, but would devote it all to destruction, which was the nature of the vow called Herem. This gives Calvin occasion to remark, "Praiseworthy indeed was their magnanimity in refusing to avail themselves of a comfortable home, by destroying the cities which they should acquire by the right of war." V. 3. The Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel. Chald. "Received the prayer of Israel." This implies, undoubtedly, an approval of their vow, although, as we shall see, the execution of it was postponed to a future day.- -¶ And they utterly destroyed them and their cities. Heb. yaharëm, devoted to destruction, from the before-mentioned root 'hâram. A cursory reading would lead to the impression that this defeat and destruction of the Canaanitish king and his cities occurred immediately upon the assault mentioned in the first verse. But this impression will be apt to be corrected by reference to a map of the region in question, and to the to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and course of events as recorded in the ensuing history. The locality assigned to Arad, as we have seen, is in the tribe of Judah, in the southern part of Canaan. The position of Israel, at this time, was in the vicinity of Mount Hor, far to the southeast, with the mountainous tract of Edom and other hostile tribes interposed. If they at once pushed on and destroyed the cities of Arad, they must have passed the mountain range lying in their way, have actually entered the land of Canaan, and after achieving their conquests fallen back to the neighborhood of Mount Hor, where the Tabernacle was now pitched, from thence to resume their circuitous route round the head of the Dead Sea, and the country of Moab. All this appears in the highest degree improbable. If there had been at this time such a triumphant inroad into the land of Canaan, we should find some intimation of it elsewhere. But no such intimation occurs, and we therefore infer that the events mentioned in this verse did not take place till after their arrival in Canaan under Joshua, when the conquest of Arad was effected and their vow executed. In Josh. 12:14, we find the "king of Arad" mentioned among the kings "which Joshua and the children of Israel smote," after taking possession of the land of promise. From the following allusion, Judg. 1:17, we infer that Arad was also called "Zephath." "And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah." It seems fair to conclude, from the name thenceforth given to the city, that not only were Arad and Zephath identical, but that now was the time when the vow men 4 And they journeyed from they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he call-mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom and the soul of the g Judg. 11. 18. ed the name of the place Hormah. f c. 20. 22. 83. 41. through the Wady-el-Arabah, and from thence they branched off to the east through the Wady Ithm, as it is now called, and by that route compassed the extreme south-eastern border of Edom, which it is plain from 1 Kings 9:20, extended quite to the head of the Arabian Gulf. From this they would reach the high plateau of the great eastern desert, along which they passed, with the mountains of Edom and Moab on their left, between them and the Dead Sea.- - The soul of the people was tioned in the present connection was fulfilled. It is probable that no very serious efforts were made at this time to chastise the temerity of this rash but puny chieftain, who had probably with a mere clan of his followers, fallen upon some straggling parties of Israel, and taken them captive without making any impression whatever upon the main host. The prisoners may have been soon recovered, and the marauders repulsed for the time, when the congregation pursued its journey regardless of the interruption. But as they show-much discouraged because of the way. ed a malicious intent, and may possibly have perpetrated some cruelties, it was proper their assault should be remembered and punished at another time. This they vowed to do at the present time, but the execution of the vow was delayed till they could take their enemies in hand in earnest. In like manner the punishment of Amalek was delayed till the time of Saul and Samuel. The record of the fact, as contained in the verse before us, was probably added by another hand long after the period of Moses. -¶He called the name of the place Hormah. That is, utter destruction, the name being designed as a memorial of the doom to which it was subjected. Gr. "Anathema." The expression "he called" is virtually impersonal, equivalent to "one called," or "it was called." The Journeying of the People from Mount Hor. A fresh Murmuring against Moses. V. 4. Journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea. Their course was southwardly to the head of the Red Sea, Heb. tiktzar, was shortened or strait- people was much discouraged because of the way. h against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought h Ps. 78. 19. i Ex. 16. 3. 17.3. ulous supplies which, on occasions of emergency, were granted to them."— Pict. Bible. As nothing is more trying than to be put back when, after a long and toilsome travel, one has almost reached the point of his destination, so here we can readily account for, though we cannot excuse, the murmurings and complaints to which the people now gave vent. Still we cannot doubt that their discouragement arose more from the inward frame of their spirits than from any external cause. But this was not the first time they had experienced toilsome marches or the privations of a wilderness life. They had long known fatigue, want, and danger in their journey; but had not the Lord continually encircled them with his protection, and supplied them by his providence? Trying as their situation was, their encour 5 And the people spake gained the equally desolate region constituting the desert east of the mountains of Edom. "This Wady-el-Araba is undoubtedly the way of the Red Sea' of the text; and the discouragement which the Israelites felt 'because of the way' may be accounted for no less by the naturally depressing influence of the obligation of going so far about to their destination, which they had hoped to reach by a shorter and more pleasant route, than by the naturally cheerless aspect of the country which they were traversing. The Wady-el-Araba, although a natural road to the countries north and north-west of the Red Sea, is yet as sterile as the desert, although the small bushy tufts, which grow here and there in the sand, retain for some time a little of the verdure which they receive during the rainy season. It is indeed in some re-agements far exceeded their discouragespects worse than the common desert, being, to an extent beyond the latitude of Mount Hor, an expanse of shifting sand, of which the surface is broken by innumerable undulations and low hills. This sand appears to have been brought from the shores of the Red Sea by the southerly winds. The few travellers who have visited this region reiterate the complaints of the Israelites as to the scarcity of water in this district. Indeed when we consider the general want of water in the Arabian deserts, and the vast quantity which the Hebrew host V. 5. The people spake against God, must have required, there is less cause and against Moses. Chald. "The peoto wonder at their frequent complaints ple murmured before the Lord, and conon the subject than that they were en- tended with Moses." So also v. 7. From abled, for so many years, to subsist in some allusions elsewhere bearing upon a collective body in regions thus con- this part of their history, it would appear sumed with drought. It is our firm that under the title God, our Lord and conviction that they must utterly have Saviour Jesus Christ is to be especially perished long before but for the mirac-recognized. He was the Angel of God's ments; and so will it ever be found by the faithful, that in every condition of Providence they have more cause for thankfulness than for complaint; and that their mercies vastly surpass their judgments. "He that will pass to the promised land, must neither stand upon length of way, nor difficulty. Every way hath its inconveniences; the nearest path hath more danger, the furthest hath more pain; either or both must be overcome, if ever we will enter the rest of God."-Bp. Hall. |
